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.

PhD candidate Julia Dray receives an international award

Julia Dray, a PhD Candidate in the School of Psychology under the supervision of A/Prof Jenny Bowman received notification that she has been awarded a Donald Cohen Fellowship (DCFP) at the 22nd International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) World Congress, Calgary, Canada. The DJCFP Awards aim to foster the professional development of emerging leaders in child and adolescent psychiatry throughout the world. The fellowships were highly competitive internationally and as part of the award she will receive intense mentor from leading international experts in child and adolescent mental health during the IACAPAP Congress, as well as conference registration and accommodation for the length of the congress. Well done Julia on an incredible achievement – and enjoy the trip.

For more Information:
http://www.iacapap2016.org/program/djcfp/

PhD Confirmation Seminar: first-impression bias

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

Monday 18th April 12:00-1:00 PM in the Keats Reading Room, Psychology Building Callaghan Campus & Science Office Meeting Room Ourimbah Campus.


What can a first-impression bias in auditory processing tell us about prediction modelling and perceptual inference.

Kaitlin Fitzgerald, PhD Candidate
Supervisors: A/Prof Juanita Todd & Prof Andrew Heathcote.

Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory
School of Psychology
University of Newcastle, Callaghan. NSW 2308 AUSTRALIA


Abstract: Adaptive auditory processing is characterised by the ability to prioritise limited neural resources towards the aspects of the current environment which are most informative for behaviour (Winkler, Karmos & Näätänen, 1996). The neural substrate thought to be responsible for this process is a component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP) known as the mismatch negativity (MMN). MMN is produced in response to any rare and unexpected deviation from an established pattern, and triggers an attention switch towards a stimulus when sufficiently salient (Escera, Yago, Corral, Corbera & Nunez, 2003; Naatanen, Gaillard & Mantysalo, 1978). Whilst many claim MMN amplitude is governed solely by local probability statistics, our lab has revealed that the initial context in which a sound is encountered has a lasting effect on the perception of that sound in future contexts – a “primacy bias” (Todd, Provost & Cooper, 2011; Todd et al., 2013, Todd et al., 2014). Whilst this result is well replicated, much remains unknown about the mechanisms driving the bias and what it can tell us about perceptual inference processes. Research conducted within this thesis will build on existing primacy bias research to further our understanding of these processes. To date, this has involved confirming the presence of primacy bias in spatial deviance. Planned research will now utilise spatial manipulation to conduct a more powerful examination of its relationship to the information value of sounds, whilst a further study will investigate bias patterns in individuals with schizophrenia, a population with known deficits in MMN production (see Michie, 2001 for a review).

JUST PUBLISHED: How does human behaviour change in response to failure and success? Post-error recklessness and the hot hand

Post-error slowing describes systematic increases in response time (RT) following an error in rapid choice tasks (Laming, 1968). The hot hand originated in sports, and describes an increase in the probability of success after previous success. The hot hand is often considered a fallacy as, despite the strong beliefs of spectators and players, the effect is not often empirically observed (Gilovich, Vallone, & Tversky, 1985).  Even though they are both measured by a difference between post-error and post-correct performance, and even though they both tap similar questions - the literature have not overlapped because post-error slowing (rapid choice experiments) and the hot hand (professional sports) have been studied in vastly different environments.

Paul Williams, a PhD student in the School of Psychology, developed over the last few years dedicated computer game-like tasks (and measures) that allow assesing Post-Error slowing and Hot Hand simultaneously.

In this recently published paper Paul and his colleagues at the Newcastle Cognition Lab present data from their computerized game-like task along with a comparison of several measures of sequential dependency. The results were quite surprising...

SPOILER ALERT -  First and foremost, unpaid players exhibited surprising and strong evidence for the elusive hot hand, with an unprecedented effect size. Furthermore, financial reward to successful performance led to a more cautious approach following errors, whereas unrewarded performance led to recklessness. You can read about these results and other findings in the full paper:

Williams, P., Heatchocte, A., Nesbitt, K., & Eidels, A. (2016). Post error recklessness and the hot hand. Judgment and Decision Making, 11(2), 174-184.

JUST PUBLISHED: Cognition and personality in Labradors, sparrows and children

Researchillustration.uk is a blog run by University of St Andrews students and staff. Artists and researchers are working hand in hand to increase the outreach and to make it more accessible to everyone. They were taken by a new paper by Dr. Andrea Griffin and her colleagues, which examines personality and behavior in people and animals. The picture capturing their impression is here:
http://www.researchillustration.uk/picture-it-griffin-2015/.

Here is their impression in words:

Members of the same animal species – both human and non-human – vary in their behavior across time and space. Some Labradors bark more than others, some sparrows sing less than others, and some children run frenziedly around as others sit still with their toys. Meanwhile and less visibly, individuals also vary in how they process information – their “cognitive styles”. But charting the causal arrows linking these two is no easy task. Cognitive abilities – such as speed in learning about associations, rewards and categories – are tricky things to measure, because, in order to capture an individual’s true ability hidden beneath day-to-day fluctuations, they need to be tested repeatedly. Unfortunately, every new measurement may be influenced by previous ones, as an individual becomes familiar with the task. And if researchers, despite these practical challenges, were to find that a trait indeed correlates with a cognitive ability, such as shyness with learning difficulties, they will have to find a way to exclude the possibility that they both are caused by a third factor, like stress. Griffin and her colleagues discuss how personality psychology can best overcome these hurdles to illuminate why no two Labradors, sparrows or children are the same.

[reproduced with permission from http://www.researchillustration.uk/]



original paper:
Griffin, A. S., Guillette, L. M., & Healy, S. D. (2015). Cognition and personality: an analysis of an emerging field. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 30(4), 207-214.

JUST PUBLISHED: University is a stressful experience for some.

Previous research has demonstrated that university students report significantly higher levels of psychological distress compared to the general population. Two new publications from UoN researchers have replicated this finding but go further by examining potential predictors of distress and well-being in students:

Miles Bore, Chris Pittolo, Dianne Kirby, Teresa Dluzewska and Stuart Marlin (2016). Predictors of psychological distress and well-being in a sample of Australian undergraduate students. Higher Education Research and Development, online. doi 10.1080/07294360.2016.1138452

Miles Bore, Brian Kelly and Kichu Nair. (2016). Potential predictors of psychological distress and well-being in medical students: a cross-sectional pilot study. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 7, 125-135 . doi 10.2147/AMEP.S96802

Both studies found significant correlations between situational variables, such as financial concerns, and student well-being and distress. However, higher emotional resilience vs. emotional reactivity (measured as a personality trait) was found to be the most significant predictor of well-being and lower psychological distress. The conclusion drawn from the findings of each study was that the experience of university for many students might be improved through resilience skills training being embedded in the curriculum.

Social and Organisational Psychology Research Group Seminar

Please come and join us for a research presentation by Dr Michelle Kelly

WHEN: Tuesday 1st March, 12-1pm

WHERE: Keats Reading Room, Psychology Building, Callaghan (Video link to Ourimbah Science Offices Meeting Room)

WHAT: Research presentation by Dr Michele Kelly (School of Psychology, the University of Newcastle) entitled “Novel Ways of Examining Social Cognition

ABSTRACT: The way that we interact with others in our social world is crucial to our health and wellbeing. Despite this, research into the mechanisms underlying successful social interaction is only in its infancy, particularly when it comes to assessing an individuals’ social cognition. Social cognition refers to how we pick up on cues in our social world, for example, how we read emotions from another person’s face, tone of voice or  posture, the ability to think about another person’s thoughts (referred to as theory of mind), how we express empathy, and how we make decisions in social situations. Whilst we know that many clinical populations such as those with Schizophrenia, dementia or acquired brain injury have social cognition impairments, there is a paucity of tools to assess these functions. I will discuss some of the experimental and clinical tools available and new ways of looking at the problem.
 
BIO: Michelle Kelly is Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Australia. Michelle’s research focuses on the investigation and development of tools for assessing social cognition in healthy populations, as well as clinical groups including those with a diagnosis of dementia and those who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. Michelle is a member of the Priority Research Centre for Generational Health and Ageing and the Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health.

***

Special colloquium talk on the effects of aging on quantitative MRI values in the human subcortex; Thur 1:30pm.

The Functional Neuroimaging Lab invites you to a special colloquium talk:

Effects of aging on quantitative MRI values in the human subcortex.
Dr Max C Keuken, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

WHEN: Thursday 25 February, 1:30-2:30pm
WHERE: Keats Reading Room (AVG17)

The aging brain undergoes several anatomical changes that can be measured with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Early studies using lower field strengths have assessed changes in tissue properties mainly qualitatively, using T1- or T2*- weighted images to provide image contrast. With the development of higher field strengths (7 Tesla and above) and more advanced MRI contrasts, quantitative measures can be acquired even of small subcortical structures. In this talk I will present some of the volumetric, spatial, and quantitative MRI parameter changes associated with healthy aging in a range of subcortical nuclei, including the basal ganglia, red nucleus and, the periaqueductal grey.

Dr Max C. Keuken is currently a post-doctoral researcher in the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. Max completed his Ph.D in 2015 at the University of Amsterdam, NL, under the supervision of Birte U. Forstmann and Robert Turner. His main research interest is the role of subcortical nuclei in decision-making using ultra-high field structural and functional MRI. Despite being less than 1yr post-PhD, Max has 23 papers published in high-impact peer reviewed journals since 2008, including  7 as 1st author, giving him an H-index of 11 and over 450 citations.

http://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/organisation/staff-members/content/k/e/m.c.keuken/m.c.keuken.html

Max was awarded an ECR Visiting Fellowship by FSCIT to work with A/Prof Karayanidis’ group on model-based cognitive neuroscience analyses of cognitive flexibility and response inhibition in young adults.

The School of Psychology's Health and Clinical Psychology Research Group presents

A Seminar by Dr Angela Nickerson

Mechanisms Underlying Refugee Mental Health: Implications for Psychological Treatment

When: Wednesday 2nd March from 12:00 to 1:00pm

Where: Keats Room - Psychology Building (AVLG17 - Old Aviation Building), Callaghan Campus, University of Newcastle

Abstract: 

Elevated rates of psychological disorders have been documented in refugees. Little is known, however, about the mechanisms by which psychopathology develops following exposure to refugee-related trauma and torture. This presentation will outline a theoretical model that proposes pathways to adaptation following trauma and displacement. Findings from empirical studies testing components of this model will then be presented. These studies will examine the impact of both refugee experiences (trauma exposure and post-migration living difficulties) and internal processes (memory dysfunction, cognitive processes and emotion regulation) on refugee mental health. Implications of these research findings for psychological interventions will be discussed.

About Dr Nickerson:

Angela Nickerson is Senior Lecturer and NHMRC Clinical Early Career Research Fellow at the School of Psychology, UNSW Australia. She is also Director of the Refugee Taruma and Recovery Program. Angela’s research focuses on uncovering mechanisms underlying psychological disorders in refugees and asylum-seekers, with the aim of improving psychological interventions for these groups and informing policy and service provision.

Health and Clinical Psychology Research Group

Please come and join us for a PhD research proposal presentation by Jichun (Jessy) Hao.

When: 24th February, 12:00

Where: Keats Reading Room, Psychology (Aviation) Building (video to Ourimbah Science Offices).

Title: Mindfulness and psychological health in Chinese and Australian university students: The role of attachment and social integration

Abstract:

The transition to university is a unique and challenging experience for most people and with the growth of tertiary education how people cope with this transition has become an increasingly important issue. Student mental health not only impacts on their current and future wellbeing but also on their families, Universities, and the larger society. In this research I intend to study how trait mindfulness, together with attachment styles and social integration, affects Chinese and Australian university students’ psychological well-being. In this presentation I will first set up the background by discussing past theoretical and empirical work. Then I will briefly state my aims and present a hypothesised model as well as the proposed research methodology. I will also present who and how I intend to recruit and what data analysis technique I will use. Lastly I will end with the feasibility and timelines for this research.

Former Staff Member Rejoins the School of Psychology to Research Bipolar Disorder and Mathematical Models in Human Decision Making

Conjoint Associate Professor Rachel Heath rejoined the staff of the School of Psychology in 2015, 40 years after starting as Lecturer in Psychology at this University. Rachel’s current research has involved the discovery of a new mathematical method for predicting bipolar disorder episodes. In collaboration with Professor Greg Murray from the Swinburne University of Technology, Rachel showed how an index derived from physical activity measurements could detect the early signs of a manic episode in a young person diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This paper has been accepted for publication in Fractal Geometry and Nonlinear Analysis in Medicine and Biology. Rachel also published a paper in Nonlinear Dynamics in Psychology and Life Sciences showing how fluctuations in mood ratings obtained from a unipolar depressed person can be represented by nonlinear processes that approach the edge-of-chaos.

Rachel has dedicated both these papers in memory of Susan Heath (1950-2014).


Rachel and her contrabassoon:

Muslim-NonMuslim Partnership Project Wins APS Peace Research Award and Marks a New Equity–Diversity Focus in the School

Fatima Azam (left) and Stefania Paolini (right) have won the 2015 APS Psychologist for Peace Research Award and have been shortlisted for the 2015 Muslim-nonMuslim Understanding Award for their hijab stall initiative. The recognition of the merit of their action research in areas of social inclusion timely marks a new focus of the school on Equity and Diversity.

Australia is currently afflicted by a social climate of hype and negative media around Muslim and non-Muslim relationships (e.g., protests by ‘Reclaim Australia’). Fatima and Stefania’s intercommunity initiative was aimed at instigating positive change in the community and within the university, as well as create a platform for open and respectful dialogue between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians towards a more harmonious and genuinely integrated multicultural Australia.

The hijab stall project is an intercommunity engagement and research initiative undertaken at the University of Newcastle, between March and September 2015. Non-Muslim women from students, staff, and the general community were invited to attend a hijab stall where they could learn from Muslim women why they wear different headcoverings. They were also invited to try one on. Fatima with 14 other female Muslim volunteers from a variety of national backgrounds and wearing different Islamic headcoverings , ran seven hijab stalls across three UON campuses and Newcastle CBD precinct over a period of six months. These hijab stalls contributed to important diversity and equity initiatives, like 2015 Harmony Day, and Cultural Awakening Day. They involved also many non-Muslim volunteers thus modelling genuine intercommunity dialogue and partnership. 

The hijab stall project also offered the basis for Fatima’s honours research and a new and larger research project sponsored by an Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project awarded to Dr Paolini which aims at identifying new ways to break down barriers between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians, and more broadly increase social harmony and integration in Australia’s diverse society. Fatima has been invited to receive the award and present her research at the 2016 APS congress in Melbourne, next September.

The announcement of this award marks the beginning of a new focus on Equity and Diversity issues by UON School of Psychology. A new Equity and Diversity working party, chaired by Stefania and including 25+ members of staff and postgraduate students in the school, was established this week. It will drive the Indigenization of psychology curricula and aspires to take the school and its broader areas of influence towards more inclusive psychology teaching, research, and professional practice.