Determining principles for successful episode retrieval of repeated events. This project aims to develop the first-ever set of explanatory principles for how people successfully retain and retrieve individual episode memories from repeated experiences (e.g., one occurrence of a routine social encounter or job-related activity). By deepening our understanding of how memory works, this new knowledge is expected to lay the foundation for interview guidance and ongoing research aimed at enhancing th ....Determining principles for successful episode retrieval of repeated events. This project aims to develop the first-ever set of explanatory principles for how people successfully retain and retrieve individual episode memories from repeated experiences (e.g., one occurrence of a routine social encounter or job-related activity). By deepening our understanding of how memory works, this new knowledge is expected to lay the foundation for interview guidance and ongoing research aimed at enhancing the proficiency of investigations into matters that rely on detailed and accurate accounts of specific episodes. This includes workplace or traffic accident investigations, infectious disease contact tracing, as well as prosecution of repeated sexual offences.Read moreRead less
Remembering to remember: Prospective memory function in everyday life. Prospective memory is a core cognitive skill that refers to memory for future intentions. The goal of this project is to establish when, why and how real-life prospective memory function breaks down at different stages of the adult lifespan and in different everyday contexts - and what strategies most effectively prevent this from occurring. In doing so, this project expects to deliver knowledge that is theoretically transfor ....Remembering to remember: Prospective memory function in everyday life. Prospective memory is a core cognitive skill that refers to memory for future intentions. The goal of this project is to establish when, why and how real-life prospective memory function breaks down at different stages of the adult lifespan and in different everyday contexts - and what strategies most effectively prevent this from occurring. In doing so, this project expects to deliver knowledge that is theoretically transformative, and that delivers the practical understanding of what can be done to reduce real-life vulnerability to prospective memory failures. Given that lapses of prospective memory account for more than half of all daily cognitive errors, this should provide important social and economic benefits for all Australians.
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The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcom ....The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcomes include novel empirical evidence for preventative strategies that will predict, monitor and reduce negative mental health outcomes. This will provide significant global benefits to people with indirect trauma experiences, such as defence and forensic personnel.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101223
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,318.00
Summary
Using metacognitive self-evaluation to improve knowledge transfer. The knowledge and skills developed in the classroom often do not transfer to the workplace or even to other subjects at school. This project aims to evaluate how the transfer of knowledge can be enhanced by prompting students to evaluate and reflect on their performance in specific ways. The project will identify how different students respond to self-evaluation and how self-evaluation can most effectively be designed and applied ....Using metacognitive self-evaluation to improve knowledge transfer. The knowledge and skills developed in the classroom often do not transfer to the workplace or even to other subjects at school. This project aims to evaluate how the transfer of knowledge can be enhanced by prompting students to evaluate and reflect on their performance in specific ways. The project will identify how different students respond to self-evaluation and how self-evaluation can most effectively be designed and applied in the classroom. Newly developed self-evaluation prompts will be implemented in a computerised and adaptive way so that self-evaluation is tailored to a particular student. This project should provide a scalable and cost-effective way to help students apply what they learn in a more flexible and efficient way. Read moreRead less
Thinking about possibilities: Towards a unified cognitive framework. Thoughts about possibilities are fundamental to what makes us human. We routinely imagine what might happen in the future and reflect on how the past could have turned out differently. This psychology project aims to establish the circumstances in which children and non-human primates think about alternative possibilities, and to explain how they do it. The project expects to provide new knowledge of cognitive development and e ....Thinking about possibilities: Towards a unified cognitive framework. Thoughts about possibilities are fundamental to what makes us human. We routinely imagine what might happen in the future and reflect on how the past could have turned out differently. This psychology project aims to establish the circumstances in which children and non-human primates think about alternative possibilities, and to explain how they do it. The project expects to provide new knowledge of cognitive development and evolution, and to distinguish between simple and complex processes for thinking about possibilities. Expected benefits include progress towards a unified cognitive framework that may ultimately be leveraged to help people better reason about possibilities and bring them to fruition.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100300
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,877.00
Summary
Boosting high school students’ interest and course taking in STEM fields. This education psychology research aims to develop and test an online motivation intervention promoting high school students' interest and course-taking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The project expects to generate new knowledge of psychological and sociocultural factors (including gender) which affect STEM interest and subject choices, and which influence the effectiveness of a motivation in ....Boosting high school students’ interest and course taking in STEM fields. This education psychology research aims to develop and test an online motivation intervention promoting high school students' interest and course-taking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The project expects to generate new knowledge of psychological and sociocultural factors (including gender) which affect STEM interest and subject choices, and which influence the effectiveness of a motivation intervention for high school students. Expected outcomes include a scalable intervention that will be effective in replenishing the STEM skills pipeline. Benefits include better information for teachers and policy makers seeking to promote and sustain students' STEM interest, thus motivating them towards STEM pathways.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100659
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$454,417.00
Summary
The prevalence and impact of digital alcohol exposure. This project aims to use artificial intelligence to quantify the amount of alcohol people are exposed to in digital media (e.g., social media, streaming videos) in their daily lives and the effect alcohol exposure has on alcohol use. Expected outcomes for this project include a quantification of the amount of alcohol exposure in digital media and the impact it has on drinking and a development of a protocol to test exposure. Significant bene ....The prevalence and impact of digital alcohol exposure. This project aims to use artificial intelligence to quantify the amount of alcohol people are exposed to in digital media (e.g., social media, streaming videos) in their daily lives and the effect alcohol exposure has on alcohol use. Expected outcomes for this project include a quantification of the amount of alcohol exposure in digital media and the impact it has on drinking and a development of a protocol to test exposure. Significant benefits are expected for policy makers aiming to reduce exposure and the public wanting to avoid exposure to limit the harm of alcohol.
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Know thyself: Development of metacognition in childhood and adolescence. This project aims to advance our understanding of the development of children and adolescents’ insight into their own thoughts and behaviours, or metacognition. Individual differences in metacognition impact learning and contribute to the educational achievement gap observed in many countries, including Australia. By combining analysis of existing international cohort data and state-of-the art developmentally appropriate ne ....Know thyself: Development of metacognition in childhood and adolescence. This project aims to advance our understanding of the development of children and adolescents’ insight into their own thoughts and behaviours, or metacognition. Individual differences in metacognition impact learning and contribute to the educational achievement gap observed in many countries, including Australia. By combining analysis of existing international cohort data and state-of-the art developmentally appropriate neuroimaging methodology, the project is expected to create new basic research knowledge. An intended benefit is the development and evaluation of an evidence-based intervention to enhance the metacognitive skills of primary and secondary school pupils and improve their achievement in mathematics.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101039
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$468,592.00
Summary
The Impact of Online Social Interactions on Adolescent Cognition. Human cognition has evolved to navigate our complex social interactions. Today these interactions often take place online, especially for adolescents. This project aims to investigate whether and how online interactions shape adolescent cognitive development. The project will overcome current methodological limitations through novel measurements of online interactions and cognition in the real-world and across development. Expecte ....The Impact of Online Social Interactions on Adolescent Cognition. Human cognition has evolved to navigate our complex social interactions. Today these interactions often take place online, especially for adolescents. This project aims to investigate whether and how online interactions shape adolescent cognitive development. The project will overcome current methodological limitations through novel measurements of online interactions and cognition in the real-world and across development. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the cognitive harms and benefits of online interactions and a framework to guide future developmental research in the digital age. These outcomes will provide significant benefits including novel assessments and insights to inform policy recommendations around digital behaviours.Read moreRead less
The impact of circadian and sleep factors on neurodevelopment. This project aims to longitudinally examine the contributions of multiple circadian and sleep factors on the development of the teen brain. Adolescence is associated with a change in the internal body clock, leading to later bed and wake times and loss of sleep. It is also a time when the teenage brain is rapidly maturing to support learning. Despite the known importance of sleep in adolescence we know little about how the circadian ....The impact of circadian and sleep factors on neurodevelopment. This project aims to longitudinally examine the contributions of multiple circadian and sleep factors on the development of the teen brain. Adolescence is associated with a change in the internal body clock, leading to later bed and wake times and loss of sleep. It is also a time when the teenage brain is rapidly maturing to support learning. Despite the known importance of sleep in adolescence we know little about how the circadian clock and sleep impacts the developing brain. Our project expects to advance understanding of the importance of sleep and circadian timing for healthy brain and cognitive development. This knowledge will inform policy and prevention/intervention programs to benefit individuals, parents and the community.Read moreRead less