An Integrative Theory of Flashback Memories. Flashback memories are a core phenomenon in a range of psychological disorders. People who have suffered trauma, for example, experience a sense of reliving the past. This project will conduct the first comprehensive analysis of flashbacks by building on existing theories of autobiographical memory and applying convergent methodologies to study flashbacks. The project will assess the content, retrieval mode, and the brain mechanisms underpinning fl ....An Integrative Theory of Flashback Memories. Flashback memories are a core phenomenon in a range of psychological disorders. People who have suffered trauma, for example, experience a sense of reliving the past. This project will conduct the first comprehensive analysis of flashbacks by building on existing theories of autobiographical memory and applying convergent methodologies to study flashbacks. The project will assess the content, retrieval mode, and the brain mechanisms underpinning flashbacks. These data will lead to the first empirically-driven model of flashbacks that encompasses the psychological and neural bases of flashbacks. This model will advance our understanding of cognitive processes underpinning many psychological disorders.Read moreRead less
Trauma and Unwanted Memories. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a potentially debilitating condition that affects survivors of trauma. Intrusive memories of the trauma is the key problem in people with PTSD. This project will attempt to understand intrusive memories and will clarify why these memories persist. Outcomes from this project will directly assist people with PTSD because it will enhance understanding of a key symptom that maintains the disorder.
Interpreting intrusions: Illuminating the cognitive mechanisms that fuel obsessional thought. This project aims to evaluate a theoretical model regarding the causal and maintaining role that cognitive biases play in obsessional thought. Obsessions are common in the general population and negatively impact health and daily functioning. Individuals struggle with their obsessions but are unable to disengage from them. A pressing question is: what makes an obsession so “sticky”? To answer this quest ....Interpreting intrusions: Illuminating the cognitive mechanisms that fuel obsessional thought. This project aims to evaluate a theoretical model regarding the causal and maintaining role that cognitive biases play in obsessional thought. Obsessions are common in the general population and negatively impact health and daily functioning. Individuals struggle with their obsessions but are unable to disengage from them. A pressing question is: what makes an obsession so “sticky”? To answer this question, this project aims to employ a novel, computerised experimental methodology to directly manipulate cognitive processes proposed to underpin obsessions. This methodology will be used to alter key biases proposed to drive obsessional thinking, thus shedding light on core psychological mechanisms.Read moreRead less
Cognitive control in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with significant social and economic burden. There is a pressing need to understand the cognitive mechanisms that drive and maintain this disorder. This research will permit exciting advances that will extend existing models of OCD by (1) elucidating the effects of different strategies for responding to obsessional thoughts,(2) integrating psychological, cognitive, and neuropsychological models of OCD ....Cognitive control in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is associated with significant social and economic burden. There is a pressing need to understand the cognitive mechanisms that drive and maintain this disorder. This research will permit exciting advances that will extend existing models of OCD by (1) elucidating the effects of different strategies for responding to obsessional thoughts,(2) integrating psychological, cognitive, and neuropsychological models of OCD, (3) developing innovative approaches to intrusive thoughts that will benefit the treatment of OCD and (4) shaping the research directions of future Australian researchers. Read moreRead less
Understanding and predicting the role of memory in depression recurrence. Depression exerts an immense social and economic burden on the community. There is an urgent need to understand the factors that increase vulnerability to recurrence. This project will have 5 key benefits; it will: (i) extend theoretical models of depression, (ii) aid the identification of individuals at risk of relapse, (iii) guide the development of evidence-based relapse prevention programs (meeting National Research Pr ....Understanding and predicting the role of memory in depression recurrence. Depression exerts an immense social and economic burden on the community. There is an urgent need to understand the factors that increase vulnerability to recurrence. This project will have 5 key benefits; it will: (i) extend theoretical models of depression, (ii) aid the identification of individuals at risk of relapse, (iii) guide the development of evidence-based relapse prevention programs (meeting National Research Priority 2), (iv) enhance Australia's reputation for conducting cutting-edge experimental clinical research, and (v) shape the research directions of upcoming Australian researchers. The findings will inform policymakers who determine mental health service provision to the Australian community.Read moreRead less
The causes of intrusive memories. Intrusive memories are pivotal to many psychological disorders. This project will extend current models of intrusive memories by integrating biological, cognitive, and neural measures to specify the causes of these memories.
Evaluation of a brief parenting intervention for parents of children suffering asthma or eczema. Childhood illnesses create a great burden for Australian families and many parents struggle with keeping their child healthy and well adjusted. This research will examine the effects of a brief parenting intervention to help parents become more skilled and confident in their role, leading to better child adjustment, health and wellbeing.
Attributions for food intake and the control of eating. When explaining why they ate as much as they did in a particular situation, people generally overestimate the role of their hunger or the taste of the food, and underestimate the impact of other factors such as how much food they are served or how much other people eat. This project will examine the motivation behind these mis-attributions, and will also examine the behavioural and emotional consequences of the attributions people make for ....Attributions for food intake and the control of eating. When explaining why they ate as much as they did in a particular situation, people generally overestimate the role of their hunger or the taste of the food, and underestimate the impact of other factors such as how much food they are served or how much other people eat. This project will examine the motivation behind these mis-attributions, and will also examine the behavioural and emotional consequences of the attributions people make for their food intake. By doing so, the proposed research will make a significant contribution to the theoretical understanding of people’s food intake, and can also have practical implications for helping people appropriately regulate their food intake.Read moreRead less
How do social and environmental cues influence food intake? This project will determine how social and environmental factors influence how much people eat. These insights will have theoretical implications for our understanding of what drives people's food intake, and will have practical implications for interventions aimed at curbing excess energy intake, weight gain, and obesity.
The role of threat expectancy and attentional bias modification in promoting attentional capture and disengagement in acute experimental pain. This study will test the effectiveness of a number of variants of a promising new treatment in changing responses to an experimental pain task, the cold pressor. The aim is to develop a novel treatment, with preliminary evidence for its efficacy, that can be tested as a treatment for the prevention and treatment of chronic pain.