The many faces of threat: An investigation of animal, interpersonal and intergroup threat. Threat to personal safety can take a number of guises, a snake in the grass, an angry neighbour or, increasingly often in our modern world, a stranger who looks different. The present project will investigate the manner in which we respond to these threats, whether these responses can be modulated and what determines the threatening nature of an event. A better understanding of how we react to real or p ....The many faces of threat: An investigation of animal, interpersonal and intergroup threat. Threat to personal safety can take a number of guises, a snake in the grass, an angry neighbour or, increasingly often in our modern world, a stranger who looks different. The present project will investigate the manner in which we respond to these threats, whether these responses can be modulated and what determines the threatening nature of an event. A better understanding of how we react to real or perceived threats, in particular those involving other humans, will aid our understanding of human behaviour in an ever faster changing environment, both in our region and more broadly. Read moreRead less
Persuasion through numbers: How majority and minority groups can change peoples’ attitudes and be agents of innovation and social change. Project develops a social psychological understanding of how people process, and are influenced by, persuasive arguments endorsed by majority and minority groups. New techniques examine which source (majority vs. minority) is associated with most message processing, the consequence of message processing to attitude change, and factors that affect the ability/ ....Persuasion through numbers: How majority and minority groups can change peoples’ attitudes and be agents of innovation and social change. Project develops a social psychological understanding of how people process, and are influenced by, persuasive arguments endorsed by majority and minority groups. New techniques examine which source (majority vs. minority) is associated with most message processing, the consequence of message processing to attitude change, and factors that affect the ability/motivation to engage in message processing. Project extends theory by developing a framework that is tested across new paradigms (including rare group studies). Results will increase understanding of when, and how, majorities and minorities change attitudes (and when they fail) which is valuable for practitioners and policy-makers involved in managing change.Read moreRead less
Impaired jury decision-making: The impact of stereotypes in the Australian court room. There have been calls for reforms and overhauls of the jury system in Australia because of concerns about the ability of jurors to reach objective verdicts and concerns about the costs associated with the jury system; however the consequences of these proposed changes for jury functioning are not well understood. This research will provide a better understanding those factors that contribute to impaired jury d ....Impaired jury decision-making: The impact of stereotypes in the Australian court room. There have been calls for reforms and overhauls of the jury system in Australia because of concerns about the ability of jurors to reach objective verdicts and concerns about the costs associated with the jury system; however the consequences of these proposed changes for jury functioning are not well understood. This research will provide a better understanding those factors that contribute to impaired jury decision-making, helping to avoid the very real risk of any changes to the jury system resulting in profound and unpredictable changes to the functioning of the legal system. By doing so, the concerns of people calling for drastic reforms can be addressed without socially and economically expensive overhauls of the jury system.Read moreRead less
What makes unwritten rules work? A framework for understanding normative influence. Societies are regulated primarily by norms, which are unwritten, informal rules for appropriate behaviour. Governments, religious and cultural groups, and even families can all actively campaign to change people's standards or norms for behaviour. However, often people ignore the normative messages. As one example, child obesity rates in Australia continue to grow, despite years of campaigns on this issue. S ....What makes unwritten rules work? A framework for understanding normative influence. Societies are regulated primarily by norms, which are unwritten, informal rules for appropriate behaviour. Governments, religious and cultural groups, and even families can all actively campaign to change people's standards or norms for behaviour. However, often people ignore the normative messages. As one example, child obesity rates in Australia continue to grow, despite years of campaigns on this issue. Sometimes normative campaigns can even increase the problems they're trying to solve. For example, some research shows children targeted with anti-drug messages are more likely to abuse drugs. This research tests why normative campaigns fail, and how to solve the problem.Read moreRead less
School Bullies and Victims: The Influence of Children's Groups. School bullying is commonly displayed in Australian schools with serious effects for the victims. This project will enhance our understanding of the influence of children's social groups on school bullying and victimization. Increasing understanding of this devastating social phenomenon will provide a basis for developing focused intervention strategies that are directed at both bullies and victims. In turn, this will improve the le ....School Bullies and Victims: The Influence of Children's Groups. School bullying is commonly displayed in Australian schools with serious effects for the victims. This project will enhance our understanding of the influence of children's social groups on school bullying and victimization. Increasing understanding of this devastating social phenomenon will provide a basis for developing focused intervention strategies that are directed at both bullies and victims. In turn, this will improve the learning context for all students, enhance the environment in which teachers work, and strengthen the fabric of communities by contributing to the development of harmony and cooperation between people.Read moreRead less
Understanding reactions to diversity initiatives in organizations: An intergroup perspective. Current policy and legislation promote diversity in organizations,
however employees often react negatively to diversity initiatives
that assist specific groups (e.g., women). Explanations attributing
negativity to individual factors (e.g., self interest) or to broad
organizational culture are limited. Diversity initiatives highlight
differences between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary group(s) ....Understanding reactions to diversity initiatives in organizations: An intergroup perspective. Current policy and legislation promote diversity in organizations,
however employees often react negatively to diversity initiatives
that assist specific groups (e.g., women). Explanations attributing
negativity to individual factors (e.g., self interest) or to broad
organizational culture are limited. Diversity initiatives highlight
differences between the beneficiary and non-beneficiary group(s) and
a comprehensive model should incorporate an intergroup perspective.
It should also recognise the legitimising role of justice-based
concerns. In testing such a model, this project will contribute to
theories of intergroup relations and their interplay with social
policy, and to the development of strategies to manage workplace
diversity.
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Promoting intergroup forgiveness: The benefits and pitfalls of apologies and invocations of shared humanity. In the last 200 years Australians have found themselves as both perpetrators and victims of historical transgressions. This history of transgression has ongoing implications for how Australians deal with the present. It has implications for how Australians relate to Japan, for example, and has implications for relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The proposed resea ....Promoting intergroup forgiveness: The benefits and pitfalls of apologies and invocations of shared humanity. In the last 200 years Australians have found themselves as both perpetrators and victims of historical transgressions. This history of transgression has ongoing implications for how Australians deal with the present. It has implications for how Australians relate to Japan, for example, and has implications for relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The proposed research offers fresh ideas for understanding and promoting intergroup reconciliation and forgiveness. This information will contribute to the development of effective strategies for reconciling with the past, which will enhance our ability to anticipate and tackle critical threats to the cohesiveness of Australian society.Read moreRead less
What people say and do in response to negative feedback: Explaining and reducing defensiveness toward individual and group criticism. This research will allow us to devise, for the first time, a comprehensive account of how people respond to criticism, not just of their groups but also of themselves as individuals. The first part of the project (focusing on criticism of groups) will help provide specific recommendations regarding how to negotiate sensitive issues within and between a range of cu ....What people say and do in response to negative feedback: Explaining and reducing defensiveness toward individual and group criticism. This research will allow us to devise, for the first time, a comprehensive account of how people respond to criticism, not just of their groups but also of themselves as individuals. The first part of the project (focusing on criticism of groups) will help provide specific recommendations regarding how to negotiate sensitive issues within and between a range of cultural, national, and corporate groups. The second part of the project (focusing on criticism of individuals) will provide specific recommendations regarding how to deliver negative feedback to individuals, a skill that is particularly important in educational contexts and in the workplace. Read moreRead less
Compromised or competent? A longitudinal study of twin children's social competencies friendships and behavioural adjustment. Twins are a significant and increasing proportion of the school population. This study of twins, transition to school and friendship will advance knowledge in young children's social and emotional health, the national priority area Promoting and maintaining good health. It informs the early childhood education community (particularly policy makers, educators and parents) ....Compromised or competent? A longitudinal study of twin children's social competencies friendships and behavioural adjustment. Twins are a significant and increasing proportion of the school population. This study of twins, transition to school and friendship will advance knowledge in young children's social and emotional health, the national priority area Promoting and maintaining good health. It informs the early childhood education community (particularly policy makers, educators and parents) about twin children's transition to school with a particular focus on social competence. It will address many key outcomes, identified by Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services, as priorities for the Early Years. The findings will have direct relevance for parents, educators, health professionals and policy-makers.Read moreRead less
Resilience and coping: Predicting positive well-being following life transitions and major life events among young Australian women. The project addresses a major issue for the well-being of Australians. It examines positive well-being and resilience, which provides an important complement to other work on diagnosed mental illness. Mental health problems are a major problem in Australia, contributing to unemployment, family problems, and risky life choices. By identifying people who maintain goo ....Resilience and coping: Predicting positive well-being following life transitions and major life events among young Australian women. The project addresses a major issue for the well-being of Australians. It examines positive well-being and resilience, which provides an important complement to other work on diagnosed mental illness. Mental health problems are a major problem in Australia, contributing to unemployment, family problems, and risky life choices. By identifying people who maintain good psychological health despite life stress, it can help in prevention and early intervention. It focuses on the important years of early adulthood, when people are dealing with new relationships, employment, and family formation. Its focus on women reflects the fact that women and men experience different life courses, often diverging markedly when the first child arrives.Read moreRead less