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Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Improving Memory Using N-Back Training, Paul Beavon Jan 2012

Improving Memory Using N-Back Training, Paul Beavon

Theses : Honours

Investigations into n-back training and near transfer to short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) have realised inconsistent results. A significant transfer to STM was reported using dual n-back training (Jaeggi, Buschkuehl, Jonides, & Perrig, 2008). However, the majority of studies have found no significant transfer to WM as operationalised by complex span tasks using either single or dual n-back training. The current study examined the single n-back task and near transfer to STM and WM as operationalised by the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (Mather & Woodcock-Johnson, 2001). Forty-seven participants were divided into experimental treatment (n = 26) …


Coping Styles And Levels Of Depression, Anxiety And Stress Among Siblings Of Alcohol And Other Drug Users, Nadia Zaccaria Jan 2012

Coping Styles And Levels Of Depression, Anxiety And Stress Among Siblings Of Alcohol And Other Drug Users, Nadia Zaccaria

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

This study examined the coping style adopted (tolerate, engage and withdraw) and levels of depression, anxiety and stress among those negatively affected by their sibling’s AOD use. In total, 164 participants who were first year psychology students at Edith Cowan University, Joondalup were included in the study. Of these, 78 (47.6%) were male and 86 (52.4%) were female. Through the assistance of a psychology lecturer, participants were recruited during a first year psychology lecture at Edith Cowan University, Joondalup. Participation was voluntary and each participant was provided with an information letter and a copy of the questionnaire. All participants ( …


Pastoral Care: A Qualitative Exploration Of Adolescent Girls’ Understanding Of Health And Wellness Topics, Melissa Holter Jan 2012

Pastoral Care: A Qualitative Exploration Of Adolescent Girls’ Understanding Of Health And Wellness Topics, Melissa Holter

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Adolescent girls construct a developing sense of identity amongst a vast array of contextual influences, including family, school, peer relationships, and set within a broader societal context (Choate, 2007). Negotiating the many nuances, demands and dynamics of all these factors present young girls with developmental stressors. Secondary schools worldwide have an established tradition of providing pastoral care in an attempt to foster individual well being and guide students’ through the challenges of adolescence and beyond, with varying degrees of success (Calvert, 2009). The current study is a qualitative exploration of the experiences of a group of 36 adolescent girls as …


Acquisition Of Mathematical Skills: A Test Of The Effectiveness Of A Computer Maths Game, Eibhlish O’Hara Jan 2012

Acquisition Of Mathematical Skills: A Test Of The Effectiveness Of A Computer Maths Game, Eibhlish O’Hara

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

The mathematical skills of primary school students in Australia are not at the level they could be. In order to find a solution to this issue, different theories of skill acquisition were reviewed and the effectiveness of a computer maths game based on the psychological principles of learning identified by the Component Theory of Skill Acquisition was investigated. The participants of the study consisted of 218 year three students from four primary schools in Western Australia. It was hypothesised that participants using the experimental computer game would demonstrate greater improvement in maths skills than the participants in the other conditions. …


Counsellors’ Perceptions Of Counselling Western Australian Drug Court Clients, Katherine Carroll Jan 2012

Counsellors’ Perceptions Of Counselling Western Australian Drug Court Clients, Katherine Carroll

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

The Drug Court of Western Australia provides treatment and diversionary options to offenders whose addiction to drugs and/or alcohol has played a part in their offending. There are concerns regarding the potential impacts on the therapeutic relationship when counselling a court-referred client and whether or not court-mandated counselling is effective in assisting clients to address their drug use and offending behaviour. Ten counsellors of drug court referred clients were interviewed to identify the counsellors’ perceptions of drug court referred clients and the potential impact on the therapeutic relationship and effectiveness of counselling. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis …


Experiences Of Parenting Among Burmese Refugee Mothers In A Facilitated Playgroup, Beth Mclaughlin Jan 2012

Experiences Of Parenting Among Burmese Refugee Mothers In A Facilitated Playgroup, Beth Mclaughlin

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Psychological literature suggests that parenting in an unfamiliar culture can be one of the more significant challenges experienced by refugee families (Lewig, Arney, & Salveron, 2010; Renzaho, & Vignjevic, 2011). Such parenting difficulties are often compounded by a perceived lack of social support. In response to this, emerging research has identified facilitated playgroup programs as instrumental tools for assisting families with resettlement in their new host context. However, the focused exploration of how such programs support parenting, particularly amongst refugee mothers from specific ethnic groups, has largely been overlooked. Through adopting a qualitative methodology, the proposed interpretive phenomenological study aims …


Burundian Refugee Mothers’ Experiences Of Their Children’S School Readiness, And The Role Of Supported Playgroups, Rebecca New Jan 2012

Burundian Refugee Mothers’ Experiences Of Their Children’S School Readiness, And The Role Of Supported Playgroups, Rebecca New

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Parenting issues have been found to be some of the most challenging issues facing refugee parents in Australia, particularly in regards to their children’s education. To date, minimal research has considered the experiences of refugee parents from specific cultural groups in relation to their children’s school readiness and transition to kindergarten. Furthermore, there is a gap in research exploring how supported playgroups can assist refugee parents throughout these experiences. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to explore the meaning Burundian refugee mothers in supported playgroups ascribe to their experiences of children’s school readiness and transition to kindergarten. A …


Social Capital In Metropolitan Playgroups : A Qualitative Analysis Of Early Parental Interactions [Presentation], Hebba Gibson Jan 2012

Social Capital In Metropolitan Playgroups : A Qualitative Analysis Of Early Parental Interactions [Presentation], Hebba Gibson

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Parents’ ability to rely on their social contacts to access different types of support is said to reflect their levels of Social Capital (SC). Playgroups are considered a hub for fostering SC that will benefit parents (Powell, 2005). However, empirical evaluations of playgroups that measure their effectiveness using measures of SC are scarce. The present study investigated early parental interactions in playgroups and the ways in which such interactions reflect parents’ levels of SC. Additionally, the study evaluated SC inequalities between parents relative to the strength of their social ties. A qualitative design, using phenomenology was used to understand the …


Towards An Understanding Of The Separation And Mediation Experiences Of Western Australian Fathers: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Carly Mercadante Jan 2012

Towards An Understanding Of The Separation And Mediation Experiences Of Western Australian Fathers: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study, Carly Mercadante

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

The process of marriage breakdown can be one of the most painful experiences in life (Qu, 2004). The person who initiates the separation is more likely to experience more positive post divorce adjustment than the non-initiator (Wang & Amato, 2000) and is likely to undertake preparation for separation. In Australia, only 32% of men initiated separation in 2003 (Hewitt, Western & Baxter, 2006), it is possible then, that many separated men are ill prepared for mediation. The 2006 Amendments the Family Law Act presumes shared parental responsibility of children and requires that former partners make a genuine attempt to resolve …


Conceptualising Female Perpetrated Violence Towards Intimate Male Partners: A Delphi Study Of Expert’S Views, Sarah Moate Jan 2012

Conceptualising Female Perpetrated Violence Towards Intimate Male Partners: A Delphi Study Of Expert’S Views, Sarah Moate

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Despite increased acknowledgement that males as well as females can be victims of intimate partner violence, compared to the extensive literature on male perpetrators of intimate partner abuse, the literature on female perpetrated violence towards male partners is exceptionally scarce (Dutton, Nicholls & Spidel, 2005). What is evident from the research that does exist, is that there is a lack of discussion and consensus in regards to the causal explanations specific to this type of female violence. The present study aimed to address this by exploring the ways in which local experts in the field of family and domestic violence …


Working The Companion Animal In The Context Of New Interpersonal Relationships, Steven Remic Jan 2012

Working The Companion Animal In The Context Of New Interpersonal Relationships, Steven Remic

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Companion animals are found in the majority of western households. In surveys it has been found that companion animals are often viewed as family members. There is debate in psychological literature on what people mean when they describe companion animals in familial terms, with three theoretical frameworks posited to help explain the pets-as-family phenomena. Attachment theorists suggest that pets meet all four criteria for psychological attachment. Other researchers have suggested that companion animals are positioned within family systems, and are part of the dynamic interplay between human family members. Evolutionary psychologists have suggested that companion animals take advantage of in-built …


Maternal Humanitarian Entrants “Me Time”: The Ways Social Support Works In A Facilitated Playgroup, Annmarie La Rosa Jan 2012

Maternal Humanitarian Entrants “Me Time”: The Ways Social Support Works In A Facilitated Playgroup, Annmarie La Rosa

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

This study explored how maternal humanitarian entrants (MHE) ascribe meanings to the ways social support works in a facilitated playgroup context. The secondary research question addressed the extent to which accounts of playgroup support could be explained by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (BEST). A focus group followed by case study and follow-up interviews provided the women, staff and stakeholders the opportunity to share their narratives. Rich descriptions of their "lived" experience were central to the research purpose. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to validate the ascribed meanings of ways social support manifested in the playgroup. The role of BEST contributed …


An Examination Of The Nonresidential Stepmother Role, Jenine Rocca Jan 2012

An Examination Of The Nonresidential Stepmother Role, Jenine Rocca

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Stepmothers are consistently underrepresented in stepfamily research (Orchard & Solberg, 1999), particularly nonresidential stepmothers (Johnson et al., 2008). The present research investigated how nonresidential stepmothers conceptualise, construct, and evaluate their roles, and to identify factors leading to their role adoption. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight nonresidential stepmothers residing in Perth, Western Australia, who had contact with their stepchildren for fifteen days or less per month. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and results indicated that in terms of their role conceptualisation, the participants perceived their role to have changed, compared their roles to existing roles, and also …


Cognitive And Affective Correlates Of Theory Of Mind As Influenced By Task Modality, April Kane Jan 2012

Cognitive And Affective Correlates Of Theory Of Mind As Influenced By Task Modality, April Kane

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

This study investigated whether task modality influenced performance on affective and cognitive theory of mind (ToM) tasks. The sample comprised 56 “healthy” adults, including 26 males and 30 females, whose ages ranged from 19 to 59 years. Participants completed four ToM tasks, two of which were designed to assess the affective ToM process, two the cognitive ToM process. One task for each process was a visual task, whilst the second was an audio task, thereby assessing the influence of task modality. Task data was analysed to obtain correlation coefficients, which were compared. The correlations for the affective and cognitive processes …


Pet Loss And The Elderly, Daphne D’Gama Jan 2012

Pet Loss And The Elderly, Daphne D’Gama

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Companion animals are known to provide numerous psychosocial benefits to their owners. It is due to these prominent and positive contributions that individuals develop a deep attachment with their pet. Consequently pet owners experience intense grief reactions following the death of a cherished pet. While numerous studies have focused on the experiences for children and young adults, the experience of pet loss for the elderly remains relatively unexplored. An in-depth qualitative research design guided by a phenomenological framework was used to explore the experiences surrounding pet loss for the elderly. Data was collected though one-on-one semi-structured interviews with thirteen participants …


Parents Raising Adolescents Diagnosed With Low-Functioning Autism And Their Perceptions Of The Level And Quality Of Support They Receive, Jayne Armstrong Jan 2012

Parents Raising Adolescents Diagnosed With Low-Functioning Autism And Their Perceptions Of The Level And Quality Of Support They Receive, Jayne Armstrong

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Autism is a complex developmental disorder that currently affects 1 in every 110 Australian children. Research indicates that raising an individual with such a disorder can be very psychologically and physically demanding and that parents need to be fully supported during this time. Despite such evidence however, it would appear that very limited studies have been conducted to determine whether this support is actually being provided. This purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of parents raising an adolescent with low-functioning autism with regards to the support which they currently received from a.) The government and b.) The …


Improving Memory Through N-Back Training, Paul Beavon Jan 2012

Improving Memory Through N-Back Training, Paul Beavon

School of Psychology and Social Science Presentations

Jaeggi and colleagues have claimed that fluid intelligence may be improved through a cognitive training regime utilising the n-back task; maintaining that the improvement in Gf is realised through melioration in working memory (WM). To date there has been no evidence to support this assertion, however Jaeggi, Buschkuehl, Jonides, and Perrig (2008) obtained a significant improvement in short term memory (STM). The current study examined the near transfer mechanisms of the single n-back task; specifically STM and WM as operationalised through the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Forty-seven participants were divided into experimental (n = 26) …


African Refugee Mothers’ Experiences Of Their Children’S School Readiness, And The Role Of Supported Playgroup, Rebecca New Jan 2012

African Refugee Mothers’ Experiences Of Their Children’S School Readiness, And The Role Of Supported Playgroup, Rebecca New

Theses : Honours

An emerging pressure for refugee parents in Australia relates to children’s ‘school readiness’. Existing research on mainstream, ethnic and migrant parents has highlighted that preparing children for school can be stressful; however, current literature has not considered this phenomenon for refugees in Australia. Social support is important for parents as they navigate school-related problems, and supported playgroups can potentially play an important role here for refugees. However, existing research has not yet examined the ways such programs can support these individuals in dealing with school readiness issues. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the experiences of African …


Spatial Justice: A Call To Spatial Practice, Tina Askam Jan 2012

Spatial Justice: A Call To Spatial Practice, Tina Askam

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.


Leadership: Possibilities For The Directing Process, Gabrielle Metcalf Jan 2012

Leadership: Possibilities For The Directing Process, Gabrielle Metcalf

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.


Bullying That Follows You Home And Further: What Can Be Done To Protect Children?, Donna S. Cross Jan 2012

Bullying That Follows You Home And Further: What Can Be Done To Protect Children?, Donna S. Cross

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.


Cognition Research Group, Craig Speelman Jan 2012

Cognition Research Group, Craig Speelman

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.


Cultivating Teachers’ Morality And The Pedagogy Of Emotional Rationality, Minkang Kim Jan 2012

Cultivating Teachers’ Morality And The Pedagogy Of Emotional Rationality, Minkang Kim

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers are expected to act ethically and provide moral role models in performing their duties, even though teacher education has often relegated the cultivation of teachers’ ethical awareness and moral development to the margins. When it is addressed, the main theoretical assumptions have relied heavily on the cognitivist developmental theories of Piaget and Kohlberg. A major pedagogical problem in adopting these theories of moral reasoning is that they may not help teachers to act as moral agents in real-life classrooms. This paper argues that one underlying difficulty is the insufficient attention given to the role of emotion in moral reasoning, …


Lifting The Domestic Cloak Of Silence: Resilient Australian Women's Reflected Memories Of Their Childhood Experiences Of Witnessing Domestic Violence, Kristy O'Brien, Lynne Cohen, Julie Ann Pooley, Myra Taylor Jan 2012

Lifting The Domestic Cloak Of Silence: Resilient Australian Women's Reflected Memories Of Their Childhood Experiences Of Witnessing Domestic Violence, Kristy O'Brien, Lynne Cohen, Julie Ann Pooley, Myra Taylor

Research outputs 2012

Recognition is growing that childhood witnessing of domestic violence is tantamount to child abuse due to the damage the experience may have on the witnessing child’s long-term emotional and social wellbeing. This paper helps to lift the cloak of silence that surrounds the child witnessing phenomenon by presenting the recollected adult memories of six female former child witnesses. Utilizing a mixed case-study and consensual qualitative research design, the study’s findings reveal that the potential threat to a child witness’s immediate and long-term wellbeing can be mediated through the progressive development of a range of adaptive coping strategies. Of these, the …


Age And Premorbid Intelligence Suppress Complaint-Performance Congruency In Raw Score Measures Of Memory, Matthew Merema, Craig Speelman, Elizabeth Kaczmarek, Jonathan Foster Jan 2012

Age And Premorbid Intelligence Suppress Complaint-Performance Congruency In Raw Score Measures Of Memory, Matthew Merema, Craig Speelman, Elizabeth Kaczmarek, Jonathan Foster

Research outputs 2012

Background: We aimed to examine the role of age and premorbid intelligence (IQ) in suppressing the relationship between subjective memory complaints (SMCs) and raw score memory performance. Methods: We used a community sample of older adults aged 66"90 years (N = 121) to test whether the inclusion of age and a premorbid IQ measure in multiple regression analyses increased semipartial correlations of raw score memory performance in predicting SMCs. Rank contrast correlations were also carried out to observe how age and premorbid IQ are related to complaint"performance congruency. Measures utilized in the study included the Memory Functioning Questionnaire (for SMCs), …


The Development Of An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda At Ngala: An Innovative Case Study, E Bennett, Y Hauck, S Bindahneem, Vicki Banham, M Owens, L E Priddis, G Wells, W Sinclair, L Shields Jan 2012

The Development Of An Interdisciplinary Research Agenda At Ngala: An Innovative Case Study, E Bennett, Y Hauck, S Bindahneem, Vicki Banham, M Owens, L E Priddis, G Wells, W Sinclair, L Shields

Research outputs 2012

Background Ngala is an early parenting, not-for-profit organisation in Western Australia (WA). Research academics from three universities in Perth had been involved in separate research activities over recent years at Ngala. During 2007, a strategic decision was made to forge formal links and articulate an interdisciplinary research framework to promote a research culture amongst Ngala practitioners. Aim To describe an organisational case study of the development of an interdisciplinary research agenda within Ngala. Methods Collaborative methods were used. An action learning project was undertaken over a two-year period with the involvement of researchers, managers and practitioners across the five disciplines …


Evaluation Of The Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parenting Support Program: Progress Report 1, Andrew Guilfoyle Jan 2012

Evaluation Of The Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parenting Support Program: Progress Report 1, Andrew Guilfoyle

Research outputs 2012

This is the first progress report of the local evaluation of the Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parent Support Program (IPS). The evaluative report extends the Participatory Action Research (PAR) based evaluation plan (Guilfoyle, Baker, & Bray, 2011). It includes a theoretical discussion on resilience building, community development, and the role of parenting support for early child development, through links to literature and direct evidence captured through community based observations, notes, and recorded interviews with IPS workers, community members, and key stakeholders on the communities and in Broome, and case studies. The evaluation assessed IPS activities in light of its policy framework …


It's A Just A Different Way Of Cooking: Social Learning And Aboriginal Father And Son Attachment Within The Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parent Support Catch And Cook Event, Andrew Guilfoyle Jan 2012

It's A Just A Different Way Of Cooking: Social Learning And Aboriginal Father And Son Attachment Within The Dampier Peninsula Indigenous Parent Support Catch And Cook Event, Andrew Guilfoyle

Research outputs 2012

The 2012 IPS Father’s Day Catch & Cook events The 2012 Father‟s Day events held in each of the communities, built on the events held in Djarindjin and Ardyaloon the previous year. Last year the events were dedicated for fathers catching food and then cooking together with their sons. This year the event included the fathers and sons preparing food for women. With this shift there was a whole of family focus and also a shift of venue. In Djarindjin the event was held at the school grounds near the basketball courts. In Ardyaloon, rather than away from the main …


Lobbying For Endorsement Of Community Psychology In Australia, Lynne Cohen, Julie Dean, Heather Gridley, Rebecca Hogea, Ken Robinson, Emma Sampson, Anne Sibbel, Colleen Turner Jan 2012

Lobbying For Endorsement Of Community Psychology In Australia, Lynne Cohen, Julie Dean, Heather Gridley, Rebecca Hogea, Ken Robinson, Emma Sampson, Anne Sibbel, Colleen Turner

Research outputs 2012

In November 2010, the areas of practice known as community psychology and health psychology were endorsed by the Australian Health Workforce Ministerial Council (AHWMC). This was a major reversal of the Council’s earlier decision in April that year to limit the endorsed areas of practice to those represented by the other seven Colleges of the Australian Psychological Society. This paper describes the intense lobbying effort coordinated by the National Committee of the Australian Psychological Society College of Community Psychologists and their supporters, which was sustained over many months and led ultimately to a changed decision by the Australian Health Ministers. …


Evaluating The Psychometric Properties Of The Attitudes Towards Depression And Its Treatments Scale In An Australian Sample, Fadia Isaac, Kenneth Greenwood, Mirella Di Benedetto Jan 2012

Evaluating The Psychometric Properties Of The Attitudes Towards Depression And Its Treatments Scale In An Australian Sample, Fadia Isaac, Kenneth Greenwood, Mirella Di Benedetto

Research outputs 2012

Background: Individuals’ attitudes towards depression and its treatments may influence their likelihood of seeking professional help and adherence to treatment when depressed. Objective measures, such as the Attitudes Towards Depression and its Treatments scale (ATDT), have been developed to assess such attitudes. The aims of this research were to test the reliability and validity of ATDT on an Australian sample who were not depressed during the study or who had previously been depressed, to explore the attitudes of the Australian public towards depression, and to compare these attitudes to those of a Canadian sample of people with depression. Methods: A …