Digital Commons Network^™

User Experience In Virtual Self-Disclosure: Appraising Natural, Urban, And Artificial Vr Environments, Shane L. Rogers, Tasha Canes, Alexis Pallister

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Featured Application: This study informs the design of virtual environments for therapeutic and emotionally meaningful conversations delivered through VR platforms. The findings show that nature-themed environments, particularly virtual blue spaces, can enhance users’ comfort and calmness when disclosing personal experiences. These results can guide developers of VR counselling systems, digital mental-health tools, and conversational-agent platforms in selecting or tailoring virtual environments that promote psychological safety and ease of communication. Virtual reality (VR) offers new opportunities for delivering psychologically meaningful conversations in digitally mediated settings. This study examined how environmental designs influence user experience during emotionally relevant self-disclosure. Fifty university students …

Uncovering The Intervening Mechanisms In The Relationship Between Technological Stressors And Individual And Work-Related Consequences, Saeid Nosrati, Seongseop Kim, Dori Davari, Jaehee Gim, Antony King Fung Wong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study examined how workplace telepressure and cyber incivility, as work-related stressors, affect individual and work-related outcomes in hospitality employees, using a mixed-methods approach. After developing a draft, following a thorough literature review and interviews with hotel staff, the drafted questions were refined through a pre-test and a pilot test. Finally, the main survey was conducted with 792 hotel staff in China. Structural equation modeling was performed using Mplus (Version 8.3) to test both direct and serial mediating effects. It was found that workplace telepressure and cyber incivility, through the serial mediating effect of technostress and poor mental health, had …

Women In The Australian Mining Industry, Michelle Gander, Fleur Sharafizad, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Heidi Vivian, Mahan Poorhosseinzadeh, Kate Blackwood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This report synthesises existing research on women’s participation in the Australian mining industry to identify the structural and cultural factors shaping gender inequality across the sector.

Drawing on research conducted over the past four decades, the report brings together what is currently known about how mining workplaces operate and how organisational practices, work arrangements, and site cultures shape the experiences of women across the sector. While many companies have introduced diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at improving gender balance, the evidence suggests that challenges persist in areas such as operational roles, leadership pathways, and workplace culture.

Specifically, the report examines …

A Social And Cognitive Psychological Perspective On The Assumptions Underlying The Rorschach Inkblot Test, Igor Areh, Fanny Verkampt, Alfred Allan, Christian N.L. Olivers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction/literature findings: The century-old Rorschach test is as controversial as it is well-known, and the subject of an ongoing, but still inconclusive debate about its validity and reliability. This debate is not inconsequential, as the test is still frequently used in clinical and forensic work. In addition to the psychometric aspects, there are social and cognitive psychological assumptions that underlie the test and that have hitherto been underexposed. We identify some of these assumptions and examine them with reference to contemporary social and cognitive psychological research. Discussion: Despite empirical evidence for some of the assumptions underlying the Rorschach test, most …

Examining Links Between Somatosensation And Cognition In Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, Kassandra M. Hewitt, Donna M. Bayliss, Belinda A. Mclean, Ashleigh L. Thornton, Jonson J. Moyle

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at increased risk of impaired somatosensation and cognition. Among children with hemiplegia, approximately three-quarters have impaired somatosensation and one-third have intellectual impairment. While somatosensation may relate to cognitive functioning in CP, this relationship has not previously been investigated. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between somatosensation and cognition in children with hemiplegic CP, and whether the pattern of brain injury, classified using an established MRI classification system, moderates this relationship. Forty-seven children (26 females) with hemiplegic CP participated (mean age = 11.0 years; SD = 3.6; range: 6–16 years). Parent questionnaires provided demographic, educational, …

Feeling Giggity: Ambiguous Emojis In Teaching And Learning Communications, Mary Kynn, Nicole Reinke, Eva Hatje

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is an increase in the number of digital platforms used in higher education classrooms that promote using emojis to capture students’ emotions. However, there is little evidence to suggest that interpretation of emojis is reliable in this context. This pilot project explored if emojis can reliably signify the emotions expressed by first-year university students. Students were asked to record their emotions by selecting a representative emoji and using free text to describe its meaning. A total of 72 responses were recorded in an anonymous online survey. Happy face emojis were used more frequently than emojis representing neutral or unpleasant …

Fostering Sustainable Business Performance: The Synergistic Role Of Entrepreneurial Leadership And Green Organizational Support In The Hotel Industry, Kwame Owusu Boakye, Michael Kyei-Frimpong, Aaron Makafui Ametorwo, Linda Quagraine, Richard Sam-Mensah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigated the moderating role of green organizational support in the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and sustainable business performance. The study adopted the explanatory research design, where data were collected from 208 employees working in star-rated hotels in Ghana and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that entrepreneurial leadership significantly relates to sustainable social and environmental performance but not to sustainable economic performance. More so, green organizational support moderated the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and sustainable economic and social performance but did not moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and sustainable environmental performance. Theoretical and practical …

Public Service Motivation And The Circumplex Model Of Affect: Profiling Australasian Public Servants, Esme Franken, Ben Farr-Wharton, Fleur Sharafizad, Kara Ng, Geoff Plimmer, Evan Berman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper explores public servants’ public service motivation through the prism of the circumplex model of affect (CMA). The application of CMA to work, and specifically public sector contexts, is relatively novel, and the framework helps explain how multiple states of affect (i.e., comprised of underlying feelings, emotions, and moods) cluster together and are shaped by one’s work environment. The mixed method paper begins with a qualitative study of Australasian public servants, presenting evidence of the CMA and its connection to PSM. The subsequent quantitative analysis of 222 survey respondents offers four distinct latent profiles of public servants’ PSM and …

Sugar Consumption In Aboriginal Children Explored From A Social Practice Perspective, Amy Budrikis, Angela Durey, Dan Mcaullay, Paul Ward, Hanny Calache, Thierry Ng, Roma Winmar, Linda Slack-Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australian Aboriginal children have higher sugar intake and are disproportionately affected by sugar-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and dental caries than non-Aboriginal children. The intention of this paper was to highlight the need for approaches that can capture the complexity of health practices without reducing them to either individual choice or structural determination. We explore sugar consumption in Aboriginal children from a social practice perspective. Here, the unit of analysis is the practice, not the individual, where the elements of a social practice (competence, materials and meanings) are integrated into its performance. We conducted qualitative research using elements of …

When Does Alzheimer's Disease Start? Plasma Aβ42/40 Assays Show Steep Changes At Aβ-Pet Centiloid 15, Mean Age Of 66 Years, Rodrigo Cánovas, Timothy Cox, Vincent Doré, Pierrick Bourgeat, Jurgen Fripp, Azadeh Feizpour, Rosita Shishegar, Christopher J. Fowler, Simon M. Laws, Tenielle Porter, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Leslie M. Shaw, Randall J. Bateman, Yan Li, Ovod Vitaliy, Michael W. Weiner, John C. Morris, Tammie L.S. Benzinger, Suzanne E. Schindler, Akinori Nakamura, Takeshi Iwatsubo, Takeshi Ikeuchi, Takashi Kato, Paul Maruff, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Christopher C. Rowe, Ralph Martins, Colin L. Masters, James Doecke

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a long pre-clinical phase where amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau begin to accumulate in the brain. The primary objective was to determine the age at which AD starts by finding the average population age when both positron emission tomography (PET) Aβ (Aβ-PET) and plasma Aβ42/40 become abnormal. Methods: Two high performance immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) assays (WashU/C2N and Shimadzu) were tested on samples from 1,450 participants who were diagnosed as cognitively unimpaired (CU), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or AD-dementia across 4 international cohorts. Natural history modeling and trajectory analyses of the combined Aβ-PET …

Providing Help In Europe: Are In-Household Care And Outside-Household Support Associated With Grandparental Child Care?, Roosa Maria Savela, David A. Coall, Mirkka Danielsbacka, Antti O. Tanskanen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Grandparental child care is a vital form of social support that can enhance family well-being. Prior studies have found that older adults who provide support to one individual are more likely to offer help to others within their families and social networks. However, little research has examined whether helping others is associated with grandparental child care. Using data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe, covering 27 countries, and using multinomial regression models, we show that (a) support provided to individuals outside the household is associated with increased grandparental child care, whereas (b) family care provided within …

Embracing Vulnerability And Evolving Through Trauma: Teacher Educators’ Collaborative Autoethnographic Reflections, Christina Gray, Lambert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This collaborative autoethnography examines how two university-based teacher educators navigated personal trauma while continuing their academic and caregiving work. Using narrative portraits, the study explores how collaborative storytelling enabled the authors to embrace vulnerability, surface hidden experiences, and make sense of trauma within the normative and relational conditions of academic professionalism. Analysis of the narratives highlights three interrelated mechanisms that supported wellbeing amidst trauma: the ongoing negotiation of teacher identity, the capacity to accept help and relational support, and intentional self-care through reflective practice. Rather than positioning recovery as linear or complete, the study illuminates how educators may continue to …

Lived Experience Of Secondary Vicarious Trauma Among The Tegaru Australian Diaspora In The Postwar Context Of Tigray, Hailay Abrha Gesesew, Fauk, Kiflu Gebremicael Tesfamicael, Gebremeskel Mamu Werid, Lillian Mwanri, Amanuel Gebremedhin, Kidane Gebremariam, Semira Hailu, Kalayu Brhane Mruts, Michael Musker, Fisaha Haile Tesfay, Azeb Gebresilassie Tesema, Paul Ward

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The war in Tigray has caused humanitarian and public health crises in North Ethiopia in addition to a high prevalence of mental health symptoms among the Tegaru (people from Tigray) diaspora in Australia. To date, there have been no studies that have explored mechanisms of vicarious mental health and resilience among Tegaru diasporas in Australia. Methods: We conducted 14 in-depth interviews with Tegaru people living in South Australia from September 2023 to June 2024. Data analysis involved an initial stage of open coding, followed by conceptual coding. We also applied “interanalyst validity” to validate the code of framework. Results: …

Social Threat, Negative Beliefs, And Altered Social Learning Underpin Paranoia In Adolescents, Jessica L. Kingston, Ellett, Linda Richards, Henry Burgess, Joseph M. Barnby

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Adolescent social adversity (discrimination, bullying) enhances paranoia—the perception others want to harm or upset you. In this preregistered study (AsPredicted No. 154322), we tested the impact of prior social adversity and current social exclusion on paranoia, self/other beliefs, and latent social-learning processes in UK mid-adolescents (15-17 years, N = 502). In an experimental design, participants completed baseline social-adversity measures before random allocation to a social inclusion/exclusion manipulation (Cyberball), after which the Intentions Game assessed cognitive flexibility. We tested (a) whether adversity and exclusion interact to increase paranoia (b) via (mediated) negative self/other beliefs and (c) if this was moderated by …

Towards A Person-Centred Holistic Consultation Framework For Paramedics Attending Non-Acute Presentations: A Multidisciplinary Commentary, Robbie King, Angela Martin, Alan M. Batt, Sonia Louise Martin, Nigel Barr, Caroline Hwang, Bill Lord, Peter O’Meara, Louise Reynolds, Staffan Hammarbäck, Shaun Hosein, Julie Kempton, Brendan Shannon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Traditional rapid-assessment models may not be fully suited for the complex non-acute presentations that paramedics commonly encounter. As paramedicine evolves to meet non-acute patient needs, extended practice community paramedic roles are emerging to deliver holistic and collaborative community-based healthcare. Purpose: This commentary outlines the need for a person-centred holistic clinical consultation framework for paramedics attending complex non-acute presentations. A framework that provides a structured and systematic process for paramedics, particularly those who are transitioning into extended practice community paramedic roles, to guide them in conducting holistic person-centred assessments. This commentary highlights the importance of understanding the biopsychosocial factors influencing …

Digital Provision, Educators’ Attitudes And Use In Early Learning Settings: Ready To Implement The Eylf V2.0?, Lennie Barblett, Maria Enriquez Watt, Patricia R. Collins, Fiona Boylan, Pauline Roberts, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

An update of the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 emphasises the thoughtful, balanced and purposeful integration of digital technology in facilitating positive outcomes for children’s learning, development and wellbeing. In addition, educators are asked to support families with eSafety, yet it is unclear how educators are poised to respond to these changes. Within a post-positivist frame, 123 Australian early learning educators described their workplace digital provision, digital knowledge, skills, confidence and attitudes through a national online survey. Findings show that educators were confident about their own personal digital use, however their attitudes varied towards the use of digital technologies with …

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Genai) In Procurement And Supply Chain Management: Applications, Opportunities And Challenges, Vinay Singh, Laurie Hughes, Mousa Ahmed Albashrawi, Il Jeon, Yogesh K. Dwivedi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This article aims to explore the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in procurement and supply chain management (SCM), with a focus on its practical applications, strategic implications and integration challenges. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a conceptual approach, this article presents the authors’ views and arguments, supported by a review of existing literature and informed by insights from discussions with industry experts. The discussion in this conceptual article is anchored in the supply chain operations reference model. Findings: This research addresses critical questions regarding the practical and strategic impacts of GenAI, emphasizing its ability to simulate scenarios, deliver real-time insights …

Christianity As Coping Mechanisms For Migrants With Mental Health Challenges In Australia: Social Work Implications, Obed Adonteng-Kissi, Nnaemeka Meribe, Kathomi Gatwiri, Lillian Mwanri, Agness Tembo, Frank Darkwa Baffour, Edith N. Botchway-Commey, Aunty Kerrie Doyle, David Chisanga, Ahmed A. Moustafa, Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Christian religion may be a powerful resource that can serve as a coping mechanism to resolve challenges and provide comfort to African migrants confronted with mental health challenges. We aimed to explore the coping strategies among African migrants in Australia. We undertook semi-structured interviews online with 11 participants with African backgrounds, comprising six mental health clinicians and five migrant service users living in Australia for at least the past 12 months. Literature exploring religious coping mechanisms, social support and acculturation was drawn on. The interviews were undertaken online via Teams, WhatsApp call, and zoom with participants whom we recruited through …

Military Women In Sci-Fi Films: Breaking Barriers Since 1902, Introduction, Stacy Fowler, Deborah A. Deacon

Law Librarian Scholarship

From its beginnings, science fiction has been about humanity's battle for dominion over "the other," whether that means aliens, giant monsters, or nature herself. Especially in the male-centric military, that same designation of "other" is often assigned to women. Yet in the realm of science fiction, women in the military can attain what is often elusive in the real world—full participation and equality.

Chapters correspond to broad topics prevalent in science fictions films: Conquest, Evolving, Peril, Prey, Ethereal, and Exploration. The book focuses on portrayals of military women in science fiction films, exploring how they are able to excel in …

U.S. Supreme Court Rules A State Ban On Conversion Therapy For Minors Probably Violates The Free Speech Rights Of A Licensed Counselor Who Allegedly Performs Only “Talk Therapy”, Arthur S. Leonard

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Higher Serum Gastric Parietal Cell Antibody Titers Are Associated With Increased Frequencies Of Macrocytosis, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, And Hyperhomocysteinemia In Patients With Oral Lichen Planus, Yu-Hsueh Wu, Yi-Pang Lee, Julia Yu-Fong Chang, Yi-Ping Wang, Andy Sun, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Our previous study found 139 gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA)-positive oral lichen planus (OLP) patients (GPCA⁺OLP patients) in a group of 588 OLP patients. This study evaluated whether higher-titer (serum GPCA titer ≥ 160) GPCA⁺OLP patients had greater frequencies of macrocytosis, anemia, serum iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than lower-titer (GPCA titer ≤ 80) GPCA⁺OLP patients or 588 healthy control subjects.

Materials and methods: Complete blood count, serum iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, and GPCA levels in 53 higher-titer GPCA⁺OLP patients, 86 lower-titer GPCA⁺OLP patients, and …

Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life And Diabetes Outcomes: Evidence From A Nationally Representative U.S. Sample, Hsueh-Fen Chen, Jou-Hsun Lee

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Students’ Experiences Of Living With Adhd At University: A Meta-Ethnography, Maree Mestichelli, Elisa Pepall, Thuy Tran, Mandy Stanley, Amy Cairns, Therese A. O’Sullivan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among university students varies depending on the population studied, it has been estimated at approximately 16%. University students with ADHD may find that the condition affects their academic performance, social interactions, and well-being. This meta-ethnographic review synthesizes findings from 25 qualitative studies to explore the lived experiences of university students with ADHD. The studies, published between 2000 and 2023, were predominantly conducted in the United States with sample sizes ranging from 4 to 135 students. Students came from a broad range of academic disciplines and included undergraduates, recent graduates, and attendees …

Dispositional Awe And Its Effect On Destination Residents’ Pro-Environmental Behavior Intention, Kunmei Liu, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Zhicheng Yu, Zhiyong Li, Shanzhen Hu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Residents have a profound and enduring impact on destination environmental sustainability, yet the emotional and trait-level factors of their pro-environmental behavior remain underexplored. Grounded in Broaden-and-Build theory, this study examines whether and how dispositional awe translates into Tibetan residents’ pro-environmental behavior intention. Through four complementary studies combining in-depth interviews (N = 15) and surveys (total N = 800), we demonstrate a consistently strong association between dispositional awe and pro-environmental behavior intention. Two survey-based studies incorporating both self-reported pro-environmental behavior intention and peer-reported pro-environmental behavior reveal that this relationship is partially mediated by connectedness to nature and place identity. By shifting …

Tour Guide Sincerity In The Context Of Short Videos, Yangdie Ou, Chaowu Xie, Jiangchi Zhang, Songshan (Sam) Huang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In short videos, tour guides’ demonstration of sincerity is key to enhancing visitor interaction, though its underlying mechanisms remain underexplored. This study employed a mixed research design to uncover the dimensions of tour guide sincerity and its impact on tourist behaviors. Study 1 analyzed 28,717 reviews using grounded theory, identifying two core dimensions of tour guide sincerity: “sincere atmosphere” and “sincere quality”; it further constructed the “tour guide sincerity → sincerity experience → sincerity response” model. Study 2 validated this model using structural equation modeling through an online questionnaire survey. Results indicate that tour guide sincerity enhances word-of-mouth recommendations via …

Educational Interventions To Prepare Undergraduate Students For Out-Of-Hours Practice As A Newly Qualified Doctor In The United Kingdom: A Scoping Review, Alex Gordon, Molly Parkinson, Rosanna Watts, Kamal El-Badawi, Erin Dawson, Rohan Chiktara, Lorna Burns, Nicola Brennan

Peninsula Dental School

Background: In the United Kingdom (UK), newly qualified doctors are routinely responsible for out-of-hours (OOH) care, often managing acutely unwell patients with limited supervision. Despite national recommendations encouraging OOH experience during medical school training, there is no formal curriculum for OOH practice. Objectives: This scoping review aimed to identify the range of educational interventions designed to prepare UK medical students for OOH clinical responsibilities and assess their reported effects on perceived and actual preparedness. Methods: Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, a systematic search of seven databases and grey literature sources was conducted. Eligible studies involved UK-based medical students and reported …

Connecting The Dots - Recognition Of Artificial And Natural Shapes Relies On Representing Points Of High Information, Gunnar Schmidtmann, Nicholas Baker, Kevin J. Lande, Filipp Schmidt

School of Health Professions

Physiological and psychophysical evidence suggests that the visual system represents object outlines using prominent curvature features, particularly regions of extreme curvature (convex maxima and concave minima). These curvature extrema often coincide with points of high informational content (“surprisal”), but this relationship is only correlational. It remains unclear whether the visual system explicitly encodes curvature extrema or instead prioritizes the most informative contour locations. To address this, we conducted two shape-matching experiments comparing the roles of curvature extrema and surprisal in shape representation. Observers performed match-to-sample tasks in which smooth reference shapes were matched to simplified polygonal versions created by connecting …

How Does Pre-Registration Child Specific Education Prepare Newly Qualified Nurses’ To Care For Children, Young People, And Their Families? An Empty Narrative Review, Matt Carey, Danielle Edge, Julie Blamires, Mandie Foster, Sarah Neill

School of Nursing and Midwifery

This narrative review investigates the influence of child-specific content within pre-registration nursing programs on newly qualified nurses’ perceptions of preparedness to care for children, young people, and their families. Despite international recognition of the specialised competencies required for pediatric nursing, the proportion and quality of child-focused education across Higher Education Institutions is not clear. The Population, Exposure, Outcome framework provided a comprehensive search strategy applied across eight databases to identify relevant studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of 663 records identified, 451 were screened and 25 full texts wereassessed for eligibility by two reviewers. No studies met the …

Does My Job Love Me? - A Story Of Transforming While Investigating Newly Qualified Teachers’ Knowledge Of And Practices In Early Reading., Ali Beaman

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

For nearly 50 years, a vast amount of evidence shows that a Phonological Awareness (PA) deficit is a primary risk factor for reading difficulties (Wagner and Torgesen, 1978 and Kilpatrick, 2012, 2016, 2019). The initial aim of my research in early 2019 was to investigate, over a period of a year, Newly Qualified Teachers’ (NQTs’) knowledge of and practices in early reading, with a specific focus on NQTs' knowledge and understanding of PA. Policy for Education in England requires all teachers to show effective early reading education (Rose, 2009 and Department for Education and Employment, 1998a). According to the Teachers’ …

A Cross-Cultural Study Of Parenting Styles And Involvement In Bullying Of Children With And Without Sen, Tansu Ince Cakan

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This study explores the relationship between parenting styles and children's involvement in bullying, focusing on children with and without Special Educational Needs (SEN) in inclusive education settings in England and Türkiye. While bullying has been widely studied, most research has primarily examined typically developing children, leaving a gap in understanding the experiences of children with SEN. This study addresses this gap by comparing the impact of parenting styles on bullying experiences across both groups and cultural contexts.A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection. The quantitative phase included a questionnaire completed by 217 parents in Türkiye and …