Digital Commons Network^™

The Making Of Disgrace Kelly: Dragging The Diva Through Cabarets, Pubs And Into The Recital Hall, Caitlin Cassidy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research project investigates the synthesis of cabaret and recital performance as a way to re-invigorate the recital as a performance platform. As a curious classical singer with a passion for cabaret, I have explored cabaret in my own creative practice as a classically trained opera singer through the employment of practice-led research methodologies. This project includes research manifested in rehearsals, performance and exegetical writing, including a unique self-reflexive voice in the writing style, to encompass a practice-led research methodology. The culmination of these approaches was a final performance program entitled Diva Bites the Dust. A study of the diva …

Inside Schizophrenia: Mending The Internal Conflict; And, The Historical, Cultural And Social Aspects Of Schizophrenia, Fiona Erica Nichols

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis comprises a memoir and essay on schizophrenia. It is estimated that 285,000 people suffer some form of schizophrenia in Australia. This means, on average, one in seventy people in Australia suffer from the disorder. For males, schizophrenia often develops in early adulthood. For females, it has later onset. There are about five types of schizophrenia: paranoid, catatonic, disorganised, undifferentiated, and residual. The focus of this thesis is on the diagnosis of Paranoid Schizophrenia. There is no cure, but it is treatable. However, people with a treatment resistant schizophrenia can find life difficult. The aim of the thesis is …

Preschool Children's Information Processing And Emotional Behavior In Social Conflict Situations, Po Lin B.L. Bailey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study investigated various aspects of the Social Information Processing Model, in particular, young children’s emotional behavior regulation and negative emotionality, in Hong Kong. The sample was N=628 from 12 schools. Using Rasch measurement, linear unidimensional scales were constructed for Emotion and Behaviour Regulation (10 items) and for Negative Emotionality (10 items). The well-known Short Temperament Scale was Rasch analyzed too, but a linear scale could not be created – it had initially been designed under the True Score Test theory paradigm. The children were divided into Type A (high on negative emotionality and low on emotion and behavior regulation, …

Transitioning Into Parenthood : Family Leisure And Heterosexual Couples In New Zealand, David Lamb

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The key research question on which this study was based concerned the transition period from first time pregnancy through to first time parenthood for heterosexual couples in Christchurch, New Zealand. The particular focus on this study was on how this transition impacted upon access, opportunity and experiences of family leisure. As a result this study can claim to be longitudinal as it follows a number of couples from the stage of pregnancy into early parenthood. A number of subsidiary questions were developed to explore the different dimensions of the key research question in terms of: the impact of gender; the …

Secondary Victims' Perceptions Of Justice : Implications For Forensic Psychology, Benjamin Bannister

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

An emerging area of study has begun to look at the perceptions of justice of the family and friends of crime victims – or, secondary victims. It is important to improve understanding of secondary victims’ experiences of justice, partly because knowledge about how they perceive justice may help forensic psychologists assist them more effectively. This research attempted to assess how well existing justice theories could account for secondary victims’ perceptions of justice, and also help determine what is important to them. Using the largely ignored group of secondary victims of non-sexual violent crime, the research consisted of two interrelated stages. …

Key Stakeholders’ Experiences Of International Education At One Australian University, Sophia A. Harryba

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Aim: This study aimed to explore the experiences which influenced the perceptions of three key groups of stakeholders: academic and support staff, international students, and their domestic peers, when engaging in International Education at one Australian university. The original research questions for this study were:

1. What experiences influence staff members’ perceptions of International Education at one Australian university?

2. What experiences influence international students’ perception of their education at one Australian university? As directed by theoretical sampling, the views of domestic students were then also sought, to shed light on the following research question:

3. What experiences influence domestic …

An Analysis Of Treatment Retention And Attrition In An Australian Therapeutic Community For Substance Abuse Treatment, Mark Robert Porter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Research undertaken in the last three decades has consistently reported that the length of time spent in inpatient and outpatient alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs predicts treatment success (De Leon, Melnick, Kressel, & Jainchill, 1994; Hubbard, Craddock, & Anderson, 2003; Simpson, Joe, Fletcher, Hubbard, & Anglin, 1999). However, treatment attrition rates are high and present a major problem for improving treatment outcomes. Various factors that have been reportedly associated with increased AOD treatment attrition rates include being female, younger clients, clients using methamphetamines, and clients with elevated psychopathology scores. The aim of this thesis is to improve understanding …

Discovery Of New Biomarkers Of Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer's Disease Risk In Buccal Cells Using Laser Scanning Cytometry, Maxime Francois

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Previous studies have shown that mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may reflect the early stages of more pronounced neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In clinical practice, patients with AD are not usually identified until the disease has progressed to a stage when primary prevention is no longer possible. Therefore there is a need for a minimally invasive and inexpensive diagnostic to identify those who exhibit cellular pathology indicative of MCI and AD risk so that they can be prioritised for primary prevention. Human buccal cells are accessible in a minimally invasive manner, and exhibit cytological and nuclear morphologies that …

The Transience Of The Interior Self: Exploring The Lost Real Within A Creative Visual Praxis, Jacqueline Monks

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigates psychological ideas of the interior self as transient and its relationship to the Real within a creative practice that includes video, projection and animation. The significance of the research is in the critical development of my creative practice and its creative outcome as a means of visually manifesting ideas of the interior self as explored by the theorist Slavoj Zizek. Theoretically, the notion of the interior self is defined as a transient state of co-existing contradictions. Its definition is located in Zizek’s reading of Jacques Lacan’ s triad of orders that comprise the thinking self (Zizek, 2007a, …

Countering-Insurgency : A Comparative Analysis Of Campaigns In Malaya (1948-1960), Kenya (1952-1960) And Rhodesia (1964-1980), William J. Bailey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

History has lessons for the present; could this be the case for modern counterinsurgency operations in countries resembling Iraq and Afghanistan? This research set out to study three historical counter-insurgencies campaigns in, Malaya (1947-1960), Kenya (1952- 1960) and Rhodesia (1964-1980), with a view to establishing whether or not the Colonial authorities had a substantial advantage over modern forces when combating insurgencies. If this was the case, are these advantages transferable to aid forces involved in modern counterinsurgencies?

The research questions focussed on how important the role of the Colonial Forces was to the eventual outcome, examining the principal factors that …

Framing Anorexia : A Play Script And Multidimensional Investigation Of Anorexia : A Play And Critical Essay, Louise Helfgott

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis explores anorexia nervosa in young people. It comprises two components: a play script, "Frames", about 16-year-old Elizabeth who is combating the disorder, her troubled friend Ben, and their families, and a critical essay that reviews qualitative and quantitative literature about anorexia and contextualises the play in relation to selected narratives, plays and films. In my field research, I interviewed a number of professionals working in the field of anorexia and the essay also discusses their views and insights.

Few plays deal with anorexia in an in-depth manner to explore the onset and development of the illness. "Frames" addresses …

Approach-Iron Play In High Performance Golf: From Testing To Tournament Play, Samuel John Robertson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The capability of a golfer to record a low score depends upon well-developed abilities in each of the recognised on-course skill components (driving the ball off the tee, hitting approach-iron shots, hitting short-iron shots and putting). Despite approach-iron play being considered perhaps the most important and definitely the most practiced skill in the game, the ability to quantify the golfer’s ability to hit approach-iron shots in a controlled, off-course environment (eg. training) cannot yet be undertaken due to the lack of appropriate assessments. Such tools have considerable potential for use in both the field and in research for implementation in …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Technical, Vocational Education And Training : The Case Of Kenyan Micro And Small Enterprises In The Motor Vehicle Service And Repair Industry, Susan W. Ngure

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in Kenya has undergone major changes since colonialists introduced it at the beginning of the twentieth century. Since then, TVET has evolved in the areas of science, technology and innovation to provide skills that will propel the country to middle-level industrialised status by the year 2030. However, current training and development (T&D) processes in Kenya have been criticised for being rigid and irrelevant to industry, creating a mismatch of skills produced by the training institutions and those demanded by the industry; it is upon this criticism that this research is built. The focus of …

The Relationship Between The Meaning Of Water And Sense Of Place : A Grounded Theory Study From Northern Thailand, Katesuda Sitthisuntikul

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The literature suggests that a subtle relationship exists for communities between the meaning of water and sense of place, making fertile ground for systematic investigation. The relationship has obvious importance in today’s world, where people’s reliance on water, and the need for reliable supplies, form part of a common discourse in natural resource management. Yet, there has been much less discussion of what water means to people, how it connects with peoples’ sense of place, and what that might mean for the way people interact with their surroundings. The methodology of constructivist grounded theory was therefore appropriate to investigate this …

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress : The Impact On Children, Parents And Staff, Sarah Mcgarry

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Burns are one of the most painful and traumatising injuries an individual can sustain and constitute a serious global health threat to children. Despite the magnitude of this public health problem, little research has examined the psychological burden of these injuries. This study used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the effect of paediatric medical trauma on children who have sustained a burn, their parents and the healthcare professionals caring for these patients. The paediatric medical traumatic stress model provided a theoretical framework for this study.

Firstly, this study aimed to gain an understanding of the lived experience of children who …

Experiences Of Adult Siblings Of Illicit Drug Users, Amy Mcalpine

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The sibling relationship is unique in that it is relatively egalitarian, ascribed, and can be the longest-lasting across the lifespan. Siblings can act as supports for one another during major life events, both in childhood and adulthood. Siblings can also be a source of significant stress. The literature on family coping indicates that there are significant impacts to family members’ well-being from dealing with stress and strain that result from a family member’s drug use problem. However, researchers have not investigated the impacts on adult siblings despite the importance and uniqueness of sibling relationships. The broad aim of this research …

Ten Pounds For Adults, Kids Travel Free: An Essay On The Effects Of Migration Upon The Children Of The British Migrants To Western Australia In The 1960s And 1970s ; And , The Red Pipe: A Novella Set In Port Hedland, Karen Helen Fouweather

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study comprises an essay entitled ‘Ten Pounds for Adults, Kids Travel Free’ and a creative component entitled ‘The Red Pipe: a Novella Set in Port Hedland’. The essay focuses upon the children of the ‘golden era’ of British migration to Australia, between 1961 and 1971, when over 300,000 arrived as part of an unprecedented post-war population drive. Most travelled under an assisted passage scheme in which adults paid £10 towards their fare and their children travelled free of charge. Consequently, these assisted British immigrants were known by Australians as the ‘Ten Pound Poms’. Two decades on from the introduction …

Analysis And Determinants Of Sustainability Policy Choice Of Local Councils In Australia : A Test Of Stakeholder Theory, Clive P. Oliver

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since the early 1990’s, issues of sustainability involving community, government and industry have gained momentum, and the environment has become the focus of numerous studies, such as those undertaken by Young and Hayes (2002); Yuan (2001); Staley (2006); Mellahi and Wood (2004); Hezri and Hasan (2006); Dowse 2006; Wilmhurst and Frost (2000); and Qian, Burritt and Monroe (2010). Cotter and Hannan (1999, p.11) also discussed the impetus of a United Nations summit in 1992, known as the Earth Summit, which resulted in Local Agenda 21, a blueprint for action to achieve sustainable development.

Global sustainability is currently a major focus …

A Model For Systematically Investigating Relationships Between Variables That Affect The Performance Of Novice Programmers, Vivian Campbell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research was motivated by an interest in novices learning to program

and a desire to understand the factors that affect their learning. The

traditional approach to performing such an investigation has been to select

factors which may be important and then perform statistical tests on a few

potential relationships. A new research model is proposed and tested to

ensure that a thorough and systematic investigation of the data is performed.

This thesis describes the data, defines the model and explains the

application and validation of the model.

The research process is managed by a control algorithm that is the …

What Bothers Australian Kids Online? Children Comment On Bullies, Porn And Violence, Lelia Green, Danielle Brady, Donell Holloway, Elisabeth Staksrud, Kjartan Ólafsson

Research outputs 2013

This briefing on what bothers Australian kids online builds upon a short report from the EU Kids Online network: In their own words: What bothers children online? Based upon research across 25 European nations, with 25,142 children (aged 9-16) and the parent or caregiver most involved in supporting the child’s internet use, the In their own words report addresses children’s answers to the question: ‘What things on the internet would bother people about your age?’ Children had not been asked about troubling content at this stage in the research, so their open-ended answers to this question represent the issues and …

Zero To Eight: Young Children And Their Internet Use, Donell Holloway, Lelia Green, Sonia Livingstone

Research outputs 2013

EU Kids Online has spent seven years investigating 9-16 year olds’ engagement with the internet, focusing on the benefits and risks of children’s internet use. While this meant examining the experiences of much younger children than had been researched before EU Kids Online began its work in 2006, there is now a critical need for information about the internet-related behaviours of 0-8 year olds. EU Kids Online’s research shows that children are now going online at a younger and younger age, and that young children’s “lack of technical, critical and social skills may pose [a greater] risk” (Livingstone et al, …

Plain Language Review Of Physical Activity Among Indigenous Australians, Caitlin Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This review provides information on physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is a valuable overview for people working in the area and aims to assists in the development/refinement of policies, strategies and programs. This review of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians has been prepared by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet as a part of our contributions to 'closing the gap' in health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians by making relevant, high quality knowledge and information easily accessible to policy makers, health service providers, program managers, clinicians, researchers …

Representing Variable Source Credibility In Intelligence Analysis With Bayesian Networks, Ken Mcnaught, Peter Sutovsky

Australian Security and Intelligence Conference

Assessing the credibility of an evidential source is an important part of intelligence analysis, particularly where human intelligence is concerned. Furthermore, it is frequently necessary to combine multiple items of evidence with varying source credibilities. Bayesian networks provide a powerful probabilistic approach to the fusion of information and are increasingly being applied in a wide variety of settings. In this paper we explore their application to intelligence analysis and provide a simple example concerning a potential attack on an infrastructure target. Our main focus is on the representation of source credibility. While we do not advocate the routine use of …

The Intelligence Game: Assessing Delphi Groups And Structured Question Formats, Bonnie Wintle, Steven Mascaro, Fiona Fidler, Marissa Mcbride, Mark Burgman, Louisa Flander, Geoff Saw, Charles Twardy, Aidan Lyon, Brian Manning

Australian Security and Intelligence Conference

In 2010, the US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) announced a 4-year forecasting “tournament”. Five collaborative research teams are attempting to outperform a baseline opinion pool in predicting hundreds of geopolitical, economic and military events. We are contributing to one of these teams by eliciting forecasts from Delphi-style groups in the US and Australia. We elicit probabilities of outcomes for 3-5 monthly questions, such as: Will Australia formally transfer uranium to India by 1 June 2012? Participants submit probabilities in a 3-step interval format, view those of others in their group, share, rate and discuss information, and then make …

The Reception, Incorporation And Employment Of Informatin Operations By The Australia Defence Force: 1990-2012, Jeff Malone

Australian Information Warfare and Security Conference

The paper investigates the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) approach – understood here as the reception, incorporation and operational employment – to military information operations (IO), from 1990 to 2012. The paper identifies key characteristics of the ADF’s approach to IO, and proposes explanatory factors to account for the specific form the ADF’s approach to IO has been manifested. The paper concludes with predictions regarding the future form of IO within the ADF, in the context of the increasing significance of social media, the upcoming 2013 Defence White Paper (WP13) and the US ‘pivot’ to the Asia-Pacific region. The paper is …

A Model Of Psychological Disengagement, Kira J. Harris

Australian Counter Terrorism Conference

This paper presents the preliminary findings of research into the disengagement from highly entitative and ideological social groups, such as one percent motorcycle clubs, military special forces and fundamental ideological groups. Using a grounded theory approach, the discourse of 25 former members identified the discrepancy between group membership and the self-concept as the core theme in the disengagement experience. This model presents the process of experiencing a threat, self-concept discrepancy and management, physical disengagement and the post-exit identity. The findings indicate a consistent experience of disengagement and allow further understanding to the factors influencing membership appraisal.

Commitment And The 1% Motorcycle Club: Threats To The Brotherhood, Kira J. Harris

Australian Counter Terrorism Conference

The brotherhood ethos is the founding principle of the 1% motorcycle clubs community. Interviews with former members and partners show how threatening this social bond can reduce satisfaction and lead to doubts over involvement with the club.

Defence In Depth, Protection In Depth And Security In Depth: A Comparative Analysis Towards A Common Usage Language, Michael Coole, Jeff Corkill, Andrew Woodward

Australian Security and Intelligence Conference

A common language with consistency of meaning is a critical step in the evolution of a profession. Whilst the debate as to whether or not security should be considered a profession is ongoing there is no doubt that the wider community of professionals operating in the security domain are working towards achieving recognition of security as a profession. The concepts of defence in depth, protection in depth and security in depth have been used synonymously by different groups across the domain. These concepts represent the very foundation of effective security architecture are hierarchical in nature and have specific meaning. This …

Creating A Counter-Insurgency Plan: Elements Required Based Upon A Comparative Analysis Of Research Findings, William J. Bailey

Australian Security and Intelligence Conference

The development of a counter-insurgency doctrine is an evolutionary process: no two insurgencies are the same. However, certain fundamental principals remain consistent and these can be applied to meet the required circumstances. The creation of an overarching plan encompassing a combination of military, political and social actions under the strong control of a single authority is central. Therefore, understanding the basics allows for the development of a tactical strategy based upon a structured plan. Compiling the ‘Plan’ should be based upon the lessons learnt from the past. To this end, the methodology used is supported by a literature review and …

The Emergence Of Boko Haram: An Analysis Of Terrorist Characteristics, Peter L. Lacey

Australian Counter Terrorism Conference

Boko Haram (BH) is a Nigerian extremist group which emerged only in the last decade, but has rapidly established a reputation for violence. This paper reviews the development and behaviour of BH in recent years, concluding that the group’s activities meet the definition of terrorism as systematic use of fear-evoking violence against civilians to achieve political goals. This characterisation is justified in terms of four definitional elements of terrorism, and further supported by comparison of BH with contemporary terrorist groups such as Abu Sayyaf Group and Caucasus Emirate, which espouse an ostensibly similar ideology. BH should not be mistaken for …