Investigating the impact of augmented reality on consumer decision making and marketing systems. The marketing environment is changing rapidly, with mobile digital devices providing consumers the ability to augment their physical reality with virtual representations. This project investigates how consumers make choices, how manufacturers design successful business practices and how regulators proscribe manipulative behaviour in these environments.
Virtuous Practitioners: Empowering Social Workers. The project aims to analyse and develop core virtues of social workers to strengthen the social fabric of individuals, families and communities. The increasing demand for sound judgement and appropriate decision making, often in the unpredictable and uncertain contexts, necessitates a focus on virtue-led social workers’ action. The interdisciplinary and mixed method analysis will demonstrate the largely neglected role of virtues and or character ....Virtuous Practitioners: Empowering Social Workers. The project aims to analyse and develop core virtues of social workers to strengthen the social fabric of individuals, families and communities. The increasing demand for sound judgement and appropriate decision making, often in the unpredictable and uncertain contexts, necessitates a focus on virtue-led social workers’ action. The interdisciplinary and mixed method analysis will demonstrate the largely neglected role of virtues and or character dispositions in facilitating improved social services and in building stronger communities. The research will have both theoretical and practical implications for virtue-led social work practice that will result in communities living healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. Read moreRead less
Pro bono service: drivers, delight, dark side and downside for the professional. Pro bono work, common in the professions, is important to Australia's economy. This ground breaking research provides rich insights into why pro bono givers feel unappreciated, unacknowledged, unreciprocated, and often taken advantage of and, importantly, equips professionals with strategies for enhanced outcomes.
The Deprivation Approach to Poverty: Analysis and Implementation. The project aims to develop new poverty measures based on a better understanding of the specific causes and nature of poverty. Australia lags behind other countries in relying solely on income to identify and measure poverty. In contrast, the deprivation approach adopts a broader living standards perspective which identifies poverty as an inability to afford basic necessities and develops measures that embody community views about ....The Deprivation Approach to Poverty: Analysis and Implementation. The project aims to develop new poverty measures based on a better understanding of the specific causes and nature of poverty. Australia lags behind other countries in relying solely on income to identify and measure poverty. In contrast, the deprivation approach adopts a broader living standards perspective which identifies poverty as an inability to afford basic necessities and develops measures that embody community views about what is an acceptable minimum. This project aims to address this deficit by analysing important new data to provide a comprehensive national picture of deprivation. It also plans to test the robustness of alternative measurement methodologies, undertake comparisons with selected European countries and develop new academically robust methods to guide future research, data collection and practical applications.Read moreRead less
Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement . This project aims to clarify the institutional and cross-sectoral conditions needed for successful implementation of emerging social procurement policy reforms; these seek through public spending to increase employment and business opportunities for people experiencing social exclusion. Via a mixed-methods comparative study in the leading jurisdictions of Victoria and Scotland, the project will extend scholarly knowledge o ....Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement . This project aims to clarify the institutional and cross-sectoral conditions needed for successful implementation of emerging social procurement policy reforms; these seek through public spending to increase employment and business opportunities for people experiencing social exclusion. Via a mixed-methods comparative study in the leading jurisdictions of Victoria and Scotland, the project will extend scholarly knowledge of implementing policy reforms that rely on government and non-government actors working together in new ways, and practical understanding of what is needed to realise social procurement policy goals. This will contribute to effective public expenditure and ultimately help redress the societal consequences of exclusion.Read moreRead less
Physical musicality: Optimising lived experience among older adults . The aim of this project is to investigate how music-supported exercise, called physical musicality (PM), can promote wellbeing, quality of life, and cognitive-motor function in older adults, beyond the benefits of exercise or music listening alone. To achieve this aim, we will (a) conduct randomised control trials on PM programs; (b) isolate the ingredients and mechanisms underlying the benefits of PM; and (c) design culturall ....Physical musicality: Optimising lived experience among older adults . The aim of this project is to investigate how music-supported exercise, called physical musicality (PM), can promote wellbeing, quality of life, and cognitive-motor function in older adults, beyond the benefits of exercise or music listening alone. To achieve this aim, we will (a) conduct randomised control trials on PM programs; (b) isolate the ingredients and mechanisms underlying the benefits of PM; and (c) design culturally appropriate programs that optimise wellbeing and cognitive-motor function for older adults. Our research will reveal simple, non-medical steps that all adults of advancing age can take to maintain their wellbeing and cognitive functions so they can lead productive and successful lives into older age. Read moreRead less
Selling The Punt: An interdisciplinary analysis of the extent and impact of sports wagering marketing strategies in Australia. Sports wagering is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market in Australia. Despite widespread concern about the impact of marketing strategies on the risky consumption of wagering products by young men and adolescents, research and policy has failed to keep up with this rapidly growing industry. This study will provide: detailed information about the range of ma ....Selling The Punt: An interdisciplinary analysis of the extent and impact of sports wagering marketing strategies in Australia. Sports wagering is the fastest growing segment of the gambling market in Australia. Despite widespread concern about the impact of marketing strategies on the risky consumption of wagering products by young men and adolescents, research and policy has failed to keep up with this rapidly growing industry. This study will provide: detailed information about the range of marketing strategies used to sell sports wagering in Australia; important qualitative insights into the impact of these marketing strategies on gambling behaviours; and, recommendations for a comprehensive public health approach to help counter the potential long and short term risks associated with sports wagering marketing.Read moreRead less
The big gamble: an interdisciplinary study of the normalisation of gambling. This project aims to explore industry and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the normalisation of gambling. Gambling is recognised as an urgent public health issue in Australia, posing a health threat to individuals and communities. However, there is limited empirical evidence about the processes that may contribute to the normalisation of different forms of gambling. This project aims to explore the interplay be ....The big gamble: an interdisciplinary study of the normalisation of gambling. This project aims to explore industry and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the normalisation of gambling. Gambling is recognised as an urgent public health issue in Australia, posing a health threat to individuals and communities. However, there is limited empirical evidence about the processes that may contribute to the normalisation of different forms of gambling. This project aims to explore the interplay between the sophisticated promotional tactics used by the gambling industry, and the socio-cultural mechanisms which may interact with these promotional tactics to normalise gambling beliefs in youth, women, and older adults. This project expects to help local governments and related stakeholders develop a comprehensive range of public health strategies aimed at preventing the risks and harms posed by the normalisation of gambling.Read moreRead less
Weight stigma in the preconception, pregnancy and postpartum periods. The overall aim of this project is to develop guidance for the translation of weight stigma evidence into preconception, pregnancy and postpartum obesity-related policy. It focuses on the socio-ecological factors that perpetuate weight stigma in women across the reproductive life phase, that is, in women planning a pregnancy, in women who are pregnant and in mothers who have given birth within a 24-month period.
Emotion Regulation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect 7-12% of Australians in their lifetime. It is a chronic disorder with enormous personal, social and economic costs. In the current climate of increasing mass violence and natural disaster, the health burden of PTSD is expected to rise. This project will help us identify core processes and mechanisms involved in PTSD, and help us to develop more effective and specialized treatments. It will al ....Emotion Regulation in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can affect 7-12% of Australians in their lifetime. It is a chronic disorder with enormous personal, social and economic costs. In the current climate of increasing mass violence and natural disaster, the health burden of PTSD is expected to rise. This project will help us identify core processes and mechanisms involved in PTSD, and help us to develop more effective and specialized treatments. It will also extend our understanding of how the brain inhibits emotion, which has wider relevance for many anxiety disorders in terms of their development and prevention.Read moreRead less