The Role of Colour and Luminance in Spatial Location. How does the brain form our impression of the world? Black and white images appear normal to us. However, colour images without luminance variation have little depth, suggesting that the brain does not process colour in the same way as luminance. A series of fresh experiments examine how colour and luminance are utilised for seeing the depth and position of objects. The results will help us to understand how the first stages of visual process ....The Role of Colour and Luminance in Spatial Location. How does the brain form our impression of the world? Black and white images appear normal to us. However, colour images without luminance variation have little depth, suggesting that the brain does not process colour in the same way as luminance. A series of fresh experiments examine how colour and luminance are utilised for seeing the depth and position of objects. The results will help us to understand how the first stages of visual processing in the brain shape our sense of the world, and help develop theories of human vision, as well as animal and machine models of vision.Read moreRead less
Co-evolution of Cooperation, Mindreading, and Morality. The project aims to investigate the evolutionary and cultural–historical underpinnings of human cooperation. Human cooperation is critical to meet contemporary challenges to humanity such as climate change and humanitarian emergencies. Yet, when cooperation incurs some cost to benefit others, how can cooperation emerge? The project’s main contention is that human cooperation co-evolved with the human capacities to read each other’s minds an ....Co-evolution of Cooperation, Mindreading, and Morality. The project aims to investigate the evolutionary and cultural–historical underpinnings of human cooperation. Human cooperation is critical to meet contemporary challenges to humanity such as climate change and humanitarian emergencies. Yet, when cooperation incurs some cost to benefit others, how can cooperation emerge? The project’s main contention is that human cooperation co-evolved with the human capacities to read each other’s minds and to monitor and sanction each other’s deeds in the social context of pursuing a collective goal for a greater good. The project plans to tests the theoretical integrity of this contention through computer simulations and its empirical validity through laboratory experiments and cross-cultural studies.Read moreRead less
Understanding secrecy in everyday life. This project aims to undertake the first systematic investigation of secrecy in everyday life. Secrecy is often vital in professional and personal life, but current scientific understanding of the costs and processes of secrecy is limited. This project proposes using innovative methodologies to estimate the psychological costs of secrecy and test an intervention to reduce these costs. Expected outcomes include developing theory, advancing methodology, and ....Understanding secrecy in everyday life. This project aims to undertake the first systematic investigation of secrecy in everyday life. Secrecy is often vital in professional and personal life, but current scientific understanding of the costs and processes of secrecy is limited. This project proposes using innovative methodologies to estimate the psychological costs of secrecy and test an intervention to reduce these costs. Expected outcomes include developing theory, advancing methodology, and building research capacity in supporting exceptional scholars. Significant benefits include educating community members about how to combat the harmful effects of secrecy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100125
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,536.00
Summary
Human visual perception: Connecting genes, brain and behaviour. This project aims to reveal the relationship between genes, brain and behaviour in visual perception, where underlying brain activity can be decoded from electrical signals. Modern molecular genetics promises unprecedented insights into human psychology. But progress has been slower than expected because the brain mechanisms linking genes to behaviours are incredibly complex. Project results are expected to show how common variation ....Human visual perception: Connecting genes, brain and behaviour. This project aims to reveal the relationship between genes, brain and behaviour in visual perception, where underlying brain activity can be decoded from electrical signals. Modern molecular genetics promises unprecedented insights into human psychology. But progress has been slower than expected because the brain mechanisms linking genes to behaviours are incredibly complex. Project results are expected to show how common variations in genes affect our brain's response to visual stimulation, and how this in turn alters our perceptual experience and behavioural reactions. These discoveries aim to cast new light on the architecture and development of the mind, and provide a new model for investigating the genetic basis of other psychological traits.Read moreRead less
Creating perceptual experts in Australia's policing and security agencies. This project aims to create the next generation of experts in Australia’s policing and national security agencies, by improving crime scene evidence interpretation. Agencies are under pressure to develop more rigorous training practices that go beyond mere intuition and tradition. This project will use a novel approach that directs learning toward the most diagnostic perceptual cues. Expected outcomes include a solid empi ....Creating perceptual experts in Australia's policing and security agencies. This project aims to create the next generation of experts in Australia’s policing and national security agencies, by improving crime scene evidence interpretation. Agencies are under pressure to develop more rigorous training practices that go beyond mere intuition and tradition. This project will use a novel approach that directs learning toward the most diagnostic perceptual cues. Expected outcomes include a solid empirical basis for national training programs designed to create experts that are accurate, reliable, and continuously improving. Improving the training of experts will ensure the integrity of forensics as evidentiary tools available to police, lead to more reliable courtroom convictions and help safeguard Australia from terrorism and crime.Read moreRead less
The emotional psychology of blood donors: understanding and using the affective key to donor return. Every week in Australia 27,000 blood donations are required to meet medical needs. Though donors are continually recruited, each year around 40per cent of Australian donors fail to re-donate. Why this occurs and how to prevent this is not well understood. Using an approach grounded in psychology and affective science, this project comprises a program of studies that aims to advance understanding ....The emotional psychology of blood donors: understanding and using the affective key to donor return. Every week in Australia 27,000 blood donations are required to meet medical needs. Though donors are continually recruited, each year around 40per cent of Australian donors fail to re-donate. Why this occurs and how to prevent this is not well understood. Using an approach grounded in psychology and affective science, this project comprises a program of studies that aims to advance understanding of the affective factors that contribute to blood donor return and translate that understanding into interventions to increase donor return. The project aims to advance the psychological conceptualisation of blood donation by integrating insight from affective science, while also enabling the Blood Service to meet the nation's demand for blood products.Read moreRead less
How pain shapes our social world. Pain is an important source of human experience. Traditionally it has been defined by its social and psychological costs and treated as a problem that needs to be ‘fixed’. This project represents the first systematic study of the ways in which pain may motivate social and behavioural responses that serve to enhance affiliation, communication, solidarity, and group formation. In this way, pain may serve to connect people with their social worlds - it may act as s ....How pain shapes our social world. Pain is an important source of human experience. Traditionally it has been defined by its social and psychological costs and treated as a problem that needs to be ‘fixed’. This project represents the first systematic study of the ways in which pain may motivate social and behavioural responses that serve to enhance affiliation, communication, solidarity, and group formation. In this way, pain may serve to connect people with their social worlds - it may act as social glue - bringing people together and strengthening social connection. The findings will help to to provide a broader perspective on physical pain and will lead to insights that are important when treating pain.Read moreRead less
Integrating between-person and within-person approaches to personality in the workplace. Personality tests are used to predict well being and productivity at work and are often used for personnel decisions within organisations in developed countries, including Australia. The treatment of personality as a fixed set of traits that produce similar responses across situations ignores human variability across situations which is needed for design of interventions to make humans happier and more effec ....Integrating between-person and within-person approaches to personality in the workplace. Personality tests are used to predict well being and productivity at work and are often used for personnel decisions within organisations in developed countries, including Australia. The treatment of personality as a fixed set of traits that produce similar responses across situations ignores human variability across situations which is needed for design of interventions to make humans happier and more effective at work. The results of tests of the integrated model of personality will be used to design interventions for the development of responses that lead to greater well being and effectiveness of managers in work settings.Read moreRead less
The social and cognitive functions of affect. Dealing with affective problems represents a major challenge in clinical, health, organisational and counselling psychology. Yet the role that affective states play in thinking, judgments and many everyday social behaviours remains poorly understood.. This project will produce direct national and community benefit by developing a new, integrative theory of affective influences on thinking and action, and exploring the functions and processing consequ ....The social and cognitive functions of affect. Dealing with affective problems represents a major challenge in clinical, health, organisational and counselling psychology. Yet the role that affective states play in thinking, judgments and many everyday social behaviours remains poorly understood.. This project will produce direct national and community benefit by developing a new, integrative theory of affective influences on thinking and action, and exploring the functions and processing consequences of affect in everyday settings. The real-life consequences of affect infusion in applied areas will also be explored. The project will also contribute to Australia's research capability by training doctoral and postdoctoral students, and fostering international research collaboration.Read moreRead less
The stress of obesity stigma: Testing a model of risk and resilience. This project seeks to advance theoretical knowledge about obesity stigma (and stigma more generally), and also to provide novel insights into ways to help obese people cope with stigma. Obese people frequently experience stigma in their everyday lives, but little is known about why, when, and for whom obesity stigma is likely to have the most negative consequences. The aim of this project is to use sophisticated methodological ....The stress of obesity stigma: Testing a model of risk and resilience. This project seeks to advance theoretical knowledge about obesity stigma (and stigma more generally), and also to provide novel insights into ways to help obese people cope with stigma. Obese people frequently experience stigma in their everyday lives, but little is known about why, when, and for whom obesity stigma is likely to have the most negative consequences. The aim of this project is to use sophisticated methodological approaches to test a model of risk and resilience related to obesity stigma which predicts that characteristics of the person (such as past experiences with stigma) and characteristics of the situation (such as who the perpetrator is) determine how people respond to stigmatising experiences. The model tested in this project may help identify ways to reduce the negative impact of obesity stigma, which would have important social and health benefits.Read moreRead less