Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Self-Help Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Intervention For Grief And Psychological Distress In Carers Of Palliative Care Patients, Esther Davis, Frank P. Deane, Geoffrey C. B Lyons, Gregory D. Barclay, Joan Bourne, Vivienne Connolly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

We tested the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an acceptance and commitment therapy self-help intervention for grief and psychological distress in carers of patients in palliative care. Carers were randomised to the control group, which received treatment as usual, or the intervention group, which received treatment as usual plus an acceptance and commitment therapy–based self-help booklet and telephone support call. Questionnaires were completed at baseline, 1-month post-allocation and 6 months post-loss. Results indicated that the intervention was generally feasible and viewed as acceptable to carers. Preliminary effectiveness analyses showed at least a small effect in acceptance, valued-living, grief and psychological …

The Oscillating Potential Model Of Visually Induced Vection, Takeharu Seno, Ken-Ichi Sawai, Hidetoshi Kanaya, Toshihiro Wakebe, Masaki Ogawa, Yoshitaka Fujii, Stephen Palmisano

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

2017, The Author(s) 2017. Visually induced illusions of self-motion are often referred to as vection. This article developed and tested a model of responding to visually induced vection. We first constructed a mathematical model based on well-documented characteristics of vection and human behavioral responses to this illusion. We then conducted 10,000 virtual trial simulations using this Oscillating Potential Vection Model (OPVM). OPVM was used to generate simulated vection onset, duration, and magnitude responses for each of these trials. Finally, we compared the properties of OPVM's simulated vection responses with real responses obtained in seven different laboratory-based vection experiments. The OPVM …

The Impact Of Structured Physical Activity On Glycaemic Control In Diabetes Prevention Programs: A Systematic Review, Joseph Edwards, Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Seven landmark randomised controlled trials, with some that began as early as the 1990s, observed the prediabetic state, namely, impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose conditions, against the impact of lifestyle interventions such as physical activity, to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition to the landmark trials, this systematic review examines 14 studies that retained a focus on prediabetic individuals and measured the efficacy of physical activity on improving glucose tolerance. Results: Type, duration and intensity of structured physical activity can have unique benefits to prediabetic individuals. It is posited that diabetes …

Dog-Bites, Rabies And One Health: Towards Improved Coordination In Research, Policy And Practice, Melanie Rock, Dawn Rault, Christopher J. Degeling

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Dog-bites and rabies are neglected problems worldwide, notwithstanding recent efforts to raise awareness and to consolidate preventive action. As problems, dog-bites and rabies are entangled with one another, and both align with the concept of One Health. This concept emphasizes interdependence between humans and non-human species in complex socio-ecological systems. Despite intuitive appeal, One Health applications and critiques remain under-developed with respect to social science and social justice. In this article, we report on an ethnographic case-study of policies on dog bites and rabies, with a focus on Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which is widely recognized as a leader in animal-control …

The Create Critical Appraisal Tool: Establishing The Validity, Reliability And Feasibility Of A Tool To Appraise Research From Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Perspective, Stephen Harfield, O Gibson, Kathryn Anne Morey, Elaine Kite, Karla Canuto, K Glover, Judith Streak Gomersall, Carol Davy, D Carter, Edoardo Aromataris, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the Global Evidence Summit: Using evidence. Improving lives, 13-16 September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa

Measured, Opportunistic, Unexpected And Naïve Quitting: A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study Of The Process Of Quitting From The Ex-Smokers' Perspective, Andrea L. Smith, Stacy M. Carter, Sally M. Dunlop, Becky Freeman, Simon Chapman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background To better understand the process of quitting from the ex-smokers' perspective, and to explore the role spontaneity and planning play in quitting. Methods Qualitative grounded theory study using in-depth interviews with 37 Australian adult ex-smokers (24-68 years; 15 males, 22 females) who quit smoking in the past 6-24 months (26 quit unassisted; 11 used assistance). Results Based on participants' accounts of quitting, we propose a typology of quitting experiences: measured, opportunistic, unexpected and naïve. Two key features integral to participants' accounts of their quitting experiences were used as the basis of the typology: (1) the apparent onset of quitting …

Psa Testing For Men At Average Risk Of Prostate Cancer, Bruce Armstrong, Michael Barry, Mark Frydenberg, Robert A. Gardiner, Ian Haines, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing of men at normal risk of prostate cancer is one of the most contested issues in cancer screening. There is no formal screening program, but testing is common - arguably a practice that ran ahead of the evidence. Public and professional communication about PSA screening has been highly varied and potentially confusing for practitioners and patients alike. There has been much research and policy activity relating to PSA testing in recent years. Landmark randomised controlled trials have been reported; authorities - including the 2013 Prostate Cancer World Congress, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Cancer Council …

What Is Overdiagnosis And Why Should We Take It Seriously In Cancer Screening?, Stacy M. Carter, Alexandra Barratt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Overdiagnosis occurs in a population when conditions are diagnosed correctly but the diagnosis produces an unfavourable balance between benefits and harms. In cancer screening, overdiagnosed cancers are those that did not need to be found because they would not have produced symptoms or led to premature death. These overdiagnosed cancers can be distinguished from false positives, which occur when an initial screening test suggests that a person is at high risk but follow-up testing shows them to be at normal risk. The cancers most likely to be overdiagnosed through screening are those of the prostate, thyroid, breast and lung. Overdiagnosis …

Who Is At Risk Of Chronic Disease? Associations Between Risk Profiles Of Physical Activity, Sitting And Cardio‐Metabolic Disease In Australian Adults, Lina Engelen, Joanne Gale, Josephine Chau, Louise L. Hardy, Martin Mackey, Nathan A. Johnson, Debra Shirley, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine the associations of physical activity (PA) and sitting time (sit) with cardio‐metabolic diseases. Methods: Cross‐sectional data from the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011-2012 (n=9,435) were used to classify adults into low and high risk groups based on their physical activity and sitting behaviour profiles. Logistic regression models examined associations between low and high risk classifications (high PA‐low sit; high PA‐high sit; low PA‐low sit; low PA‐high sit;) and socio‐demographic factors, and associations between low and high risk classifications and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Results: These results characterise …

Trends In Prevalence Of Leisure Time Physical Activity And Inactivity: Results From Australian National Health Surveys 1989 To 2011, Josephine Chau, Tien Chey, Sarah Burks-Young, Lina Engelen, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine trends in leisure time physical activity and inactivity in Australians aged 15 years or older from 1989 to 2011.

Method: We used data from six Australian National Health Surveys conducted from 1989/90 to 2011/12 in which physical activity was assessed using comparable questions. Analyses examined trends in the prevalence of sufficient physical activity (≥150 minutes/week moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity) and of inactivity (<30 minutes/week moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity).

Results: The proportion of sufficiently active adults was 39.2% in 1989 and 40.7% in 2011 with an overall declining trend of 0.2% per year (p=0.012). The prevalence of inactivity was 38.7% in 1989 …

2017 Calibre Essay Prize (Winner): 'Salt Blood', Michael J. Adams

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It is quiet and cool and dark blue. At this depth the pressure on my body is double what it is at the surface: my heartbeat has slowed, blood has started to withdraw from my extremities and move into the space my compressed lungs have created. I am ten metres underwater on a breath-hold dive, suspended at the point of neutral buoyancy where the weight of the water above cancels my body's natural flotation. I turn head down, straighten my body, kick gently, and begin to fall with the unimpeded gravitational pull to the heart of the Earth.

What Are Standardized Literacy And Numeracy Tests Testing? Evidence Of The Domain-General Contributions To Students' Standardized Educational Test Performance, Steven J. Howard, Stuart Woodcock, John F. Ehrich, Sahar Bokosmaty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: A fundamental aim of standardized educational assessment is to achieve reliable discrimination between students differing in the knowledge, skills and abilities assessed. However, questions of the purity with which these tests index students' genuine abilities have arisen. Specifically, literacy and numeracy assessments may also engage unintentionally assessed capacities. Aims: The current study investigated the extent to which domain-general processes - working memory (WM) and non-verbal reasoning - contribute to students' standardized test performance and the pathway(s) through which they exert this influence. Sample Participants were 91 Grade 2 students recruited from five regional and metropolitan primary schools in Australia. …

"I Feel Like Having A Nervous Breakdown": Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers' Developing Beliefs And Knowledge About Pronunciation Instruction, Michael Burri, Amanda Ann Baker, Honglin Chen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Evidence on the impact of second language teacher education is inconclusive in the area of pronunciation pedagogy. This study explores how the cognition (knowledge, beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and perceptions) of 10 pre-service and five in-service teachers developed during a postgraduate course on pronunciation pedagogy. Questionnaire items, focus group meetings, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and an assessment task were used to trace the development of participants' beliefs and knowledge. Findings demonstrated that the development of the student teachers' cognition was limited and the notion of integrating pronunciation into L2 lessons proved to be challenging for participants irrespective of their pronunciation teaching …

Empowering Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers In Primary School Contexts: An Ethnographic Case Study, Michael S. Burri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

With the prospect of economic growth, governments in many parts of the world where English is spoken as an additional language have pushed for educational reforms and introduced English at the primary school level. However, the implementation of such reforms along with a general lack of training opportunities available to primary school teachers has caused considerable uncertainty and anxiety among practitioners. This article reports on a small-scale ethnographic case study that explored a Japanese approach to English teaching/learning with the aim of identifying pedagogical practices that nonnative-English-speaking teachers could implement in their primary English lessons. Seven observations, four unstructured interviews, …

Joint Development Of Teacher Cognition And Identity Through Learning To Teach L2 Pronunciation, Michael S. Burri, Honglin Chen, Amanda Ann Baker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The constructs of teacher cognition and teacher identity have recently gained considerable attention in second language teacher education research for their crucial roles in understanding teacher learning. While a number of current studies have examined the contributions of both constructs, the connections between cognition and identity are yet to be fully conceptualized. This article addresses this gap by drawing on the notion of identification to examine the identity construction and cognition development of 15 student teachers in the context of a postgraduate course on pronunciation pedagogy. Questionnaires, focus group interviews, observations, and semi-structured interviews were triangulated to obtain an in-depth …

Lessons From The Aime Approach To The Teaching Relationship: Valuing Biepistemic Practice, Samantha Mcmahon, Valerie Harwood, Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Anthony D. Mcknight, Paul A. Chandler, Amy Priestly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) is a national, extra-curricular mentoring programme that is closing the educational gap for young Indigenous Australians. So what is AIME doing that is working so well? This article draws on a large-scale classroom ethnography to describe the pedagogies that facilitate the teacher-student relationships in this programme. We use Shawn Wilson's theorisation of Indigenous ways of knowing in order to 'unpack' how these approaches succeeded in creating the egalitarian and trust-filled relationships reportedly experienced in the AIME programme.

Beyond The Academic Precariat: A Collective Biography Of Poetic Subjectivities In The Neoliberal University, Catherine Hartung, Nicoli Barnes, Rosie Kate Welch, Gabrielle H. O'Flynn, Jonnell Uptin, Samantha Mcmahon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The ‘neoliberal turn’ in the higher education sector has received significant intellectual scrutiny in recent times. This scrutiny, led by many established academics working within the sector, has highlighted the negative repercussions for teaching and research staff, often referred to as the ‘academic precariat’ due to their tenuous employment prospects within an increasingly market-driven system. This critique of the modern university can also inadvertently position academics as either resisting or complying with neoliberal governance. This does not adequately account for the nuanced and poetic ways in which professional, personal and gendered subjectivities are formulated, intertwined and negotiated. In this paper …

Playwriting And Flow: The Interconnection Between Creativity, Engagement And Skill Development, Paul Gardiner

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Understanding, encouraging and developing creativity in the classroom is an international priority (Craft, 2011). This article outlines the findings of research into playwriting pedagogy. It interrogates the conceptual assumptions that surround teaching and learning for creativity, and how these ideas influence teacher practice and student experience. It argues that student engagement and creativity are fundamentally and reciprocally linked. To better understand how to teach and foster creativity in a classroom, teachers' views on creativity and creative processes are explored through Csikszentmihalyi's (2008) theory of 'flow' and the lessons this provides for understanding engagement. The article argues that the teachers' views …

Engaging 'Students As Partners' In The Design And Development Of A Peer-Mentoring Program, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Sue Bennett, Janine Delahunty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This presentation focussed on an innovative approach to developing peer mentoring programs. Drawing upon a ‘student as partners’ framework, the presentation explored how this has been used to underpin an approach to peer mentoring from the groun d up. University peer mentoring programs are largely designed and developed by staff, who not only recruit and train student mentors but also select frequency and type of involvement for all parties. This pilot project proposes a different approach by coll aborating with students in the design, development and enactment of a peer - mentoring program within one School of Education. From this …

Chinese Efl Teachers’ Cognition About The Effectiveness Of Genre Pedagogy: A Case Study, Lei-Min Shi, Amanda Ann Baker, Honglin Chen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Developing students’ communicative competence became the primary goal of the current College English Curriculum Requirements in 2004 in China. There has been increasing concern, however, that this goal has yet to be realized, particularly in relation to the teaching of writing. This study investigated the potential of a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL-) informed genre approach to enhance Chinese students’ communicative competence in writing. As teachers’ beliefs have a strong impact on the effectiveness of their teaching practice (Borg, 2003), the study examined six Chinese College English teachers’ shifts in their beliefs and practices after attending a training workshop in the …

The Affluence-Vulnerability Interface: Intersecting Scales Of Risk, Privilege And Disaster, Christine Eriksen, Gregory Simon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper examines vulnerability in the context of affluence and privilege. It focuses on the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm in California, USA to examine long-term lived experiences of the disaster. Vulnerability is typically understood as a condition besetting poor and marginalized communities. Frequently ignored in these discussions are the experiences of those who live in more affluent areas. This paper seeks to more closely explain vulnerability at its interface with affluence. The aim is to challenge uncritical explanations of vulnerability. We also offer alternative ways of conceptualizing vulnerability as a material condition and social construct that acknowledges broader cultural, ecological, …

Promoting Physical Activity Among Adolescent Girls: The Girls In Sport Group Randomized Trial, Anthony D. Okely, David R. Lubans, Philip J. Morgan, Wayne G. Cotton, Louisa R. Peralta, Judith Miller, Marijka Batterham, Xanne Janssen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Slowing the decline in participation in physical activity among adolescent girls is a public health priority. This study reports the outcomes from a multi-component school-based intervention (Girls in Sport), focused on promoting physical activity among adolescent girls. Methods: Group randomized controlled trial in 24 secondary schools (12 intervention and 12 control). Assessments were conducted at baseline (2009) and at 18 months post-baseline (2010). The setting was secondary schools in urban, regional and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. All girls in Grade 8 in 2009 who attended these schools were invited to participate in the study (N=1769). Using …

Associations Of Lifestyle And Diet With The Risk Of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma In Singapore: A Case-Control Study, Sook Kwin Yong, Tam C. Ha, Ming Yeo, Valerie Gaborieau, James Mckay, Joseph Wee

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Author(s) 2017. Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a commonly diagnosed cancer in Southeast Asia. Many studies have examined the risk factors for NPC, yet the roles of some risk factors remain inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between modifiable lifestyle factors and the risk of NPC in the Singaporean population. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in Singapore with 300 patients and 310 controls who were recruited between 2008 and 2012. Each control was selected and individually matched to each patient based on sex, ethnicity, and age (±5 years). A total of 290 pairs of …

The Facespan-The Perceptual Span For Face Recognition, M Papinutto, Junpeng Lao, Meike Ramon, Roberto Caldara, Sebastien R. Miellet

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In reading, the perceptual span is a well-established concept that refers to the amount of information that can be read in a single fixation. Surprisingly, despite extensive empirical interest in determining the perceptual strategies deployed to process faces and an ongoing debate regarding the factors or mechanism(s) underlying efficient face processing, the perceptual span for faces-the Facespan-remains undetermined. To address this issue, we applied the gaze-contingent Spotlight technique implemented in an old-new face recognition paradigm. This procedure allowed us to parametrically vary the amount of facial information available at a fixated location in order to determine the minimal aperture size …

Societal And Personal Concerns, Their Associations With Stress, And The Implications For Progress And The Future, Melanie J. Randle, Richard Eckersley, Leonie M. Miller

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A survey of more than 2000 people in four countries examined levels of concern across 19 personal and 23 societal issues. On average, 49% were moderately or seriously concerned about the personal issues, with health, wellbeing and financial concerns topping the ranking. Country differences were small, but generational differences were substantial. An average of 58% of Generation Y were moderately or seriously concerned, compared to 35% of Pre-boomers, with significant differences for 14 of the 19 issues. In terms of societal issues, an average of 41% were moderately or seriously concerned, with social and moral issues ranking ahead of economic …

Essential Nutrition And Food Systems Components For School Curricula; Views From Experts In Iran, Sanaz Sadegholvad, Heather Yeatman, Nasrin Omidvar, Anne-Maree Parrish, Anthony Worsley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: This study aimed to investigate food experts' views on important nutrition and food systems knowledge issues for education purposes at schools in Iran. Methods: In 2012, semi-structured, face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted with twenty-eight acknowledged Iranian experts in food and nutrition fields. Participants were selected from four major provinces in Iran (Te-hran, Isfahan, Fars and Gilan). Open-ended interview questions were used to identify nutrition and food systems knowledge issues, which experts considered as important to be included in school education programs. Qualitative interviews were analyzed thematically using NVivo. Results: A framework of knowledge that would assist Iranian students …

Self-Reported Nutrition Education Received By Australian Midwives Before And After Registration, Jamila Arrish, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Educating midwives to provide nutrition advice is essential. Limited research focuses on midwives' nutrition education. This paper explores self-reported nutrition education received by Australian midwives before and after registration. It draws on quantitative and qualitative data from a larger online survey conducted with the members of the Australian College of Midwives (response rate = 6.9%, n=329). Descriptive and content analyses were used. Of the midwives, 79.3% (n=261) reported receiving some nutrition education during, before, and/or after registration. However, some described this coverage as limited. It lacked sufficient focus on topics such as weight management, nutrition assessment, and nutrition for vulnerable …

Manufacturing And Cultural Production: Towards A Progressive Policy Agenda For The Cultural Economy, Carl Grodach, Justin O'Connor, Christopher R. Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Urban policy-makers have largely treated the cultural economy as either an appendage of a larger creative or knowledge-based economy or as a means of enhancing consumption. The result has been a focus on programs to attract highly educated and skilled professionals often at the expense of attention to workforce inequality, manual workers and skills, gentrification, and the displacement of small, independent manufacturing businesses. In the context of growing labour market inequality and deepening urban cultural schisms, this paper seeks to redirect urban and cultural policy toward a more progressive research and policy agenda centered on material cultural production. Our point …

Let's Address Low Visual Arts Self-Efficacy, Gai M. Lindsay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Visual arts pedagogy and the place of visual arts in the curriculum are determined by the collision of teachers' visual arts self-efficacy beliefs, pedagogical beliefs about children's learning processes and visual arts content knowledge.

Can Our Cities' Thriving Creative Precincts Be Saved From 'Renewal'?, Christopher R. Gibson, Alexandra Crosby, Carl Grodach, Craig Lyons, Justin O'Connor, Xin Gu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Governments are busily rezoning our cities for high-rise apartments. The New South Wales government, for example, plans to rezone a 20-kilometre corridor in Sydney, from Sydenham to Bankstown, for urban density, in concert with a new metro rail line. Residents and community groups have reacted vociferously to the prospects of high-rise buildings in previously low-density suburbs. But there is another, overlooked dimension to the redevelopment. Much of it is on industrial land: pockets of old factories and workshops, portrayed as decrepit and in need of renewal. Our new project documents enterprises that actually use urban industrial lands. It's a story …