Individual Differences in Orientations to Risk and Uncertainty. The main goal of this research project is to extend and integrate three individual-differences approaches to predicting and explaining human judgement and decision making (JDM) and risk-taking behaviours (RTB) under uncertainty: Cognitive-capacity, preferences and dispositions, and dual cognitive process approaches. It will achieve this by studying the joint impact of cognitive style, capacities, and RTB/JDM dispositions on performa ....Individual Differences in Orientations to Risk and Uncertainty. The main goal of this research project is to extend and integrate three individual-differences approaches to predicting and explaining human judgement and decision making (JDM) and risk-taking behaviours (RTB) under uncertainty: Cognitive-capacity, preferences and dispositions, and dual cognitive process approaches. It will achieve this by studying the joint impact of cognitive style, capacities, and RTB/JDM dispositions on performance in appropriate JDM tasks. JDM and RTB are at the root of managing uncertainty, human adaptiveness and rationality. This project will also extend our knowledge of gender differences in JDM and RTB, and lay foundations for systematic cross-cultural studies on this topic.Read moreRead less
Face recognition: Properties and origins of whole-face processing. Humans identify other individuals almost entirely by their faces. Correspondingly, research has demonstrated a "special" style of cognitive processing that is unique to faces (at least in ordinary adults). The present project will address two major theoretical issues: (1) the exact nature of the special processing for faces, and (2) the extent to which it is innate, or learned. New progress in understanding these issues will be m ....Face recognition: Properties and origins of whole-face processing. Humans identify other individuals almost entirely by their faces. Correspondingly, research has demonstrated a "special" style of cognitive processing that is unique to faces (at least in ordinary adults). The present project will address two major theoretical issues: (1) the exact nature of the special processing for faces, and (2) the extent to which it is innate, or learned. New progress in understanding these issues will be made using a series of novel experimental techniques. These techniques isolate the specific contribution of the face recognition system, independent of contributions from object recognition, and from early visual processing.Read moreRead less
Special cognitive processing for faces: Expertise effects, and links to neural mechanisms. Humans identify other individuals primarily by their faces. Evidence from cognitive psychology indicates a special 'whole-face' (as opposed to part-based) style of processing for upright faces. This project will provide new insights into two long-standing issues about the origin of special face processing: (1) whether it derives from generic expert recognition processes or has some face-specific innate co ....Special cognitive processing for faces: Expertise effects, and links to neural mechanisms. Humans identify other individuals primarily by their faces. Evidence from cognitive psychology indicates a special 'whole-face' (as opposed to part-based) style of processing for upright faces. This project will provide new insights into two long-standing issues about the origin of special face processing: (1) whether it derives from generic expert recognition processes or has some face-specific innate component; and (2) the extent to which it can be distinguished from part-based processing at the neural level using both functional brain imaging (fMRI) and adaptation to distorted faces.Read moreRead less
Language processing in children with high functioning autism: Evidence from eye tracking. The language abilities in people with autism predict their response to intervention and their cognitive outcome. Young children with autism with poor language abilities are severely disadvantaged. Yet we understand little about what impedes their language development and their interpretation of what others say. The research findings will make a significant contribution by enriching our understanding of why ....Language processing in children with high functioning autism: Evidence from eye tracking. The language abilities in people with autism predict their response to intervention and their cognitive outcome. Young children with autism with poor language abilities are severely disadvantaged. Yet we understand little about what impedes their language development and their interpretation of what others say. The research findings will make a significant contribution by enriching our understanding of why and how comprehension may go astray, as well as helping us to identify subgroups within the autism population.Read moreRead less
Trauma memory and narrative structure in post-traumatic distress. The project enhances understanding of factors that maintain enduring distress and disability following traumatic experiences which have major social and financial costs to individuals, communities and to the nation. Better knowledge of these factors is central to improving early detection and refining prevention and early intervention for individuals and to help understand how communities can better manage their response to sever ....Trauma memory and narrative structure in post-traumatic distress. The project enhances understanding of factors that maintain enduring distress and disability following traumatic experiences which have major social and financial costs to individuals, communities and to the nation. Better knowledge of these factors is central to improving early detection and refining prevention and early intervention for individuals and to help understand how communities can better manage their response to severe traumatic events. The results may lead to significant refinements to efficacious psychological treatments involving exposure to emotional memories. The project's innovative approach to studying autobiographical memories will enhance Australia's internationally competitiveness in a key area within psychology.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Cooperative Performance Optimizations. This project seeks to improve the reliability, security, and
performance of modern software systems. Security is a problem of such
scale that outbreaks of computer viruses etc. headline in major
financial newspapers. We approach the problem by addressing the key
performance problems that hold back the programming languagues widely
used for secure and reliable systems. By improving the reliability,
security and performance of computer system ....Dynamic Cooperative Performance Optimizations. This project seeks to improve the reliability, security, and
performance of modern software systems. Security is a problem of such
scale that outbreaks of computer viruses etc. headline in major
financial newspapers. We approach the problem by addressing the key
performance problems that hold back the programming languagues widely
used for secure and reliable systems. By improving the reliability,
security and performance of computer systems, this project will help
alleviate the millions of hours and dollars lost to inadvertent errors
and malicious software attacks. The project will give Australia an
international presence in a research area of great academic and
commercial importance.Read moreRead less
Integrating holistic processing and face-space approaches to the perception of facial identity. Recognising faces is a socially crucial task, and humans are remarkably good at it. Scientists investigating the 'software' our brains use to recognise faces have referred to two different theories -- one when explaining why we distinguish faces better than objects, and the other in explaining why we distinguish some people's faces more easily than others. The project aims to integrate these two theor ....Integrating holistic processing and face-space approaches to the perception of facial identity. Recognising faces is a socially crucial task, and humans are remarkably good at it. Scientists investigating the 'software' our brains use to recognise faces have referred to two different theories -- one when explaining why we distinguish faces better than objects, and the other in explaining why we distinguish some people's faces more easily than others. The project aims to integrate these two theories. This has two potential long-term benefits: it will give a stronger basis for understanding what goes wrong in people where face recognition does not develop normally; and, the improved knowledge from a biological system may also lead to improved computer face recognition algorithms (eg. for airport security).Read moreRead less
The Shape of Plants; Discovering factors that control morphology by organizing the cytoskeleton. Understanding how plants generate the huge diversity of shapes seen in nature is both a scientific challenge and a biotechnological opportunity. Microtubules dominate cell architecture, providing dynamic, yet rigid, frameworks for defining or changing growth polarity. We recently discovered and cloned MOR1, a gene that is essential for organizing microtubules and controlling morphogenesis. This place ....The Shape of Plants; Discovering factors that control morphology by organizing the cytoskeleton. Understanding how plants generate the huge diversity of shapes seen in nature is both a scientific challenge and a biotechnological opportunity. Microtubules dominate cell architecture, providing dynamic, yet rigid, frameworks for defining or changing growth polarity. We recently discovered and cloned MOR1, a gene that is essential for organizing microtubules and controlling morphogenesis. This places us in a strong position to resolve a long-standing mystery: how are microtubules organized? We intend to define MOR1's structural attributes, identify its interacting proteins and innovate an ambitious screen for additional genes that have related functions. This project should stimulate new ideas and applications.Read moreRead less
The Misinformation Future—Confronting Emerging Threats. Misinformation presents challenges to public health and democracy. Though psychological research has explored processing mechanisms and countermeasures, new threats are arising that need to be confronted. This project aims to help meet these threats by (a) investigating misinformation impacts on future-oriented cognition and behaviours, with a focus on global long-term issues and (b) addressing the unique challenges posed by visual and synt ....The Misinformation Future—Confronting Emerging Threats. Misinformation presents challenges to public health and democracy. Though psychological research has explored processing mechanisms and countermeasures, new threats are arising that need to be confronted. This project aims to help meet these threats by (a) investigating misinformation impacts on future-oriented cognition and behaviours, with a focus on global long-term issues and (b) addressing the unique challenges posed by visual and synthetic (AI-generated) misinformation. The expected outcome is new knowledge on the processing and impacts of emerging types of misinformation and translation into practical interventions. These promise to benefit consumers, educators and policymakers, contributing to a healthier information environment.Read moreRead less
CesA (cellulose synthase) genes of Arabidopsis; all doing the same job or specialists cooperating to make the most abundant biopolymer. The biosphere makes more cellulose than any other polymer with fibre industries depending on its physical properties and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels depending on its stability as a carbon sink. Demonstrations that cellulose production needs CesA genes drove recent progress in elucidating the mechanism of synthesis. CesA proteins all look very similar but i ....CesA (cellulose synthase) genes of Arabidopsis; all doing the same job or specialists cooperating to make the most abundant biopolymer. The biosphere makes more cellulose than any other polymer with fibre industries depending on its physical properties and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels depending on its stability as a carbon sink. Demonstrations that cellulose production needs CesA genes drove recent progress in elucidating the mechanism of synthesis. CesA proteins all look very similar but if all do the same job, why do plants need so many and why do none seem redundant? We will make gene interchanges in transgenic plants, build chimeric genes and identify where each CesA protein operates. This will identify their individual and cooperative contributions to cellulose production.Read moreRead less