The role of attention re-training in pain tolerance. Chronic pain is one of the most debilitating and expensive chronic health problems in westernized countries. Chronic pain develops when an individual is injured and is fearful of the pain that they experience. This causes them to become hypervigilant to pain, avoid activity and results in a vicious cycle of increasing disability. This research has two, related aims. First, we aim to test this model to see whether hypervigilance influences resp ....The role of attention re-training in pain tolerance. Chronic pain is one of the most debilitating and expensive chronic health problems in westernized countries. Chronic pain develops when an individual is injured and is fearful of the pain that they experience. This causes them to become hypervigilant to pain, avoid activity and results in a vicious cycle of increasing disability. This research has two, related aims. First, we aim to test this model to see whether hypervigilance influences response to pain, as predicted. Second, we will develop and test an intervention to reduce hypervigilance to pain in healthy people and those with acute injuries. If the intervention is successful, it will have the potential to prevent the development of chronic pain or reduce its severity.Read moreRead less
Motherhood choices: a decision aid for women with rheumatoid arthritis. Decisions about pregnancy in the context of debilitating rheumatoid arthritis impact directly on both the mother and the child as well as their family and wider social unit. Providing evidence-based information to support women in making informed decisions about motherhood is critical in maximizing the well-being of the mother and ensuring a healthy start to life for a baby. The project will contribute to the national resear ....Motherhood choices: a decision aid for women with rheumatoid arthritis. Decisions about pregnancy in the context of debilitating rheumatoid arthritis impact directly on both the mother and the child as well as their family and wider social unit. Providing evidence-based information to support women in making informed decisions about motherhood is critical in maximizing the well-being of the mother and ensuring a healthy start to life for a baby. The project will contribute to the national research priority area of promoting and maintaining good health, addressing the goal of supporting a healthy start to life.Read moreRead less
Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qu ....Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. Attracting and sustaining engaged science and mathematics teachers. This project will examine what attracts or deters potential, future and practising teachers of the sciences and mathematics, by focusing on current teachers, school and university students in Queensland. Promises of a technological revolution and rapid economic development will be hollow if students do not study sciences and mathematics, and there are too few qualified teachers. This project will identify where to intervene in the science and mathematics teacher supply pipeline, and policy levers to attract and sustain quality teachers. The project is expected to uncover what attracts or deters teachers of science and mathematics—disciplines essential to industry innovation, a skilled workforce and productivity growth.Read moreRead less
Bridging the gap on locational disadvantage: Impact of community-identified interventions on social capital, psychosocial and socioeconomic outcomes. Interventions to combat locational disadvantage are vital given the pervasiveness and long-term consequences for youth and communities. This research will offer important educational and socio-economic benefits by enriching the psychosocial adjustment and life potential of young Australians and the capacity of schools in locationally disadvantaged ....Bridging the gap on locational disadvantage: Impact of community-identified interventions on social capital, psychosocial and socioeconomic outcomes. Interventions to combat locational disadvantage are vital given the pervasiveness and long-term consequences for youth and communities. This research will offer important educational and socio-economic benefits by enriching the psychosocial adjustment and life potential of young Australians and the capacity of schools in locationally disadvantaged communities. Effective research and community-identified social capital and psychosocial interventions will enhance pro-social behaviours, health, psychosocial adjustment, and school and community engagement. This will build capacity at community, school, and individual levelsand contribute to national socioeconomic wellbeing.Read moreRead less
School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. This project aims to investigate the effect of State Education Departments’ policy interventions designed to improve school principals’ flagging wellbeing. Increasing competition, accountability and public scrutiny make principals stressed; since their influence on students is second only to teachers’, this threatens Australia’s socioeconomic outcomes. The project will map policy interventions to changes in princ ....School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. School principals’ diminishing wellbeing. This project aims to investigate the effect of State Education Departments’ policy interventions designed to improve school principals’ flagging wellbeing. Increasing competition, accountability and public scrutiny make principals stressed; since their influence on students is second only to teachers’, this threatens Australia’s socioeconomic outcomes. The project will map policy interventions to changes in principals’ motivation and wellbeing, and share information about the most productive and cost effective interventions with key stakeholders across Australia. This research could reverse the declining wellbeing of Australia’s school leaders.Read moreRead less
A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological ....A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological, social, and health problems, and end up in prison. This project could influence implementation of programmes and policy related to youth dropout, promote youth economic, social and physical wellbeing, and decrease their chance of committing crimes and becoming a social burden.Read moreRead less
From Anxious Temperament to Disorder: The role of the parent- child interaction. Three studies are proposed. The first examines parent behaviour (overinvolvement, encouragement of avoidance) in a large group of inhibited and uninhibited preschoolers over two-years. The aim is to determine whether parent behaviour places an inhibited child at greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder. The second examines parents of anxious children interacting with non-clinical children and parents of non-cl ....From Anxious Temperament to Disorder: The role of the parent- child interaction. Three studies are proposed. The first examines parent behaviour (overinvolvement, encouragement of avoidance) in a large group of inhibited and uninhibited preschoolers over two-years. The aim is to determine whether parent behaviour places an inhibited child at greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder. The second examines parents of anxious children interacting with non-clinical children and parents of non-clinical children interacting with anxious children. It is expected that anxious children will elicit more help from non-clinical mothers. The third examines anxiety-disordered parents interacting with their children. It is expected that anxiety-disordered mothers would be overinvolved regardless of the child's anxiety.Read moreRead less
Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
Reducing Cyberbullying: Turning Bystanders into Constructive Defenders. This project aims to develop a theoretically driven internet-based training program to reduce cyberbullying among adolescents. It expects to discover how to turn passive bystanders (onlookers) into active constructive defenders who help to stop cyberbullying and assist those being cyberbullied. Expected outcomes include developing the first theoretical model of bystanders in the cyberbullying context and practical evidenced ....Reducing Cyberbullying: Turning Bystanders into Constructive Defenders. This project aims to develop a theoretically driven internet-based training program to reduce cyberbullying among adolescents. It expects to discover how to turn passive bystanders (onlookers) into active constructive defenders who help to stop cyberbullying and assist those being cyberbullied. Expected outcomes include developing the first theoretical model of bystanders in the cyberbullying context and practical evidenced-based methods to increase constructive bystanding. The provision of an accessible training program for use in schools will produce significant benefits for the well-being of Australian youth by reducing cyberbullying and increasing the civility of Australian youth.
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Effects on young children's development of multiple and changeable childcare arrangements. Consistency of care is considered important for children's development in the first thee years. The study will investigate a concerning recent trend in childcare in Australian rural/regional and urban areas: the use of multiple and changeable care arrangements (MCC). Information from the study of the effects of MCC on children's development up to school age will inform policy on flexible childcare provisio ....Effects on young children's development of multiple and changeable childcare arrangements. Consistency of care is considered important for children's development in the first thee years. The study will investigate a concerning recent trend in childcare in Australian rural/regional and urban areas: the use of multiple and changeable care arrangements (MCC). Information from the study of the effects of MCC on children's development up to school age will inform policy on flexible childcare provision to assist families, to ensure optimal development in children, and to reduce later educational and social costs.
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