The regulation of desire by bodily state. Many experiences, like food, wine and sex, are pleasurable. These experiences are also desired, but less so when sated. The aim of this proposal is to understand how satiation regulates desire. We propose two memory-based models, and test them using several new experimental approaches. This is significant, not only because poorly regulated desire is linked to many social and economic ills (e.g., over-eating), but also because it is a key part of huma ....The regulation of desire by bodily state. Many experiences, like food, wine and sex, are pleasurable. These experiences are also desired, but less so when sated. The aim of this proposal is to understand how satiation regulates desire. We propose two memory-based models, and test them using several new experimental approaches. This is significant, not only because poorly regulated desire is linked to many social and economic ills (e.g., over-eating), but also because it is a key part of human motivation that is poorly understood. The expected outcome is a new theoretical model of how memory processes interact with bodily signals to generate both sated states and desire. The benefits include a new understanding of how desire is regulated and how and why this might break down.Read moreRead less
Managing the risks posed by Artificial General Intelligence. It is widely acknowledged that a failure to implement appropriate controls for the next generation of Artificial Intelligence, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), could have catastrophic consequences, including in the worst case - the extinction of the human race. This research aims to forecast the risks associated with AGI systems and identify the controls required to ensure that risks and existential threats are minimised. The exp ....Managing the risks posed by Artificial General Intelligence. It is widely acknowledged that a failure to implement appropriate controls for the next generation of Artificial Intelligence, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), could have catastrophic consequences, including in the worst case - the extinction of the human race. This research aims to forecast the risks associated with AGI systems and identify the controls required to ensure that risks and existential threats are minimised. The expected outputs will provide designers, organisations, regulators and governments with a framework to support the design, implementation, and management of safe and efficient AGI systems. This will ensure that the potential far-reaching benefits of AGI are realised without undue threat to society.Read moreRead less
To focus on pain or not to focus: WHEN is the question. The experience of pain is a ubiquitous experience, and persistent pain is common and causes enormous personal and
societal burden. Anyone who has been in severe pain will understand that pain captures attention, but the role that attention plays in
increasing pain perception is poorly understood. This project will test a new conceptual model that calls for a change in the paradigm underlying research into attention and pain. We will use nov ....To focus on pain or not to focus: WHEN is the question. The experience of pain is a ubiquitous experience, and persistent pain is common and causes enormous personal and
societal burden. Anyone who has been in severe pain will understand that pain captures attention, but the role that attention plays in
increasing pain perception is poorly understood. This project will test a new conceptual model that calls for a change in the paradigm underlying research into attention and pain. We will use novel experimental tasks in virtual reality environments to address
these important gaps in our knowledge. The project will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of
the role of attention in pain perception and pave the way for translational research to reduce the substantial burden pain causes.Read moreRead less
Understanding psychological processes that inhibit the nocebo effect. The nocebo effect – when negative expectancies trigger adverse outcomes – causes enormous personal and societal harm. Although there have been advances in understanding some of the psychological processes underlying these effects, much less is known about how to inhibit them or the role that social learning plays in producing them. This project uses a new experimental model involving Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to address ....Understanding psychological processes that inhibit the nocebo effect. The nocebo effect – when negative expectancies trigger adverse outcomes – causes enormous personal and societal harm. Although there have been advances in understanding some of the psychological processes underlying these effects, much less is known about how to inhibit them or the role that social learning plays in producing them. This project uses a new experimental model involving Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation to address these important gaps in our knowledge. The project will significantly advance our fundamental understanding of the nocebo effect and pave the way for translational research to reduce the substantial harm it causes.Read moreRead less
A honking horn can blind you: how sudden distractions redirect attention. This project aims to investigate the sudden offset of distraction and its effects. Distraction can have a devastating impact on our ability to pay attention. This project derives its approach to distraction from recent neurophysiological advances in understanding the Locus Coeruleus–Norepinephrine system. The project intends to establish the role of the Locus Coeruleus in sudden distraction and to examine how sudden distra ....A honking horn can blind you: how sudden distractions redirect attention. This project aims to investigate the sudden offset of distraction and its effects. Distraction can have a devastating impact on our ability to pay attention. This project derives its approach to distraction from recent neurophysiological advances in understanding the Locus Coeruleus–Norepinephrine system. The project intends to establish the role of the Locus Coeruleus in sudden distraction and to examine how sudden distraction interacts with both environmental and internal factors. The outcomes of the research may lead to improvements in technology to enhance road safety and reduce the social and physical costs of distraction-related accidents. This should provide significant benefits such as informing policies on distraction-while-driving to make Australia’s roads safer.Read moreRead less
Effort and reward valuation. This project aims to examine the relationships between effort, value, and life satisfaction. Effort, which is closely akin to motivation, is influenced by several variables. The project will reveal the psychological variables that cause effort to have a positive as well as a negative influence on reward valuation. This will help to understand how, when, and why effort influences motivation, and how these processes may encourage healthier, more productive choices, and ....Effort and reward valuation. This project aims to examine the relationships between effort, value, and life satisfaction. Effort, which is closely akin to motivation, is influenced by several variables. The project will reveal the psychological variables that cause effort to have a positive as well as a negative influence on reward valuation. This will help to understand how, when, and why effort influences motivation, and how these processes may encourage healthier, more productive choices, and improved satisfaction with life.Read moreRead less
Impact of cognitive task demands on the accumulation/dissipation of fatigue. Fatigue-related errors and accidents that occur at work cost the Australian economy $5.8 billion every year. Regulators and employers use mathematical models in special software to assess the fatigue risk associated with work schedules based on prior wake, time of day and recent sleep. Incredibly though, these models assume that the demands of your job have no influence on your level of fatigue, i.e., they do not differ ....Impact of cognitive task demands on the accumulation/dissipation of fatigue. Fatigue-related errors and accidents that occur at work cost the Australian economy $5.8 billion every year. Regulators and employers use mathematical models in special software to assess the fatigue risk associated with work schedules based on prior wake, time of day and recent sleep. Incredibly though, these models assume that the demands of your job have no influence on your level of fatigue, i.e., they do not differentiate between sitting quietly at work – and controlling air traffic, performing surgery or driving a truck. This project will improve the models by assessing how mental task demands affect fatigue. Models that are better able to predict fatigue will improve the health, safety and productivity of the Australian workforce.Read moreRead less
Toward an understanding of whether and how humility reduces anger. The proposed research aims to test whether greater humility is associated with less anger and aggression. Using a variety of methods from experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience, this project aims to also examine exactly how humility may reduce anger and aggression.The project is significant in that it expects to provide a programmatic line of research suggesting ways in which anger and aggression can be reduced. This ....Toward an understanding of whether and how humility reduces anger. The proposed research aims to test whether greater humility is associated with less anger and aggression. Using a variety of methods from experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience, this project aims to also examine exactly how humility may reduce anger and aggression.The project is significant in that it expects to provide a programmatic line of research suggesting ways in which anger and aggression can be reduced. This basic research aims to increase our understanding of how, when, and why humility reduces anger and aggression. In addition, the research may suggest ways in which society, educators, parents, and therapists can reduce anger and aggression in others.Read moreRead less
Determining principles for successful episode retrieval of repeated events. This project aims to develop the first-ever set of explanatory principles for how people successfully retain and retrieve individual episode memories from repeated experiences (e.g., one occurrence of a routine social encounter or job-related activity). By deepening our understanding of how memory works, this new knowledge is expected to lay the foundation for interview guidance and ongoing research aimed at enhancing th ....Determining principles for successful episode retrieval of repeated events. This project aims to develop the first-ever set of explanatory principles for how people successfully retain and retrieve individual episode memories from repeated experiences (e.g., one occurrence of a routine social encounter or job-related activity). By deepening our understanding of how memory works, this new knowledge is expected to lay the foundation for interview guidance and ongoing research aimed at enhancing the proficiency of investigations into matters that rely on detailed and accurate accounts of specific episodes. This includes workplace or traffic accident investigations, infectious disease contact tracing, as well as prosecution of repeated sexual offences.Read moreRead less
Assessment of circadian and light interactions in adolescent sleepiness. This project aims to examine the relative contributions of multiple biological clock and sleep factors that may be linked to cognitive function and sleepiness in adolescents. Over 70 per cent of adolescents in Australia experience insufficient sleep. Cross-sectional studies have shown that insufficient sleep and mistimed sleep lead to reduced cognitive function. The project intends to identify specific sleep and circadian m ....Assessment of circadian and light interactions in adolescent sleepiness. This project aims to examine the relative contributions of multiple biological clock and sleep factors that may be linked to cognitive function and sleepiness in adolescents. Over 70 per cent of adolescents in Australia experience insufficient sleep. Cross-sectional studies have shown that insufficient sleep and mistimed sleep lead to reduced cognitive function. The project intends to identify specific sleep and circadian markers that are linked to academic performance, and generate innovative algorithms that predict these associations. The project will provide new knowledge to drive prevention and early intervention programs that use sleep-wake and light exposure information to improve sleep quality.Read moreRead less