Whether social media literacy mitigates effects of social media in adolescents. This project aims to determine protective and risk factors for problems associated with social media use in early adolescents. In particular, it aims to determine the protective role of social media literacy (the skill to analyse, critique and evaluate social media posts). Although most Australian adolescents use social media, frequent social media engagement and photo-based activities can cause body dissatisfaction, ....Whether social media literacy mitigates effects of social media in adolescents. This project aims to determine protective and risk factors for problems associated with social media use in early adolescents. In particular, it aims to determine the protective role of social media literacy (the skill to analyse, critique and evaluate social media posts). Although most Australian adolescents use social media, frequent social media engagement and photo-based activities can cause body dissatisfaction, disordered eating and compromised well-being. Findings supporting a protective role for social media literacy are expected to inform policy to improve adolescent well-being and pave the way for school-based social media literacy interventions.Read moreRead less
Mapping the learning mechanisms linking adversity with maladjustment. Exposure to adversity, such as violence, neglect and natural disasters, is common and a powerful risk factor for emotional maladjustment. Yet knowledge of the underlying mechanisms linking adversity with emotional maladjustment is remarkably limited. By drawing from theories of adversity and learning and utilising novel experimental methodology, this project aims to map how adverse experiences have different negative effects o ....Mapping the learning mechanisms linking adversity with maladjustment. Exposure to adversity, such as violence, neglect and natural disasters, is common and a powerful risk factor for emotional maladjustment. Yet knowledge of the underlying mechanisms linking adversity with emotional maladjustment is remarkably limited. By drawing from theories of adversity and learning and utilising novel experimental methodology, this project aims to map how adverse experiences have different negative effects on daily emotional wellbeing by disrupting the mechanisms underlying how people learn to acquire and reduce reactivity to new threats. Expected benefits include new knowledge about the pathways linking adversity with psychopathology as well as the vital evidence-base for clear targets for behavioural interventions. Read moreRead less
Understanding the link between reading impairments and emotional problems. This Project aims to understand why children with reading impairments are at increased risk for emotional problems. By integrating the statistical power of large-scale longitudinal studies with the causal testing power of intervention case studies, it seeks to fast-track the development of a comprehensive evidence-based theory of the mechanisms linking reading impairments and emotional problems. The outcomes will pave the ....Understanding the link between reading impairments and emotional problems. This Project aims to understand why children with reading impairments are at increased risk for emotional problems. By integrating the statistical power of large-scale longitudinal studies with the causal testing power of intervention case studies, it seeks to fast-track the development of a comprehensive evidence-based theory of the mechanisms linking reading impairments and emotional problems. The outcomes will pave the way for future diagnosis and treatment of concomitant reading and emotional difficulties in children. These outcomes improve our capacity to reduce the incidence of two common problems that limit the life success of Australian children - poor literacy and poor emotional health.Read moreRead less
Living down to expectations: generic medicines and the nocebo effect. This project aims to generate new knowledge of how the awareness of taking a generic medicine can lead to increased nocebo effects (side effects caused by negative expectations). The project is expected to deepen scientific understanding of how generics can trigger nocebo effects by using an innovative experimental approach to tease out contributing key features, explore the role of conscious and nonconscious negative expectat ....Living down to expectations: generic medicines and the nocebo effect. This project aims to generate new knowledge of how the awareness of taking a generic medicine can lead to increased nocebo effects (side effects caused by negative expectations). The project is expected to deepen scientific understanding of how generics can trigger nocebo effects by using an innovative experimental approach to tease out contributing key features, explore the role of conscious and nonconscious negative expectations, and test novel strategies to reduce these nocebo effects. Expected outcomes of this project include theory development and enhanced understanding of nocebo effect causes and mechanisms. This should provide significant benefits, including potential strategies for mitigating nocebo effects of generic medicines.
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Determining the physical and temporal properties of a person's inner speech. Inner speech refers to the silent production of words in one's mind. While inner speech has long been assumed to be unquantifiable, we have recently demonstrated an ability to decipher the content a person's inner speech using an objective electrophysiological marker. In this project, we will extend upon this work and use our marker to establish the physical and temporal properties of a person's inner speech, such as it ....Determining the physical and temporal properties of a person's inner speech. Inner speech refers to the silent production of words in one's mind. While inner speech has long been assumed to be unquantifiable, we have recently demonstrated an ability to decipher the content a person's inner speech using an objective electrophysiological marker. In this project, we will extend upon this work and use our marker to establish the physical and temporal properties of a person's inner speech, such as its loudness, pitch, accent and temporal properties. Our hope is that our modified marker will be capable of determining what a person is saying in inner speech, when they are engaged in inner speech, and also how their inner voice sounds. This work has major implications with regards to technology, health, and basic science. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101570
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$409,038.00
Summary
The cognitive basis of anxiety-linked heightened negative expectancies. Problems with anxiety tear at the social and economic fabric of our nation. Individuals with an elevated vulnerability to experience high levels of anxiety display a heightened tendency to expect that the future will be emotionally negative. The current project will test compelling new hypotheses concerning the cognitive mechanisms that causally underpin such negative expectancies, using cutting-edge cognitive methodologies ....The cognitive basis of anxiety-linked heightened negative expectancies. Problems with anxiety tear at the social and economic fabric of our nation. Individuals with an elevated vulnerability to experience high levels of anxiety display a heightened tendency to expect that the future will be emotionally negative. The current project will test compelling new hypotheses concerning the cognitive mechanisms that causally underpin such negative expectancies, using cutting-edge cognitive methodologies that permit not only the sensitive assessment, but also the direct manipulation, of these mechanisms. The findings generated will exert major scientific impact, and will directly contribute to our national strategic efforts to improve the mental well-being of our citizens, and to build healthy and resilient communities.Read moreRead less
Improving Productivity in Emergency Service Personnel. Emergency service personnel experience marked levels of lost productivity, absenteeism, early retirements, and compensation claims as a result of stress reactions. This project aims to improve productivity and reduce compensation costs in emergency service organisations by evaluating a program that reduces stress reactions and increases cognitive functioning in police, firefighters, and paramedics in NSW. An individual program will be admini ....Improving Productivity in Emergency Service Personnel. Emergency service personnel experience marked levels of lost productivity, absenteeism, early retirements, and compensation claims as a result of stress reactions. This project aims to improve productivity and reduce compensation costs in emergency service organisations by evaluating a program that reduces stress reactions and increases cognitive functioning in police, firefighters, and paramedics in NSW. An individual program will be administered to 120 emergency service personnel who have difficulty maintaining their work duties because of stress reactions. Expected outcomes will be reduction in absenteeism, improved productivity, and reduced costs to insurers.
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Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100167
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,295,215.00
Summary
Differentiating the cognitive basis of unproductive versus productive worry. This project aims to delineate the individual differences in cognitive functioning that distinguish between the tendency to experience unproductive versus productive worry. For some people, worry severely compromises well-being, while for others worry yields significant benefits by fostering preparatory behaviours that protect against misfortune. Using innovative and compelling hypotheses, as well as laboratory and fiel ....Differentiating the cognitive basis of unproductive versus productive worry. This project aims to delineate the individual differences in cognitive functioning that distinguish between the tendency to experience unproductive versus productive worry. For some people, worry severely compromises well-being, while for others worry yields significant benefits by fostering preparatory behaviours that protect against misfortune. Using innovative and compelling hypotheses, as well as laboratory and fieldwork approaches, this project will deliver the capacity to assess, predict, and explain the individual differences in unproductive and productive worrying that underpin variability in resilient responding to situations in which adaptive action can mitigate real-world risk. This project will have major scientific impact, generating influential publications concerning the cognitive distinctions between productive and unproductive worry that will position Australia as a global leader in this field.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100912
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,488.00
Summary
Improving Girls’ Body Image via Social Media. Social media platforms are starting to realise their social responsibilities and are looking for ways to reduce harm to their users. This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of specific social media content and activities for improving adolescent girls’ body image. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of social media and body image by developing a novel theoretical model and an evidence base for effective ....Improving Girls’ Body Image via Social Media. Social media platforms are starting to realise their social responsibilities and are looking for ways to reduce harm to their users. This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of specific social media content and activities for improving adolescent girls’ body image. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of social media and body image by developing a novel theoretical model and an evidence base for effective positive social media activities for body image. Body image concerns are a global public health issue with a devastating impact on key aspects of people’s lives. This project has the potential to inform the development of new ways to harness social media to support mental health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Evaluative learning: do all roads lead to Rome? This project aims to enhance understanding of how likes and dislikes are acquired and changed across a range of different settings. Evaluative learning, the acquisition and change of likes and dislikes, is ubiquitous and occurs in situations that range from trivial to traumatic. However, it is unknown whether evaluative learning in these different situations is mediated by a single or distinct learning mechanisms. Answering this question is critica ....Evaluative learning: do all roads lead to Rome? This project aims to enhance understanding of how likes and dislikes are acquired and changed across a range of different settings. Evaluative learning, the acquisition and change of likes and dislikes, is ubiquitous and occurs in situations that range from trivial to traumatic. However, it is unknown whether evaluative learning in these different situations is mediated by a single or distinct learning mechanisms. Answering this question is critically important for emotion science and the design of effective interventions for anxiety disorders and public health campaigns. The expected outcomes from this project will provide significant benefits, such as creating new knowledge to assist in applied areas ranging from the design of public health messages to the treatment for anxiety.Read moreRead less