Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Trainee Teachers' Attitudes Towards Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Stuart Woodcock

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Policies on the inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms have focused attention on how general education teachers perceive these students. Furthermore with specific learning disabilities forming a large group of diverse students, and teachers' attitudes often not changing over the career span, preparing teachers for inclusive education is vitally important. This study aimed to identify the attitudes of trainee1 teachers towards students with specific learning disabilities and differentiation of the curriculum. Significant differences were found between the attitudes of primary and secondary school trainee teachers, and the influence of training. There were no differences in attitudes …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating The Neurocognitive Effects Of Lacprodan® Pl-20, A Phospholipid-Rich Milk Protein Concentrate, In Elderly Participants With Age-Associated Memory Impairment: The Phospholipid Intervention For Cognitive Ageing Reversal (Plicar): Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Andrew B. Scholey, David A. Camfield, Matthew E. Hughes, Will Woods, Con K. Stough, David J. White, Shakuntla V. Gondalia, Pernille D. Frederiksen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Age-related cognitive decline (ARCD) is of major societal concern in an ageing population, with the development of dietary supplements providing a promising avenue for amelioration of associated deficits. Despite initial interest in the use of phospholipids (PLs) for ARCD, in recent years there has been a hiatus in such research. Because of safety concerns regarding PLs derived from bovine cortex, and the equivocal efficacy of soybean-derived PLs, there is an important need for the development of new PL alternatives. Phospholipids derived from milk proteins represent one potential candidate treatment.

Methods: In order to reduce the effects of age-associated memory …

Alteration To Hippocampal Shape In Cannabis Users With And Without Schizophrenia, Nadia Solowij, Mark Walterfang, Daniel I. Lubman, Sarah Whittle, Valentina Lorenzetti, Martin Styner, Dennis Velakoulis, Christos Pantelis, Murat Yuecel

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abnormalities in hippocampal morphology are characteristic of schizophrenia and have also been reported in chronic cannabis users. There is a paucity of research investigating potential additive effects of cannabis use on brain pathology associated with schizophrenia. In this study, we performed hippocampal shape analysis in cannabis-using and non-using patients with schizophrenia, healthy cannabis users and healthy non-using controls. Hippocampal shape changes were observed in each group relative to controls, with the greatest degree of alterations (i.e., deflations across the hippocampus, and with an anterior predisposition), in cannabis-using schizophrenia patients. These alterations were associated with cannabis use patterns and psychotic symptoms.

Importance Of The Inverted Control In Measuring Holistic Face Processing With The Composite Effect And Part-Whole Effect, Elinor Mckone, A Davies, H Darke, Kate Crookes, T Wickramariyaratne, S Zappia, C Fiorentini, Simone K. Favelle, M Broughton, D Fernando

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Holistic coding for faces is shown in several illusions that demonstrate integration of the percept across the entire face. The illusions occur upright but, crucially, not inverted. Converting the illusions into experimental tasks that measure their strength - and thus index degree of holistic coding - is often considered straightforward yet in fact relies on a hidden assumption, namely that there is no contribution to the experimental measure from secondary cognitive factors. For the composite effect, a relevant secondary factor is size of the "spotlight" of visuospatial attention.The composite task assumes this spotlight can be easily restricted to the target …

Holistic Processing For Other-Race Faces In Chinese Participants Occurs For Upright But Not Inverted Faces, Kate Crookes, Simone K. Favelle, William Hayward

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Recent evidence suggests stronger holistic processing for own-race faces may underlie the own-race advantage in face memory. In previous studies Caucasian participants have demonstrated larger holistic processing effects for Caucasian over Asian faces. However, Asian participants have consistently shown similar sized effects for both Asian and Cau- casian faces. We investigated two proposed explanations for the holistic processing of other-race faces by Asian participants: (1) greater other-race exposure, (2) a general global processing bias. Holistic processing was tested using the part-whole task. Participants were living in predominantly own-race environments and other-race contact was evalu- ated. Despite reporting significantly greater contact …

Service Based Internship Training To Prepare Workers To Support The Recovery Of People With Co-Occurring Substance Abuse And Mental Health Disorders, Trevor P. Crowe, Peter Kelly, James Pepper, Ross Mclennan, Frank P. Deane, Mark Buckingham

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A repeated measures design was used to evaluate a 12 month on-site counsellor internship programme aimed at training staff to support the recovery needs of people with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Fifty-four interns completed measures of recovery knowledge, attitudes, confidence/competence, as well as identifying significant learning events. Statistically significant improvements were found in terms of attitudes and confidence/competence, and only one recovery knowledge factor, 'roles of self-definition and peers in recovery'. Recovery knowledge at the end of the internship was positively associated with increases in interns' confidence/competence but was not associated with changes in the interns' attitudes. …

Affective Learning Profiles In Compulsory High School Physical Education: An Instructional Communication Perspective, Collin Webster, Diana Mindrila, Glenn Weaver

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Affective learning is a major focus of the national K-12 physical education (PE) content standards (National Association for Sport and Physical Education [NASPE, 2004]). Understanding how students might fit into different affective learning subgroups would help extend affective learning theory in PE and suggest possible intervention strategies for teachers wanting to increase students' affective learning. The present study used cluster analysis (CA) and latent profile analysis (LPA) to develop a two-level affective learning-based typology of high school students in compulsory PE from an instructional communication perspective. The optimal classification system had ten clusters and four latent profiles. A comparison of …

The Potent M1 Receptor Allosteric Agonist Gsk1034702 Improves Episodic Memory In Humans In The Nicotine Abstinence Model Of Cognitive Dysfunction, Pradeep J. Nathan, Jeannette Watson, Jesper Lund, Ceri H. Davies, Gary Peters, Chris M. Dodds, Bridget Swirski, Philip Lawrence, Graham D. Bentley, Barry V. O'Neill, Jon Robertson, Stephen Watson, Gareth A. Jones, Paul Maruff, Rodney J. Croft, Marc Laruelle, Edward T. Bullmore

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Episodic memory deficits are a core feature of neurodegenerative disorders. Muscarinic M1 receptors play a critical role in modulating learning and memory and are highly expressed in the hippocampus. We examined the effect of GSK1034702, a potent M1 receptor allosteric agonist, on cognitive function, and in particular episodic memory, in healthy smokers using the nicotine abstinence model of cognitive dysfunction. The study utilized a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design in which 20 male nicotine abstained smokers were tested following single doses of placebo, 4 and 8 mg GSK1034702. Compared to the baseline (nicotine on-state), nicotine abstinence showed statistical significance in …

Measuring Optimism In Organizations: Development Of A Workplace Explanatory Style Questionnaire, Paul Smith, Peter Caputi, Nadia Crittenden

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Some researchers measure optimism by analysing explanations for hypotheti- cal scenarios in explanatory style questionnaires. The most commonly used instrument, the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ), has been shown to predict success in business, education and sport. However, these predictions were achieved by using composite scores of subscales. Our analysis of 15 measures revealed the ASQ and many other explanatory style questionnaires have low internal consistency. Furthermore, the majority of these measures use situations that have poor face validity for corporate applications, while some work-specific scenarios are only relevant to narrow domains such as selling insurance. To fulfil the need for …

Integrating Mobile-Phone Based Assessment For Psychosis Into People's Everyday Lives And Clinical Care: A Qualitative Study, Jasper E. Palmier-Claus, Anne Rogers, John Ainsworth, Matt Machin, Christine Barrowclough, Louise Laverty, Emma Barkus, Shitij Kapur, Til Wykes, Shon W. Lewis

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Over the past decade policy makers have emphasised the importance of healthcare technology in the management of long-term conditions. Mobile-phone based assessment may be one method of facilitating clinically- and cost-effective intervention, and increasing the autonomy and independence of service users. Recently, text-message and smartphone interfaces have been developed for the real-time assessment of symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia. Little is currently understood about patients' perceptions of these systems, and how they might be implemented into their everyday routine and clinical care. Method: 24 community based individuals with non-affective psychosis completed a randomised repeated-measure cross-over design study, where they …

The Longitudinal Relationship Between Sleep Duration And Body Mass Index In Children: A Growth Mixture Modeling Approach, Christopher A. Magee, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

OBJECTIVE: A growing number of studies indicate that shorter sleep durations could contribute to obesity in children. The objective of this article was to further examine the longitudinal relationship between sleep duration and body mass index (BMI) in children by using a growth mixture modeling approach. METHOD: This article used prospective data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants included 1079 children aged 4 to 5 years (2004) followed up until age 10 to 11 years (2010). Growth mixture modeling was performed to examine the longitudinal association between sleep duration and body mass index within distinct body mass index …

'It's Good To Have Wheels!': Perceptions Of Cycling Among Homeless Young People In Sydney, Australia, Belinda Crawford, Christopher Rissel, Rowena Yamazaki, Elise Franke, Sue Amanatidis, Jioji Ravulo, Jeni Bindon, Siranda Torvaldsen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Participation in sporting or recreational programs can be unattainable for many disadvantaged young people. Encouraging regular cycling is an important public health strategy to increase participation in physical activity and expand personal transport options for marginalised youth. Perceptions and attitudes toward cycling were explored in eight focus groups, involving 47 young people who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness in central and south-western Sydney, Australia. The benefits of cycling for physical activity, personal transport, independence and social inclusion were recognised. Barriers to regular cycling included compliance with mandatory helmet legislation; a lack of cycling skills and experience; a paucity …

Public Health Ethics: Informing Better Public Health Practice, Stacy M. Carter, Ian Kerridge, Peter Sainsbury, Julie K. Letts

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Public health ethics has emerged and grown as an independent discipline over the last decade. It involves using ethical theory and empirical analyses to determine and justify the right thing to do in public health. In this paper, we distinguish public health ethics from clinical ethics, research ethics, public health law and politics. We then discuss issues in public health ethics including: how to weigh up the benefits, harms and costs of intervening; how to ensure that public health interventions produce fair outcomes; the potential for public health to undermine or promote the rights of citizens; and the significance of …

How Do Dentists Understand Evidence And Adopt It In Practice?, Alexandra Sbaraini, Stacy M. Carter, R Wendell Evans

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Although there is now a large evidence-based dentistry literature, previous investigators have shown that dentists often consider research evidence irrelevant to their practice. To understand why this is the case, we conducted a qualitative study. Objective: Our aim was to identify how dentists define evidence and how they adopt it in practice. Methods: A qualitative study using grounded theory methodology was conducted. Ten dentists working in eight dental practices were interviewed about their experience and work processes while adopting evidence-based preventive care. Analysis involved transcript coding, detailed memo writing, and data interpretation. Results: Findings revealed that dentists' direct observations - …

Experiences Of Dental Care: What Do Patients Value?, Alexandra Sbaraini, Stacy M. Carter, R Wendell Evans, Anthony Blinkhorn

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Dentistry in Australia combines business and health care service, that is, the majority of patients pay money for tangible dental procedures such as fluoride applications, dental radiographs, dental fillings, crowns, and dentures among others. There is evidence that patients question dentists' behaviours and attitudes during a dental visit when those highly technical procedures are performed. However, little is known about how patients' experience dental care as a whole. This paper illustrates the findings from a qualitative study recently undertaken in general dental practice in Australia. It focuses on patients' experiences of dental care, particularly on the relationship between patients …

The Ethical Commitments Of Health Promotion Practitioners: An Empirical Study From New South Wales, Australia, Stacy M. Carter, Christiane Klinner, Ian Kerridge, Lucie Rychetnik, Vincy Li, Denise Fry

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In this article, we provide a description of the good in health promotion based on an empirical study of health promotion practices in New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia. We found that practitioners were unified by a vision of the good in health promotion that had substantive and procedural dimensions. Substantively, the good in health promotion was teleological: it inhered in meliorism, an intention to promote health, which was understood holistically and situated in places and environments, a commitment to primary rather than secondary prevention and engagement with communities more than individuals. Procedurally, the good in health …

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

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

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

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

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

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

Community Based Service-Learning: Partnerships Of Reciprocal Exchange?, Laura Ann Hammersley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Community based service-learning (CBSL) integrates experiential learning and academic goals with organised service activities designed to meet the objectives of community partners (Bringle & Hatcher, 1995). Although research remains inconclusive regarding the benefits of student outcomes, CBSL has been endowed with the potential to enhance (1) academic learning, (2) foster civic responsibility, (3) develop life skills and (4) transform student attitudes (Eyler, 2002). However, there is little research to support claims that benefits are mutual amongst host counterparts (Edwards et al., 2001; Ward & Wolf-Wendell, 2000). A lack of empirical research into community partner conceptualisations of best practice approaches, outcomes …

Editorial - What Is Health Promotion Ethics?, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

What does it mean to think about the ethics of health promotion? When most of us think 'ethics' we think of the Human Research Ethics Committee applications required for research projects. But I'm thinking of something quite different here: the ethics of health promotion practice. Health promotion ethics is an attempt to answer questions such as: Can we provide a moral justification for what we are doing in health promotion? or What is the right thing to do in health promotion, and how can we tell? As other authors have argued, sometimes these questions are ignored in health promotion in …

Places To Play Outdoors: Sedentary And Safe Or Active And Risky?, Shirley Wyver, Paul Tranter, Ellen Sandseter, Geraldine A. Naughton, Helen Little, Anita C. Bundy, Jo Ragen, Lina Engelen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

For more than a decade there has been growing concern about global reductions in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviours. Initially, it was unclear whether children would be protected from this trend. Perhaps children's playfulness and associated activity levels would act as a protective factor. There is now compelling evidence that children's activity levels are quite sensitive to environmental factors. For example, a recent US study of activity levels in preschoolers concluded that "...the characteristics of the school have a much greater influence on a child's activity level while in school than do the child's personal demographic characteristics" (Pate …

Weight Change In Control Group Participants In Behavioural Weight Loss Interventions: A Systematic Review And Meta-Regression Study, Lauren Waters, Alexis B. St George, Tien Chey, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Unanticipated control group improvements have been observed in intervention trials targeting various health behaviours. This phenomenon has not been studied in the context of behavioural weight loss intervention trials. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-regression of behavioural weight loss interventions to quantify control group weight change, and relate the size of this effect to specific trial and sample characteristics. Methods Database searches identified reports of intervention trials meeting the inclusion criteria. Data on control group weight change and possible explanatory factors were abstracted and analysed descriptively and quantitatively. Results 85 trials were …

Prevalence Of Overweight, Obesity, And Abdominal Obesity In A Representative Sample Of Portuguese Adults, Luis B. Sardinha, Diana A. Santos, Analiza M. Silva, Manuel J. Coelho-E-Silva, Armando M. M. Raimundo, Helena Moreira, Rute Santos, Susana Vale, Fatima Baptista, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study determined the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity in the Portuguese adults and examined the relationship between above mentioned prevalences and educational level. Body mass, stature, and waist circumference were measured in a representative sample of the Portuguese population aged 18–103 years (n = 9,447; 18–64 years: n = 6,908; ≥65 years: n = 2,539). Overweight and obesity corresponded to a body mass index ranging between 25–29.9 kg/m² and ≥30 kg/m², respectively. Abdominal obesity was assessed as >102 cm for males and >88 cm for females. After adjusting for educational level, the combined prevalences …

Reference Curves For Bmi, Waist Circumference And Waist-To-Height Ratio For Azorean Adolescents (Portugal), Rute Santos, Carla Moreira, Jonatan R. Ruiz, Susana Vale, Luisa Soares-Miranda, Pedro Moreira, Luis Lopes, Ana I. Marques, Antonio Oliveira-Tavares, Paula Clara Santos, Sandra Abreu, Manuel J. Coelho-E-Silva, Jorge Mota

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective There are no percentile curves for BMI, waist circumference (WC) or waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) available for Portuguese children and adolescents. The purpose of the present study was to develop age- and sex-specific BMI, WC and WHtR percentile curves for a representative sample of adolescents living in the Portuguese islands of Azores, one of the poorest regions of Europe, and to compare them with those from other countries. Design Cross-sectional school-based study. Weight, height and WC were objectively measured according to standard procedures. Smoothed percentile curves were estimated using Cole's LMS method. Setting Azores, Portugal. Subjects Proportionate stratified random sample …

A Systematic Review Of The Experience, Occurrence, And Controllability Of Flow States In Elite Sport, Christian F. Swann, Richard J. Keegan, David Piggott, Lee Crust

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives: This study aimed to provide an up-to-date summary of the literature on flow in elite sport, specifically relating to: (i) how flow is experienced; (ii) how these states occur; and (iii) the potential controllability of flow. Design: Systematic review. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of SPORTdiscus, PsycINFO, SAGE journals online, INGENTA connect, and Web of Knowledge was completed in August, 2011, and yielded 17 empirical studies published between 1992 and 2011. The primarily qualitative findings were analysed thematically and synthesised using a narrative approach. Results: Findings indicated that: (i) some flow dimensions appear to be experienced more consistently than …

Gp Project: Process And Impact Evaluation, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Penny Abbott, Jenny Reath

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

University of Western Sydney (UWS) was commissioned by the NSW Sexually Transmissible Infections Programs Unit (STIPU) to evaluate the General Practitioner (GP) Project in collaboration Prof. Usherwood and Dr Kang. The GP Project aimed to promote the delivery of evidence-based sexual healthcare within primary care in NSW; this was addressed through the development, promotion, and delivery of nine items tailored for NSW GPs and practice nurses (PNs). For GPs, the items include a double-sided A4-size STI Testing Tool; the online STI Resources for General Practice; a Drivetime Radio Medical CD, which included an interview related to STIs; the Online STI …

Promoting Sexual Healthcare Within General Practice, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Penny Abbott, Jenny Reath, Wendy Hu, Tim Usherwood, Melissa Kang, Carolyn Murray

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster presented at the 2012 Primary Health Care Research Conference, 18-20 July 2012, Canberra, Australia

Enhancing Sexual Healthcare Within General Practice, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Penny Abbott, Jenny Reath, Wendy Hu, Tim Usherwood, Melissa Kang, Carolyn Murray, K Reakes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster abstract presented at IUSTI World Congress, 15-17 October 2012, Melbourne, Australia

Knowledge Translation In An Era Of Reform, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Knowledge translation can be difficult, particularly during volatile and unstable healthcare reform. This can have significant implications. The aim of this paper is to determine what works when facilitating knowledge translation. General Practitioners (n=214) were surveyed about their awareness, their use, the perceived impact, and the factors that hindered the use of four resources to promote sexual healthcare - a placard, online training, face-to-face training, and an educational booklet. All four resources were perceived to improve clinical ability. However, the placard appeared to have greatest reach and use. Relatively inexpensive tools that provide instructive guidance may therefore be an effective …