Episodic foresight and ageing. Episodic foresight refers to the capacity to imagine future events, and consequently often involves the prediction of future needs based on hypothesised possible outcomes. It is therefore unsurprising that episodic foresight has been consistently linked to independent living and many functional behaviours. The aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that psychological changes brought about by ageing decrease the likelihood of acting prudently with the future i ....Episodic foresight and ageing. Episodic foresight refers to the capacity to imagine future events, and consequently often involves the prediction of future needs based on hypothesised possible outcomes. It is therefore unsurprising that episodic foresight has been consistently linked to independent living and many functional behaviours. The aim of the project is to test the hypothesis that psychological changes brought about by ageing decrease the likelihood of acting prudently with the future in mind. By advancing conceptual understanding of how, and under what circumstances, episodic foresight is affected in late adulthood, the proposed research has important implications for finding ways to help older adults maintain a productive and independent life. Read moreRead less
Ageing, trust, and financial exploitation: social, emotional and cognitive mechanisms. This project aims to understand how age-related differences in the processing of social and emotional information contribute to the exploitation of older adults' trust. This research will examine deception detection during financial negotiations and provide new strategies for ensuring the financial independence and well-being of older Australians.
Ageing and self-regulation. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. Our preliminary research suggests that self-regulation may be a significant problem for older Australians. The proposed research will provide a clearer picture of when and why older adults have difficulties regulating their behaviour, and which older adults are particularly susceptible to lapses in self-control. If older adults do hav ....Ageing and self-regulation. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. Our preliminary research suggests that self-regulation may be a significant problem for older Australians. The proposed research will provide a clearer picture of when and why older adults have difficulties regulating their behaviour, and which older adults are particularly susceptible to lapses in self-control. If older adults do have difficulties self-regulating, and if these self-regulation failures incur health, financial and social costs, by gaining a clearer understanding of this problem, the proposed research will take an important step in improving the lives of older Australians. Read moreRead less
Everyday cognition in older adulthood: Mechanisms contributing to the age-prospective memory paradox. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important goal is ageing well and ageing productively. The proposed research will clarify why older adults perform extremely well on prospective memory (PM) tasks based in everyday environments, but very poorly on PM tasks that take place in the controlled situation of the laboratory. Advancing our understanding of why this ....Everyday cognition in older adulthood: Mechanisms contributing to the age-prospective memory paradox. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important goal is ageing well and ageing productively. The proposed research will clarify why older adults perform extremely well on prospective memory (PM) tasks based in everyday environments, but very poorly on PM tasks that take place in the controlled situation of the laboratory. Advancing our understanding of why this 'paradoxical' pattern of age effects occurs will help clarify how other aspects of everyday cognition in older adulthood may be optimised, and consequently take an important step in improving the lives of older adults. The results will also inform development of rehabilitation strategies for clinical groups who present with PM difficulties. Read moreRead less
The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby en ....The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby enhance the performance of tasks encountered in daily living.Read moreRead less
Social cognitive change in late adulthood. This project aims to develop and test a model of how normal adult ageing affects the ability to perceive and interpret social cues, a critical predictor of social competency and well-being, and identify the most important determinants of any age-related changes. This project predicts that older adults who have the greatest difficulties perceiving and interpreting social cues will also have the poorest social function and well-being, so better understand ....Social cognitive change in late adulthood. This project aims to develop and test a model of how normal adult ageing affects the ability to perceive and interpret social cues, a critical predictor of social competency and well-being, and identify the most important determinants of any age-related changes. This project predicts that older adults who have the greatest difficulties perceiving and interpreting social cues will also have the poorest social function and well-being, so better understanding the mechanistic factors that drive resilience and risk for these difficulties is expected to have direct and important implications for Australia’s growing older adult community.Read moreRead less
Imagining and realising the future: limits and potentials in older adulthood. Older adults often forget to carry out important intentions such as turning off appliances, and this research will investigate the role of forward thinking in these memory failures. By testing the effectiveness of new strategies to assist memory for intentions, the research has important implications for maintaining independence in old age.
Ageing, Inhibition, and Social Control - steps towards improving the lives of older adults. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. The proposed research will extend our preliminary findings on ageing and social inappropriateness to provide a clearer picture of when and why this occurs, and among whom. The proposed research will also examine the mental and physical health consequences of social inappro ....Ageing, Inhibition, and Social Control - steps towards improving the lives of older adults. Australia is faced with an ageing population, and thus an increasingly important national goal is ageing well and ageing productively. The proposed research will extend our preliminary findings on ageing and social inappropriateness to provide a clearer picture of when and why this occurs, and among whom. The proposed research will also examine the mental and physical health consequences of social inappropriateness longitudinally. If cognitive losses do lead to social losses, with attendant negative health consequences, by gaining a clearer understanding of this problem, the proposed research will take an important step in improving the lives of older adults.Read moreRead less
Social perception in late adulthood. Social perception refers broadly to the ability to decode and react appropriately to the social signals sent out by other people, and is a critical predictor of social competency and wellbeing. The aim of this project is to gain a clearer picture of when and why older adults experience social perceptual difficulties, as well as any consequences of these difficulties. A key prediction is that those older adults who have most difficulty with social perception w ....Social perception in late adulthood. Social perception refers broadly to the ability to decode and react appropriately to the social signals sent out by other people, and is a critical predictor of social competency and wellbeing. The aim of this project is to gain a clearer picture of when and why older adults experience social perceptual difficulties, as well as any consequences of these difficulties. A key prediction is that those older adults who have most difficulty with social perception will also have lowest wellbeing. Identifying which older adults are most likely to experience social perceptual difficulties, as well as which aspects of social perception are relatively intact, are expected to help to guide interventions on how to maintain wellbeing in old age.Read moreRead less
Attentional mechanisms in the relationship between sleep disruption and academic outcomes in Australian school children. This project will assess the impact of sleep problems on attention and academic performance in primary school children. The project will investigate typically developing children and children with developmental disorders over 18 months. The research will advance knowledge of the interplay between sleep, attention and learning across development.