A community based social identity approach to loneliness. Loneliness across Australia is a deep concern. Social prescribing is a novel community-based approach to managing loneliness, however it is unclear when and in what circumstances it is effective. This project aims to test a social identity approach to loneliness, incorporating longitudinal, cross-sectional, and experimental methods to understand how best to engage isolated people in group programs. The expected benefits of this project ar ....A community based social identity approach to loneliness. Loneliness across Australia is a deep concern. Social prescribing is a novel community-based approach to managing loneliness, however it is unclear when and in what circumstances it is effective. This project aims to test a social identity approach to loneliness, incorporating longitudinal, cross-sectional, and experimental methods to understand how best to engage isolated people in group programs. The expected benefits of this project are to produce a validated social prescribing model that can be implemented in multiple settings across Australia in order to reduce loneliness, strengthen communities, and guide more appropriate uses of health services.Read moreRead less
Investigating voluntary and involuntary intergroup contact . Extensive research suggests that interactions between people of opposing groups - intergroup contact - reduce prejudices and improve social cohesion. Yet these benefits may not be realised if intergroup contact is actively avoided, passively received, or mandated. Drawing from social psychology and human geography, this project aims to establish the conditions under which voluntary contact occurs and how voluntary (vs. involuntary) int ....Investigating voluntary and involuntary intergroup contact . Extensive research suggests that interactions between people of opposing groups - intergroup contact - reduce prejudices and improve social cohesion. Yet these benefits may not be realised if intergroup contact is actively avoided, passively received, or mandated. Drawing from social psychology and human geography, this project aims to establish the conditions under which voluntary contact occurs and how voluntary (vs. involuntary) intergroup contact shapes diversity experiences and impacts social attitudes, trust, and civic participation. With data from multiple settings and participant populations, this project has the potential to inform interventions and policies that deliver harmonious, healthy and productive communities.Read moreRead less
Hearing, social connectedness, and well-being of ageing adults in Australia. Hearing ability declines with age and hearing loss has a fundamental impact on an adult’s ability to communicate and, in turn, socially connect with others. This benchmark study aims to apply innovative, quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the real-world social connections of adults with hearing loss who use or do not use hearing aids. This project expects to increase understanding of the social impacts of a ....Hearing, social connectedness, and well-being of ageing adults in Australia. Hearing ability declines with age and hearing loss has a fundamental impact on an adult’s ability to communicate and, in turn, socially connect with others. This benchmark study aims to apply innovative, quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the real-world social connections of adults with hearing loss who use or do not use hearing aids. This project expects to increase understanding of the social impacts of age-related hearing loss and the relationship to hearing rehabilitation. The expected outcomes have the potential to guide research, policy, and practice for ageing Australians. This should provide significant benefits, such as reducing social isolation and enhancing the well-being of millions of Australians.Read moreRead less
Improving the Well-Being of Low Socioeconomic Status Students at University. This project aims to investigate a new approach to improving the mental well-being of university students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. University students have a high risk of experiencing mental health problems, and students from low SES backgrounds have a particularly high risk. This project aims to investigate university-relevant Facebook groups as a method of improving the mental well-being of low ....Improving the Well-Being of Low Socioeconomic Status Students at University. This project aims to investigate a new approach to improving the mental well-being of university students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. University students have a high risk of experiencing mental health problems, and students from low SES backgrounds have a particularly high risk. This project aims to investigate university-relevant Facebook groups as a method of improving the mental well-being of low SES students by improving their online social integration at university. Expected outcomes and benefits include a scalable, low-cost approach to reducing an SES inequality that costs Australia billions of dollars each year.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the Quality of Scientific Research in Psychology. Buttressing public trust in science has never been more important, yet many sciences are experiencing a crisis of confidence. The current system of relying on journal prestige to calibrate our confidence in individual research findings has created corrupt incentives for scientists, and risks undermining public trust in science. Thousands of scientists and institutions around the world have indicated that research evaluation needs an ov ....Evaluating the Quality of Scientific Research in Psychology. Buttressing public trust in science has never been more important, yet many sciences are experiencing a crisis of confidence. The current system of relying on journal prestige to calibrate our confidence in individual research findings has created corrupt incentives for scientists, and risks undermining public trust in science. Thousands of scientists and institutions around the world have indicated that research evaluation needs an overhaul by signing the Declaration on Research Assessment. One solution is to create a public, transparent, and valid process for producing and sharing expert evaluations of individual papers. This project aims to launch this reform in psychology, and partner with PREreview to help it spread to other fields.Read moreRead less
The psychology of gridlock: Compromise, coalitions, and radicalisation. This project aims to test an innovative psychological model of collective gridlock. Using interviews, surveys, experiments, small group research, and analysis of social media data, the project aims to examine critical pathways in gridlock psychology, where opponents are locked into mutually suboptimal outcomes, unable to move forward. These pathways include the exit or self-censorship of moderates; normative pressure towards ....The psychology of gridlock: Compromise, coalitions, and radicalisation. This project aims to test an innovative psychological model of collective gridlock. Using interviews, surveys, experiments, small group research, and analysis of social media data, the project aims to examine critical pathways in gridlock psychology, where opponents are locked into mutually suboptimal outcomes, unable to move forward. These pathways include the exit or self-censorship of moderates; normative pressure towards purity and refusal to compromise; tactical choices to avoid coalitions; and radicalisation. The research aims to develop novel interventions to reduce polarisation and radicalisation, and to promote compromises, which together will help society respond more nimbly and effectively to social and environmental challenges.Read moreRead less
When, why, and how well do we regulate other people's emotions? This project aims to understand when and why people attempt to regulate others' emotions, and to evaluate which regulation processes are most effective. We will study regulation attempts as they occur over minutes, days, and months in interactions between romantic couples and between nurse co-workers. This project extends the study of emotion regulation to others’ emotions as well as one’s own. The major project output will be an ev ....When, why, and how well do we regulate other people's emotions? This project aims to understand when and why people attempt to regulate others' emotions, and to evaluate which regulation processes are most effective. We will study regulation attempts as they occur over minutes, days, and months in interactions between romantic couples and between nurse co-workers. This project extends the study of emotion regulation to others’ emotions as well as one’s own. The major project output will be an evidence-based theory of extrinsic regulation. Project benefits include applications of this new knowledge to programs and policies that reduce negative emotions and stress in healthcare workers and couples, reducing workplace burnout, on-the-job errors, relationship breakdown and their associated economic costs.Read moreRead less
The psychology of understanding and reducing conspiracy beliefs. This project aims to provide new understandings of the psychology of believing conspiracy theories, a problem that promotes prejudice, undermines trust, and costs lives. This project will involve the first large-scale, multi-national survey of willingness to believe conspiracies, allowing us to identify how national and cultural factors influence conspiracist thinking around the world. It will also use innovative experimental techn ....The psychology of understanding and reducing conspiracy beliefs. This project aims to provide new understandings of the psychology of believing conspiracy theories, a problem that promotes prejudice, undermines trust, and costs lives. This project will involve the first large-scale, multi-national survey of willingness to believe conspiracies, allowing us to identify how national and cultural factors influence conspiracist thinking around the world. It will also use innovative experimental techniques to test how group-based loyalties shape people’s conspiracist thinking and their online behaviours. Doing so paves the way for us to test novel strategies for reducing the impact of conspiracy theories, with benefits in terms of reducing societal mistrust, prejudice, and political violence.Read moreRead less
Testing an Integrative Model of Interpersonal Partner Aggression. The project aims to conduct: 1) a developmental test (i.e., from childhood to adulthood), and 2) a dyadic longitudinal test of an integrative model of intimate partner violence (IPV). The project is significant as it addresses 4 key IPV research limitations. These are the lack of: 1) focus on relationship dynamics; 2) longitudinal research on couples; 3) developmental tests of IPV; 4) research on same-sex couples. Expected outcome ....Testing an Integrative Model of Interpersonal Partner Aggression. The project aims to conduct: 1) a developmental test (i.e., from childhood to adulthood), and 2) a dyadic longitudinal test of an integrative model of intimate partner violence (IPV). The project is significant as it addresses 4 key IPV research limitations. These are the lack of: 1) focus on relationship dynamics; 2) longitudinal research on couples; 3) developmental tests of IPV; 4) research on same-sex couples. Expected outcomes include a comprehensive suite of assessments to effectively detect and support couples at risk of IPV and self-help resources to combat IPV. Benefits include the development of an integrative framework to identify couples most at risk of IPV and guide the development of interventions and policy to reduce IPV.Read moreRead less
Brain systems implicated in alcohol-related aggression. Alcohol has many adverse effects on social behaviour and emotion regulation. Aggressive behaviour is one of the most common social behaviours that intoxicated people display. Using neuroimaging and brain stimulation technology, this project aims to identify how alcohol disrupts brain networks implicated in anger and emotion regulation. Expected outcomes of this project include discovery of how the brain responds to social provocation, suppo ....Brain systems implicated in alcohol-related aggression. Alcohol has many adverse effects on social behaviour and emotion regulation. Aggressive behaviour is one of the most common social behaviours that intoxicated people display. Using neuroimaging and brain stimulation technology, this project aims to identify how alcohol disrupts brain networks implicated in anger and emotion regulation. Expected outcomes of this project include discovery of how the brain responds to social provocation, supports emotion regulation, and produces aggressive behaviour when intoxicated. Benefits include identifying how the intoxicated brain contributes to the millennia-old phenomenon of alcohol-related aggression and how brain stimulation may protect against aggression.Read moreRead less