Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

'More Than A Warm Bed & A Hot Meal' - Holistic Approaches To Youth Homelessness Through Short Term Accommodation, Jioji Ravulo

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Youth homelessness is marred by problems around family breakdowns, mental health concerns, substance use and abuse, and the lack of stable accommodation (Homelessness Taskforce 2008). With noted decreases over the last decade, youth homelessness still remains a contested policy topic, with need to develop a streamlined approach in understanding solutions. An emphasis on early intervention is an increasing part of a commitment to decreasing the idea of young people becoming homeless in the first place. National and State Governments are working hard on developing policy positions that promote a shared responsibility to the problem. Renewed financial commitments are being profiled, …

A Report On A Preliminary Diagnostic For Identifying Thermal Physics Conceptions Of Tertiary Students, Helen Georgiou, Manjula Sharma

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A solid understanding of students' conceptions in thermal physics is absolutely necessary for successful development of instruction and for promoting understanding of and enthusiasm for the subject. This study reports on student understanding for a range of thermal topics. The sample included first and second year university students studying physics and the tool was a short, 15 question, concept inventory-like 'Diagnostic Survey' administered at the beginning of first semester 2009 at the University of *****. The results indicate that some thermal physics misconceptions exist for a large proportion of tertiary level students. More specifically, basic concepts, such as heat transfer, …

Technological Innovation In Action: Transforming The Learning Landscape For Multi-Locations Through Networked Interactive Whiteboards, Maria T. Bavaro

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper commences to unpack the possibilities for the question: how can technologies transform the learning for our future regional teachers? Videoconference and interactive whiteboards are not new. Yet, the innovation of these technologies has resulted in a new way of thinking to enhance the learning experiences for regional students who often feel disconnected when studying from a distance (Moore, 1997; Knipe &Lee, 2002; Saw et al., 2008; Worthy, Arul & Brickell, 2008). The advancement arises when a shared digital canvas is created using networked interactive whiteboards in conjunction with the videoconference for video and audio communication to provide two-way …

Influence Of Racism And Context On Ethnic Differences In Adolescent Mental Health Trajectories: The Determinants Of Adolescent Social Well-Being And Health (Dash) Study, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Maria J. Maynard, Erik Lenguerrand, Seeromanie Harding

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 5th Conference of Epidemiological Longitudinal Studies in Europe (CELSE 2010), 13-15 October 2010, Paphos, Cyprus

England: Sure Start, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP) initiative was launched in 1999, resulting in over 500 SSLPs by 2004, with further expansion thereafter to cover almost all deprived areas in England.

Hiv-Positive Kidney Transplants For Hiv-Positive Individuals: Attitudes And Concerns Of South African Patients And Health Care Workers, Suzanne Gokool, June Fabian, W Venter, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Saraladevi Naicker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In South Africa, an estimated 30% of the cadaveric donor pool is HIV-infected; in consequence, these organs are discarded. An undersupply of donor organs combined with limited resources, tends to exclude HIV-positive patients from renal replacement programmes. We evaluated the acceptance of using HIV-positive donor kidneys for transplantation into HIV-infected recipients, and found that the vast majority (90% of health care workers and 80% of patients, N=20 and 80, respectively) found this approach acceptable for expanding the organ donor pool, which indicates broad patient and health care worker support for using HIV-infected donor kidneys.Participants: 80 patients were recruited from four …

Future Hiv Vaccine Acceptability Among Young Adults In South Africa, Jennifer Sayles, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Peter Newman, William Cunningham

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Developing and disseminating a preventive HIV vaccine is a primary scientific and public health objective. However, little is known about HIV vaccine acceptability in the high-prevalence setting of South Africa- where young adults are likely to be targeted in early dissemination efforts. This study reports on six focus groups (n = 42) conducted in 2007 with South Africans aged 18 to 24 years. A deductive framework approach is used to identify key motivators and barriers to future HIV vaccine uptake. Participants identify HIV testing, HIV stigma, mistrust of the health care system, and concerns about sexual disinhibition as barriers to …

Factors Associated With Hiv Testing Among Public Sector Clinic Attendees In Johannesburg, South Africa, Audrey Pettifor, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Sujit Suchindran, Sinead Delany-Moretlwe

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Uptake of VCT remains low in many sub-Saharan African countries. Men and women aged 15 and older were recruited from a family planning, STI, and VCT clinic in inner-city Johannesburg between 2004 and 2005 to take part in a cross-sectional survey on HIV testing (n = 198). Fourty-eight percent of participants reported previously testing for HIV and, of these, 86.9% reported disclosing their status to their sex partner. In multivariable analyses, individuals whose partners had been tested for HIV were more likely to have tested (AOR 2.92; 95% CI: 1.38-6.20). In addition, those who reported greater blame/ shame attitudes towards …

Putting Culture Under The 'Spotlight' Reveals Universal Information Use For Face Recognition, Roberto Caldara, Xinyue Zhou, Sebastien R. Miellet

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Eye movement strategies employed by humans to identify conspecifics are not universal. Westerners predominantly fixate the eyes during face recognition, whereas Easterners more the nose region, yet recognition accuracy is comparable. However, natural fixations do not unequivocally represent information extraction. So the question of whether humans universally use identical facial information to recognize faces remains unresolved. Methodology/Principal Findings: We monitored eye movements during face recognition of Western Caucasian (WC) and East Asian (EA) observers with a novel technique in face recognition that parametrically restricts information outside central vision. We used 'Spotlights' with Gaussian apertures of 2°, 5° or 8° …

Investigating Cultural Diversity For Extrafoveal Information Use In Visual Scenes, Sebastien R. Miellet, Xinyue Zhou, Lingnan He, Helen Rodger, Roberto Caldara

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Culture shapes how people gather information from the visual world. We recently showed that Western observers focus on the eyes region during face recognition, whereas Eastern observers fixate predominantly the center of faces, suggesting a more effective use of extrafoveal information for Easterners compared to Westerners. However, the cultural variation in eye movements during scene perception is a highly debated topic. Additionally, the extent to which those perceptual differences across observers from different cultures rely on modulations of extrafoveal information use remains to be clarified. We used a gaze-contingent technique designed to dynamically mask central vision, the Blindspot, during a …

A 'Crisis', But Of What?, Noel Castree

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The current economic crisis has generated a discussion about its fundemental causes. Five major explanations for the crisis have been put forth by different stakeholders and critics. We analyze each of the five explanations and critically reflect, from a Marxist perspective, upon the vested power interests and political consequences in promoting this or that explanation.

Pre-School Experience And Key Stage 2 Performance In English And Mathematics, Edward Melhuish, Louise Quinn, Kathy Sylva, Pam Sammons, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Brenda Taggart

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This report considers children's educational attainment in English and mathematics at the end of primary school (age 11). Children's educational attainment in English and mathematics was derived from their national Key Stage 2 assessments. The analyses have considered the child's level of Key Stage 2 attainment in terms of the effects of child, family, home environment and preschool experience variables as well as the child's ability at the start of primary school.

The Impact Of Sure Start Local Programmes On 5-Year-Olds And Their Families, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Alastair H. Leyland, Angela Anning, David Hall, Jane Tunstill, Mog Ball, Pamela Meadows, Jacqueline Barnes, Martin Frost, Mark Hibbett, Andrew Cullis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The ultimate goal of Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) was to enhance the life chances for young children growing up in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Children in these communities are at risk of doing poorly at school, having trouble with peers and agents of authority (i.e., parents, teachers), and ultimately experiencing compromised life chances (e.g., early school leaving, unemployment, limited longevity). This has profound consequences not just for the children but for their families, communities, and for society at large.

The Quality Of Group Childcare Settings Used By 3-4 Year Old Children In Sure Start Local Programme Areas And The Relationship With Child Outcomes, Edward Melhuish, Jay Belsky, Kristen Macpherson, Andrew Cullis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), now Sure Start Children's Centres, aim to support young children and their families by integrating early education, childcare, healthcare and family support services in disadvantaged areas. SSLPs aim to improve the health and well-being of families and young children, so that children will have greater oppor tunity to do well in school and later life. This study investigates pre-school group childcare (ch ildminders were not include d) used by children in 150 SSLP areas, and makes comparisons with childcare used by children in England overall. Also the study investigates links between childcare quality and child …

Effects Of Lateral Lesions On Medial Activation During Autobiographical Remembering, Steven J. Howard, Jennifer S. Rabin, Donald T. Stuss, R S. Rosenbaum

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, 22-26 March 2010, Toronto, Canada

Recovery From Bushfires: The Experience Of The 2003 Canberra Bushfires Three Years After, Peter J. Camilleri, Christine Healy, Elspeth M. Macdonald, Susan Nicholls, Jolyon Sykes, Gail Winkworth, Merrilyn Woodward

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and Aim The Canberra Bushfires were one of the largest single day natural disasters in Australian history. A group of researchers from across disciplines and sectors (Universities and Government) undertook a major project to study the experiences of people directly affected by the fires in the recovery process. The research team was interested in the longer term recovery experience (approximately three years following the event). The paper briefly outlines the research process, provides an overview of the findings on people's bushfire experiences, health and wellbeing, and views on what helped in individual and community recovery. Methods Sixteen hundred households …

Observations Of Relationships Between Children With Developmental Disabilities And Peers In Inclusive Settings, Amanda A. Webster, Mark Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The importance of social versus functional integration for children with developmental disabilities has been widely discussed in the literature. Although a great deal of research has been conducted to describe the features of relationships and friendships between typical preschool and primary school children, very little research has attempted to apply the same quantitative process to defining the relationships that children with developmental disabilities develop with their peers in inclusive settings. This article discusses the results of research conducted in Alice Springs, Australia, in which playground observations were used to systematically describe the social relationships of 25 children with developmental disabilities …

The Role Of The Media And Communication In Recovery From Natural Disasters: A Case Study Of The Canberra 'Firestorm' And Its Aftermath 2003-2007, Susan Nicholls, Jolyon Sykes, Peter J. Camilleri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The enormous tragedy of bushfires with significant loss of life, destruction of property, and differential recovery resulting in community division-that is, 'cleavage planes'-has become an all too common feature of the Australian experience. Research on the communication aspects of emergencies has tended to focus on preparedness and response with little in-depth analysis of the role of the media and communication strategies relating to the recovery process. In this paper, focusing on the Canberra 'firestorm' of 2003 and the aftermath recovery process, we report on a study seeking survivors' views on the functions of communication in the recovery process. The key …

Influence Of Muscle Fitness Test Performance On Metabolic Risk Factors Among Adolescent Girls, Jorge Mota, Susana Vale, Clarice Martins, Anelise Gaya, Carla Moreira, Rute Santos, Jose Ribeiro

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background The purpose of this study was to examine the association between muscular fitness (MF), assessed by 2 components of Fitnessgram test battery, the Curl-Up and Push-Ups tests and the metabolic risk score among adolescent girls. Methods A total of 229 girls (aged 12-15 years old) comprised the sample of this study. Anthropometric data (height, body mass, waist circumference) were collected. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated. Muscular strength was assessed taking into account the tests that comprised the FITNESSGRAM test battery, i.e. the curl-up and the push-up. Participants were then categorized in one of 3 categories according the …

The Relationship Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Birth Weight And Parental Bmi On Adolescents Obesity Status, Susana Vale, Rute Santos, Luisa Soares-Miranda, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background/Objectives:

The aims of this study were as follows: (1) to analyze differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), parents’ body mass index (BMI) and birth weight (BW) between non-overweight (NOW) and overweight/obese (OV/OB) adolescents, and (2) to investigate the association of those variables with the risk of their biological offspring being OV/OB.

Subjects/Methods:

This study comprised 788 adolescents (477 girls and 311 boys), aged between 12 and 18 years. CRF was predicted by maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test according to the procedures described in FITNESSGRAM. Children's BMI was classified according to the International Obesity Task Force. Adolescents’ BW was assessed from …

Sitting Time And Body Mass Index, In A Portuguese Sample Of Men: Results From The Azorean Physical Activity And Health Study (Apahs), Rute Santos, Luisa Soares-Miranda, Susana Vale, Carla Moreira, Ana I. Marques, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The aim of this study was to verify the relation between body mass index (BMI) and sitting time in a sample of 4,091 Azorean men. BMI was calculated from self-reported weight and height. Total physical activity (PA) time and total sitting time were assessed with the IPAQ (short version). Linear Regression analysis showed that total sitting time (hours/day) was positively associated with BMI (B = 0.078; p < 0.001) after adjustments for age, meal frequency, alcohol and tobacco consumptions, island of residence, education level and total PA time. Although the cross sectional design precludes us from establishing causality, our findings emphasize the importance of reducing sedentary behavior to decrease the risk of obesity.

Drought And The Future Of Rural Communities: Drought Impacts And Adaptation In Regional Victoria, Australia, Anthony S. Kiem, Louise E. Askew, Meg Sherval, Danielle C. Verdon-Kidd, Craig Clifton, Emma Austin, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Helen L. Berry

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The National Climate Change Research Facility (NCCARF) is undertaking a program of Synthesis and Integrative Research to synthesise existing and emerging national and international research on climate change impacts and adaptation. The purpose of this program is to provide decision-makers with the information they need to manage the risks of climate change. This report on drought and the future of rural communities in regional Victoria forms part of a series of studies/reports commissioned by NCCARF that look at historical extreme weather events, their impacts and subsequent adaptations. These studies examine particular events - primarily extremes - and seek to explore …

Characteristics Of The Closest Relationships Between Children With Developmental Disabilities And Peers In Inclusive Settings, Amanda A. Webster, Mark Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Inclusive education has become more common in schools, and children with developmental disabilities have had greater opportunities to interact, and hopefully establish relationships with their typically developing peers. While the quality of friendships between typically developing children has been examined in detail, relatively little comparable data is available on children with developmental disabilities. The current study provided an examination of the characteristics of the closest relationships between children with developmental disabilities and peers in inclusive school settings. Twenty-five children with developmental disabilities aged between approximately 5 and 12 years participated. Using an interview instrument, the relationships of these children with …

Adaptation Of An Interview-Based Protocol To Examine Close Relationships Between Children With Developmental Disabilities And Peers, Amanda A. Webster, Mark Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an interview protocol, based on the Friendship Quality Questionnaire, could be adapted to examine the close relationships of children with developmental disabilities in an inclusive school setting. Twenty-five children with developmental disabilities aged between approximately 5 and 12 years participated and their relationships with 74 peers were examined. Several adaptations to the procedures and interview instrument were evaluated, including gathering interview data from multiple sources and the development of a short form of the interview questionnaire. Overall, the adaptations to procedures used in the current study appeared successful in catering for …

The Role Of Demonstrator Familiarity And Language Cues On Infant Imitation From Television, Sabine Seehagen, Jane S. Herbert

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An imitation procedure was used to investigate the impact of demonstrator familiarity and language cues on infant learning from television. Eighteen-month-old infants watched two pre-recorded videos showing an adult demonstrating a sequence of actions with two sets of stimuli. Infants' familiarity with the demonstrator and the language used during the demonstration varied as a function of experimental condition. Immediately after watching each video, infants' ability to reproduce the target actions was assessed. A highly familiar demonstrator did not enhance infants' performance. However, the addition of a narrative, developed from mothers' naturalistic description of the event, facilitated learning from an unfamiliar …

An Exploration Of Evidence-Based Policy In Ireland: Health And Social Inclusion, Patricia Kennedy, Tomas De Brun, Mary O'Reilly-De Brun, Anne Macfarlane

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Ireland is a small country with a history of a social partnership approach to policy making. This paper considers how the ambition of government to utilise an evidence-based approach to policy making plays out against this partnership agenda. Drawing on the authors' experiences and personal reflections, the paper considers how these issues operate within a number of health and social inclusion policy areas, and it explores the role of stakeholders' expectations and involvement in generating evidence for policy.

Parents Views On Their Use Of Multiple And Changeable Care - Using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (Cati) In The Child Care Choices (Ccc) Study, Cathrine Marguerite Neilsen-Hewett, Linda Harrison, Alan Taylor, Naomi Sweller, Jennifer Bowes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study uses longitudinal telephone survey data gathered from using a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) facility to examine families' use of multiple and changeable patterns of child care over the prior-to-school years. Despite the increasing use of multiple care arrangements, little is understood about why parents use mixed care or change the care arrangements for their child. Six-hundred and seventy-seven children and families were recruited from long day care centres and family day care schemes in metropolitan and rural New South Wales with 257 families participating in all six waves of the study. A factor analysis on the reasons offered …

Beliefs And Beyond: What Can We Learn From Qualitative Studies Of Lay People's Understandings Of Cancer Risk?, Wendy Lipworth, Heather M. Davey, Stacy M. Carter, Claire Hooker, Wendy Hu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background  Clinicians and public health professionals are centrally concerned with mediating risk. However, people often resist the risk-related information that is communicated to them by experts, or have their own models of risk that conflict with expert views. Quantitative studies have clearly demonstrated the importance of health beliefs and various cognitive and emotional processes in shaping risk perception. More recently, a growing body of qualitative research has emerged, exploring lay conceptualizations, experiences and constructions of cancer risk. To date, this literature has not been synthesized. Objective  We report the findings of a synthesis of qualitative literature regarding the ways in …

Supporting Patient Autonomy: The Importance Of Clinician-Patient Relationships, Vikki A. Entwistle, Stacy M. Carter, Alan Cribb, Kirsten Mccaffery

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Personal autonomy is widely valued. Recognition of its vulnerability in health care contexts led to the inclusion of respect for autonomy as a key concern in biomedical ethics. The principle of respect for autonomy is usually associated with allowing or enabling patients to make their own decisions about which health care interventions they will or will not receive. In this paper, we suggest that a strong focus on decision situations is problematic, especially when combined with a tendency to stress the importance of patients' independence in choosing. It distracts attention from other important aspects of and challenges to autonomy in …

Taking The Word 'Out' West: Movie Reception And Gay Spaces, Scott J. Mckinnon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper explores intersections between film reception and definitions of urban space, particularly the inner-city, gay neighbourhoods of Sydney. The reception in the Australian print media of two American movies is examined in the light of controversies provoked by the geographic location of potential screening venues. Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977) and Brokeback Mountain (2007), each inspired discussion in the Australian media about whether they would or would not (should or should not) be screened in areas outside the inner-city. These discussions reveal a great deal about the role of the movies in the history …