Measuring and modelling the childhood determinants of human capital formation and human capability expansion. This project aims to address significant gaps in the data infrastructure needed to advance Australian's current human capital reform agenda. It will draw on existing population and longitudinal datasets and collect specific community and family data to analyse how the social, economic and ecological contexts of child development enable life-course outcomes in health and human capability ....Measuring and modelling the childhood determinants of human capital formation and human capability expansion. This project aims to address significant gaps in the data infrastructure needed to advance Australian's current human capital reform agenda. It will draw on existing population and longitudinal datasets and collect specific community and family data to analyse how the social, economic and ecological contexts of child development enable life-course outcomes in health and human capability. Existing human capital measures will be refined to develop data standards to support the monitoring of the reform agenda. New modelling techniques to predict patterns of economic, civic and social participation in individuals and populations will also be developed and tested.Read moreRead less
Collective futures: The effects of beliefs about future states of society on the support for and enactment of social change. This research addresses a novel and potentially critical factor in support for social change, beliefs about society in the future, that helps build Australia's capacity to effectively address important social issues that depend on widespread support and action, such as climate change. The research provides a basis for a more informed public debate about these issues, and e ....Collective futures: The effects of beliefs about future states of society on the support for and enactment of social change. This research addresses a novel and potentially critical factor in support for social change, beliefs about society in the future, that helps build Australia's capacity to effectively address important social issues that depend on widespread support and action, such as climate change. The research provides a basis for a more informed public debate about these issues, and enhances the effectiveness of policy-makers and information campaigns. Scientifically, it enhances Australia's reputation as a leader in social change research. Read moreRead less
Predicting health, well-being, and educational success in emerging adults: An 8 year longitudinal study. This project will inform the community about factors that affect the psychological, physical, academic, and employment outcomes of emerging adults. It will improve our knowledge of why some young people do not reach their full potential. The project will provide a comprehensive assessment of factors associated with well-being across several domains. It will better equip and assist professiona ....Predicting health, well-being, and educational success in emerging adults: An 8 year longitudinal study. This project will inform the community about factors that affect the psychological, physical, academic, and employment outcomes of emerging adults. It will improve our knowledge of why some young people do not reach their full potential. The project will provide a comprehensive assessment of factors associated with well-being across several domains. It will better equip and assist professionals to identify early those youth at risk of having poor psychological, health, and employment prospects post-school. The project will inform the development of intervention programs for young people and maximise their overall adjustment and well-being several years later.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101006
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Understanding and increasing high school girls' physical activity levels through a physical education-based research program. Currently, less than 15% of early-teenage Australian girls meet exercise recommendations. This project will identify new ways in which physical education can promote physical activity, and will provide practical methods for increasing girls' activity levels, helping to reduce future health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101029
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Responding to humanitarian emergencies: mass generosity as collective action. The world has witnessed a string of disasters that, at times, appear to have pushed the human capacity for generosity to its limits. This ground-breaking psychological research explores ways to help government and nongovernment agencies to build broader support in Australian society for efforts to respond to humanitarian emergencies.
The 'health' of Australia's professions: Teaching, nursing and policing as effective professions. If Australia is to have a place as a 21st century nation it must be supported by an effective public service. In Western Australia, teachers, nurses and police make up 70% of the public service. The effectiveness of these services is a direct function the 'health' of these occupations and the ?health? of the organisations employing teachers, nurses and police. Nonetheless, there has been little syst ....The 'health' of Australia's professions: Teaching, nursing and policing as effective professions. If Australia is to have a place as a 21st century nation it must be supported by an effective public service. In Western Australia, teachers, nurses and police make up 70% of the public service. The effectiveness of these services is a direct function the 'health' of these occupations and the ?health? of the organisations employing teachers, nurses and police. Nonetheless, there has been little systematic inquiry into this area. This research will develop the concept of the ?health? of a profession comprising both perspectives, and use this to develop and test a comprehensive instrument for the ongoing monitoring of the ?health? of the teaching, nursing and policing professions.Read moreRead less
Facilitating the attainment of difficult goals: From theory to intervention. Being persistent in pursuing an important goal is glorified in society. People, however, often need to be strategic in their goal pursuits. A series of lab and field studies will aim to test how helping individuals to realise early in their goal striving whether their goal is attainable or not, can support them in making the right decision (persist with, abandon, or change the goal). The project will make novel contribu ....Facilitating the attainment of difficult goals: From theory to intervention. Being persistent in pursuing an important goal is glorified in society. People, however, often need to be strategic in their goal pursuits. A series of lab and field studies will aim to test how helping individuals to realise early in their goal striving whether their goal is attainable or not, can support them in making the right decision (persist with, abandon, or change the goal). The project will make novel contributions to theories of motivation and goal regulation. It will also have significant public benefit as it will provide the necessary evidence for the development of brief interventions that maximise the efficient use of individuals’ limited resources, facilitating individual and societal productivity and well-being.Read moreRead less
Selective information processing and anxiety problems. Anxiety problems cost Australia over $1 billion per annum, and affect up to 16% of some Australian populations. Previous research by the applicants, and others, recently has established that certain patterns of selective information processing causally underpin elevated vulnerability to anxiety. The present program will serve to distinguish the functional contributions made by two specific classes of processing selectivity to two key dimensi ....Selective information processing and anxiety problems. Anxiety problems cost Australia over $1 billion per annum, and affect up to 16% of some Australian populations. Previous research by the applicants, and others, recently has established that certain patterns of selective information processing causally underpin elevated vulnerability to anxiety. The present program will serve to distinguish the functional contributions made by two specific classes of processing selectivity to two key dimensions of anxiety vulnerability. It is designed to produce novel cognitive technologies capable not only of predicting, but also of attenuating, both the tendency to experience anxiety reactions to stress, and the subsequent persistent of anxiety over time.Read moreRead less
How biased engagement with, and biased disengagement from, emotional information contribute to alternative dimensions of anxiety vulnerability. Anxiety problems cost Australia over $1 billion per annum, and affect up to 16% of some Australian populations. Previous research by the applicants, and others, recently has established that certain patterns of selective information processing causally underpin elevated vulnerability to anxiety. The present program will serve to distinguish the functiona ....How biased engagement with, and biased disengagement from, emotional information contribute to alternative dimensions of anxiety vulnerability. Anxiety problems cost Australia over $1 billion per annum, and affect up to 16% of some Australian populations. Previous research by the applicants, and others, recently has established that certain patterns of selective information processing causally underpin elevated vulnerability to anxiety. The present program will serve to distinguish the functional contributions made by two specific classes of processing selectivity to two key dimensions of anxiety vulnerability. It is designed to produce novel cognitive technologies capable not only of predicting, but also of attenuating, both the tendency to experience anxiety reactions to stress, and the subsequent persistence of anxiety over time.Read moreRead less
Atypical cognition in autism: preference for nonverbal coding and impaired connectivity? This project will investigate whether individuals with autism prefer to think 'in pictures' rather than use words, and whether their thinking shows evidence of limited connections across brain regions. Establishing either characteristic for autism would provide important direction in improving diagnosis and intervention for affected children.