EQUITY & DIVERSITY SERIES: research presentation on cognitive styles and mental health

The next meeting of the Social and Organisational Psychology Research Group will be held at 12.00pm on Tuesday 31st May in the Keats Reading Room, Psychology/Aviation Building (AVLG17), with video link to the Science Offices at Ourimbah.

We will be listening to Monica Gendi’s PhD Research Presentation titled “Moderators and Mediators of the Relation Between Need for Closure and Mental Health.” Monica’s supervisors are Mark Rubin and Emina Subasic. Her abstract and bio are provided below.

ABSTRACT
A negative relationship between need for closure and mental health has been established (e.g., Roets & Soetens, 2010). However, the mechanisms of this effect remain largely unexplored. In this research we aim to a) investigate the causal direction of the relationship between need for closure and mental health, b) identify the moderators and mediators of the relationship, and c) parse out the relative effects of the five subfactors of the need for closure. We hope that this investigation will help identify possible avenues for interventions to improve the mental health of people with a high need for closure.

BIOGRAPHY
Monica Gendi is a PhD candidate in social psychology under the supervision of Dr Mark Rubin and Dr Emina Subasic. She completed her Bachelor of Psychology with Class 1 Honours at the University of Newcastle in 2015 and was awarded the Australian Psychology Society Award for Effort and Achievement for her honours project. Monica has dabbled in various kinds of research assistant work since 2013, including involvement with systematic literature reviews, project management, and data analysis. After graduation Monica hopes to work as a researcher in academia, government, or industry.

EQUITY&DIVERSITY SERIES: Research presentatin on Gender Equality Processes

The Social and Organisational Psychology Research Group sponsors ane Equity and Diversity Series event at 12.00pm on Tuesday 24th May in the Keats Reading Room, Psychology/Aviation Building (AVLG17), with video link to the Science Offices at Ourimbah.

We will be listening to Stephanie Hardacre’s PhD Research Presentation titled “Mobilising Men and Women in Support of Gender Equality: Does Leader Gender Matter?” Stephanie’s supervisors are Emina Subasic and Dr Mark Rubin Her abstract and bio are provided below.

ABSTRACT: This research investigates how to mobilise a broader audience for gender equality by focusing on men as agents of change. It examines how leadership as a form of influence based on shared ingroup membership (i.e., male leaders influencing men more so than female leaders) can lead to the silent majority (men) embracing a cause of a minority (women) as their own via the process of political solidarity. This research will aim to investigate (a) under what conditions are men (and women) likely to be mobilised to fight for gender equality, (b) whether male (compared to female) leaders are more effective in mobilising male (and female) followers towards this goal, and (c) if so, how can female leaders’ disadvantage be alleviated.

BIOGRAPHY: Stephanie Hardacre is a PhD candidate in social and organisational psychology under the supervision of Dr Emina Subasic and Dr Mark Rubin. She graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) First Class in 2015. Stephanie was placed on the FSCIT commendation list in 2011 and 2012, before taking time off to live and travel throughout Europe. Stephanie recently presented at the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists conference, coming to the conclusion that social psychology is the most exciting field one could hope to pursue a career in. Upon graduating Stephanie hopes to work as a researcher

Seminar by Professor Rich Bischoff

The Health and Clinical Psychology Research Group of the School of Psychology presents a seminar by Professor Rich Bischoff.

Addressing disparities in access to mental health services for rural and regional families

When: 25th May at 12 noon

Location: Keats Room (AVGL17) Psychology Building (Video conferenced to Ourimbah Science Offices)

Background: Richard J. Bischoff, Ph.D., is the Gwendolyn A. Newkirk Professor of Leadership and Departmental Chair of Child, Youth and Family Studies at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. 

His research is in the area of mental health care disparities. It includes ways family therapists can make a difference by collaborating with families and communities to determine health care provision and needs. He has published research on experiences with mental illness through the eyes of rural patients and families. He is currently conducting research in rural Nebraska, USA to determine the effectiveness of an innovative approach to overcoming mental health care disparities that integrates community capacity building, collaborative care, and telemental health. His research team is initiating projects to test the effectiveness of this model in Brazil, Portugal and India. He is in Australia through a University of Newcastle International Visiting Research Fellowship.

Seminar by Professor Amanda Baker

The Health and Clinical Psychology Research Group of the School of Psychology presents a seminar by Professor Amanda Baker.

When: 18th May at 12 noon

Location: Keats Room (AVGL17) Psychology Building (Video conferenced to Ourimbah Science Offices)

Title: A healthy lifestyles approach for people living with co-existing mental health and substance use problems

Abstract: Addressing co-existing mental health and substance use problems can be challenging. Over the last decade, research into the treatment of co-existing mental health and substance use problems has grown. Studies cover the spectrum of comorbidity, including a range of mental health (psychoses, depression, or anxiety) and substance use problems (tobacco, alcohol or illicit drug use). Interventions include brief motivational interventions, intensive face-to-face therapy, computer-based delivery, and telephone delivered interventions. The 20 year gap in longevity between people with versus without co-existing mental health and substance misuse problems has drawn recent focus to quality of life and physical health more broadly. The progression from single focus (mental health or substance misuse) to dual focus (mental health and substance misuse) and then to a broader healthy living / recovery focus is described. Recommendations for conceptualising, screening and addressing co-existing mental health and substance use problems within a healthy lifestyles approach will be described.

Career Summary: Professor Amanda Baker (BAHons Psychology UNSW 1981, MPsych USyd 1984, PhD UNSW 1996) is a senior clinical psychologist who has worked in mental health, alcohol and other drug and forensic settings in the UK and Australia. Located at the University of Newcastle, School of Medicine and Public Health, she is the recipient of the prestigious Faculty of Health and Medicine’s Gladys M Brawn Senior Fellowship. Her research has been supported by NHMRC fellowships continuously since 2003. She is Co-Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in Mental Health and Substance Use. Professor Baker leads an internationally renowned program of clinical research trialing novel interventions that target co-existing mental ill health and substance misuse.

EQUITY & DIVERSITY SERIES: research presentation on seeking diversity with 'the other'

The next meeting of the Social and Organisational Psychology Research Group will be held at 12.00pm on Tuesday 17th May in the Keats Reading Room, Psychology/Aviation Building (AVLG17), with video link to the Science Offices at Ourimbah.

We will be listening to Matylda Mackiewicz’s PhD Research Presentation titled “Seeking Intergroup Contact: Investigation into Personal and Contextual Determinants of Approaching ‘the Other’” Matylda’s supervisors are Stefania Paolini and Emina Subasic and her research is supported by an ARC Discovery project awarded to her supervisor and research collaborators at Griffith, University of Arizona and Oxford (Paolini, Harwood, Neumann, & Hewstone, 2015-2018).

 ABSTRACT: It is well established that contact between opposing groups leads to less prejudice. However widespread informal segregation means that contact between dominant groups and minority groups, rather than being frequent and spontaneous, requires deliberate pro-outgroup contact choices on the part of individuals. Drawing on research from clinical psychology, we seek to apportion individuals based on their spontaneous choice to approach/avoid outgroup members in the presence/absence of contact-related anxiety, into four behavioural types: brave, fearless, fearful or indifferent. Using this typology as a framework, the proposed research aims to identify the key personal and contextual determinants which drive some individuals to seek out contact with outgroup members and others to avoid it.

BIOGRAPHY: Matylda Mackiewicz is undertaking her PhD in social psychology under the supervision of Dr Stefania Paolini and Dr Emina Subašić. Matylda’s investigative interests lie in the realm of intergroup contact. Her research examines the personal and situational determinants of people’s approach and avoidance behaviours towards outgroup members. Specifically, she hopes to develop a more systematic understanding of the factors that contribute to that rare species of event, by which a person spontaneously seeks out intergroup contact over contact with other members of their own group. In so doing, she hopes to get us all a little friendlier with each other.

Dementia Research Grant Awarded to Team Lead by Dr Michelle Kelly

A multidisciplinary research group lead by Dr Michelle Kelly from the School of Psychology has recently been awarded the Cecilia Margaret Hudson Dementia Research Grant worth $50,000. This award is given to the highest ranking applicant within the Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation (AADRF) - Victoria category. 

This 12 month grant will fund investigation into the role of social functioning in quality of life for people with dementia. This research will further be supported by a Project grant from the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) to examine whether the social skills impairments associated with dementia impact on quality of caregiver relationship and carer burden.

The multidisciplinary research team is based at the University of Newcastle though includes collaborations with Hunter New England Local Health District and the University of New South Wales. Dr Michelle Kelly from the School of Psychology UoN leads the team of Professor Skye McDonald UNSW, Dr Tracy Brown (Gerontologist, HNE Health), and Ms Katryna Harman (Clinical Nurse Specialist, HNE Health).

For further information about the project see: https://fightdementia.org.au/dementia-news/issue-03/exploring-the-impact-of-social-skills-on-quality-of-life-for-people-with-dementia?utm_source=Dementia+News&utm_campaign=81aca629d8-Dementia_News_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_846759bf70-81aca629d8-15453925&mc_cid=81aca629d8&mc_eid=3a0e6f5743

or contact Dr Kelly at Michelle.Kelly@newcastle.edu.au

University of Newcastle PhD students present at the Annual Conference of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists – Brisbane

Social psychology PhD students Olivia Evans, Stephanie Hardacre, and Matylda Mackiewicz (along with Dr Stefania Paolini and Dr Emina Subasic) recently attended the Annual Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP) conference in Brisbane, Australia. SASP is the most popular avenue for the dissemination of current social psychological research within Australasia, and attracts between 130-180 pre-eminent national and international researchers. The 3-day conference was the first chance for us to showcase our research to a wider academic audience.

Olivia participated in a symposium titled “Social Psychology in Policy Domains”, presenting findings on the relationships between social class, mental health and social integration in first year university students. Stephanie delivered a talk on the effects of leader gender and equality message framing on mobilising men and women for gender equality. Matylda discussed her findings on the effects of applicable emotions on use of stereotypes.

The conference served as an excellent opportunity for us to start communicating our work, build collaborative networks, and gain feedback early on in our PhDs. It allowed us to communicate exciting new findings in a targeted fashion to a key Australian (and international) forum for social psychology, and proved to be both awe-inspiring and intimidating. Meeting established academics whose names were riddled throughout our Honours theses was an incredible privilege.

Given SASP is characterised by a strong postgraduate student representation, it offered a unique atmosphere compared to typical academic conferences, in that it allowed us to network with both our peers and senior academics. The postgraduate workshops in particular were extremely useful – outlining how we as social psychologists have a responsibility to take our research to the world, and how we might go about doing so. We look forward to attending next year’s conference in Melbourne.

Equity and Diversity Series event: Social Class, Sleep, and Health

The next meeting of the Social and Organisational Psychology Research Group will be held at 12.00pm on Tuesday May 10th in the Keats Reading Room, Psychology/Aviation Building (AVLG17), with video link to the Science Offices at Ourimbah.

We will be listening to Romany McGuffog’s PhD Research Presentation titled “The Relations Between Social Class, Sleep and Mental and Physical Health.” Romany’s supervisors are myself and Stefania Paolini. Her abstract and bio are provided below.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Abstract

Previous research has found that a) social class is positively related to mental and physical health (e.g., Foverskov & Holm, 2016), b) social class is positively related to sleep quality (e.g., Mezick et al., 2008), and c) sleep quantity and quality are related to mental and physical health (Furihata et al., 2012). Some researchers have proposed that social class differences in sleep could explain social class differences in mental and physical health (e.g. Moore et al., 2002). An initial investigation has found that sleep mediates the relationship between social class and some aspects of mental and physical health in university students. However, further studies are needed to explore this effect in the general population, whether the effect remains present when controlling for prior health, and whether manipulating perceived social class can affect self-reports of sleep and mental and physical health.

Biography

Romany McGuffog is a PhD candidate in social psychology under the supervision of Dr Mark Rubin and Dr Stefania Paolini. She completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle in 2015 and received First Class Honours, a Faculty Medal, and Best Presentation Award for the Fourth Year Conference. Romany was also placed on the Faculty of Science and Information Technology commendation list in 2012, 2013, and 2014, and was awarded a Summer Vacation Scholarship. Romany has a passion for sleep health and social class, and aims to work as an academic following graduation.

       

Psychology PhD progression seminar: Implicit versus explicit measures of emotion processing

The School of Psychology’s Sensory, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Research Group is pleased to present the following PhD Progression Seminar. All Welcome!

Monday 2^nd May 12:00-1:00 PM in the Keats Reading Room, Psychology Building Callaghan Campus & Science Office Meeting Room Ourimbah Campus.

Implicit versus explicit measures of emotion processing in people with aggressive tendencies and those who use pornography

SAJEEV KUNAHARAN, PhD Candidate

Supervisors: Professor Peter Walla, Dr. Sean Halpin & Professor Raj Sitharthan

Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory

School of Psychology
University of Newcastle, Callaghan. NSW 2308 AUSTRALIA

Abstract: As researchers and clinicians are becoming more aware that many of our thought processes and behaviours occur beneath conscious awareness, the need to acquire methods to gain a better and more thorough understanding of non-conscious emotional processes becomes more important. Researchers and clinicians in the behavioural sciences rely heavily on the use of self-report questionnaires, this conscious feedback which is given can often bely underlying non-conscious processes which may provide a more accurate interpretation of an individual’s emotions. The current project aims to use objective physiological measures such as Electroencephalography (EEG), Electromyography (EMG in the form of startle reflex modulation), Skin Conductance and Heart Rate to generate the awareness of discrepancies between self-reported and objectively measured emotions. We explored particular groups within the general population who have no formal diagnosis of psychological or neurological disorders. In particular, known aggressive traits as well as frequency of pornography use. It is hypothesised that physiological differences in emotion-related processing will be seen between these groups but explicit responses will be similar and show no such differences. If this hypothesis is confirmed, there is potential that knowledge about such discrepancies allow us to broaden our understanding and better understand and predict behaviour in these groups.