Concept-procedure interactions in addition and subtraction development. The research explores the possibility of different pathways to mathematical knowledge by examining how key concepts and procedures interact in the course of development. Studies 1 and 2 address early addition and subtraction concepts and problem solving in the physical world, Studies 3 - 6 focus on the effects of problem-solving practice and concept-based training and Studies 7 and 8 address children's knowledge of conceptu ....Concept-procedure interactions in addition and subtraction development. The research explores the possibility of different pathways to mathematical knowledge by examining how key concepts and procedures interact in the course of development. Studies 1 and 2 address early addition and subtraction concepts and problem solving in the physical world, Studies 3 - 6 focus on the effects of problem-solving practice and concept-based training and Studies 7 and 8 address children's knowledge of conceptually advanced problem-solving procedures. The results are expected to show that addition and subtraction concepts and procedures influence each other in different ways among children, signifying different pathways of cognitive development.Read moreRead less
Understanding the school as an intergroup system: Implications for school reform and improving student and staff outcomes. This project applies a novel social psychological understanding of group processes and intergroup relations to Australian schools. The result is a new and promising framework that will be trialed and evaluated through this project. The central idea is that one's group memberships and associated norms and practices directly impact on the attitudes and behaviours of individ ....Understanding the school as an intergroup system: Implications for school reform and improving student and staff outcomes. This project applies a novel social psychological understanding of group processes and intergroup relations to Australian schools. The result is a new and promising framework that will be trialed and evaluated through this project. The central idea is that one's group memberships and associated norms and practices directly impact on the attitudes and behaviours of individual members. The aim is to change the relevant groups within a school and how they relate in order to build a more positive school climate and higher school identification and as a result, improve school outcomes (e.g., attendance, academic achievement, well-being).Read moreRead less
Effective pedagogy for improving critical thinking. Many people reason poorly, by almost any measure of reasoning. Although there is evidence that people can be taught to think critically, educators don't really know how. They don't know what works, what doesn't, and why. This study will systematically examine the effectiveness of different techniques for teaching reasoning and will cross-validate an Australian test of reasoning - the GSA - with an international standard. The expected outcomes o ....Effective pedagogy for improving critical thinking. Many people reason poorly, by almost any measure of reasoning. Although there is evidence that people can be taught to think critically, educators don't really know how. They don't know what works, what doesn't, and why. This study will systematically examine the effectiveness of different techniques for teaching reasoning and will cross-validate an Australian test of reasoning - the GSA - with an international standard. The expected outcomes of the study are data about what improves reasoning and about the success of the GSA. The significance of the study lies in the potential benefits these data will have to students and employers.Read moreRead less
How does school discipline affect student behaviour, wellbeing, and educational progress? Schools have a vital role to play in student achievement, health and wellbeing, particularly for disadvantaged students. How schools respond to student misbehaviour can greatly impact on students in the short- and long-term. This project will advance knowledge about the impact of school discipline approaches on students and staff. The findings will have important implications for Australian students, parent ....How does school discipline affect student behaviour, wellbeing, and educational progress? Schools have a vital role to play in student achievement, health and wellbeing, particularly for disadvantaged students. How schools respond to student misbehaviour can greatly impact on students in the short- and long-term. This project will advance knowledge about the impact of school discipline approaches on students and staff. The findings will have important implications for Australian students, parents and teachers/educators. We aim to inform the evidence-base for school discipline approaches to encourage methods that assist students to remain connected to school and will ultimately improve educational achievements, school retention, and student and staff wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Race and gender stereotypes on the brain: The case of emotion expression. Australia is a multicultural, multiethnic society in which people from different backgrounds interact every day. Successful interaction among persons from different backgrounds requires a mutual understanding of the manner in which emotions are expressed and perceived as emotions are a central part of any interaction. The current project will investigate whether there are systematic biases in the manner in which emotions ....Race and gender stereotypes on the brain: The case of emotion expression. Australia is a multicultural, multiethnic society in which people from different backgrounds interact every day. Successful interaction among persons from different backgrounds requires a mutual understanding of the manner in which emotions are expressed and perceived as emotions are a central part of any interaction. The current project will investigate whether there are systematic biases in the manner in which emotions are expressed and perceived within and across ethnic groups. It will rely on objective indices to achieve this aim, measures of the electrical activity of the brain. Read moreRead less
Charting the prevalence, time course and social-cognitive correlates of neonatal imitation. Imitation is something that we do naturally and often. However, because the necessary research has not been done, it remains controversial whether or not humans can imitate from birth and what role this may play for later developments. The proposed research aims to settle these issues through a comprehensive, longitudinal study of infant imitation and its relation to later-developing social skills. A trai ....Charting the prevalence, time course and social-cognitive correlates of neonatal imitation. Imitation is something that we do naturally and often. However, because the necessary research has not been done, it remains controversial whether or not humans can imitate from birth and what role this may play for later developments. The proposed research aims to settle these issues through a comprehensive, longitudinal study of infant imitation and its relation to later-developing social skills. A training condition will examine the viability of potential early interventions aimed at promoting social responding in infants and toddlers. This project will generate new knowledge about the development of early social skills and provide the foundation for new programs to enhance social development in typical and at-risk infants. Read moreRead less
The effect of temperature biofeedback on sleep and cardiac autonomic tone in young and aged adults. Peripheral heat loss is reported to promote sleep onset. To date, however, most studies examining the thermoregulatory model of sleep onset have used sedative-hypnotics with both thermoregulatory and soporific effects. We propose that a better test of a causal relationship between peripheral heat loss and sleep can be achieved by using temperature biofeedback; a promising non-invasive and non-dr ....The effect of temperature biofeedback on sleep and cardiac autonomic tone in young and aged adults. Peripheral heat loss is reported to promote sleep onset. To date, however, most studies examining the thermoregulatory model of sleep onset have used sedative-hypnotics with both thermoregulatory and soporific effects. We propose that a better test of a causal relationship between peripheral heat loss and sleep can be achieved by using temperature biofeedback; a promising non-invasive and non-drug treatment that does not have a direct effect on sleep structures. We aim to test whether increased peripheral heat loss promotes sleep onset, whether the effects are mediated by changes in autonomic tone, and whether this relationship changes with age.Read moreRead less
A developmental and neural analysis of learned and unlearned fear. This project aims to increase our understanding of the emotion of fear from both a developmental and a neural perspective. Anxiety disorders, which are characterised by the inability to appropriately regulate fear, are among the most prevelant psychological disturbances in industrialised countries. The present project involves a neurobiological analysis of fear in the developing rat, and will (i) test the dominant theoretical mod ....A developmental and neural analysis of learned and unlearned fear. This project aims to increase our understanding of the emotion of fear from both a developmental and a neural perspective. Anxiety disorders, which are characterised by the inability to appropriately regulate fear, are among the most prevelant psychological disturbances in industrialised countries. The present project involves a neurobiological analysis of fear in the developing rat, and will (i) test the dominant theoretical models of learned fear, (ii) compare the development of learned and unlearned fear, and (iii) provide a novel approach for studying whether learned behavioural responses are appropriate to the age of training or the age of testing.Read moreRead less
Identifying risk markers for depression: A cognitive neuroscience approach. This project will establish objective markers for detecting early signs of depression. These markers are crucial in enabling early intervention to limit the course of depression. They will also benefit the development of prevention strategies, since they provide a means to identify high risk individuals. Currently there exists no simple and objective test or set of markers that can detect the early signs of depression. T ....Identifying risk markers for depression: A cognitive neuroscience approach. This project will establish objective markers for detecting early signs of depression. These markers are crucial in enabling early intervention to limit the course of depression. They will also benefit the development of prevention strategies, since they provide a means to identify high risk individuals. Currently there exists no simple and objective test or set of markers that can detect the early signs of depression. The available tests provide information relevant to the later-stage of clinical depression only. In this regard, non-invasive and objective markers are urgently required to limit the burden of depression. In Australia, $3.3 billion in productivity and 12 million working days are lost each year as a result of depression.Read moreRead less
Gene-brain pathways in emotional brain stability and instability. Emotional instability is a defining trait of major mental illnesses. The ability to identify individuals susceptible to emotional instability will be important in limiting the burden of disease from these illnesses. Mental conditions cost the Australian economy approximately $14.9 bill p/a, and depression will be the second leading contributor to burden of disease by 2020. The project will provide the first evidence for the combin ....Gene-brain pathways in emotional brain stability and instability. Emotional instability is a defining trait of major mental illnesses. The ability to identify individuals susceptible to emotional instability will be important in limiting the burden of disease from these illnesses. Mental conditions cost the Australian economy approximately $14.9 bill p/a, and depression will be the second leading contributor to burden of disease by 2020. The project will provide the first evidence for the combination of gene-brain-behaviour markers which best capture emotional instability versus resilience. This evidence base will be crucial to developing new tools and strategies for early intervention, and ultimately prevention, for these conditions of mental health.Read moreRead less