Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Challenges Experienced By Japanese Students With Oral Communication Skills In Australian Universities, Miho Yanagi, Amanda Ann Baker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Due to ever-increasing demands to acquire effective communicative abilities in the English language, increasing numbers of international students choose to study in Western tertiary institutions; however, they frequently encounter difficulties in performing satisfactorily in English. This study aims to identify specific challenges that Japanese students face with oral communication skills while studying in Australian universities. Results from questionnaire data collected from 33 undergraduate and postgraduate Japanese students in Australia and interview data from five TESOL postgraduate students indicate that Japanese students have greater difficulty with speaking than with listening and pronunciation. It also sheds additional insight into two areas of …

Making A Smart City For The Smart Grid? The Urban Material Politics Of Actualising Smart Electricity Networks, Harriet Bulkeley, Pauline M. Mcguirk, Robyn Dowling

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In a growing debate about the smart city, considerations of the ways in which urban infrastructures and their materialities are being reconfigured and contested remain in the shadows of analyses which have been primarily concerned with the management and flow of digitalisation and big data in pursuit of new logics for economic growth. In this paper, we examine the ways in which the 'smart city' is being put to work for different ends and through different means. We argue that the co-constitution of the urban as a site for carbon governance and a place where smart energy systems are developed …

Broaden Research On The Human Dimensions Of Climate Change, Noel Castree

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Human actions are causing global environmental changes that, in turn, have significant human impacts and demand human responses. The magnitude of change, impact and response will only increase in the decades to come. For too long science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects have dominated research into how people are altering the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. We now urgently need to understand, and seek to alter, human behaviour so that our planet remains a liveable one for all people.

Opinion: The Best Apps You Can Imagine, Irina Verenikina, Lisa K. Kervin, Maria Clara Rivera

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Since digital technologies entered the realm of education, there has been strong debate as to whether they are appropriate, useful, or even harmful for young children. The concept of 'screen time' has been debated with concern (well supported by research) that sitting in front of a computer screen can be detrimental to children's posture, muscular development and body weight, as well as to their eyesight and attention span. Recommendations have suggested the exposure of preschoolers to computers should be limited to 20 minutes, and for those under 2, nil. Digital technologies are becoming increasingly mobile, making previous concerns about posture, …

Opinion: Everyday Activities Can Teach Self-Regulation, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The evidence is in: improving young children's self-regulation can help them onto more positive life trajectories. But how can we generate these improvements? In contrast to a growing trend called brain training, it seems there are everyday things that can yield similar benefits.

Work-To-Family Profiles, Family Structure And Burnout In Mothers, Laura Robinson, Christopher A. Magee, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify work-to-family profiles in working mothers, test whether profiles differ between sole and partnered mothers, and examine whether the work-to-family profiles are associated with burnout. Design/methodology/approach Data on work-to-family conflict (WFC), work-to-family enrichment (WFE), burnout, and relevant socio-demographic covariates were collected via a self-report online survey. Latent profile analysis on WFC and WFE items was used to identify profiles in 179-sole and 857-partnered mothers in paid employment. Regression analyses were performed to examine whether profiles were associated with burnout. Findings Five distinct work-to-family profiles were identified: Harmful, Negative Active, Active, Beneficial, and …

Weed Hygiene Practices In Nsw: Knowledge And Practices Of Landholders, Public Land Managers, Weed Contractors And Agricultural Transport Operators, Sonia Graham, Nicholas J. Gill, Rebecca Cross, Viveka Simpson, Eli Taylor, Sarah Rogers

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Weeds cost the NSW economy over $1.8 million each year through weed control costs, productivity losses, expenditure by public agencies and value lost due to price responses in agricultural markets (NRC, 2014). Good weed hygiene supports weed control efforts and can prevent weed spread. The importance of weed hygiene is reflected in the plethora of policies and guidelines on weed hygiene practices that exist for different sectors. Despite the presence of numerous weed hygiene guidelines, the 2013 National Landcare Survey (de Hayr, 2013) indicated that very few resources were being expended on weed hygiene; only 11% of agricultural businesses surveyed …

Resource-Sensitive Global Production Networks: Reconfigured Geographies Of Timber And Acoustic Guitar Manufacturing, Christopher R. Gibson, Andrew T. Warren

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article examines how resource materiality, scarcity, and evolving international environmental regulation shape global production networks (GPNs). Nature-facing elements, including resource scarcity and environmental regulation, have seldom featured in GPN analysis. So, too, GPN analysis emphasizes spatial relations between network actors over temporal change. We extend GPN theorization through a temporal analysis of industrial change, connecting manufacturing to upstream resource materialities and shifting regulation, and to downstream consumers increasingly concerned with provenance and material stewardship. To illustrate, we document a resource-sensitive GPN-acoustic guitar manufacturing-where scarcity of select raw materials (tonewoods) with material qualities of resonance, strength, and beauty, as well …

Assessing The Sustained Impact Of A School-Based Obesity Prevention Program For Adolescent Boys: The Atlas Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, David R. Lubans, Jordan J. Smith, Ronald Plotnikoff, Kerry A. Dally, Anthony D. Okely, Jo Salmon, Philip J. Morgan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Obesity prevention interventions targeting 'at-risk' adolescents are urgently needed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustained impact of the 'Active Teen Leaders Avoiding Screen-time' (ATLAS) obesity prevention program. Methods: Cluster RCT in 14 secondary schools in low-income communities of New South Wales, Australia. Participants were 361 adolescent boys (aged 12-14 years) 'at risk' of obesity. The intervention was based on Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory and involved: professional development, fitness equipment for schools, teacher-delivered physical activity sessions, lunch-time activity sessions, researcher-led seminars, a smartphone application, and parental strategies. Assessments for the primary (body mass index …

Do Visual Art Experiences In Early Childhood Settings Foster Educative Growth Or Stagnation?, Gai M. Lindsay

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article offers findings from research that examined the visual art beliefs and pedagogy of early childhood educators and supports reflection about the educational merit of different types of visual art experience offered to children. The range of visual art experiences typically delivered in early childhood education settings varies significantly in method and purpose, yet there is little guidance to support early childhood educators to evaluate the visual art experiences they include in the curriculum or to consider their role as art educators. At the same time, the research literature suggests that pre- school educators lack confidence to make and …

A Systematic Review Of Cognitive Failures In Daily Life: Healthy Populations, Nicole Carrigan, Emma Barkus

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cognitive failures are minor errors in thinking reported by clinical and non-clinical individuals during everyday life. It is not yet clear how subjectively-reported cognitive failures relate to objective neuropsychological ability. We aimed to consolidate the definition of cognitive failures, outline evidence for the relationship with objective cognition, and develop a unified model of factors that increase cognitive failures. We conducted a systematic review of cognitive failures, identifying 45 articles according to the PRISMA statement. Failures were defined as reflecting proneness to errors in 'real world' planned thought and action. Vulnerability to failures was not consistently associated with objective cognitive performance. …

Acute And Chronic Effects Of Cannabinoids On Human Cognition-A Systematic Review, Samantha J. Broyd, Hendrika H. Van Hell, Camilla Beale, Murat Yucel, Nadia Solowij

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cannabis use has been associated with impaired cognition during acute intoxication as well as in the unintoxicated state in long-term users. However, the evidence has been mixed and contested, and no systematic reviews of the literature on neuropsychological task-based measures of cognition have been conducted in an attempt to synthesize the findings. We systematically review the empirical research published in the past decade (from January 2004 to February 2015) on acute and chronic effects of cannabis and cannabinoids and on persistence or recovery after abstinence. We summarize the findings into the major categories of the cognitive domains investigated, considering sample …

Crafting Masculinities: Gender, Culture And Emotion At Work In The Surfboard Industry, Andrew T. Warren

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article examines the masculinities of male workers in the context of an emotionally rich form of labour: surfboard-making. Contributing to emerging research around the emotional and embodied dimensions of men's working lives, the article maps the cultural, emotional and embodied dimensions of work onto masculine identity construction. Combining cultural economy theory, emotional geographies and in-depth ethnographic methods, I reveal how surfboard-making has become a gendered form of work; how jobs rely on (and impact) the body and what surfboard-making means to workers outside of financial returns. Following a manual labour process, and informed by Western surfing subculture, commercial surfboard-making …

Consumers' Responses To Front-Of-Pack Labels That Vary By Interpretive Content, Zenobia Talati, Simone Pettigrew, Bridget Kelly, Kylie Ball, Helen Dixon, Trevor Shilton

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Previous research has shown that front-of-pack labels (FoPLs) can assist people to make healthier food choices if they are easy to understand and people are motivated to use them. There is some evidence that FoPLs providing an assessment of a food's health value (evaluative FoPLs) are easier to use than those providing only numerical information on nutrients (reductive FoPLs). Recently, a new evaluative FoPL (the Health Star Rating (HSR)) has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. The HSR features a summary indicator, differentiating it from many other FoPLs being used around the world. The aim of this study was …

Australian Pregnant Women's Awareness Of Gestational Weight Gain And Dietary Guidelines: Opportunity For Action, Khlood Bookari, Heather Yeatman, Moira J. Williamson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background. Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) can negatively impact on maternal and foetal health. Guidelines based on Institute of Medicine (IOM) encourage managing GWG by following healthy eating recommendations and increasing physical activity. This study investigated pregnant women’s knowledge of their optimal GWG and recommended dietary approaches for GWGmanagement. Method. English-speaking pregnant women were recruited from five hospitals in New SouthWales (Australia) and an online link. Prepregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height and prepregnancy weight. Participants identified their recommended GWG. A survey assessed practical dietary knowledge and asked about broad dietary recommendations to prevent excessive GWG. …

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) Is Sensitive To Head Injury And Cognitive Impairment In A Residential Alcohol And Other Drug Therapeutic Community, Ely Marceau, Jo Lunn, Jamie Berry, Peter Kelly, Nadia Solowij

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction: Retaining clients in residential alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment is difficult and cognitive impairment has been identified as a significant predictor of treatment dropout. The application of extensive screening for cognitive impairment is cost-prohibitive for most AOD treatment services. The current study aimed to explore cognitive functioning and impairment-associated factors in a typical sample of residential AOD clients using a free brief screening tool that could be utilised by front-line AOD services. Methods: Residents of an AOD therapeutic community (n = 128) and a non-substance using control group (n = 37) were administered a brief cognitive screening measure, …

Down The Methodological Rabbit Hole: Thinking Diffractively With Resistant Data, Gary Levy, Christine Halse, Jan Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article, part of a larger study, began with an inquiry into the ways a small group of preteen boys and girls with diagnosed eating disorders discussed their ideas and attitudes about healthy bodies in individual interviews. Despite applying some of the usual analytic procedures, the data yielded little of significance in relation to body and health discourses, or to gender differences. We therefore wondered whether our underlying epistemological lenses and methodological toolkit had prevented us from seeing and hearing what was happening with this particular cohort. By shifting from a predominantly feminist post-structuralist, socio-cultural approach to one more inflected …

Food Insecurity And Poor Diet Quality Are Associated With Reduced Quality Of Life In Older Adults, Joanna C. Russell, Victoria M. Flood, Heather Yeatman, Jie Jin Wang, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships of food security and diet quality with health related quality of life (HRQoL) in a cohort of older Australians. Methods: Data were collected as part of the Blue Mountains Eye Study, a cohort study of community-living individuals aged 49 years and over. A 12-item food security survey, the Short-form 36-item (SF-36) health survey, assessing four physical and four mental domains of HRQoL, and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were completed by 2642 participants. The Total Diet Score (TDS) (maximum score 20) measured diet quality based on food intake from …

Exploring Engagement In Tasks In The Language Classroom, Jenefer Philp, Susan Duchesne

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article explores how learners engage in tasks in the context of language classrooms. We describe engagement as a multidimensional construct that includes cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional dimensions of engagement among second and foreign language learners in the classroom. We discuss key concepts and indicators of engagement in current research on task-based interaction and outline some of the issues in researching engagement in this context.

Learning From Instructor-Managed And Self-Managed Split-Attention Materials, Chloe Gordon, Sharon Tindall-Ford, Shirley Agostinho, Fred Paas

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Summary: Instructor-managed physical integration of mutually dependent, but spatially separated materials, is an effective way to overcome negative effects of split-attention on learning. This study examined whether teaching students to self-manage split-attention materials would be effective for learning. Seventy-eight primary-school students learned about the water cycle, either by studying split-attention examples, integrated examples or self-managed split-attention examples. It was hypothesised that students who study instructor-integrated materials and students who study self-integrated materials would outperform students who study split-attention materials. The results showed that students learned more from instructor-integrated materials than from split-attention materials, thereby confirming the split-attention effect. The implications …

Biopedagogies And Indigenous Knowledge: Examining Sport For Development And Peace For Urban Indigenous Young Women In Canada And Australia, Lyndsay M C Hayhurst, Audrey R. Giles, Jan Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper uses transnational postcolonial feminist participatory action research (TPFPAR) to examine two sport for development and peace (SDP) initiatives that focus on Indigenous young women residing in urban areas, one in Vancouver, Canada, and one in Perth, Australia. We examine how SDP programs that target urban Indigenous young women and girls reproduce the hegemony of neoliberalism by deploying biopedagogies of neoliberalism to 'teach' Indigenous young women certain education and employment skills that are deemed necessary to participate in competitive capitalism. We found that activities in both programs were designed to equip the Indigenous girls and young women with individual …

Gendered Responses To The 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires In Victoria, Australia, Joshua Whittaker, Christine Eriksen, Katharine Haynes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This paper presents findings from a gendered analysis of resident responses to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires (wildfires) in Victoria, Australia. One hundred and seventy-three people lost their lives in the bushfires and more than 2000 houses were destroyed. Previous research on Black Saturday has largely focused on issues of resident preparedness and response, with limited consideration of the role of gender in household decisions and actions. This paper examines the gendered dimensions of risk awareness, preparedness and response among households affected by the bushfires. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with over 600 survivors and a questionnaire of 1314 …

Governing Food Choices: A Critical Analysis Of School Food Pedagogies And Young People's Responses In Contemporary Times, Deana Leahy, Jan Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Recently a proliferation and intensification of school programmes that are directed towards teaching children and young people about food has been witnessed. Whilst there is much to learn about food, anxieties concerning the obesity epidemic have dramatically shaped how schools address the topic. This article draws on governmentality to consider 'the conditions of possibility' for teaching about food in contemporary times. In particular the form that knowledge about food takes in the midst of an obesity epidemic, the authorities on which it draws for its legitimacy and the learnings made possible are considered. To do this two Australian studies investigating …

The Effect Of Sailuotong (Slt) On Neurocognitive And Cardiovascular Function In Healthy Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Crossover Pilot Trial, Genevieve Z. Steiner, Alan Yeung, Jian Liu, David A. Camfield, Frances M. De Blasio, Andrew Pipingas, Andrew Scholey, Con Stough, Dennis Chang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Sailuotong (SLT) is a standardised herbal medicine formula consisting of Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, and Crocus sativus, and has been designed to enhance cognitive and cardiovascular function. Methods: Using a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover design, this pilot study assessed the effect of treatment for 1 week with SLT and placebo (1 week washout period) on neurocognitive and cardiovascular function in healthy adults. Sixteen adults completed a computerised neuropsychological test battery (Compass), and had their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and cardiovascular system function assessed. Primary outcome measures were cognitive test scores and oddball task event-related potential (ERP) component amplitudes. Secondary …

Walking The Tightrope: Communicating Overdiagnosis In Modern Healthcare, Kirsten Mccaffery, Jesse Jansen, Laura D. Scherer, Hazel Thornton, Jolyn Hersch, Stacy M. Carter, Alexandra Barratt, Stacey Sheridan, Ray Moynihan, Jo Waller, John Brodersen, Kristen Pickles, Adrian Edwards

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Overdiagnosis and overtreatment have serious implications for individuals, healthcare systems, and society, and effective strategies are urgently needed to help the public, clinicians, and policy makers address this problem. Communication about overdiagnosis has been highlighted as essential for moving forward but presents several challenges, such as the potential to confuse the public, undermine trust, and adversely affect people who already have a diagnosis. Various communication based strategies offer real promise; we describe what is known and what we need to know to communicate effectively and safely about overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

A Definition And Ethical Evaluation Of Overdiagnosis: Response To Commentaries, Stacy M. Carter, Jenny Doust, Christopher J. Degeling, Alexandra Barratt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It is a privilege to have respected colleagues engage with our definition and ethical evaluation of overdiagnosis. In our response to the commentaries, we first deal with paradigmatic issues: the place of realism, the relationship between diagnostic standards and correctness and the distinction between overdiagnosis and both false-positives and medicalisation. We then discuss issues arising across the commentaries in turn. Our definition captures the range of different types of overdiagnosis, unlike a definition limited to diagnosis of harmless disease. Certain implications do flow from our definition, as noted by commentators, but we do not view them as problematic: overdiagnoses can …

Systematic Review To Inform Prevention And Management Of Chronic Disease For Indigenous Australians: Overview And Priorities, Judith Streak Gomersall, Karla Canuto, Edoardo Aromataris, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Alex Brown

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To describe the main characteristics of systematic reviews addressing questions of chronic disease and related risk factors for Indigenous Australians.

Methods: We searched databases for systematic reviews meeting inclusion criteria. Two reviewers assessed quality and extracted characteristics using pre‐defined tools.

Results: We identified 14 systematic reviews. Seven synthesised evidence about health intervention effectiveness; four addressed chronic disease or risk factor prevalence; and six conducted critical appraisal as per current best practice. Only three reported steps to align the review with standards for ethical research with Indigenous Australians and/or capture Indigenous‐specific knowledge. Most called for more high‐quality research.

Conclusion: Systematic …

Interactional Research In Pbl: Another Piece Of The 'Silence In Pbl' Puzzle: Students' Explanations Of Dominance And Quietness As Complementary Group Roles, Vicki Skinner, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Tracey J. Winning

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A problem-based learning (PBL) assumption is that silence is incompatible with collaborative learning. Although sociocultural studies have reinterpreted silence as collaborative, we must understand how silence occurs in PBL groups. This essay presents students’ explanations of dominance, leadership, and silence as PBL group roles. An ethnographic investigation of PBL groups, informed by social constructionism, was conducted at two dental schools (in Australia and Ireland). The methods used were observation, interviews, and focus groups. The participants were volunteer first-year undergraduates. Students attributed dominance, silence, and members’ group roles to personal attributes. Consequently, they assumed that groups divided naturally into dominant leaders …

Habitus And Responsible Dog-Ownership: Reconsidering The Health Promotion Implications Of 'Dog-Shaped' Holes In People's Lives, Christopher J. Degeling, Melanie Rock, Wendy Rogers, Therese Riley

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Responsible dog ownership has been identified as a point of intervention to promote physical activity, based upon an expectation of dog walking in public space. Nevertheless, quantitative research has found variability among owners in their dog walking. In this study, we explore the implications for health promotion of such variability. We do so by drawing on the concepts of habitus and social capital to analyse qualitative interviews. Participants were recruited from a social network in a cosmopolitan city with a policy framework intended to ensure equitable access to public space for dog walkers. The analysis confirms dog ownership can promote …

Diabetes Case Finding In The Emergency Department Using Hba1c: An Opportunity To Improve Diabetes Detection, Prevention And Care, Tien-Ming Hng, Amanda Hor, Sumathy Ravi, Xiaoqi Feng, Jaime Lin, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, David Chipps, Mark Mclean, Glen Maberly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective We assessed the efficacy of routine glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) testing to detect undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes in an urban Australian public hospital emergency department (ED) located in an area of high diabetes prevalence.

Methods Over 6 weeks, all patients undergoing blood sampling in the ED had their random blood glucose measured. If ≥5.5 mmol/L (99 mg/dL), HbA1c was measured on the same sample. HbA1c levels ≥6.5% (48 mmol/mol) and 5.7–6.4% (39–46 mmol/mol) were diagnostic of diabetes and prediabetes, respectively. Hospital records were reviewed to identify patients with previously diagnosed diabetes.

Results Among 4580 presentations, 2652 had blood sampled of …