Education Commons^™

Women's Awareness Of Cancer Symptoms: A Review Of The Literature, Sandra C. Jones, Keryn Johnson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Improvements in cancer detection and treatment have led to consistent declines in mortality from many cancers. However, many patients present for treatment at a point where more invasive treatment is required and/or treatment outcomes are less than optimal. One factor that has been consistently shown to be associated with late diagnosis and treatment is delay in seeking help for symptoms. This paper reviews the literature on women's awareness of cancer symptoms and aims to identify knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in order to improve help-seeking behaviors. The discovery of substantial gaps in awareness suggest a need for improved …

Web 2.0 Adoption And User Characteristics, Jennifer Allyson Dooley, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A literature review and online search were conducted to document the rate of Web 2.0 adoption and to profile user characteristics. Substantial increases over time in reach and growth of the Internet and Web 2.0 by geography, technology, and age were found. Usage of the Internet, blogging, wikis, video sharing, and social networking demonstrates initially high rates among teens and young adults; recent shifts suggest older age categories are now also using Web 2.0. Internet users engage in Web 2.0 for various reasons, such as to seek or create news, entertainment, and even health information. Findings illustrate the potential for …

Peer Support In A Mental Health Service Context, Lindsay G. Oades, Frank P. Deane, Julie Anderson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This chapter will first summarise the range of definitions that have been provided for peer support, in a mental health context. Clarifications of the different aims of peer support initiatives aud the potential psychological processes that underpin them are then provided. Three key forms that peer support groups may take are then described and we track Sam as he experiences peer support in the context of job seeking. A summary of existing empirical evidence for peer support groups is provided before examining some of the necessary tensions that may exist between the alternative views of those coming from inside the …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For Psychological Adjustment After Traumatic Brain Injury: Reporting The Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Trial, Diane L. Whiting, Grahame K. Simpson, Hamish J. Mcleod, Frank P. Deane, Joseph Ciarrochi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Following a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) there is a complex presentation of psychological symptoms which may impact on recovery. Validated treatments addressing these symptoms for this group of people are limited. This article reports on the protocol for a single-centre, two-armed, Phase II Randomised Control Trial (RCT) to address the adjustment process following a severe TBI. Participants will be recruited from Liverpool Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit and randomly allocated to one of two groups, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) or an active control (Befriending). The active treatment group utilises the six core processes of ACT with the intention of …

Eeg From A Single-Channel Dry-Sensor Recording Device, Stuart J. Johnstone, R Blackman, Jason Bruggemann

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

While a laboratory setting and research-grade electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment allow control of variables and high-quality multiple-channel EEG recording, there are situations and populations for which this is not suitable. The present studies examined the validity of a new method of single-channel EEG measurement that is portable and uses dry-sensor technology. In study 1, EEG was recorded simultaneously from the portable device and 4 standard EEG electrodes from a research system, during eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) resting conditions, with 20 adult participants. Average correlations with the research system frequency spectra were highest at site F3 for portable device …

Psychosocial Aspects Of Anal Cancer Screening: A Review And Recommendations, Jodie Landstra, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank P. Deane

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cancer screening programs have the potential to decrease psychosocial wellbeing. This review investigates the evidence that anal cancer screening has an impact on psychosocial functioning and outlines considerations for supporting participants. The review suggested that screening has no significant effect on general mental health but may increase cancer-specific worry. Having worse anal or HIV symptoms, being younger, higher baseline distress or worse histology results were predictive of greater worry. The findings suggest the need to increase education campaigns, particularly targeting those with HIV infection and men who have sex with men. There is a need to develop a consensus on …

Conditional Recall And The Frequency Effect In The Serial Recall Task: An Examination Of Item-To-Item Associativity, Leonie M. Miller, Steven J. Roodenrys

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The frequency effect in short-term serial recall is influenced by the composition of lists. In pure lists, a robust advantage in the recall of high-frequency (HF) words is observed, yet in alternating mixed lists, HF and low-frequency (LF) words are recalled equally well. It has been argued that the preexisting associations between all list items determine a single, global level of supportive activation that assists item recall. Preexisting associations between items are assumed to be a function of language co-occurrence; HF-HF associations are high, LF-LF associations are low, and mixed associations are intermediate in activation strength. This account, however, is …

The Feasibility And Validity Of Ambulatory Self-Report Of Psychotic Symptoms Using A Smartphone Software Application, Jasper Palmier-Claus, J Ainsworth, M Machin, C Barrowclough, Graham Dunn, Emma Barkus, A Rogers, T Wykes, S Kapur, Iain Buchan, E Salter, Shon Lewis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Semi-structured interview scales for psychosis are the gold standard approach to assessing psychotic and other symptoms. However, such assessments have limitations such as recall bias, averaging, insensitivity to change and variable interrater reliability. Ambulant, real-time self-report assessment devices may hold advantages over interview measures, but it needs to be shown that the data thus collected are valid, and the collection method is acceptable, feasible and safe. We report on a monitoring system for the assessment of psychosis using smartphone technology. The primary aims were to: i) assess validity through correlations of item responses with those on widely accepted interview …

Does Training On Inhibitory Tasks Influence Alcohol Consumption And Attitudes?, Bronwyn Hegarty, Jacqueline A. Rushby, Stuart J. Johnstone, Peter Kelly, Janette Smith

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Response inhibition - the suppression of a prepotent or ongoing action - is an executive function central to the regulation of behaviour. Response inhibition can be assessed in the laboratory using the Go/No-go or Stop-Signal tasks which both assess the capacity to withhold an inappropriate response. In the Go/No-go task, participants are required to respond rapidly to Go stimuli but to withhold that response upon No-go stimuli. In the Stop-Signal task, participants are required to respond to Go stimuli but to withhold the response when an auditory stop signal occurs subsequent to the Go stimulus.

Generalisation From Three-Quarter Views Of Faces In The Yaw And Pitch Axes., Simone K. Favelle, Stephen A. Palmisano

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 39th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference, University of New South Wales, 12-15 April 2012

The Role Of Motion In Recognising Facial Expressions., Simone K. Favelle, A Tobin, M Demayo, R Palermo

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster presented at the 39th Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference, University of New South Wales, 12-15 April 2012

Canadian Directive With Regard To Sedentary Behavior In Young Infants (0-4 Years), Mark S. Tremblay, Allana G. Leblanc, Valerie Carson, Louise Choquette, Sarah Conor Gorber, Carrie Dillman, Mary Duggan, Mary J. Gordon, Audrey Hicks, Ian Janssen, Michelle E. Kho, Amy E. Latimer-Cheung, Claire Leblanc, Kelly Murumets, Anthony D. Okely, John Reilly, Jodie A. Stearns, Brian W. Timmons, John C. Spence

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), with assistance from multiple partners, stakeholders, and researchers, developed the first Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for the Early Years (aged 0-4 years). These national guidelines are in response to a call from health and health care professionals, child care providers, and fitness practitioners for guidance on sedentary behaviour in the early years. The guideline development process followed the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research Evaluation (AGREE) II framework. The recommendations are informed by evidence from a systematic review that examined the relationships between sedentary behaviour (predominantly screen time) and health indicators (healthy body weight, …

Creative Unit And Lesson Planning Through A Thematic/Integrated Approach To Teaching Games For Understanding (Tgfu), Paul I. Webb, Philip J. Pearson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) approach developed by Bunker and Thorpe (1982) involves a different approach to the traditional/technical model of teaching of games. The focus of the model is placing the student or athlete in a game situation where tactics, decision-making and problem solving is critical. The purpose of this paper is to explore a model for unit and lesson planning used for pre-service Physical and Health Education students at an Australian University as part of the movement studies subjects. These subjects included invasion, striking/ fielding, target and net/court games. This paper extends Webb and Pearson's (2008) previous …

Physical Activity During School Recess: A Systematic Review, Nicola D. Ridgers, Jo Salmon, Anne-Maree Parrish, Rebecca M. Stanley, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Context: Interest has increased in examining the physical activity levels of young people during school recess. Identifying correlates of their recess physical activity behaviors is timely, and would inform school-based physical activity programming and intervention development. The review examined the correlates of children's and adolescent's physical activity during school recess periods. Evidence acquisition: Asystematicsearchofsixelectronicdatabases,referencelists,andpersonal archives identified 53 studies (47 focused on children) published between January 1990 and April 2011 that met the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed in 2011. Correlates were categorized using the social-ecological framework. Evidence synthesis: Forty-four variables were identified across the four levels of the social- ecological …

What Counts As Comprehension In Teacher Practice?, Susan Byers, Pauline T. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Comprehension is generally considered to be an essential skill required in all learning areas. The Australian Curriculum argues that much of the explicit teaching of literacy occurs in the English learning area, and is strengthened, made specific and extended in other learning areas as students engage in a range of learning activities with significant literacy demands (ACARA, 2012, p. 9). This has important ramifications for all teachers because they are charged with the responsibility of ensuring their students acquire the literacy skills necessary for success in the discipline areas. Despite this, comprehension means different things to different people. This paper …

Knowledge About Language In The Australian Curriculum: English, Beverly Derewianka

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Somewhat surprisingly, an explicit knowledge about language has been often absent from English curricula. The new Australian Curriculum: English (ACARA, 2012) has taken a fairly radical step in placing knowledge about language at the core of classroom practice, thereby raising the issue of an appropriate model of language to inform the Language Strand of the Curriculum. This paper will outline the rationale behind the Language Strand, and will then make explicit its underlying model of language. The paper thus provides a context for the ensuing articles in this Special Focus Issue of AJLL, which take up various concerns in relation …

Preparing Action Competent Environmental Educators: How Hard Could It Be?, Wendy Nielsen, Peter Andersen, Amy Hurley, Vanessa Sabljak, Amy-Lee Petereit, Vanessa Hoskin, Garry Hoban

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article describes an interpretive study that evaluated a new subject in teacher education called 'Education for Sustainable Development'. The study evaluated the subject for its ability to prepare pre-service teachers for their roles as environmental educators. We used perspectives in place-based pedagogy and critical thinking to underpin the subject design and our analysis. Data sources include instructor journals, planning documents, interviews with students and student thinking books. Interpretive analysis of the data corpus was a collaborative process that involved both subject instructors and students who took the subject. Themes that emerged from the research were centred around: (1) how …

Serial Recall, Word Frequency, And Mixed Lists: The Influence Of Item Arrangement, Leonie M. Miller, Steven J. Roodenrys

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Studies of the effect of word frequency in the serial recall task show that lists of high-frequency words are better recalled than lists of low-frequency words; however, when high- and low-frequency words are alternated within a list, there is no difference in the level of recall for the two types of words, and recall is intermediate between lists of pure frequency. This pattern has been argued to arise from the development of a network of activated long-term representations of list items that support the redintegration of all list items in a nondirectional and nonspecific way. More recently, it has been …

The Astute Health Study Protocol: Deliberative Stakeholder Engagements To Inform Implementation Approaches To Healthcare Disinvestment, Amber M. Watt, Janet E. Hiller, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, John R. Moss, Heather Buchan, Janet Wale, Dagmara E. Riitano, Katherine Hodgetts, Jackie M. Street, Adam Elshaug

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Governments and other payers are yet to determine optimal processes by which to review the safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of technologies and procedures that are in active use within health systems, and rescind funding (partially or fully) from those that display poor profiles against these parameters. To further progress a disinvestment agenda, a model is required to support payers in implementing disinvestment in a transparent manner that may withstand challenge from vested interests and concerned citizens. Combining approaches from health technology assessment and deliberative democratic theory, this project seeks to determine if and how wide stakeholder engagement can contribute …

Uncanny Animals: Thinking Differently About Ethics And The Animal-Human Relationship, Rob Irvine, Christopher J. Degeling, Ian Kerridge

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Maintaining the attention to bodily difference human and animal ontology has long been constructed on rigid physical characterizations seemingly untouched by culture. In "Reframing the Ethical Issues in Part-Human Animal Research," Haber and Benham (2012) call into question most of the formal elements of essentialism that an earlier mode of thought took for granted. Two views on the nature of human and interspecies animal bodies are in contention here. The first offers an argument grounded in the essential developmental properties of human and animal material and biological systems such that giving life to "animals with human derived material," exemplified by …

An Investigation Of The Association Between Socio-Demographic Factors, Dog-Exercise Requirements, And The Amount Of Walking Dogs Receive, Christopher J. Degeling, Lindsay Burton, Gavin Mccormack

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Risk factors associated with canine obesity include the amount of walking a dog receives. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between canine exercise requirements, socio-demographic factors, and dog-walking behaviors in winter in Calgary. Dog owners, from a cross-sectional study which included a random sample of adults, were asked their household income, domicile type, gender, age, education level, number and breed(s) of dog(s) owned, and frequency and time spent dog-walking in a usual week. Canine exercise requirements were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) positively associated with the minutes pet dogs were walked, as was the owner being a female. Moreover, dog walking frequency, but not minutes of dog walking, was significantly associated with residing in attached housing (i.e., apartments). Different types of dogs have different exercise requirements to maintain optimal health. Understanding the role of socio-demographic factors and dog-related characteristics such as exercise requirements on dog-walking behaviors is essential for helping veterinarians and owners develop effective strategies to prevent and manage canine obesity. Furthermore, encouraging regular dog-walking has the potential to improve the health of pet dogs, and that of their owners.

Narrative Medicine: Learning Through Stories, Christopher J. Degeling

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Animal owners typically speak as storytellers: they communicate concerns about their animals through a narrative. Chris Degeling argues that, rather than being a distraction, a better understanding of the nature of storytelling can help veterinarians build relationships that are both morally and clinically valuable.

Testing Relationships: Ethical Arguments For Screening For Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus With Hba1c, Christopher J. Degeling, Melanie Rock, Wendy Rogers

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Since the 1990s, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) has been the gold standard for monitoring glycaemic control in people diagnosed as having either type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Discussions are underway about diagnosing diabetes mellitus on the basis of HbA1C titres and using HbA1C tests to screen for T2DM. These discussions have focused on the relative benefits for individual patients, with some attention directed towards reduced costs to healthcare systems and benefits to society. We argue that there are strong ethical reasons for adopting HbA1C-based diagnosis and T2DM screening that have not yet been articulated. The …

Animals-As-Patients: Improving The Practice Of Animal Experimentation, Jane Johnson, Christopher J. Degeling

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this paper we propose a new way of conceptualizing animals in experimentation: the animal-as-patient. Construing and treating animals as patients offers a way of successfully addressing some of the entrenched epistemological and ethical problems within a practice of animal experimentation directed to human clinical benefit. This approach is grounded in an epistemological insight and builds on work with so-called "pet models". It relies upon the occurrence and characterization of analogous human and nonhuman animal diseases, where, if certain criteria of homology and mechanism are met, the animal simultaneously becomes a patient and a spontaneous model of the human disease.

Ethical Practice In Learning Through Participation: Showcasing And Evaluating The Pace Ethical Practice Module, Michaela Baker, Alison Beale, Laura Ann Hammersley, Kate Lloyd, Anne-Louise Semple, Karolyn L. White

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In 2008, Macquarie University introduced the Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) initiative, which embeds units in the undergraduate curriculum that involve learning through participation, including service learning and work-integrated learning (WIL), that is mutually beneficial to the student, the University and the partner organisation. Ethical practice is thus an integral part of this initiative. However, the issue of ethical practice in these approaches to learning has not been comprehensively addressed (Peterson et al, 2007) with research ethics in undergraduate curricula also warranting further examination and integration (Crabtree, 2008; Tryon et al., 2008). To support both students and staff at Macquarie …

The Effects Of Regular Long-Term Cannabis Use On Auditory Mismatch Negativity (Mmn), Lisa-Marie Greenwood, Samantha J. Broyd, Rodney J. Croft, Patricia T. Michie, Juanita Todd, Stuart J. Johnstone, Robyn Murray, Nadia Solowij

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 3rd Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Conference Florence, Italy 14-18 April 2012

Does Cannabis Cause Lasting Brain Damage?, Nadia Solowij, Murat Yucel, Valentina Lorenzetti, Dan Lubman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Until recently, it was possible to state with some confi - dence that there was no evidence of cannabis-related brain damage in humans. There was some support from the animal literature, but few human studies had been conducted where the findings could not be explained by methodological or other confounding factors. Recent evidence for gross morphological, connectivity and microstructural changes has now emerged that warrants further consideration. If cannabis were found to alter the structural integrity of the brain, then this may assist us to understand the mechanisms by which cannabis triggers psychotic symptoms or overt psychosis in vulnerable individuals.

Changes In Physical Activity Levels, Lesson Context, And Teacher Interaction During Physical Education In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Australian Schools, Dean A. Dudley, Anthony D. Okely, Philip Pearson, Wayne G. Cotton, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Recent data show that only 15% of Australian adolescents participate in adequate amounts of physical activity (PA) and those students from Asian and Middle-Eastern backgrounds in Grades 6-12 are significantly less active than their English-speaking background peers. Schools have recently been recognised as the most widely used and cost-effective setting for promoting PA among youth and one domain within schools where PA can occur regularly for all youth, regardless of cultural background or socio-economic status, is during physical education (PE). Methods: This study describes changes in physical activity (PA), lesson context and teacher interaction in physical education over the …

The Role Of School Counsellors In Fostering Giftedness: The Australian Experience., Wilma Vialle

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An African proverb that resonates strongly with educators is that "it takes a whole village to raise a child". The proverb has been the inspiration for at least two books (Cowen-Fletcher 1994; Rodham Clinton, 1996) and countless t-shirt and greeting card designs, but, more importantly, its sentiment acknowledges the collective responsibility we bear for educating our children. Franz Monks has dedicated his long academic career to the field of gifted education and his wide-ranging contributions have epitomized this shared responsibility for ensuring that the gifts and talents of our young people are nurtured. Like many educators who have interacted with …

Point-Of-Sale Alcohol Promotions In The Perth And Sydney Metropolitan Areas, Sandra C. Jones, Lance Barrie, Laura Robinson, S Allsop, T Chikritzhs

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims. Point-of-sale (POS) is increasingly being used as a marketing tool for alcohol products, and there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that these materials are positively associated with drinking and contribute to creating a pro-alcohol environment. The purpose of the present study was to document the nature and extent of POS alcohol promotions in bottle shops in two Australian capital cities. Design and Methods. A purposive sample of 24 hotel bottle shops and liquor stores was selected across Sydney (New South Wales) and Perth (Western Australia) and audited for the presence and nature of POS marketing. …