Microsoft word - abstracts 071205 pp11-80.doc

ALLAN, Timothy
Supervisors: A/P David Hall Motivation and context in a Peace Studies class
This presentation is based on ethnographic research into learner motivations among 117
university students in a Peace Studies class in Nagasaki, Japan over 15 weeks in 2006-07. In
most contexts, such programmes can refer to discrete or comprehensive interdisciplinary
courses on conflict analyses and resolution. In Nagasaki, additional aspects of such classes
often include the transmission of atomic bomb survivor stories, and the explicit promotion of
anti-nuclear proliferation campaigns. How do such socio-political parameters affect the
students as second language learners in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation? In order
to consider these research questions, learners were given an anonymous survey and journal
task for the full semester, requiring respondents to recount their own learner histories, and to continually evaluate class methods, materials and overall objectives. Results and comments will be described and assessed. Finally, we will preview ongoing research tasks. ALSURF, Saeed Saad
Supervisors: Dr Robert Mannell Dr Verna Rieschild The phonetics and phonology of the Qura'nic velarised sounds and gender variations
Tajwīd is the art of chanting and reciting the Qur'an - a linguistic skill whose general features have been examined in recent studies like Nelson (1980), Gouda (1988), and El-ashiry (1996). This research aims to carry out original research that (a) identifies the features of velarised consonants in Qur'anic Arabic that contribute to the ‘idealized' pronunciations and influence surrounding sounds and (b) tests the hypothesis that males and females have different impressions of the way women practice Tajwīd. AMMIRANTE, Paolo
Supervisors: Mr Bill Thompson Do fluctuating asymmetry and/or schizotypy index music-related deficits?
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) measures random morphological deviations from typical
bilateral symmetry. FA is a reliable marker for genetic and epigenetic stresses, negatively
correlates with e.g., immune function, reproductive success, and physical attractiveness, and
may function as a sexually-selected fitness indicator. Miller proposes that human cognitive
capacities function as 'mental fitness indicators' through cultural mechanisms (e.g., language,
art, humour, music). Recent experimental and neurological evidence has implicated FA in
the operation of such capacities. Music-relevant pitch and timing deficits and high FA have
been observed in schizophrenics. Pitch deficits have also been associated with schizotypal
personality (SPD) but timing and FA data are as yet unavailable. This study aims to
examine to what extent FA and/or SPD account for variance in performance on pitch and
timing tasks in a general population sample as well as associations in performance on these
tasks.
APARICIO, Marco
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley First language use in second language medium content-based classes
Language choice has been discussed in the areas of sociolinguistics and bilingualism.
However, it still seems to be a source of conflict in our everyday practice in language classes
and in bilingual content-based classes. This study aims to investigate the factors which
influence the use of the students' L1 (Spanish) by teachers and students in content classes
taught in the students' L2 (English) in a Language Teacher Education B.A. program in
Mexico, and to identify possible patterns in the use of both languages and the functions
performed with each language. Data have been collected from class observations,
audiorecordings and fieldnotes of the classes observed, and from semistructured interviews
with students and both native Spanish-speaking and native English-speaking teachers. The data have been qualitatively analyzed following a phenomenological approach. In a second phase, a quantitative analysis will be performed. The preliminary findings will be provided in this presentation. ARAI, Miyuki
Supervisors: Dr Peter Roger Prof. Chris Candlin Hierarchy & gender in the Emergency Room: Pragmatic dilemmas in dubbing &
subtitling
Audiences in Japan frequently watch English language films and television series on DVD with Japanese subtitles and/or dubbed Japanese sound. However, partly because of the constraints that synchronised dubbing and subtitling impose upon the translation process, different translations of the same material inevitably emerge when dubbed and subtitled version are compared. The aim of this doctoral project is to analyse the original English, dubbed Japanese and Japanese subtitled episodes of the American television series ER, with a particular focus on politeness and gender and the degree to which these aspects of the source text are (or are not) appropriately projected in the dubbed or subtitled Japanese text. This year's presentation focuses on issues relating to the translation of English second personal pronouns into Japanese, as these pronouns often play an important role in projecting politeness. ARGUEDAS, Deborah
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Dr Richard Stevenson Olfactory hallucinations in schizophrenia: A neuropsychological investigation.
Olfactory hallucinations are indicative of serious psychopathology and poorer prognosis in schizophrenia (Kwapil, Chapman & Miller, 1996). Using a neuropsychological approach, this research aims to identify the neuroanatomical structures and neural circuits implicated in olfactory hallucinations in schizophrenia, and distinct neuropsychological factors which discriminate between patients who experience olfactory hallucinations and patients who experience hallucinations in other modalities (particularly auditory verbal). An additional aim is to attempt to identify disrupted cognitive processes underlying the generation of olfactory hallucinations in schizophrenia by also incorporating a cognitive neuropsychological perspective into the study. Focusing on less frequent but characteristic symptoms, such as olfactory hallucinations, may provide insight into the processes underlying the generation of olfactory hallucinations, and those underlying hallucinations in schizophrenia generally. BABCOCK, Lyndsay
Supervisors: Dr Colin Wastell Dr David Cairns Dr Maria Kangas Understanding Alexithymia: dissociation, trauma and attachment style
Alexithymia research to date has been aimed to further understand why some people develop Alexithymia and others don't. This research aims to answer this by identifying the process contributing to the development of Alexithymia in trauma and non-trauma populations. A new model exploring the developmental pathway is proposed and will be tested across a series of studies. The first study of the series, to be presented at the festival, aims to identify the mediating effect dissociation has on alexithymia. LeDoux (1999) suggests that dissociation interrupts the cognitive process, detaching physical activation from the memory or consciousness. Thus, encoding emotional information is inhibited, rendering one cognitively unaware of emotional activation, or Alexithymic. It is proposed that emotional overwhelm, caused either through exposure to trauma or through maladaptive emotional responsiveness by the primary caregiver, will produce a dissociative effect, impacting Alexithymia. BARCHIA, Kirstin
Supervisors: A/P Kay Bussey The psychological impact of bullying on victims, bullies and student defenders
It is widely held that bullying is a group process involving bullies, victims, students who
reinforce the bully, students who defend the victim, and students who are not involved in
the bullying scenario (Salmivalli, 1996). Although there is a wealth of research investigating
the psychological impact of bullying on victims (Hawker & Boulton, 2000), research findings
related to students in other roles is limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate
possible relationships between depression and bullying, victimization, comforting victims
and intervening. One thousand two hundred and eighty five (692 female) predominantly
White Australian students in grades 7-10 completed a questionnaire measuring frequency of
bully, victim and defender behaviour, depression, empathic efficacy, rumination and
collective efficacy to stop bullying. Victimization was the only role consistently associated
with depression, potential cognitive mediators of this relationship are presented.
BARRETT, Elaine
Supervisors: Dr Alan Taylor An investigation of behavioural problems in thoroughbred horses
This study aims to investigate behavioural problems in thoroughbred racehorses. The thoroughbred racehorse provides an opportunity to examine the effects of exposure to adverse environmental conditions and the expression of behavioural problems. Specific areas of interest will include temperament, environment and equine stereotypies. Equine stereotypic behaviours are considered similar to human OCD spectrum disorders and provide an opportunity to extend models of understanding of anxiety disorders in humans. A questionnaire will be given to a group of leading equine veterinarians seeking their views about behavioural problems, their type, frequency, causes, treatment and the extent to which they contribute to wastage. These responses will be used to inform the development of a second questionnaire/semi-structured interview) to be used with a randomly selected group of horse trainers. There has been no previous systematic investigation of behavioural problems in thoroughbred horses. BARTLETT, Sarah
Supervisors: Dr Alison Moore Dr Beth Armstrong Dr Alison Moore Linguistic resources of children with Asperger Syndrome
This presentation aims to describe the social use of language in children with Asperger Syndrome, as they interact with everyday communication partners in familiar situations. Asperger Syndrome is a disorder of social development that results in a lack of friends, relationships and resultant social isolation for individuals. A brief overview of the literature review and methodology will be given with a focus on discussing the analysis to date. The methods used for this analysis have been derived from a Systemic Functional Linguistic framework. This is a theory of language which views language as a socially based resource organised according to social use and purpose. In particular, discussion will focus on results of a Speech Function analysis. This analysis has been conducted on all 10 participants in the study, across four different communication contexts. Some early findings of initial analysis using Exchange Structure will also be presented. BERRY, Jamie
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Quantifying the qualitative: Developing indexes for neuropsychological process data
Analysis of visuo-spatial neuropsychological test performance has traditionally focused on
the overall outcome of a task, such as the design score on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex
Figure. There is a body of literature that suggests the approach a person takes to
completing a test (or the process) can be pathognomic (e.g., Poreh, 2006). A robust test of
visual scanning is the Bells Test. The Bells Test comprises 35 targets evenly distributed
amongst a set of distractors. It yields a total omission score that can be divided into right
and left side omissions. The test developers (Gauthier et al., 1989) advocate recording the
process by which the bells are circled (i.e., pattern of cancellation) yet they provide the
reader with only an anecdotal method of interpreting this data. This study looks at the
development of computerised indexes to assist clinicians with the interpretation of process
data, beginning with the Bells Test.
BEYERSMANN, Elisabeth
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Castles Prof. Max Coltheart Complex words in visual word recognition
I recently started my PhD at MACCS and I would like to present what I am planning to do during my studies. My research will focus on the role of morphological structure in visual word recognition. Morphological representations are thought to be correlations between the physically perceived visual word form and the abstract neuronal representation of the word's meaning. There is still uncertainty as to whether polymorphemic words are represented in the mental lexicon in a morphologically decomposed form or rather as whole-word representations. Do we decompose first and use decomposition as a standard method? Or do we only use it when whole-word access fails? In order to compare different types of whole-word and morpheme-based theories, my PhD will consider the role of the stem, the affix, and their relationship in morphological processing. BOWN, Andy
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Course management systems and L2 academic reading: The way forward?
Despite the growing popularity of Course Management Systems (CMSs) in colleges and
universities worldwide, it is still unclear how they can be used most effectively to support
the development of L2 Academic Reading skills. This mixed-methods study will investigate
the use of CMS-hosted computer-mediated communicative tasks and CALL reading
exercises with adult male Emirati students at a tertiary-level technical college in the UAE.
Through the use of pre- and post tests, questionnaires, interviews and think aloud protocols,
the performance, experiences and perceptions of 66 Foundations and 40 Higher Diploma
students will be analysed. Comparisons will be made between computer-mediated and face-
to-face pre- and post-reading tasks, and between embedded guided feedback and simple
"correct/incorrect" feedback in online reading exercises. The findings will be used to inform future course and materials design decisions at the college. BRADY, Janet
Supervisors: Dr Alan Jones Prof. Chris Candlin A discourse approach to the transition to management
This research explores the interactions and learning that accompany the transition to
management. A review of the relevant literature suggests that new managers best transform
into their new professional identity through work-based experiences within a supportive
network of superior, peers and subordinates that allows self-reflection and feedback from
others to occur. The development of a discourse approach allows the fine-grained analysis of
the communicative processes that facilitate the interactionally achieved goal of transition to
management. A key question will be how new managers acquire the practical competence,
values and judgement that is congruent with their new role. It is expected that this study
will assist not only individuals undertaking transition, but also those responsible for
learning and development functions, talent management or succession planning within
organisations.
BRAZILL-BOAST, James
Supervisors: Dr Simon Griffith Breeding niche and interspecific competition in Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae)
The Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) is an endangered grass finch of the Australian northern savannahs. Yet while Gouldian populations have declined dramatically over the last thirty years, populations of the ecologically similar and sympatric long-tailed finch (Poephila acuticauda) have increased throughout the same range. To understand the relative effects of interspecific competition for access to suitable nesting sites (tree cavities), we investigated the behaviour, reproductive biology and habitat use of these two species. Comparison of breeding niches showed that suitable nesting sites are a limiting resource for the Gouldian finches (nesting solely in cavities), whereas Long-tailed finches use a much broader range of breeding sites. We found evidence of niche overlap, suggesting interspecific competition with stronger negative effects on reproductive success in the specialist Gouldian finches compared to the relatively generalist long tailed-finches. BRENES CARVAJAL, Marlene Gerardina
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Burns Constructing identity in pre-service and beginning language teachers
"Teacher identity is based on the core beliefs one has about teaching and being a teacher;
beliefs that are continuously formed and reformed through experience" (Walkington,
2005:54). The aim of this research is to present an analysis of pre-service, practicum and
novice English language teachers' perceptions about themselves as teachers during the
initial periods of their development as teachers and the factors that influence development or
change in identity. The study explores the presence and change of identity traits though
these periods. This is a series of three studies where the participants, through
autobiographies, focus group interviews, teaching journals, and interviews, narrate their
lives and feelings as future, practising and beginning teachers.
BROOKS, Sally
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Towards a theory of language within the Gestalt therapeutic relationship
In Gestalt psychotherapy the relationship between client and therapist is considered to be a
major contributor to the client's capacity to change or heal. Gestalt therapy has no theory of
language in spite of the centrality of language to the therapeutic relationship. Some Gestalt
writers do acknowledge the extent to which language shapes and is shaped by experience
but their work has not been explored or developed further. To contribute to filling this gap
in knowledge my research will comprise a process-oriented exploration of linguistic moves
between therapists and clients. Using systemic functional linguistics it is intended to reveal
those linguistic or relational minutiae that may contribute or detract from the development
of a dialogical relationship (as proposed by Martin Buber and interpreted by contemporary
Gestalt therapists) in its emergence from the semiotic field shared by therapist and client.
BURROUGHS, Tim
Supervisors: Dr Doris McIlwain Structure of narcissistic personality
Research on narcissistic personality uses a range of measures, some of which show no
correlation with each other. This has most commonly been explained in terms of two
alternative forms of narcissism - overt and covert. This study is examining the possibility
that the measures represent different dimensions of narcissistic personality which co-exist
and interact to produce a more textured description of this personality type. The theoretical
underpinnings for these dimensions are also considered.
BURTON, Rachael
Supervisors: Dr Doris McIlwain Dr Jennifer Peck The influence of gender and individual differences on participants engaging in CMC
This research explores individual differences between young adults in the way they discuss
contemporary topics online. Discourse analysis and examination of conversation style were
used to determine the influence of gender on computer-mediated communication.
Participants entered an online chat room and discussed three different topics, prompted by
three short video segments. The Personal Attributes Questionnaire was used to measure
participants' levels of agency and communion to achieve a broad understanding of each
individual's gender identity and how this impacts communication online. Rosenberg's self-
esteem scale and Neff's self-compassion scale (a proposed alternative to the self-esteem scale)
were used to measure individual differences between the participants. Results will be discussed. BUTORAC, Donna
Supervisors: Dr Stephen Moore Identity and aspiration in language learning
This presentation reports on the initial stages of research into the relationship between
language and identity in the lives of new migrants, and the extent to which identity
construction is mediated by the development of the target language. Identity is referred to
in the sense established by Norton (2000), which suggests that it is not fixed but is
constructed and influenced by the social and economic conditions experienced by the
individual. This notion of identity is tied up with how people understand their relationship
to the world, and also how they enact what Appadurai (2006) refers to as "the capacity to
aspire". The research also, then, examines learner aspirations and the ways that they might
come into conflict with the attitudes of teachers and administrators, examining Norton's
claim that "relations of power can serve to enable or constrain the range of identities that
language learners can negotiate in their classrooms and communities" (1997:412).
CALDER, James
Supervisors: Dr Jac Brown Dr Susanna Chamberlain Ms Michelle Dickson Meaning and identity: An exploration of the performance of masculine identities
This qualitative research thesis aims to explore the complex relationships between human identity and the attribution of meaning to experience, specifically as it relates to masculinities. It does so using a methodology arising out of Grounded Theory termed Sensitised Analytic Induction. Ten interview transcripts with men discussing their understanding of themselves and masculinity were analysed using this methodology. Sensitised concepts or hypotheses were developed through the course interviewing. Concept 1: That we attribute meaning by placing the experience within the context of a narrative. Concept 2: That these narrative lines are the narratives of identity. Concept 3: That these narratives of identity represent the remembered positions an individual has taken up around dominant culturally available constructions or ‘identity markers', in this case ‘masculinities'. CAMBERIS, Anna-Lisa
Supervisors: Dr Catherine McMahon Dr Frances Gibson Dr Jacky Boivin Maternal maturity and the transition to parenthood
The objectives of this study are to examine the effects of age, maturity, and mode of conception on parental and child wellbeing in the context of first-time motherhood and the growing trend towards delayed childbearing. Specifically, maturity will be explored in the context of both age and life stress (here, infertility) to address the question of how maturity is related to adult development and parenting capacity. Maturity will be explored both as a resiliency factor in terms of pregnancy adjustment and coping across the transition to parenthood, and as a determinant of parenting. A prospective longitudinal design will be used incorporating both self-report and observational methods to allow a more in-depth assessment of parenting quality and infant development. The presentation will outline: how the construct of maturity is conceptualised; the outcome measures of adjustment and well being in pregnancy and early parenthood; and the model being tested. CASSADAY, David
Supervisors: A/P David Hall A/P Geoff Brindley Capturing the needs and goals in a workplace ESL program
Recent discussion in workplace English development for limited English proficiency (LEP)
employees focuses on greater participation of all stakeholders in structuring the program's
curricular content and goals. First, using the interview and questionnaire data of power-
yielding stakeholders and fluent-English-speaking co-workers in a non-profit retail business
and service provider, this study compares their attitudes toward the ESL program and
understanding of second language learning. Second, this study examines LEP stakeholder
satisfaction in learning outcomes, post-class language needs, and co-worker encouragement.
Finally, using a comparative analysis of the data, this study highlights the importance of
incorporating findings from all stakeholders in workplace curriculum development.
CASTINEIRA, Teresa
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Dr Annabelle Lukin A multimodal anlaysis of the 2006 Mexican Presidential Campaign billboards
This work analyzes the political discourse of the multimodal and multisemiotic texts that the three major political parties involved in the 2006 Mexican presidential elections produced and massively distributed through the medium of billboards. We investigate how these parties express their particular ideologies, construct and convey social identities and relationships, and construct relations of power between themselves and the readers/viewers of these texts through billboards. The methodological framework addresses these issues based on Fairclough's (1995) three-dimensional model of analysis while employing a variety of qualitative techniques tools and approaches that can appropriately address the complexities of these multimodal, multisemiotic texts. CHEUNG, Kwai Mun Amy
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley A study on rater reliability in the oral assessment at the Key Stage 3 in Hong Kong
The assessment of spoken language ability relies on the subjective judgments of raters.
However, research has consistently shown that raters may differ in their judgments, thus
raising problems of reliability and fairness. In the Hong Kong school system, students are
assessed by a mixture of native English teachers and local English teachers. The assessment
reports on Speaking in Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers (2002–2006) noted
that very poor performance was found among teachers in Hong Kong relating to
pronunciation, stress and intonation. The issue of variation in rating behaviour is salient in
this context since Brown (2003) has shown that native speakers and non-native speakers can
vary in severity. Furthermore, since there is evidence that teachers can either become
habituated (AMES, 1993) or sensitized (Bonk & Ockey, 2003) to student errors, it becomes important to establish to what extent rater judgment is affected by frequent exposure to student errors. CLAYTON, Kymbra
Supervisors: Dr David Cairns Dr Doris McIlwain The meeting of the social and experiential worlds: Views of dissociation and DI
This thesis explores the phenomenon of Dissociative Identity in general society rather than
in clinical contexts. Two issues are explored 1) is DI real and found in everyday society and
2) whether DI is functional in adulthood. Acknowledging the interrelatedness between
experiential and societal perspectives, viewed within society and culture, the differing forms
of data, newspaper articles, discussion groups, in-depth interviews and open-ended
questionnaires and website chat rooms are analysed by qualitative methods. This allows
participants to narrate their own experiences, sharing perspectives often overlooked by
clinical research. This multilayered approach encapsulates theory and incorporates
information normally absent from research demonstrating that DI is a ‘lived' phenomenon
in society, and for some individuals can be functional in adulthood, irrespective of the
constraints put on them by society.
CLORY, Kala
Supervisors: Dr Julie Fitness Dr John Cunningham Cultural influences on emotion in marriage
In an increasingly multicultural society, knowledge of cultural differences in relationships can provide important information to counsellors. In the psychological literature, minimal attention has been paid to Indian culture and research on emotions in arranged marriages is nonexistent. This research explores cultural differences in emotional communication among Indian couples who have arranged or love (self choice) marriages in contrast to love marriages among Australian couples. Data on the experience and expression of love and anger, based on recalled incidents in couples' relationships, are presented. In addition, the impact of globalization on cultural values associated with arranged marriages is discussed. COHEN, Karen
Supervisors: Dr David Cairns Dr Carolyn Schniering Is searching for meaning in life associated with reduced well-being?
Theory has speculated that if an individual is searching for meaning in life, that they may be
distressed. This study investigated the hypothesized two-dimensional typology of the
presence and searching subscales in the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al, 2006)
and examined the relationship between searching for meaning in life and subjective and
psychological well-being. Utilising a survey design, 106 participants completed the Meaning
in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), the Depression Happiness Scale (DHS) and the General
Background Questions. Pearson's correlation and a bivariate scatterplot support the
independence of the two-dimensional typology. Cluster analysis was run to highlight
distinct groups within the data which represented different levels of searching and presence of meaning in life and happiness scores. Four clusters were identified. Results supported the relationship between searching for meaning in life and reduced subjective and psychological well-being. COLLING, Lincoln John
Supervisors: Dr Blake Johnson Auditory scene analysis
Although there has been extensive psychophysical research into auditory scene analysis
(ASA), there has only been limited study into the underlying neural mechanisms. The
limited research that has been conducted tended to focus an event-related potential (ERP)
component (the mismatch-negativity) that primarily indexes change detection mechanisms.
Recent work, however, conducted by our group on an ERP known as the object-related
negativity (ORN) shows more promise for elucidating neural correlates of concurrent sound
grouping, because the ORN is a more direct index of the neural mechanisms responsible for
concurrent sound grouping. In addition to the ORN, the contribution of higher-level,
attention-dependent, mechanisms have been studied through analysis of another ERP
component, known as the P400. In this talk, I will provide a brief background to the ORN
and P400 followed by a more detailed discussion of my planned PhD research.
COLLINS, Emma
Supervisors: Dr Jac Brown Dr Chris Lennings Dr Lorna Peters Sex offender treatment: What works from the perspective of the offender & the
expert
An evaluation of a community based sex offender treatment program is currently underway using qualitative methods. Interviews are being undertaken to explore the offenders' perspectives on 'what works' in treatment. The literature has noted that the views of offenders are often overlooked and can add value in informing treatment evaluation. Offenders will also be asked how the current program compares with other treatment experiences. Offenders' opinions will also be matched up with a number of sex offender treatment experts in the field, to determine any related themes and disparity in perspectives. COLLINS, Samuel
Supervisors: Dr Phil Taylor Optimal irradiation procedure for sterilization of Queensland fruit fly
Sterile insect technique (SIT) is the primary pest management program for containment and
eradication of Queensland fruit fly (Q-fly) outbreaks. In SIT flies are mass reared, rendered
reproductively sterile by gamma radiation and released within Q-fly infested areas. Sterile
males mate with wild females preventing the production of viable offspring, instigating
population crash. Currently there is limited research into the effectiveness of irradiation
procedures used for Q-fly SIT. Here I examine Q-fly mass rearing quality control procedure
(i.e. flight ability, longevity) and the effects of irradiation dose rate and total dose on levels
of sterility, survivability and mating competitiveness. This is the first detailed study of
product quality control and irradiation of mass reared Q-fly for SIT and the potential effects on fly performance. CONNAUGHTON, Emily
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Prof. Max Coltheart Belief evaluation in organic cases of delusions
Delusions occur in a number of organic conditions such as Huntington's disease and
traumatic brain injury. A current conceptualisation of delusional belief suggests that two
distinct factors contribute to the generation and adoption of a delusion (Langdon &
Coltheart, 2000). The first factor involves a cognitive abnormality or motivated attentional
bias that explains the content and initial generation of the delusion. The second factor is a
belief evaluation deficit that accounts for the uncritical acceptance of the delusional belief.
Coltheart, Langdon & McKay (2007) speculate that the second factor arises "as a
consequence of damage to a belief evaluation system associated with the right frontal
cortex" (p.644). This research project aims to conceptualise the second factor in more detail,
and investigate candidate belief evaluation deficits in organic cases of delusions, using a
single case study approach.
CONTI, Janet
Supervisors: Dr Daphne Hewson Reflections on women's experience of "anorexia nervosa" - 10 years on
How do women describe their experience of "anorexia nervosa" ten years on? What changes do they notice in their relationship with "anorexia" and how do these changes shape their identity? Much of the research into "anorexia nervosa" is concerned with definitions and aetiologies of the "disorder", who and how people with the "disorder" respond to treatment and "recover" based on researcher selected criteria. Few studies pay attention to the views of women themselves. This research began with a focus on women's narratives of "anorexia". An unanticipated opportunity has arisen to interview ten of these women ten years later. The women interviewed so far see themselves as inhabiting a different space; some taking up alternative "territories" of their identity while others continue to be bound by senses of self, linked with "anorexia", that they conceive as immutable and part of who they are. This paper will reflect further on these findings. CONTIJOCH ESCONTRIA, Maria del Carmen
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Burns Exploring online tutors' beliefs on feedback
This paper involves research related to the area of e-learning with particular reference to the
topic of tutors' feedback. The study here presented is part of a Doctor of Applied Linguistics
research that is being carried out in Mexico at the Foreign Language Teaching Centre
(CELE) at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico).
The objective of the study is to examine what online tutors believe about the role of
feedback in an online course (ALAD) that purports a socio-constructivist view of learning.
The study addresses the following questions:
1) What are online tutors' beliefs about feedback in an online teachers' development course
at CELE/UNAM? 2) What are the similarities and differences between tutors' beliefs? 3) In what ways are the socioconstructive principles underpinning ALAD reflected in the tutor's responses? The data reported is based on the results of 12 questionnaires and 12 interviews with all the current online tutors working in the Diploma course. COOK, Melodie
Supervisors: Dr Rachel Varshney Congruencies in program objectives between Canadian host and Japanese guest
teachers
This study concentrates on the beliefs and practices of host-country teacher trainers, investigating initial congruencies (or lack thereof) between the goals and objectives of the Japanese teachers of English (JTEs) and those of the program coordinator and host teachers in a Canadian in-service program. Using ethnographic techniques, the study asks: 1) what do host teacher trainers know about the daily realities and practical needs of Japanese teachers of English? And, 2) how do teacher trainers modify their pedagogical practices and content to suit the particular needs of JTEs (if at all)? As Markee (2001) notes, "practitioners who wish to introduce innovative syllabuses into an educational system must recognize the potential impact… of various sociocultural constraints on their activities" (p. 121). Thus, the more teacher trainers know about these sociocultural constraints, the better equipped they will be to provide appropriate training. CROAKER, Kate
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon A/P Phillip Ward Dr Andrew Baillie Prof. Max Coltheart The neuropsychological consequences of cannabis use in schizophrenia
Recent research debates the reason for cannabis use in schizophrenia .Some researchers propose that cannabis use is an attempt to self-medicate and others say a genetic predisposition to develop schizophrenia combined with cannabis brings on earlier onset. Little is known about the neuropsychological consequences of cannabis in schizophrenia. The question of primary interest is whether present and past cannabis dependence has a similar profile to non-cannabis schizophrenia. Preliminary analyses were conducted. 17 individuals with schizophrenia (10 without cannabis use, 7 with cannabis use) were neuropsychologically tested. Cannabis users were more symptomatic, more impulsive and had lower current IQ than non-users. These results indicate schizophrenia combined with cannabis dependence generates a different profile to schizophrenia alone. These results are inconsistent with the self-medication hypothesis. Future research intends to analyse the 2 cannabis dependence groups separately. DAVIS, Bridget
Supervisors: Dr John Franklin Dr Andrew Baillie A discovery-oriented investigation of integrated Focusing processing
The aim of this study is to conduct a preliminary investigation of integrated Focusing
processing [IFP], a modified version of Gendlin's Focusing. Focusing involves attending to
the felt sense--an "inward bodily felt referent"--or sensations linked to affect. IFP has been
developed in response to the therapeutic implications of the Integrated Cognitive
Subsystems model of Teasdale and Barnard. Focusing is known to enhance Experiencing
Level which has repeatedly been shown to correlate highly with outcomes across
psychotherapies. IFP is in the earliest stage of development. Therefore, a discovery-oriented,
exploratory approach is used to evaluate the usefulness of this intervention. Both
quantitative and qualitative methods are used. In this early trial, seven participants
underwent one session of IFP. Participants answered questionnaires and were interviewed
post-session and at follow-up. Research findings suggest that IFP led to clinically significant
gains.
DIBAJ, Farzad (Frank)
Supervisors: Prof. Ingrid Piller EFL vocabulary learning, monolinguals or bilinguals
This study seeks to find out whether there are any significant differences between learners of English as a second language and learners of English as a third language in learning vocabulary. The participants were 52 Persian only speakers and 45 Azari-Persian speakers. They were all female and were studying English as a foreign language in two universities in Iran. The participants were exposed to two incidental and four intentional vocabulary-learning exercises. They were then measured through the VKS, Vocabulary Knowledge Scale test (Paribakht & Wesche, 1997). Variables such as English proficiency level, intelligence level, family educational level, sex, age and type of university were controlled. The result indicated that the L3 learners outperformed their L2 counterparts in four-vocabulary difficulty level. DICKSON, Michelle
Supervisors: Dr David Cairns Dr Daphne Hewson Locating your self in research – a journey with identity, culture & visual data
"Doing research" has far more meaning when it feels right, feels good. Indigenous
researchers are challenging dominant research methodologies through creative,
inspirational new ways of working with research. This paper tells the story of my ongoing
research journey, with all of its challenges and triumphs. It connects my current research
methodologies with my cultural background, my family history! Finding ways of moving
away from the expected, dominant Western research paradigms into a more comfortable
way of working is always at the forefront of my research processes. Energized by blending
visual and narrative data, this research explores the meaning of "alternate" data for both the
researcher and the participants. For this Indigenous researcher, it is all about positioning yourself with and in the research, so it feels right, feels good! DING, Jun
Supervisors: Prof. Pam Peters The representation of anisomorphism in English-Chinese dictionaries
There is a tradition of uni-directionality in English/Chinese bilingual lexicography. Most
bilingual E/C dictionaries are either for English-speaking or Chinese-speaking users.
Besides certain historical reasons, the marked anisomorphism (the inter-linguistic
asymmetry) between English and Chinese is behind the unfeasibility of making bi-
directional E-C dictionaries. The entry treatment in two dictionaries (A New English-
Chinese Dictionary and An Advanced English-Chinese Dictionary, both for Chinese-
speaking users) is compared to find out how anisormphism is represented, and to what
extent the right assessment and effective representation of anisomorphism affect the
usability of these dictionaries.
DODD, Helen
Supervisors: Dr Melanie Porter Dr Robyn Langdon Prof. Max Coltheart Psychopathology in Williams syndrome
Research has suggested that individuals with Williams syndrome are at increased risk for specific psychiatric diagnoses including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Specific phobia and Generalised Anxiety Disorder. These findings are based almost entirely on broad checklist measures. The present research used diagnostic interviews, validated against DSM-IV criteria with an aim to extend previous findings whilst overcoming the methodological limitations of earlier research. The results confirmed previous findings and also showed that these individuals may be at risk for depressive and psychotic disorders. Other, unusual behaviours including obsessions, rigidity, anticipatory anxiety and extreme emotions were also noted. New findings relating to comorbidity and developmental course were found and the relationship between specific cognitive abilities and diagnostic status was examined. DONNELLY, Holly
Supervisors: Dr Carolyn Schniering Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for self-harming adolescents and their families.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in young Australians with 12.4% reporting a lifetime
history of self-harm (De Leo & Heller, 2004). DBT is the first empirically supported
treatment for self-harming adult women (Linehan, 1993). Following three clinical trials
using modified versions (Fellows, 1999; Katz, Cox, Gunasekara, & Miller, 2004; Rathus &
Miller, 2002), DBT is increasingly being adopted in a wide variety of adolescent mental
health settings. While promising, the treatments trialed differ significantly in content and
structure, and none have evaluated the major modification, namely the inclusion of
adolescents' families in treatment. This study aims to develop a DBT treatment manual for
adolescents that incorporates key developmental modifications and considers a flexible
structure to cater for a variety of settings and resources. A controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy of the manualised treatment, with special consideration given to the impact of family involvement. DUMITRU, Magda
Supervisors: A/P Veronika Coltheart Prof. Max Coltheart Prof. Stephen Crain Processing coordinate structures
Studies on the processing of coordination in language have targeted conjunction and found
structurally symmetric structures to be processed faster (e.g. ‘a cat and a dog' vs. ‘a small
black cat and a dog'). Based on pilot studies, I claim that disjunction is not as sensitive to
structural symmetry as conjunction is, and advance the hypothesis that the two types of
coordination are processed differently: conjunction is parsed as one semantic unit, while
disjunction is parsed as two semantic units. Moreover, since disjunction in language is
inclusive-or by default, its processing might differ from conjunction because the first reading
to be accessed is consistent with just one of the disjuncts being true (‘only A' and ‘only B'),
instead of both, due to pragmatic factors. Supplementary motivation for the hypothesis
comes from linguistic considerations, prosodic and semantic.
EAGLETON, Jennifer
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin The "Ultimate Aim": Discourses of future democratization in post-handover Hong
Kong
Hong Kong is an executive-led partial democracy with a constitution that provides the possibility of full universal suffrage at some unspecified time in the future. My thesis focuses on how various groups in Hong Kong discuss this future democratization; its principal orientation is an exploration of metaphor as a major mechanism for ideology and meaning making. After providing necessary background to Hong Kong's political situation, this presentation exemplifies the utility of particular discursive linguistic tools such as critical metaphor analysis and the discourse-historical method of critical discourse analysis by exploring newspapers, government documents and websites. Most studies on democratization deal with nations transitioning from authoritarianism to a more liberal regime unlike that of Hong Kong. This distinctive development is likely to throw up interesting challenges to the description, interpretation and explanation of "traditional" discourses of democratization. EGAN, Luke
Supervisors: Dr Natasha Todorov Dr Julie Fitness The personality traits that predict dispositional forgiveness
Previous research has found that dispositional forgiveness is linked to numerous physical
and psychological health benefits. The present research is focused on the personality traits
that contribute to and predict dispositional forgiveness. Specifically, the research seeks to
identify the key traits that determine whether or not an individual is forgiving. This in turn
will inform future psychological interventions aimed at promoting forgiveness. A model of
the traits that are hypothesised to predict dispositional forgiveness will be presented and
discussed, along with the initial results of the testing that is being carried out on the model.
Directions for future research will also be explored.
ELLIS, Danielle
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Hudson Psychometric evaluation of the SPAI-C in an Australian clinical population
This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Social Anxiety Scale for Children
(SPAI-C) in an Australian clinical sample. Participants were children aged 6 – 17 years
recruited from the Macquarie University Anxiety Research Unit. Confirmatory factor
analysis will be conducted to evaluate the fit of three- and five-factor models identified in
previous research. Convergent validity will be determined by correlating the SPAI-C with
the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Fear Survey Schedule – Revised, the Child
Behaviour Checklist, and parental reports of social anxiety. Discriminant validity will be
determined by assessing the SPAI-C's ability to differentiate children with social phobia
from those with other anxiety disorders, externalizing difficulties, and no disorders. Finally,
internal consistency will be assessed. The findings will be used to determine whether the
SPAI-C is a valid measure of childhood social anxiety in an Australian population.
ENGLEHEART, Christine
Supervisors: Dr Ben Searle Dr Doris McIlwain The creative process from a choreographic perspective
An investigation of the creative process in the making of choreography involving the detail between stimulus and mental completion of the creation. Focus is on: 1. Creative Process being the essence of the cognitive formation of movement or dance sequences. 2. Stimulus for commencement of the process. Origin of stimuli may include areas such as music, imagery, mood, colour or an artwork. 3. Flow as a state of access to the creative process and therefore the creative mind allowing focus on the spark of new mental imagery or kinaesthetic creation. 4. Mental imagery from initial inspiration to mental manipulation and creative product. Imagery involved is viewed from a perspective awareness of 1st or 3rd person with an internal or external view. 5. Kinaesthetic and other sensory awareness when creating movement. 6. Motivation being intrinsic and extrinsic. 7. Goals regarding task and ego orientation. FALKUS, Justin
Supervisors: Dr Annabelle Lukin The writing of 1st year Japanese university students: An SFG perspective
Despite six years of English study at secondary school, many Japanese students enter
university with poor writing skills. Since neither traditional grammar translation methods,
nor the more recent trend towards communicative teaching, seem likely to resolve this
problem, a third way should be considered. It is the contention of this presenter that a
systemic functional grammar (SFG) approach is a strong and exciting candidate. This
presentation describes an ongoing, three stage study. In the first stage, a corpus of the
writing of first-year Japanese EFL university students is examined to uncover the
lexicogrammatical resources these learners use to convey experiential meanings. Stage two
evaluates these resources, with a view to assessing (from an SFG perspective) which
constituents of the clause prove most problematic. The third stage investigates the success
of a particular context-based pedagogical method (developed by the presenter) designed to
help students with these areas.
FANG, Jing
Supervisors: Dr Canzhong Wu Prof. Christian Matthiessen Exploring the experiential meaning of the Chinese nominal group
With systemic functional theory as the theoretical framework, the three strands of meaning,
namely ideational (including experiential and logical), interpersonal and textual meanings,
will be considered in turn in my overall PhD project. As the first step into the field work, I
will explore the experiential meaning of the Chinese nominal group. At this stage, I will
focus on the experiential structure of the nominal group by looking at each functional
element within the group. Based on the manual analysis of a small corpus, each functional
element will be studied within the system network of the Chinese nominal group. Findings
will also be related to different text types – this will be realized by looking at the frequency
of a particular pattern in relation to a certain text type. A comparison with the system of the
English nominal group is expected to provide some useful indications to translation.
FARLEIGH, Peter
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Prof. Christian Matthiessen Arresting the spectator
Schelling wrote of the 'chorus' in Greek tragedy: "The chorus acquired the function of
anticipation what went on in the spectator, the emotional movement, the participation, the
reflection, and thus in this respect, too, did not allow the spectator to be free, but rather
arrested him entirely through art." Here I want to elaborate on this observation by making
the contrast between 'verse' and 'chorus', and to uncover this structure or pattern in various
modalities of meaning including the popular song, the traditional church cantata, the
symphonic hymn among others. I will argue that the 'verse' is used to create a certain social
distance between the performer and spectator, but it is the 'chorus' that lures the spectator in
to participate and to begin to feel at one with the performer and performance. Further, a
certain degree of power can be generated by the performer with an ebb and flow created
through the cycle of verse and chorus.
FARRELL, Emily
Supervisors: Prof. Ingrid Piller Home: Discourses of migration and second language use
The recent introduction of a citizenship and values test in Australia encapsulates the
conflicting public and semi-private rhetoric of both inclusive diversity, and paranoid
nationalism. How do these codified values relate to how migrants talk about national
belonging? This longitudinal interview study of eight highly proficient adult L2 English
users focuses on how speakers themselves define belonging within the variegated social
space of Australian communities. In this paper I will discuss the use of social identity terms
and the discursive strategies by which people construct a sense of home. The approach
draws on work from narrative analysis, second language learning and post-structuralist
theory in order to explore more complex understandings of social identity in the
contemporary migration context.
FITZPATRICK, Sally
Supervisors: A/P Kay Bussey The identification and effect of relational bullying on adolescents
Studies into school bullying have typically examined physical or verbal acts of aggression.
More recently, consideration has been given to another form of bullying which can be as
damaging to its victims (Paquette & Underwood, 1999), namely, indirect (Lagerspetz,
Bjorkqvist, & Peltonen, 1988), relational (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995), and social (Galen and
Underwood, 1997) aggression. These forms of aggression are intended to inflict harm by
manipulating social relationships, spreading rumours, and excluding others from the group.
The aim of the present study was to develop a measure of relational bullying which
integrates behaviours from all three constructs. In addition, the study investigated possible
relationships between relational bullying and depression, anxiety, and externalizing
behaviours in adolescents. These effects were examined for victims and bullies of relational
bullying, as well as students who witness and intervene in relational bullying.
FLANNERY, Gregory
Supervisors: Dr Verna Rieschild A/P Ilija Casule The historical processes of pronominalisation
The Indonesian first-person pronoun 'saya' has evolved from the nominal form 'sahaya', borrowed from Sanskrit, originally meaning 'slave'. Thus, what began as a self-effacing politeness strategy has shed its semantic loading, leaving us with a fully grammaticalised person marker that references the speaker in purely deictic terms. It is possible that we may be witnessing the same sort of phenomenon in the use of 'saudara', also from Sanskrit, meaning 'brother'. 'Saudara' is commonly used as a formal second-person pronoun, although it retains its nominal form in current usage. One indicator of its changing status pertains to a primary distinction between pronominal and nominal forms of address in Indonesian; nominal forms generally maintain a gendered counterpart. The feminine form of 'saudara', 'saudari', appears to be losing its currency. Thus, the question arises; is ‘saudara' losing its nominal status? Will it eventually become a purely grammaticalised form? FLORES-SALGADO, Elizabeth
Supervisors: Dr Peter Roger Developmental patterns of request and apologies
The objectives of the present paper are to compare the realization patterns of requests and
apologies produced by Mexican Spanish learners of English at different proficiency levels
with those of native speakers of English to analyse whether the proficiency level of the
learners affects the selection of the strategies or conventions of means when they realize
these speech acts in the target language. In order to analyse the acquisitional patterns of
interlanguage pragmatics, this research will report on the findings of a cross-sectional study.
The different degrees of involvement of grammatical competence depending on the
linguistic complexity of the speech act realization will be examined, in order to determine
whether the greater variety of linguistic material is simply a reflection of expanded
vocabulary and syntactic structures, or whether the more advanced learners have developed a better command of the pragmalinguistic potential of lexical and syntactic devices. FOGLIATI, Vincent
Supervisors: A/P Kay Bussey Prof. Ladd Wheeler Mediators of stereotype threat: The role of comparative context
Stereotype threat theory (Steele&Aronson, 1995) posits that negatively-stereotyped people
perform worse if their stereotype is made salient, and that this is mediated by anxiety. The
finding of worse performance under stereotype salience has been frequently replicated, but
consistent findings regarding stereotype threat's mediators have proved elusive.
Two studies will examine mediators of stereotype threat. In the first, participants will be
told they possess a certain cognitive style, and that people with this style possess either
superior or inferior abstract reasoning. Participants will then receive bogus feedback that
they performed either well or poorly on a relevant task. In the second study, negatively-
stereotyped participants will be told to compare their performance to their own group or to
the positively-stereotyped group. It is hypothesised that the mediators of stereotype threat
vary as a function of a range of factors, including task engagement and comparative
context.
FREWEN, Amie
Supervisors: Dr Andrew Baillie Dr Mark Montebello The role of mirtazapine on withdrawal from dependent cannabis use
Recent research has identified measurable withdrawal symptom following cannabis cessation. However, what remains unclear is the time course and severity of symptoms, and impact on relapse. This study explored the potential efficacy and tolerability of mirtazapine, an antidepressant, which is hypothesised to aid cannabis withdrawal symptoms. Methods: 81 cannabis dependent treatment seeking outpatients were randomised to placebo or mirtazapine. Participants rated withdrawal symptoms for 14 days. All subjects received structured CBT. Results: While there were moderate but statistically significant improvements in ratings of sleep, mood, anxiety and withdrawal discomfort over the first fourteen days there was no significant difference between the treatment groups. Conclusions: Preliminary analysis showed that all participants benefited from the structured program. However, no additional benefits for mirtazapine on measures of daily sleep, mood, anxiety or withdrawal symptoms were observed. GARDNER, Andrew
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Dr Jac Brown Dr Jennifer Batchelor Dr Susanna Chamberlain Neuropsychological detection of concussive sports injuries
Concussion is a common neurological injury in many contact sports. Much of our knowledge about cognitive function following concussion has been generated using traditional ‘paper & pencil' tests. Recently, computerised cognitive tests have been developed to assess post-concussive symptoms. Changes in cognition following concussion are conventionally determined by administrating the battery pre-season and again following head injury. Any post-injury changes from baseline are considered consequences of the concussion. Despite these obvious benefits few pre-season baseline tests at the non-elite level are conducted. Consequently, non-elite player's test performances are compared to normative test data to determine the extent of an individual's head injuries. The current study seeks to compare the performance of two computerised neuropsychological tests; ImPACT and CogSport with the traditional ‘pencil and paper' processing speed tests. GERBER, Jonathan
Supervisors: Prof. Ladd Wheeler Dr Julie Fitness Why do rejected people act so strangely?
People do strange things after rejection; they mimic others, and will sometimes be
aggressive towards innocent people. A meta-analysis of experimental studies of rejection
found several surprising results. The key one to be discussed in this talk is that anti-social
responses to rejection are due to people prioritising restoring control, even at the expense of
belonging. Other results include mood effects, and the validity of self-report measures of
control, belonging and meaningful existence.
GILBY, Amanda
Supervisors: Dr Simon Griffith Genetically determined polymorphisms in the Gouldian finch
My PhD is on the maintenance of genetically determined polymorphisms in the Gouldian
finch. The Gouldian finch can exist as one of three discrete, heritable head morphs, black,
red and yellow, which occur naturally at a balanced ratio of 70%, 30% and >1%. Recent
work has shown that the yellow headed morph is both avoided as a mate and socially
dominated by the other two morphs, yet they continue to be found in wild populations, when
we would have expected them to be driven to extinction by natural selection. My work will
use a variety of behavioural, physiological and molecular approaches to investigate the three
morphs with the aim to determine why they exist in such a balanced polymorphism. The
first thing I will be looking at is nestling development, as it is not yet known whether differences between the morphs exist at this early stage, or if they only start at the onset of adulthood. My talk will be on the literature surrounding this subject and the experiments I am proposing. GILLETT, Lauren
Supervisors: Dr Judi Homewood Hypoglycaemia and the executive functioning of children with Type 1 Diabetes
There is mixed evidence that recurrent hypoglycaemia may lead to permanent
neuropsychological deficits in individuals with Type 1 Diabetes, with the developing brains
of children being particularly vulnerable. Exposure to frequent or severe hypoglycaemia
may lead to poorer executive functioning via reduced cerebral blood flow to the frontal lobes.
This cross-sectional study will compare the executive functioning of three groups of diabetic
children, categorised by their history of hypoglycaemic episodes, with a control group of
healthy children. Eighty-one children aged 8-16 years will be recruited from the Children's
Hospital at Westmead, and undergo neuropsychological testing. This study has received
ethical approval and data collection is about to commence.
GLADMAN, Andrew
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Burns A/P Geoff Brindley Balancing responsibilities in 'Collaborative Interdisciplinary Team Teaching'
This presentation introduces a data-driven research investigation into the highly
collaborative teaching approach of a private liberal arts college in Japan, ‘Collaborative
Interdisciplinary Team Teaching' (CITT). CITT is used to deliver content-based language
instruction to lower-division students, developing their language and content skills
simultaneously through integrated syllabi.
Initially, focus group interviews were used in an exploratory survey of the opinions and
beliefs of a sample of CITT teachers. Eleven common themes were identified, and data
analysis suggests potential tensions exist between some of the teachers' varied professional
responsibilities. Consequently, a questionnaire was designed for distribution to all CITT
teachers, in order to determine their perceptions of the relative importance of these thematic
aspects of CITT. At this stage of the research process, the questionnaire findings will be
summarised, and preliminary conclusions drawn.
GODBEE, Kali
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Dr William Thompson Evaluation of cognitive-motor competition following concussion
Concussed athletes are generally cleared to return to play after being asymptomatic for one week. However, athletes may appear asymptomatic when attempting activities in isolation yet display noticeable deficits when performing two tasks simultaneously. Cognitive-motor dual-task situations, in which participants move their bodies whilst manipulating information mentally, most closely resemble the real-life athletic arena. The present study proposes to assess the extent, nature, and time-course of cognitive-motor competition at multiple stages of recovery. It will use motion tracking equipment to investigate gait under different conditions (forwards, backwards, and with obstacles to avoid) whilst performing a difficult auditory detection task. The findings may then be used to predict recovery, guide intervention strategies, and develop a rapid diagnostic tool of cognitive-motor impairment, thereby helping to minimise the individual, social and economic losses associated with concussion. GOLDSTEIN, Mandy
Supervisors: Dr Andrew Baillie Dr Lorna Peters Mr Christopher Thornton The effectiveness of a day program for the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa
The risks of anorexia nervosa (AN) are well established. Despite its severity, little certainty exists for treating practitioners. Moreover, ethical and financial limitations have resulted in a dearth of controlled studies establishing effective treatments - other methods of establishing treatment effectiveness are necessary. This presentation therefore presents preliminary results of an open clinical trial of a day hospital program for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Participants were 28 females aged 12 to 18 years, diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, who completed the "Transition Program" in 2004-2006. Significant change emerged on the Anorexia Stages of Change Questionnaire. Preliminary trends suggest that treatment gains on this and other measures of eating attitudes and behaviour were maintained at 6 month follow-up. Present outcomes are discussed with respect to the dearth of efficacious treatment options for this population. GRANT, Kerry-Ann
Supervisors: Dr Catherine McMahon Dr Sinan Ali Prof. Ron Rapee Prenatal anxiety and infants' cortisol responses to a laboratory stressor
Abnormal functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis has been implicated
in the pathophysiology of a variety of adult psychiatric disturbances, but it is not yet known
how and when HPA axis functioning becomes maladaptive. One pathway that has received
considerable support in the animal literature is fetal programming of the HPA axis.
Although a small number of prospective human studies suggest links between maternal
prenatal psychological state and various cognitive, behavioural, and emotional disturbances
in offspring, the contribution of altered HPA axis functioning to the development of
psychopathology remains unclear. This is partly because HPA axis activity in the offspring
of prenatally stressed or anxious women is rarely assessed. The aim of this study is to
extend this area of research by investigating prospectively the impact of prenatal maternal
anxiety on infant neuroendocrine responses to a mild laboratory stressor.
GRAUEL, Wiebke
Supervisors: A/P Linda Cupples Dr Elizabeth Armstrong Using syntactically complex verbs: A comparison of people with and without aphasia
The study focuses on use of syntactically complex verbs in various sentence and discourse contexts by people with and without aphasia. Of particular interest are verbs with complex argument structures, unaccusative verbs, and verbs in passive voice. Difficulty with these verb features has traditionally been associated with non-fluent aphasia; however, more recent research has included individuals with fluent aphasia as well, revealing some similarities to the patterns observed in non-fluent forms. For instance, production patterns for single sentences are different from patterns in discourse in both aphasia types. Moreover, non-brain-damaged speakers' production of syntactically complex verbs differs across linguistic levels as well, with some of their patterns in discourse being strikingly similar to those in fluent and non-fluent aphasia. These results raise the question of whether some syntactic deficits in aphasia might merely be an ‘exaggeration' of normal production patterns. GREEN, Alisa
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Prof. Clive Harper Repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status: Australian data
Background: Accurate interpretation of neuropsychological tests is dependant upon
individuals tested closely matching those of the normative sample. However, even amongst
groups traditionally considered to be culturally similar, differences have been noted.
Therefore the aim of this study was to construct normative data for Australians completing
the RBANS. Secondly, to examine the clinical applicability of the RBANS in an Australian
context
Method: 179 community dwelling individuals received the RBANS as part of joining a brain
donor program along with the Diagnostic Instrument for Psychosis (DIP) part of which
estimates weekly alcohol consumption Results: The present study group differed from the original North American normative sample on all 12 subtests and 5 RBANS indices. Our results also revealed that the RBANS distinguished between drinkers and controls. GREENFIELD, Shaun
Supervisors: A/P Sachiko Kinoshita A/P Lyndsey Nickels Rapid decoding of non-initial phonemes in non-word reading.
Coltheart and colleagues (2001) and Perry and colleagues (2006) argue letters are decoded
into sounds serially. Forster and Davis (1991) and Coltheart and colleagues (1999) argue
that the restriction of phonological priming to the word onset in reading aloud is due to this
serial process. If the process responsible for onset specificity is a reading process similar
results should be found in tasks which do not involve a verbal response. The presented
experiments show that pseudohomophone primes produce a benefit relative to orthographic
control primes in pseudohomophone decision but not in reading aloud at an SOA of 53ms.
Phonological overlap of non-initial segments is thus important, just not in reading aloud.
From this it follows that the process responsible for onset specificity of priming in reading
aloud is subsequent to letter to sound decoding, consistent with the proposals of Kinoshita
(2000), Kinoshita and Woollams (2002), Kinoshita (2003), and Malouf and Kinoshita (2007).
GREIG, Sue
Supervisors: Dr Carolyn Schniering The impact of parent education on the development of infant attachment.
Infant attachment is formed within the first 6 months of life and remains relatively stable throughout childhood and beyond. Nearly 40% of infants are found to be insecurely attached which is later associated with increased risk of mood depression, anxiety and personality pathology. Attachment also influences parenting and in nearly 80% of cases, insecurely attached parents develop insecure attachments with their infants. The proposed study explores the possibility of interrupting this interfamilial transmission of insecure attachment by providing new parents with information and eduction about how best to care for their infants during the first 6 months post partum. The correspondence between the parent's attachment style (measured by the Adult Attachment Interview) and the infant's attachment classification 12 months (measured by the Strange Situation procedure) will indicate the likelihood that this process is open to influence. GRUSIN, Wendy
Supervisors: Dr John Franklin The neurotic manager… good or bad for business?
Cross cultural findings obtained in Sydney and Hong Kong indicate that this sample of
Master of Business Students (n=310), were on average, higher in neuroticism than the
general population, as measured by the NEO FFI (Costa & McCrae, 1992). The relationship
between this personality characteristic, and participants' approach and avoidance cognitive
patterns is discussed. Implications of these cognitive patterns, in light of the current focus
on positive psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), and the potential impact on
business for this generation of managers, is explored.
GUILLÉN-CUAMATZI, Patricia María
Supervisors: A/P David Hall Dr Rachel Varshney Communities of practice: Participants, identity construction and discursive practices
The now well-established Community of Practice (CofP) construct offers several possibilities for researchers to explore learning from a different perspective where participation is a central feature. Lave and Wenger (1991), first developed the term and later Wenger (1998) identified three dimensions of a CofP: mutual engagement, a joint enterprise and a shared repertoire. The first aim of this research is to explore the nature of the construct through participants' experience of the process of becoming members of the community and discuss some challenges to it (Candlin and Candlin, in press). Second, to analyze participants' discursive practices to construct their identity (ties) into the community. It is proposed to collect the data through participants' narratives and recorded interviews to enhance our understanding of the notion of communities of practice. HAFNER, Christoph
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Prof. Vijay Bhatia Managing certainty and doubt in professional legal writing
This e-presentation reports on the findings of an exploratory case study into legal
professional writing practices in the Hong Kong context. The study compares the
performance, perceptions, and writing practices of novice and expert legal writers
responding to the communicative demands of the barrister's opinion genre. The participants
include 5 practising barristers and 20 students of law, all enrolled in the Post-graduate
Certificate of Laws at the City University of Hong Kong (bar exam equivalent). The study
draws on the participants' writing and associated grades (for the students), focus group
interviews, and background information questionnaires. An initial analysis suggests that a
key issue for writers is how to manage certainty and doubt effectively, while presenting their
opinion in authoritative terms, consistent with the barrister's perceived role of specialized
legal expert. This issue is explored in the presentation and implications for teaching practice
are suggested.
HARRIS, Celia
Supervisors: A/P Amanda Barnier Social influences on memory: The role of group dynamics
Most psychological memory research treats the social environment as a distorting influence
that needs to be controlled or eliminated. However, remembering with others is an everyday
occurrence, and may be beneficial in certain kinds of situations or for certain kinds of groups.
I aim to explore more fully the outcomes and ongoing consequences of remembering with
others, focusing not just on how much is recalled but also on the qualities of recall and the
influence of group dynamics. I used a standard word-list collaborative recall paradigm to
examine the influence of group dynamics on recall, and found that discussion influenced
memory both during the discussion itself and subsequently. These experiments provide
insight into the way that discussion affects memory, and the role of different group processes in mediating the effect of discussion on memory. HARVEY, Euan
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Peck Questions and questioning in academic selection interviews
Research into selection interviews has focused primarily on professional settings, examining
the reliability and validity of selection interviews, factors affecting interview outcomes, and
interviewer/interviewee behavior. Less research has been carried out in academic
institutions, although studies have examined the reliability and predictive validity of
academic selection interviews. As students compete for entry through interviews, the
academic interview process is a highly relevant area for research. This study examines
interview processes at an English-medium tertiary educational institution in Thailand,
addressing a neglected area in both academic and professional interview research: what is
said by interviewers. Existing research focusses on the candidates' presentation of
information. This study examines micro-linguistic features used by interviewers, with
special attention to types of questions employed. It is hoped this will aid in analysis of the
discourse and social processes at work in selection interviews.
HATOUM, Camillia
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Prof. Max Coltheart Mr Andrew Rock Delusions in aged-psychiatry
The 2-factor theory (Coltheart, 2005) accounts for some forms of delusional belief and puts forward the necessity for two distinct neuropsychological deficits. The 1st is an impairment of perceptual or emotional processing which is responsible for the content of the belief. The 2nd, an impairment of a right hemisphere system responsible for belief evaluation; in this case, a wrong belief is not rejected despite the strong evidence against it. This 2-deficit model has been applied to explain delusions such as Capgras (the delusional belief that a loved one has been replaced by an identical impostor) that arises when an individual loses the sense of affective responsiveness which normally co-occurs with explicit recognition of a familiar face. The result is discordance between "he looks right" and "he doesn't feel right". Our aim is to test the applicability of this approach to the explanation of the delusions that I come across during my neuropsychological positions in aged-psychiatry. HAWLEY NAGATOMO, Diane
Supervisors: Dr Stephen Moore Prof. Anne Burns Do Japanese university English teachers view themselves as English language
teachers?
This paper presents preliminary findings of a study of Japanese university teachers' beliefs about themselves as language teachers. A questionnaire survey was sent to 460 teachers. Despite a return rate of just under 5%, respondents represent a wide spectrum of the targeted population in terms of age, experience, academic position, and academic major. Results show that only 42% view themselves as language teachers. Follow-up email interviews suggest several reasons: 1) There seems to be a gap between respondents' academic specialties and their teaching realities; 2) Many have no background in language pedagogy and 3) Some see language teaching as an inferior profession. Nevertheless, most believe they are good at and have confidence in teaching English. The majority also report spending most of their time on teaching related activities when classes are in session, suggesting priority is placed on language teaching even if they do not see themselves as language teachers. HIROZANE, Yoshito
Supervisors: Dr Robert Mannell A/P Linda Cupples Effects of word length and frequency on English rate perception by Japanese speakers
Working memory is required for most cognitive behaviors including speech perception. In
the task of short-term serial recall, working memory capacity is known to be affected by
word length and word frequency, based on the phonological loop hypothesis. If we assume
that the mechanism for rate perception is also explained, at least in part, by the phonological
loop hypothesis, then word length and word frequency may be assumed to affect rate
perception as well.
An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of both word length and word
frequency on English rate perception by Japanese speakers. Two sets of four synthetic
sentences differing in terms of word length and word frequency were generated. Twenty-six
native Japanese speakers were presented with a series of sentence pairs and asked, for each
pair, to indicate which one sounded faster. The results show that both effects were observed
only under certain conditions.
HO, Victor
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Achieving request compliance from subordinates: A discourse-based analysis
This is a qualitative research project analyzing the discourse of the internal request emails written by the Chinese leaders of a small-sized multinational education organization in Hong Kong. The organization members receiving the emails are of different cultural backgrounds: Chinese and non-Chinese. The way the leaders achieve request compliance through the discourse structure and its constitutive effects is examined. The directness, politeness, and accompanying influence tactics of the requests are also revealed. It is found that while the leaders used the same strategies in the emails sent to both groups of members, they did differ in some respects: (1) they constructed themselves as a different sort of leader by emphasizing different abilities and powers they possess, (2) they relied on inductive and deductive rhetorical strategies to different extent and for different purposes, and (3) they used some strategies only with either the Chinese or non-Chinese organization members. HOAN, Andros
Supervisors: Dr Ken Cheng Remembering as discriminative operant behaviour.
Remembering can be conceived as perception in the present of a past event. Putting this in
behavioural terms, to remember a stimulus is to respond to that stimulus at a later time, i.e.
remembering is behaviour along the stimulus dimension of time. This suggests that like
much other behaviour, remembering can be influenced by its consequences, i.e. it can be
studied as operant behaviour. This view implies that learning phenomena such as stimulus
discrimination, generalization, and peak shift, which have been shown in discrimination
learning along many other stimulus dimensions, may occur also in discrimination along the
stimulus dimension of time, i.e. in remembering. Data from operant studies with pigeons and
hens have supported this. The occurrence of peak shift in remembering was not predicted by any traditional theory of "memory", and cannot be explained by the century-old construct of memory trace decay. Will humans also exhibit this radically counter-intuitive effect? HOCKING, Darryl
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Text and context: The genre of the art and design brief
Central to most contexts involving the production of the artifact is the occluded genre of the
brief; a document that operates out of public view to provide conceptual and technical
guidelines for the artist or designer. In academia the brief is essentially a taken-for-granted
and uncontested component of art and design study, yet it remains largely untheorised and
unanalysed from both linguistic and pedagogical perspectives. This e-presentation will
report on doctoral research in progress, which aims to explore the linguistic and rhetorical
characteristics of the art and design brief genre, the values and epistemologies that are
reflected in and constructed through the brief, and how these operationalise the creative
process. The presentation will focus briefly on three areas of the research to date, the mixed-
methodological approach framing the study, a review of brief-related literature, and initial
insights from a corpus-based analysis of the brief genre.
HONG, Joanne Jung-Wook
Supervisors: Dr John McAndrew Intertextual analysis of fastfood business practice
The presentation will overview the present study on intertextual analysis of fastfood business practices. The social and theoretical background data and methodology for the study will be discussed. The study aims to reveal how McDonalds constructs the concepts of the social issues related to fastfood business practices. It examines what images, social relations and ‘realities' the fastfood industry has (re)created and (re)constructed through interactions with other discourses. In this regard, the study investigates the intertextual relations regarding three key fastfood issues which have arisen from the McDonald's data: nutrition, environment and labour issues. Specifically, the study is concerned with displaying what realities and images the fastfood industry constructs around these issues through intertextual connections to government regulations and legislations and to public comments. HOON, Christopher
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Batchelor Dr Tanya Lye Ms Therese Alting Is testosterone associated with cognitive performance in healthy older men?
Testosterone (T) has various effects on numerous body tissues, including the brain. Older age is associated with functional declines throughout the body, including some aspects of cognitive performance. These functional declines are mirrored by decade-by-decade decline in T levels in ageing men. T influences brain function via androgen receptors, which are found in brain regions that are crucial for learning and memory. This provides a biologically plausible mechanism for T to influence cognition. The impact of T decline on brain function is unclear, with previous studies producing inconsistent findings. Using a population-based cross-sectional design, this research will examine the association between T and cognitive performance in healthy older men, while addressing a number of the methodological flaws of previous investigations. Positive findings may support future research into the viability of T supplementation to protect against cognitive decline in older men. HOWARD, Anne
Supervisors: Dr Jan Tent Positive feedback in university discussion classes
When leading university-level discussions, instructors must guide the discussion by giving
feedback to students' remarks, keeping to the institutional agenda of covering certain topics
in a limited amount of time, while still maintaining an atmosphere in which students feel free
to say their own opinions. This research uses the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken
English (Simpson et.al, 2002) to examine the ways that instructors give feedback in spoken
academic discourse. This paper will show the forms that feedback takes and the discourse
functions it serves—to encourage students to speak, to change discussion topic and even to
criticize.
HUMPHRIES, Simon
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Multiple AR Cycles to increase participation in a DVD class
The presenter will demonstrate his implementation of four Action Research cycles to
improve the motivation and participation levels of Japanese learners of English in a rural
technical college. The presenter analysed the discussion phase of a movie essay-composition
course during a four year period through video recordings, interviews, questionnaires, peer
collaboration, and a research diary. The study comprises four AR cycles, which improved
comprehension, reduced anxiety and increased motivation during steps 1, 2 and 4. Action
Research is not always successful and the presenter will explain how the third cycle faced
difficulties due to the level of complexity. Many research publications explain how a problem
was noticed and solved; in contrast, this study illustrates how teachers can implement multiple AR cycles to achieve incremental improvements. JONES, Andrew
Supervisors: Dr Julie Fitness Dr Doris McIlwain Dr Kipling Williams Prof. Ladd Wheeler The slimiest of the slimy: Moral offenders we find particularly repulsive
In this talk I will review findings from a number of studies I have conducted that have dealt with the question of whether disgust can be felt in relation to moral objects. Overall the evidence produced suggests that "moral disgust" is a form of interpersonal disgust that motivates individuals to avoid contact with actual, or suspected, moral transgressors. I will further describe the findings of a recent study concerning whether, and if so why, certain classes of wrongdoers are considered more "slimy" than others. KATO, Akiko
Supervisors: Dr Felicity Cox Dr Robert Mannell Temporal feature of intervocalic consonant at the initial stage of L2 learning
One feature of native language (L1) which strongly affects the initial stage of second
language (L2) learning is syllable structure. This research asks whether Australian learners
of Japanese language change syllable affiliation of an intervocalic consonant from
ambisyllabic status in L1 Australian English (L1AusE) to syllable onset in L2 Japanese (L2J)
and how they develop L2 syllabification toward that of native Japanese speakers during the
first 1.5 years of L2 classroom experience.
Acoustic analyses revealed that the Australian learners had difficulty modifying L1
syllabification to approximate L2. In terms of L1-L2 changeability of intervocalic /k/
syllable affiliation, L1 syllable structure seemed to interfere with L2 learning when the
preceding vowel is a L2J short vowel. Acoustic examinations confirmed that L2
syllabification is a challenge for L2 adult learners at the beginning stage.
KAVANAGH, Michael
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Burns A/P Geoff Brindley Teacher cognition among tertiary-level Chinese English teachers
Teacher cognition studies are rare in the Chinese context. This broadly ethnographic investigation of three tertiary-level Chinese English teachers seeks to elicit beliefs about language learning and teaching, their sources, and their links with classroom action. To achieve an emic perspective, a cyclical series of data collection (including writing, interviews, lesson observations and stimulated-recall interviews, documentary data, and a group discussion) is employed to reveal each teacher's ‘voice'. Interpretive data analysis in three combinations provides three linked studies: 1) the teachers' self-reported views/beliefs; 2) the relationships between reported views/beliefs and actions in the classroom setting; 3) three separate case studies, discussing the relationships between the beliefs and practices of all three teachers. This presentation focuses on the investigation's rationale and the research methodology used. KAWASHIMA, Tomoyuki
Supervisors: Dr Rachel Varshney The effects of exposure to non-native English on self-confidence of Japanese learners
In the Japanese context in which exposure to spoken English is very limited, it could be
hypothesized that English speaker role models play a crucial role in creating learners' self-
confidence in speaking English. It has been argued that the key to cultivating fluent English
speakers in Japan is to help Japanese learners visualize a clear image of their "English-using
selves." (Yashima, Zenuk-Nishide, and Shimizu, 2004: 142-3). Bandura's Social Learning
Theory (1977) supports their argument. However, no intervention study (to my knowledge)
has examined the effects of exposure to non-native English on Japanese high-school
learner's self-confidence. In order to ascertain how exposure to non-native English
influences self-confidence in Japanese high school English learners, this research explores data from two two-month-long intervention studies in which model readings by non-native speakers are presented while learners practice repeating texts. KERCHER, Amy
Supervisors: Prof. Ron Rapee Prof. Sue Spence The aetiology of adolescent depression
This research examines the development of depression in early adolescence. A model has
been developed to account for several key factors implicated in the development of
depressive symptoms, including parental psychopathology, perceived parenting style, and
the child's attributional style, rumination tendency, self-worth and the occurrence of
dependent and independent negative life events. This model will be examined longitudinally,
which has not been done before in this early age range. Time 1 data will be presented,
considering these factors on a cross-sectional basis with young adolescents. Additionally, a
separate model has been explored, also considering personality traits, which will be
presented. It is hoped that the implications of this research will include an improved
understanding of the aetiology of depression, as well as an increased understanding of the
operation of risk factors which will inform prevention and treatment programs.
KIM, Sung Jin
Supervisors: Dr Joanne Jeong Topical metafunction in English passive into Korean pitong translation
This research is mainly aiming to investigate why keeping the same theme-rheme structure is important in English passive into Korean translation and how translators overcome the difficulties caused by the polar opposites between the two, English passive and Korean pitong in their translation keeping the same information flow. The typological differences between the two specific linguistic features of each language are discussed in the aspects of syntactic and semantics. Passive sentences in The Old Man and the Sea, are analyzed according to the theme-rheme structure and compared to the ones in four different Korean translations which were translated by four different professional translators. Thematic progression of the sentences is to be compared to find out the problems in passive translation and then the alternatives based on the grammatical rules and Korean specialists' approvals are to be suggested. KO, Agnes
Supervisors: Dr Julie Fitness Mate trade-offs: The impact of disabilities on preferences in the mating market
Men and women have distinct preferences for certain traits in their romantic partners, which
can be elegantly explained by the evolutionary theories of natural and sexual selection. By
constricting and manipulating different combinations of the most important attributes of the
market value of hypothetical potential mates, the current research aims to examine the
thresholds of acceptance and desirability in the short- and long-term mating market, as well
as explore the effect of a previously unexplored cue to physical fitness and health, a physical
disability. Therefore, the current investigation seeks to build on past studies by using
photographs of stimulus persons (pre-rated for average attractiveness), either with and
without a disability, paired with manipulated descriptions of status, kindness, and health, in order to explore the effects of restricted choices and cues on sex differences in desire to different levels of investment. KUMAR, Abhishek
Supervisors: Prof. Christian Matthiessen Interpersonal system of Bajjika
Bajjika is a language spoken by approximately 20 million speakers in Bihar, a northern state
of India where Hindi is a dominant language. Bajjika belongs to the same language family as
Hindi – the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European language family. However, its status has
been debated. Non-Bajjika speakers of Hindi consider Bajjika as a dialect of Hindi.
The speech community of Bajjika is hierarchically organised. The hierarchy is clearly
reflected in terms of honorification and politeness in the interpersonal strand of grammar.
The meaning of honorification and politeness is encoded in the pronominal system. However,
it is the predicator that serves as the richest resource of interpersonal potential. The aspect
of the lexicogrammar decides system of mood and realizes other semantic variations.
In this talk I will present the overall picture of the interpersonal grammar of Bajjika,
bringing in the mood system and other interpersonal variations realized by the predicator.
LARSSON, Britt
Supervisors: Dr Alan Jones Dr David Cairns Prof. Chris Candlin Effect of assertive intervention on writing apprehension in professional writers
This interdisciplinary study reports on the effect of an exploratory and assertive intervention on situational writing apprehension in practitioners of professional writing. The primary goals of the project were: (1) to investigate the causes of situational writing apprehension in practitioners of professional writing; (2) to seek evidence of the effectiveness of an assertive intervention in counteracting them; (3) to analyze the complexity of the research site in terms of the competing demands of the discourse communities represented in it; and (4) to show how analysing the discourse of workplace interactions from the perspective of assertive rights can help people improve the standard of texts. LAUBE, Roy
Supervisors: Dr John Cunningham Dr Andrew Baillie Mental health assessment in a culturally and linguistically diverse society
The detection and reporting of changes in psychological homeostasis is strongly influence
by culture. Some phenomena seem to be universal and others are culturally determined. This
is not just a language matter: it reflects the subjective and objective perception of changes
and the appraisal of wellness and illness. Health care interpreters are an untapped source of
valuable cross-cultural health information. They simultaneously maintain two conceptual
models of wellness, illness and treatment expectation as they interpret. Information is
presented regarding mental health conceptions and communication gathered from a survey
of professional health care interpreters.
LEAPER, David
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Topic nomination in group discussion tests
A group discussion test has some advantages as a means of efficiently assessing large
numbers of students. Students can be assessed in groups and raters do not have to be trained
as interviewers would be, while the relatively equal status of students should produce a more
conversation-like sample of language than interviews. However, not much is known about
the language produced in these tests. This study investigates the patterns of conversation
produced by analyzing the transcripts of videoed discussion tests. The initial findings have
revealed three ways they can develop. In the ‘faux interview' style, one student takes it upon
themselves to act as an interviewer. In contrast, the ‘layer cake' develops as opinions are
layered on top of opinions with few, if any questions being asked. Finally, the ‘involved
conversation' develops when the participants show positive interest in some piece of
information volunteered by one of the participants.
LEE, Jieun
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Challenges in court interpreting
Court interpreting requires highest level of accuracy, but court interpreters may have to
take a risk in providing accurate interpreting because of the speech style of lawyers in the
adversarial courtroom, and linguistic and cultural differences between source language and
target language. Based on the analysis of the discourse of Korean interpreter-mediated
witness examination in Australian courtrooms, this presentation examines how these
challenges may be added by the nature of the mode of liaison interpreting during in the
courtroom examination.
LEGG, Miranda
Supervisors: A/P David Hall Negotiating meaning in bedside PBL tutorials at the University of Hong Kong
In 1997, the Medical Faculty at the HKU adopted a predominantly problem-based learning
(PBL) curriculum. The aim was to provide students with a learning environment that
mimicked the cognitive demands on practising doctors at the same time as ensuring that
students gained an education comparable to the previous curriculum.
Research was carried out for my MA dissertation into what roles students and tutors played
in first year PBL tutorials. It was found that the students were in a process of enculturation
into this highly active learning style. Many students were not yet able to successfully
moderate the tutorials, initiate learning topics and affirm and challenge other students. One
question left unanswered was whether these skills were indeed developed overtime and how final-year students function within a PBL curriculum. This presentation provides a description of the framework for an exploration into how final year students negotiate meaning and the demands of PBL. LENEHAM, Marcel
Supervisors: Dr Jemina Napier Dr Eddie Ronowicz Approaches to interpreting and translating texts from Auslan to English
This presentation will outline translation strategies used by interpreters when producing
English translations of an Australian Sign Language (Auslan) source text. In particular, it
will explore the strategies the interpreters used to deliver a simultaneous spoken English
interpretation. These strategies will then be contrasted with those used by the same
participants when developing a written English translation of the same Auslan source text.
The data helps to further our understanding of processes involved in interpreting and
translation, as well as considering which factors may influence the success of the
interpretation/translation.
LEWIS, Michael
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Rhetorical structures across multiple texts
In conversation, the principle that rhetorical structures encompass contributions from multiple participants is well recognised. In written exchanges (as opposed to isolated monographs), semantically comparable relationships are to be expected, but they are likely to take different forms, since the turn-taking mechanisms of original letter, reply, and so on are clear and (in principle) not negotiable. This paper outlines rhetorical structures found in exchanges of business correspondence. These exchanges provide evidence of topic management within the physical turn-taking mechanism. LIGHTFOOT, Jeanette
Supervisors: Dr Catherine McMahon Dr Frances Gibson Transition to fatherhood: Attachments and adjustment
The attachment and transition to parenthood literatures describe little research focusing
upon the psychological and relational experiences of men during their transition to
fatherhood. This prospective study explores the contribution of attachment security upon a
range of psychological (e.g. depression, anxiety, parenting stress and coping) and relational
constructs (e.g. marital satisfaction, father-infant attachment and father-child relationship)
during the transition to fatherhood. Self report and structured interview measures will be
employed to examine the experiences of 240 men during their partners' pregnancy, at 6-8
months postpartum, and to compare adaptation across time. The study will also include a
qualitative exploration of fathers' representations of parenting and the father-child relationship using the Parenting Development Interview. LOCKER, Ruth
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Hudson Childhood anxiety disorders: The role of life-events & locus of control
Despite the important preventative & treatment implications of understanding the pathways
to anxiety disorders, only few studies have focused on etiology (Hudson & Rapee, 2004).
This research examines the influence of life events on anxiety disorders & behavioural
inhibition with perceived competence of the child and maternal expectations of child's coping
in young children in their first year of school.
LUMBY, Gayle
Supervisors: Dr Catherine McMahon Dr Daphne Hewson Dr David Cairns Living alongside bipolar: The burden of carers
This qualitative project explores the experiences of carers living alongside a family member
with bipolar. Open ended interviews were done with spouses, parents, siblings and children
of people living with biplar. One of the themes identified in their transcripts was burden.
Two types of burden have been described by researchers. Objective Burden is the daily
problems and challenges associated with the illness e.g dealing with psychiatrists or
rectifying the impact of poor financial decisions. Subjective burden is the personal suffering
experienced by family members in response to their relative's illness e.g loss of their hopes
and dreams (Marsh, 1997). Subjective burdens most affect the well being of carers and are
different for the various family members. This presentation will explore in particular the
marriage discourses which inform the decision of spouses to maintain commitment and
endure the burdens of being a carer.
MA, Lai Ping Florence
Supervisors: Dr Stephen Moore Prof. Denise Murray Teaching behaviours of native and non-native speaking English teachers
Native speaking English teachers are experienced English users, whereas non-native
speaking English teachers (NNESTs) are successful English learners. Due to these different
linguistic backgrounds, each group exhibits different teaching behaviours (Medgyes, 1994)
and makes distinctive contributions to student learning. This study will analyse the teaching
behaviours of Native English teachers (NETs) and Local English teachers (LETs) in Hong
Kong through student and teacher perceptions. These perceptions will be compared with
actual teaching behaviours in classrooms.
Data will be collected through questionnaires, interviews, observations and video-recordings
of lessons from students and teachers in two secondary schools. Findings may help identify the strengths and weaknesses of NETs and LETs, and provide practical recommendations for teacher training and the assignment of teaching duties. This presentation will focus on discussing the relevant literature and research methodology. MAKARCHUK, Don
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Word cards and the acquisition of productive recall vocabulary in an EFL context
The purpose of this presentation is to describe the results of a study which explored the
acquisition of productive recall vocabulary knowledge using word cards as a learning
strategy in an adult EFL context. First, the study measured the participants' productive and
receptive vocabulary size with a focus on the 2,000-word frequency level. Next, a quasi-
experimental intervention and survey research techniques were used to examine the
effectiveness of word cards as a strategy for learning and retaining vocabulary. The study
also investigated the value of including a sentence context and the participants' perceptions
of the usefulness of word cards. The study found the participants to have somewhat more
receptive recall vocabulary knowledge than productive. It also reports that word cards led to
significant increases in acquisition, and that learning was largely intact after three weeks.
Finally, the study found the participants to be strong supporters of the use of word cards.
MALCOLM, Diane
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley A/P Linda Cupples Reported English reading strategies of Arabic-speaking medical students
This study investigated reading strategy use of Arabic-speaking medical students at a Gulf university. A reading strategy questionnaire was given to 160 students in Years One and Four, and re-administered to 32 of the Year One group in their third year. Written comments from open-ended questions as well as interview data supplement the questionnaire data. Students of upper years and higher initial English language proficiency were found to use some metacognitive strategies (i.e. those relating to planning, monitoring and evaluating their reading) more, while low proficiency and first year students tended to translate more. Male and female students were similar in reported strategy use. Dealing with technical vocabulary is a major obstacle initially, largely overcome with time and experience. Reading purpose appears to affect strategy use, as Year One students focus on reading to pass exams, while upper year students are concerned with the clinical applications of their reading. MALOUF, Tania
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Dr Arthur Shores Prof. Max Coltheart Self-awareness and Theory of Mind in acquired brain injury
Self-awareness deficits are common sequelae of acquired brain injury (ABI). Currently there is converging evidence to suggest the frontal lobes play an important part in mediating self-awareness. It has also been suggested that the frontal lobes may play a role when making inferences about other people's mental states, known as Theory of Mind (ToM). While the relationship between self-awareness and ToM has been studied in the psychiatric literature, only one previous study has examined this relationship in a neurological population. The present study investigated the relationship between ToM and self-awareness in an ABI population. Participants were administered verbal and nonverbal ToM tasks. Self-awareness was measured using discrepancy scores between patient and relative ratings on the PCRS (Prigatano et al, 1987). Results suggest that while participants with self-awareness deficits perform more poorly on ToM measures these difficulties most likely reflect more general difficulties. MANOUKIAN, Jill
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Peck Dr Susan Shepherd Politeness theory and metaphor in media discourse: The Palestinian-Israeli conflict
This study is a comparative/cross cultural examination of metaphors in The Jordan Star,
The International Herald Tribune and The Jerusalem Post. It focuses on some basic
metaphorical concepts that structure how select events within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
are framed in order to explore the contrasting ideologies and agendas through the lens of
politeness theory (Brown and Levinson, 1987). BUILDING and STATE AS A PERSON
metaphors are identified in each corresponding newspaper and then analyzed. To facilitate
further analysis, linguistic components are examined, drawing heavily on semantic and
discourse features that are a part of politeness theory. The process of using politeness theory
to examine metaphors allows for the study of both linguistic features and the cultural
context to interpret the data. This analysis process brings out some salient ideologies that
each newspaper promotes as well as underlying social and power struggles embedded in
media discourse.
MARIETTE, Mylene
Supervisors: Dr Simon Griffith Coloniality & sexual selection in wild zebra finch
The Australian Zebra finch is one of the most widely used avian models in sexual selection. However, most studies are carried out in the lab on domesticated populations and they rarely acknowledge the specificities of the Zebra finch social system even though it is likely to influence sexual selection. In particular, colonial breeding is known in other species to affect mate choice, sperm competition, maternal investment in eggs, immunology, and potentially parental care (chick feeding rate) via social foraging. Our project, carried out at Fowlers Gap Arid Zone research station, will address some of these points. First, we studied nest site selection and settlement patterns to understand how breeding colonies form. Next, we will compare the foraging strategies and parental care of colonial and solitary pairs by manipulating resource distribution in the field. This project will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of coloniality and its implication for sexual selection. MCGILL, Katie
Supervisors: Dr Carolyn Schniering Cut it out: Adolescent self injury, diagnosis, service use and treatment outcome
Adolescent self injury is a common presentation to Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Services within Australia. However, only a limited evidence base exists regarding effective
treatment and service use. The MOSH (Moving On from Self Harm) project is a randomised
trial of group therapy for adolescents who self harm run within Newcastle and Brisbane, and
this study will conduct subanalyses regarding treatment uptake and outcomes for this
sample. Baseline characteristics of the sample and an overview of the study's questions and
methodology will be presented.
MCGUIRE, Jonathan
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Prof. Max Coltheart A/P Catriona Mackenzie Moral decision making
Research into moral decision making has long rested on rationalist models. However a
recent resurgence of interest in moral psychology, and the rise of experimental philosophy,
has altered the focus to be on intuition, heuristics, and emotions. This approach has gained
widespread public interest. Unfortunately, methodological issues have clouded much of the
research in this domain. My research is focusing on methodological issues involved in the
study of moral decision making, and the common ‘asymmetries' of judgement involved, with
a view to informing descriptive models of moral decision making.
MCLEAN, Greg
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Castles A/P Geoff Stuart A/P Veronika Coltheart Reconciling cognitive and perceptual accounts of dyslexia
This research aims to investigate perceptual and cognitive accounts of dyslexia, with specific
focus on subtle sensory deficits associated with the magnocellular pathway of the visual
system. Links between dyslexia and impairments in the magnocellular system have been the
subject of extended research, with much debate as to the nature and even existence of such
deficits. We propose that it is the specific aspects of the magnocellular system associated
with superior temporal resolution that are impaired in dyslexia, rather than deficits in
contrast sensitivity as proposed by past research. We also propose that subtle magnocellular
temporal deficits may play a significant role in more high-level cognitive speed of processing
impairments also found in dyslexia. This presentation discusses this proposition along with
the methodological framework to be implemented.
MCMORROW, Martin
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Thesis narratives - from Magnificent Seven to Rashomon?
Doctoral students and academic departments are increasingly opting for theses made up of
two or three articles linked by a commentary. This route offers three substantial advantages:
it allows students to enter doctoral studies without predetermined research interests, to
break down their doctoral studies into staged tasks and to start establishing a portfolio of
research publications. However, compared to traditional unitary theses, constructing a
coherent ‘narrative' can be more challenging, because of the need to integrate disparate
articles into a whole. This exploratory study draws from literary and discourse analysis
sources in addition to a small qualitative research project among current students. The aim
is to identify a range of narrative options available to students facing this challenge.
MCNEILL, Celene
Supervisors: Dr Catherine McMahon Prof. Philip Newall Useful hearing in Meniere's syndrome
"Useful hearing" is a common criteria used to decide between destructive surgeries as
opposed to conservative treatment in Meniere's syndrome. It is also relied upon for the
recommendation of hearing aids. However, there seems to be no accurate definition of
"useful hearing" in the literature. Criteria most relied upon are audiometric thresholds and
speech recognition scores. Case studies will be presented to illustrate the effects of hearing
loss, hearing fluctuation, deprivation and acclimatization in the assessment of useful hearing
for the management of Meniere's syndrome.
MEARES, Susanne
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Dr Jennifer Batchelor Predictors of postconcussion syndrome at 5 days and 3 months following trauma
The aetiology of postconcussion syndrome (PCS) following mild traumatic brain injury
(mTBI) remains controversial. Recent research has suggested that in the acute stage
following trauma (i.e., within 14 days) mTBI does not predict PCS (Meares et al., 2007). The
aim of the current study was to examine the predictors of PCS over two time periods, a
mean 4.8 days and a mean 106 days posttrauma, by investigating the relationship between
preinjury psychiatric disorder, demographic factors, injury-related characteristics,
neuropsychological and psychological variables and PCS. The final sample comprised 65
mTBI and 59 non-brain injured trauma controls. On both occasions they were administered
a PCS checklist, and neuropsychological and psychological measures. Multiple imputation of
missing data in a mixed-effects logistic regression was used to predict PCS. The results will
be discussed.
MEETH, Samantha
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Dr Jennifer Batchelor Ms Sue Meares Prediction of return to work following mild traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a significant cause of neuropsychological, physical and emotional difficulties in the population, with mild TBI's being the most common. Previous research into the vocational outcome following TBI has generally focused on demographic variables, with little focus on neuropsychological factors. The present study will examine return to work in mild TBI patients. The focus will be on the neuropsychological factors that predict return to work following a mild TBI. Specifically this study will aim to determine if there are neuropsychological impairments initially following an injury that can predict return to work at 3 months post injury. 56 patients admitted to Westmead hospital with MTBI will be neuropsychologically screened after their injury, and then followed-up 3 months post-injury. METCALF, Louise
Supervisors: Dr Peter Langford Corporate Social Responsibility: Just another management trend?
This paper critically examines a range of literature surrounding Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and looks at the explosion of interest in the topic developing over the
past decade. It will attempt to trace the development of CSR, beginning with Adam Smith's
"The Wealth of Nations" (1776) and ending in a summation of current practice and theory.
In reviewing the current situation of CSR, this paper will attempt to determine the
prevalence of modern CSR. Hence, this review will endeavour to contribute a holistic
understanding of CSR while providing organisations interested in CSR with potential
practical avenues for implementation.
MILIC, Maria Ivanka
Supervisors: Prof. Ron Rapee The nature of anxiety in children with Selective Mutism
Recent methodologically improved research shows that Selective Mutism is an anxiety
based disorder that occurs in about one in every 100 children. Research, which is in its
infancy, suggests that the anxiety is related to fear in social situations of others' reactions
and expectations. That, together with an almost 100% comorbidity between selective
mutism and social phobia, has led some researchers to question whether selective mutism is
a childhood variant of social phobia rather than a distinct anxiety disorder.
This study aims to explore the nature of anxiety in four groups of children aged between 4
and 7 years. The proposed groups are: selective mutism, social phobia alone, other anxiety
disorders, and communication disorder without a diagnosed anxiety disorder. Several
methods will be used: parental questionnaires, observation of the child's behaviour at interview, and children's interpretations of ambiguous scenarios. The findings will aid in treatment development. MILLER AMBERBER, Amanda
Supervisors: A/P Lyndsey Nickels Prof. Max Coltheart Prof. Stephen Crain Dr Rosalind Thornton Language switching in bilinguals with aphasia
Intra-sentential code-switching (CS) refers to the alternation of two or more languages within a sentence. It is well established that the language switching of early bilinguals conforms to grammatical and conversational principles of well-formedness. Bilinguals with aphasia may demonstrate an impaired ability to switch languages. Previous studies of CS in bilingual aphasia are few and limited by linguistically invalid accounts of switching. This research aims to provide a detailed and explanatory account of the grammatical and conversational patterns of CS produced by bilinguals with aphasia. It forms part of a study investigating the CS of healthy adult bilinguals and bilinguals with dementia. Questions to be addressed through a series of case studies include: do aphasic bilinguals with grammatical vs. lexical impairment demonstrate differentially impaired CS? Do aphasic bilinguals present with conversationally unimpaired CS? Preliminary results obtained thus far will be presented. MITHOEFER, Sarah
Supervisors: A/P Kay Bussey Cyberbullying, participant roles and moral disengagement
CCyber-bullying occurs increasingly in schools and may cause considerable distress. It has
been assumed, but not tested, that mechanisms are similar to those in traditional bullying.
The proposed study will investigate participant roles and moral disengagement in cyber-
bullying. In face-to-face bullying, bullies initiate the event, but other youths are often
involved, playing various roles either supporting the bully or the victim (Salmivalli et al.,
1996). In cyber-bullying, these roles may be played either in person or remotely. Moral
disengagement may involve construing conduct as less harmful, making consequences seem
less harmful, or blaming the victim (Bandura et al., 1996). Online communication is well-
suited for moral disengagement since it is easier to perceive it as having less effect than face-
to-face communication, to claim that victims are not really hurt without non-verbal cues,
and victims may not seem like real people when using computer interfaces.
MODESTO RAMIREZ, Oscar
Supervisors: Dr Jac Brown Dr Carolyn Schniering How do I do this? Men facing dominant discourses of their identities as gay men.
Twelve men reflect on their concept of being gay and having a romantic relationship with another man, as part of a broader study concerning couple relationships and culture. Having a romantic and meaningful relationship for them includes trusting and caring for the other person, having some commonalities, understanding the needs of their partner, developing good communication skills, and in some cases explicit rules about having sex with other men. However, their journey through finding their identity as a gay man is an intricate process. Reflecting on their experiences of how they discover a dominant story of how they should behave and act as a gay man: "doing drugs, getting drunk, sleeping around", and understanding their own process of "translating" their knowledge of forming relationships from a heterosexual dominant story. These men share their experiences, finding in gay identity new possibilities rather than limitations of following a dominant discourse. MOORE, Paul
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Task and interlocutor familiarity in task-based language research
Cognitive task-based language research (cf., Plough and Gass, 1993; Skehan, 1997; Ellis,
2003), drawing on a cognitive processing perspective of SLA (e.g., Long, 1981, 1996; Skehan,
1997) manipulates variables such as task and interlocutor familiarity (e.g., Plough and Gass,
1993; Wigglesworth, 2000; Elder et al., 2002) to study their effects on task performance in
terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity. From the perspective of Sociocultural Theory,
researchers have focused on variability in such research, arguing that learners actively
redefine task rubrics into contextualised activity, so that even task repetition results in
different activity (Coughlan and Duff, 1994). This presentation explores the meaning of
"familiarity" in task-based research through a qualitative analysis of two learners' interaction
and oral task performance across time and interlocutors.
MORENO, TOMAS
Supervisors: Dr Peter Roger Pre-service teachers' cognitions about teaching in a BA TESOL program in Mexico.
This presentation constitutes the first part of my research on the beliefs, knowledge and
assumptions (i.e. the cognitions) about teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) held
by a cohort of Mexican pre-service teachers who are enrolled in a B.A Teacher education
program at a public university in Mexico.
Drawing on the notion of "apprenticeship of observation" which, according to Lortie (1975)
provides teachers-to-be with an intuitive understanding of teaching, this study will seek to
explore which pre-conceptions about teaching English the student teachers have at the start
of the teacher education program.
A social psychological approach will be followed to elucidate how the biographical data,
regarding the language learning experiences of the student teachers, may help both the
researcher and the researched to make explicit the latter's conceptions about EFL teaching,
which are regarded to be a major influence for how they will make sense of their future
teaching practice.
MOUSIKOU, Petroula (Betty)
Supervisors: Dr Matthew Finkbeiner Prof. Max Coltheart A/P Sachiko Kinoshita Is the phonological onset a unit in the very early stages of reading aloud?
The masked onset priming technique has been extensively used in reading aloud tasks in order to observe the very early cognitive processes that take place in single word reading. It consists of presenting briefly, in lowercase letters, a word/nonword (masked prime) immediately followed by a different word/nonword (target), in uppercase letters. The target either shares its first letter/phoneme with the prime, e.g. sint-SLEV or not, e.g. fumb-SLEV. The masked onset priming effect refers to the finding that sint-SLEV is named faster than fumb-SLEV. The nature of this effect has been interpreted within a dual-route framework of reading aloud (Forster & Davis, 1991) as having its locus in the nonlexical route which operates serially in a left-to-right manner. However, it has been argued that the MOPE is due to the shared onset and not to the shared letter/phoneme between the prime and the target. To date, human and computational data suggest the latter. MULLER, Nerolie
Supervisors: A/P Kay Bussey Dr Daphne Hewson Disclosure of abuse: Crossing the gap between knowledge and action
Child sexual abuse prevention programs aim to educate children to tell quickly once abuse
occurs. Child interview techniques have been developed to help children give their narrative
of events more clearly and comprehensively. Neither of these elements will succeed without
a child's ability or willingness to disclose a negative event. Social Cognitive Theory proposes
that an important element in an individual's decision to act is their sense of self-efficacy for
that action. That is, their belief that they are capable of undertaking the action. However,
the factors of knowledge and capability require complex understanding in relation to
disclosure of abuse. Often, children must overcome their own internal barriers, as well as
external barriers, such as grooming by offenders, in order to disclose their abuse. The current phase of this research is a qualitative exploration of how children and parents create space (intentionally or unintentionally) for disclosure of abuse. MURASE, Fumiko
Supervisors: A/P David Hall Operationalising the construct of autonomy in language learning
This paper presents the preliminary stage of my PhD research which aims at developing an
instrument for quantitatively measuring learner autonomy. Due to its multidimensional
nature, however, the definition of ‘learner autonomy' varies by researchers. The first stage of
the present research, therefore, requires the operationalisation of the construct of learner
autonomy so that it would become quantitatively measurable variables in the context of this
research: teaching English to Japanese EFL students at university level.
This presentation shows the operational definition of learner autonomy on the basis of
interdisciplinary review of literature, from the perspectives of philosophy, psychology,
general education and applied linguistics, which will give a theoretical framework for
developing the measurement instrument. The process of designing the instrument and some
initial thoughts on the instrument will be also presented.
MURPHY, Philip
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Promoting reading comprehension online with computer-mediated feedback
The Basic Skills Reading Programme is a custom-written English language proficiency course used at Kanda University of International Studies in Japan. A key feature of the course is that learner autonomy is encouraged. Accordingly, learners are provided with a choice of where, when, what, how fast and with whom to study. With he development of an online version of the course, learners are now also offered a choice of mode of study. Development of the online mode has focussed on supporting learners who attempt multiple-choice questions in reading comprehension exercises outside lesson time in the absence of a teacher. Specifically, research has focussed on: i) the development of guidelines for providing computer-generated feedback; ii) how the feedback can stimulate student-student and/or student-computer interaction to promote both comprehension and learning; and iii) the affordance of the feedback. During this presentation, I propose to give an overview of the research conducted. NELSON, Terry
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Group learning in a teacher education program in Seoul: A participant perspective
This research study aims to understand and improve the group learning experience in a six
month teacher education program in Seoul, Korea. It is informed by the participant
perspective as to the benefits and problems of completing group projects together, and the
ways in which the overall experience could be enhanced. This participant perspective will be
correlated with the vast, varied, and sometimes contradictory literatures on group learning
with the goal of determining which ideas and which approaches to group learning best
define the experience in the Korean and TESOL program contexts. It is hypothesized that
group learning will be found appropriate and effective in these contexts, that benefits
identified will be both academic and social in nature, and that the ideas of cooperative
learning researchers Johnson & Johnson and sociocultural theorist Lev Vygotsky will prove particularly valuable for understanding, explaining, and improving the participant experience. NG, Aileen Cheng Cheng
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley ICT in the classroom: Perspectives from communication skills lecturers
Despite its potential to enhance learning, not all educators have been convinced enough to
implement ICT in their classrooms. This study reports the use of ICT by Communication
Skills lecturers in a Singapore university in relation to reported frequency of usage,
perceptions on ICT, and possible reasons for using or not using ICT. A survey was
administered to the lecturers and this was followed by face-to-face, personal interviews with
them. From the study, it appears that Communication Skills lecturers generally view ICT
positively. Nonetheless, their usage of ICT is limited to the basic tools. Both extrinsic and
intrinsic factors were cited by the lecturers as reasons for using or not using ICT. It can be
argued that understanding and considering the opinions of educators are paramount to the
successful implementation of ICT in the classroom.
NGUYEN, Ninh
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Prof. Christian Matthiessen Exploration of linguistic theory in translation practice
Exploration of linguistic theory in translation practice An analysis of English and Vietnamese translation in the light of translation studies and contemporary linguistic theory, particularly systemic functional linguistics, and a study of implications for translation practice. The research will: • identify the most common problems faced by translators in dealing with English and Vietnamese non literary texts, in particular, informative texts. • investigate translation theories and techniques which can inform translators in the translating process • develop a model for text analysis for translation as well as for translation quality assessment purposes • demonstrate how the model can be applied in the translating process NOTLEY, Anna
Supervisors: Prof. Stephen Crain Prof. Max Coltheart Children's acquisition of downward entailing operators: The case of 'before'
The class of downward entailing (DE) operators in natural language includes words like not,
none, every, and before. DE operators demonstrate an interesting logical property: they
reverse the truth conditions of the connective ‘or' (e.g. "Eve did not take geography or
maths" is true in just one situation: when "Eve did not take geography and Eve did not take
maths"). Recently a growing number of studies have shown that children aged 3–5 interpret
‘or' in exactly this way in the scope of not, none, and every. Evidence of this sort can be
useful as a diagnostic in determining at what age children have mastered the semantics of
these operators (especially when tasks testing comprehension more directly have delivered
conflicting results). A case in point is the acquisition of the meaning of the temporal conjunction ‘before'. A research proposal aimed at better understanding children's acquisition of this item will be outlined, in which before's quality as a DE operator will be exploited. NUANGPOLMAK, Apiwan
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Burns Facilitating learner's autonomy through pedagogic multilevel tasks
Language learners can become autonomous with the help of the teacher by creating a
learning context where they can be in charge of their own learning. This can be done even
within a fixed curriculum and syllabus. I proposed the use of multilevel tasks which are
based on the existing materials as a tool for effective teaching and autonomy training. I will
discuss the framework of the study, literature review and proposed methodology.
O'NEILL, Gerard
Supervisors: Dr Verna Rieschild Semantics of friendship & identity: Conversations of Arabic heritage Australian
This project examines talk between young Arabic heritage Australian friends in order to explain how strategic use of specific terms of address and reference depends on the group and individual identities that they index. Ethnographic data (including focus groups and self taping of conversations) are analyzed using a number of approaches relevant to the broader anthropological framework. These include Conversation Analysis for identifying speech acts and establishing the interactive significance of the different membership categories entailed in the terms, and Natural Semantic Metalanguage for developing semantic explications. This paper will explain the theory informing the research plan and report on the progress to date. PARDEY, Margery
Supervisors: Dr Jen Cornish Dr Judi Homewood Developmental effects of ADHD medication in misdiagnosed adolescences
ADHD diagnosis involves subjective observations which can lead to misdiagnosis. Children
diagnosed with ADHD are often chronically treated with psychostimulants which act on
their under-active dopamine system. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and dopamine reward
pathways have been shown to undergoing development throughout adolescence (Kelley,
Schochet and Landry, 2004). This study hopes to address what effect these psychostimulants
have on the cognitive and neural development of a child misdiagnosed with ADHD and
therefore does not have an under-active dopamine system. The Spontaneously Hypertensive
rat (SHR) is a widely used animal model of ADHD (Davids, Zhang, Tarazi and Baldessarini,
2002). Comparisons of cognitive performances between the SHR and its genetic control, Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) will use a between subjects 2 groups (SHR vs WKY) x 2 treatments (methylphenidate vs control) design. Once cognitive behaviours have been assessed, neural-circuitry of the PFC will be assessed. PATERSON, Cal
Supervisors: Dr John Franklin Dr Andrew Baillie Great Expectations: Applying common factors research to practice in psychotherapy
While common factors (CF) research has facilitated the progress of psychotherapy, the
application of CF research to practice has been elusive. Expectations (Es), treatment
motivation, and client symptom severity may be uniquely germane to clinical practice,
because they are measurable before treatment commences and amenable to direct
intervention. A study was designed whereby symptom severity of group psychotherapy
patients with social phobia or panic disorder was measured before and after treatment, and
at 3-month follow-up. Pretreatment Es were measured via self-report questionnaire. Results:
Treatment significantly reduced symptom severity. Symptom severity reduced significantly
while clients were waiting for treatment and Es were orthogonal to symptom severity.
Pretreatment Es predicted between 20% and 60% of treatment outcome. The results
highlight the need for psychotherapists to assess and address client Es about treatment
before, during and after psychotherapy.
PATTINSON, Richard
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Peck Immigration and multiculturalism in Canada - Pluralism? or Social Darwinism?
This e-presentation highlights my current research, where I attempt to determine whether Canada's multicultural policies work, or if only those newcomers to Canada who are most adaptable and able to assimilate, thus being accepted by mainstream society, are successful; those who cannot being left to drown in cultural ghettoes, trapped by inability to conform. I begin with a focus on the ongoing search for Canadian identity, to which newcomers would be expected to aspire. I then examine factors that have hitherto contributed to the forming of "Canadian" culture. Next I examine Canada's immigration and multicultural policies in more depth, then discuss sociolinguistic factors of communication and culture which are barriers to newcomers being socially accepted, and which also form a large part of my research. I conclude with emphasis on many of the difficulties facing newcomers stemming from these aforementioned barriers, and describe some areas of possible research. PETER, Varghese
Supervisors: Dr Genevieve McArthur Prof. Bill Thompson Prof. Max Coltheart Prof. Stephen Crain Auditory processing deficits in specific language impairment
Specific language impairment (SLI) is diagnosed when a child has difficulty in producing or understanding spoken language for no apparent reason. About 30-40% of children with SLI have auditory processing deficits. It is not yet clear how an auditory deficit could impair the development of language. The current research aims to examine the possibility that an auditory deficit affects the perception of prosodic cues which gives rise to SLI by impairing the acquisition of syntax. Prosody is cued by changes in fundamental frequency, lengthening of syllables, and changes in intensity. Using both behavioural and neurophysiological methods, this research aims to study how these three prosodic cues relate to the perception of verbal (speech) and non-verbal (music) stimuli in adults and children with normal spoken language and in children with SLI. The results will provide a better understanding of how auditory processing deficits may be linked to language impairment. PETRAK, Ana
Supervisors: Dr Kerry Sherman Dr Julie Fitness Factors influencing breast and cervical cancer screening in diverse groups of women
The Cognitive-Social Health Information Processing (C-SHIP) model and emotion
inhibition and health theory are applied in an ongoing study to assess factors influencing
breast and cervical cancer screening behaviours in women from diverse cultural groups.
Beliefs, affects, perceived vulnerability and perceived controllability towards screening were
assessed among Eastern European, Lebanese and English speaking background women (N=
20). Preliminary analyses show significant positive associations between breast cancer
screening behaviour and fatalistic beliefs relating to breast cancer (r = .602); cervical cancer
screening behaviour and depression (r = .65); cervical cancer screening behaviour and
anxiety (r = .64); and cervical cancer screening behaviour and stress (r = .48). These results
suggest that it is likely womens' fatalistic beliefs relating to breast cancer affect their breast
cancer screening behaviour and certain emotions affect their cervical cancer screening
behaviour.
PHILLIPS, Georgia
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores Dr Jennifer Batchelor The Word Memory Test: The relationship between effort and head injury severity
The Word Memory Test (WMT: Green, Allen, and Astner, 1996) has been heralded an "indispensable" addition to a clinician's neuropsychological test battery (Hartman, 2002, p.713), however, external validation of the diagnostic efficiency of this test remains limited. In a sample of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, Green, Iverson, & Allen (1999) found that patients with mild traumatic brain injuries performed significantly more poorly on WMT effort measures than those patients with severe traumatic brain injuries. This finding failed to be replicated by Bowden, Shores & Mathias (2006) in a sample of 100 Australian litigants. By contrast, Flaro, Green, & Robertson (2007) found an excess of WMT failure in mild TBI patients versus severe TBI patients. The present study aimed to investigate whether patients with mild TBIs performed significantly more poorly on the WMT Immediate Recognition (IR) effort measure, when compared with patients with more severe TBIs. PHILLIPS, Annamaria
Supervisors: A/P David Hall The effects of studying in English on ESL postgraduate students
This presentation presents data from a longitudinal study based on interviews with four
Masters students: three from non-English speaking backgrounds and one native English
speaker. The purpose of the study is to ascertain the impact cultural issues facing these
students, both in general terms and specifically in terms of disciplinary genre acquisition.
PINNEWALA, Parvani
Supervisors: Dr Doris McIlwain A theoretical framework for South Asian women's responses to partner violence
This paper analyses select psychological and social models to provide a new theoretical framework for South Asian women subjected to partner violence. It focuses on women's help-seeking behaviours and efforts to end violence. Analysis of the stress coping paradigm, the ecological model and the trans-theoretical approach indicates the possibility of integrating their core constructs of cognitive, contextual and stages elements to provide a process-orientated model for South Asia. Each model is reviewed from a Sri Lankan clinical perspective to discuss its relevance to South Asian women's experience with, and responses to, violence. This initial theoretical framework will need to undergo further comprehensive theorizing, and rigorous empirical testing in different South Asian countries to assess its validity. PIRIYASILPA, Yupaporn
Supervisors: A/P David Hall Generic structure in EFL students' online discussion postings
The growth of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has currently
influenced the change of language teaching and learning in terms of approach, methodology
and pedagogy. Technology, in particular the Internet and computers, has been addressed as
one of the factors having great potential to contribute to successful implementation of
educational reform in Thailand, and online communication is one alternative which can
sustain such a plan. As this mode of communication is conducted among participants who
are in different locations both in terms of time and space, a new social context has emerged,
and thus the non- linear discourse produced is different to many traditional discourses.
Using Systemic Functional Linguistics, this paper examines the generic structure of online
discussion postings conducted by Thai students and discusses the implications for English
education in Thailand and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning contexts.
PLANT, Bernice
Supervisors: Dr Julia Irwin Dr Eugene Chekaluk The effects of anti-speeding campaigns on simulated driving performance
Currently, in New South Wales, one approach to reducing speed-related motor vehicle
accidents is the use of televised anti-speeding campaigns.
Most empirical studies evaluating anti-speeding campaigns consider measures of attitude,
risk perception and intended behaviour change. While such studies are important, their
rationale is based on the assumption that altering speeding-related attitudes leads to a
reduction in speeding behaviour. Surprisingly, little research has been conducted to examine
the effects of anti-speeding campaigns on driver speeding behaviour.
The intended research aims to investigate the effects of anti-speeding campaigns on driving
speed, using a driving simulator. Furthermore, the proposed research aims to investigate possible residual effects of exposure to anti-speeding campaigns on driving speed. Discussions include a brief overview of the experimental design to be employed, and some possible implications of this research. POWIS, Tracey
Supervisors: Dr David Cairns Dr Daphne Hewson Dr Doris McIlwain Writing whiteness: Re-writing 'the self'
During my first Festival presentation (3 years ago) I was asked how I position myself as a
white woman engaged in a research project with an Aboriginal community. Negotiating a
relationship with this subject position constitutes a theoretical account of the political,
ethical, and personal context to this thesis. Here, through engaging in remembered and
imagined conversations with different voices, I trace these intersecting threads and wonder
at what it means for our knowledge-making practices within psychology.
PRABHU, Catherine
Supervisors: Dr Ken Cheng Circadian modulation of colour memory retrieval in honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Bees use a series of memories to keep track of the varying foraging environment. We investigated the colour memory retrieval in bees. We found that the bees were fast in acquisition and retained memory after 24 h delay. We then tested how bees integrate two conflicting tasks. In the first task (I) each bee had to learn one colour for 20 trials and in second task (II) they had to learn another colour in 10 trials. After training each bee was tested immediately and after a delay of 10 min, 22 and 24 h. The delay test time corresponded to the training time of the previous day. We proposed three hypotheses on the integration of multiple memories 1) Memory based on recency 2) Memory based on elapsed time 3) Memory based on circadian time. The results support the hypothesis that memory retention in bees is based on circadian time. PRECIADO LLOYD, Patricia
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Dr John McAndrew Teachers vs. Government in Oaxaca: the discourse of conflict
During the year of 2006, public school teachers from Oaxaca, a southern state of Mexico,
were repressed by government forces in the midst of complex national circumstances
involving political and economical change. As an effect of this action, historically
marginalized social groups joined the teachers in an alliance built on a common goal:
changing the established order.
This study focuses on the discursive practices manifested during this conflict. It specifically
addresses the strategies used in bonding alliances. A range of methodologies from Critical
Studies are drawn on in order to study the hybridity of such strategies.
It is hoped that this study will not only contribute to the to understanding of the relation between social action and discourse but also towards a better understanding of social and political issues of developing countries such as Mexico where public education is undergoing a process of transformation that suggests grim outcomes. PROSSER, Samantha
Supervisors: Prof. Susan Spence Dr Caroline Donovan Prof. Ron Rapee Family factors as predictors of parent involvement in online-CBT for child anxiety
Patterns of interaction within the family and individual characteristics of family members,
have been identified as factors contributing to the development and maintenance of child
anxiety. The current study examines the role of family factors as predictors of parent
involvement and assistance during an internet-based, CBT program for child anxiety. The
BRAVE Program is an internet-based CBT program for child anxiety, with 10 sessions for
children and 6 sessions for parents. Participants were children aged 7-12 yrs, who met
DSM-IV criteria for separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalised anxiety disorder
or specific phobia, and their parent(s). Parents and children completed measures of parental
support & control, parent psychopathology, marital discord, severity of child anxiety and
extent of parental assistance provided with exercises. Data illustrating the relationship
between pre-existing family factors and subsequent parental involvement in treatment, will
be presented.
RADHAKRISHNAN, Mahesh
Supervisors: Dr Verna Rieschild Linguistics practices in singing activities
This paper presents some issues and findings based on prior research projects, including my Honours project, which will be used to inform the development of my ethnomusicological PhD research proposal. It will present issues relevant to linguistic practices in an Irish folk music session and singing activities in an aged Russian-speaking community, with an emphasis on poetic phenomena such as communicative performance (Hymes 1972), linguistic virtuosity and verbal art (Bauman 1977). Referring to ethnographic data this paper will highlight the importance of such phenomena in understanding situations of interaction especially in activities where both talk and singing take place. The paper will also showcase a review of literature about group solidarity and language maintenance through music, the proposed research areas of the presenter's doctoral thesis. RADHAKRISHNAN, Preethi
Supervisors: A/P David Raftos Dr Phil Taylor Dr Sham Nair The complex ejaculate and its effect on female reproductive behaviour
After their first mating, female Queensland fruit flies (Bactrocera tryoni, ‘Q-flies') enter a refractory period during which they are unresponsive to male sexual signals. This sexual inhibition has been linked to male accessory gland fluids (AGFs) transferred with the ejaculate. Male accessory glands are characterised by intricate cellular machinery used in the production of AGFs. Injections of AGFs into virgin females induced remating inhibition. Post mating investigations revealed that accessory gland contents are fully replenished in time to mate again, and that the newly synthesized molecules are potent at inducing sexual inhibition in a second mate. Through P35 labelling, we found that seminal fluid molecules travel throughout the female's body and are predominantly found in the head and thorax during and after mating. RAMÍREZ, Iraís
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley The efficiency of corrective feedback: Teacher's and learners' beliefs and practices
This research looks at the efficiency of different types of corrective feedback in a foreign language learning context where teachers and learners are non native speakers of English. Three studies have been planned. The first one involves an exploration of teachers' and learners' perceptions and beliefs about error and corrective feedback. The second one compares those beliefs to the actual classroom practices and the third one will compare different techniques for providing feedback in search of the most effective one in terms of uptake. Mix methods have been used to gather the data. Preliminary results of the first study are available. The aims of research as well as a summary of progress will be presented. REAR, David
Supervisors: Dr Alan Jones Prof. Chris Candlin Discourses of critical thinking in Japan
This presentation discusses the public discourses of Japanese government on the subject of
critical thinking within education. It examines the dilemma the conservative government
faces regarding the erosion of traditional group-oriented values in Japan amongst the
younger generation and the need for a new kind of critical-minded and independent
employee to help Japan compete successfully in the globalised marketplace. This conflict
echoes the tension within the construct of critical thinking itself.
REDOBLADO HODGE, Marie Antoinette
Supervisors: Dr Anthony Harris Dr Arthur Shores Longitudinal study of cognition in schizophrenia and psychotic affective disorders
Studies have demonstrated that psychotic disorders are associated with cognitive
dysfunction and over time these deteriorate further, improve, or remain stable. Few studies
have compared the longitudinal course of cognitive function over time in a cohort of well-
treated individuals with schizophrenia and psychotic affective disorders. In the present study
47 patients with either first episode schizophrenia (FES) or psychotic affective (FPA)
disorder completed a cognitive test battery at baseline and again after 2-3 years. At baseline,
both groups performed similarly with the exception of better performance in abstract
reasoning for the FPA. At 2-3 year follow up performance for the FPA improved to within
normal limits whereas those with FES continued to have relatively weaker performance in most cognitive domains. These results provide justification for intervention efforts aimed at improving cognitive functions in particular for individuals with FES. REMOND, Ann
Supervisors: A/P Veronika Coltheart Prof. Max Coltheart Prof. Stephen Crain The effect of scene consistency on action perception
Processing differences between nouns and verbs have been well documented in the
neuropsychological and psycholinguistic literature. Previous studies have shown that
rapidly presented pictures of actions are not recognised and recalled in the same way that
pictures of objects are. The current study investigated whether scene consistency, important
for object identification, is important for identifying actions. Davenport and Potter (2004)
examined the effects of scene consistency on object perception. They reported that semantic
consistency is important for object and background perception, concluding that objects and
their settings are processed interactively rather than in isolation. Results from four
experiments are discussed. The effects of background information on the perception of
scenes containing action are compared with those containing objects to determine whether
actions are processed along with their contexts, or whether actions are more easily identified
in isolation.
RICHARDS, Nansi
Supervisors: Dr Darren Burke Dr Judi Homewood Mate choice in a mammal with female-biased sexual size dimorphism (Notomys alexis)
Inter-male competition is the customary explanation for greater male versus female size amongst mammals. Less common exemplars of female-biased sexual size dimorphism (FSSD), however, are poorly accounted for by this explanation. Tarrkawarra (Notomys alexis) exhibit unambiguous FSSD, low male-male aggression and multiple female mating despite the absence of male sperm competition. Tarrkawarra, therefore, are ideal for investigating mammalian SSD and alternative mating systems. We assessed sexual selection, via mate choice, for FSSD in Tarrkawarra, controlling for mate familiarity, size and female reproductive state. Patterns of responding to stimulus conspecifics and correlated with female reproductive phase indicated preferences associated with familiarity and size of potential partners. Implications for understanding the social system of this little studied species and the complex interaction between natural and sexual selection processes in the evolution of FSSD will be discussed. RIVOLTA, Davide
Supervisors: Dr Romina Palermo Prof. Max Coltheart What can a patient with prosopagnosia covertly recognize?
The term prosopagnosia was coined for the first time by Bodamer (1947), referring to
patients with an inability in recognizing an individual by means of the face. When
prosopagnosia is due to a brain lesion, it is called acquired prosopagnosia, whilst when there
is no evident neural damage it is called congenital or developmental prosopagnosia
(Behrmann & Avidan, 2005). Many researchers have reported the existence of unconscious
recognition (or covert recognition) of faces that cannot be recognized overtly in patients
with acquired prosopagnosia. The main aim of my research is to understand if people with
the congenital form of prosopagnosia can show some kind of covert recognition, and to find
out if covert recognition performance varies on three different tasks: forced-choice paradigm, semantic priming, and skin conductance response (SCR). ROBINSON, Emma
Supervisors: Prof. Ron Rapee Psychological predictors of invasive appearance-enhancing procedures
There has been an increase in the number of individuals who are undergoing procedures
such as cosmetic surgery to enhance their appearance. The objective of this study was to
develop a model which may predict which psychological traits predict use of invasive
appearance enhancing techniques. Questionnaires were completed regarding various
psychological traits. An email snowballing technique was used to access female subjects,
additional subjects were female university students. Non-student subjects were provided
with access to a link to the internet based questionnaire battery. The data was analysed
using AMOS for path analysis. Preliminary results revealed that for the more invasive
procedures, social anxiety, beliefs about being good looking, body satisfaction as well as
perfectionistic self-presentation predicted the use of appearance enhancing procedures,
directly and indirectly.
RUIZ ESPARZA BARAJAS, Elizabeth
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Teachers' beliefs and assessment practices
This questionnaire-based study explores the beliefs and practices about assessment of experienced university teachers in the field of English language teaching in Mexico, an area which has been hitherto largely unexplored. It focuses on these teachers' self perceived knowledge and skills in assessment; relationships between assessment practices and the types of courses taught; and teachers' beliefs about the purposes of assessment. The findings of the study indicate that teachers report familiarity with most assessment practices, but that they are less confident in using them. They also provide useful insights into the assessment practices that are considered of importance in the Mexican tertiary context and areas in which professional development course for teachers are needed. The study also suggests similarities in assessment practices for two different types of courses from the following four researched: English language, Linguistics, Literature and Culture, and Methodology. RYAN, Lorraine
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Phasal progression in the poetry of Dylan Thomas
The critical history of Dylan Thomas's literary œuvre is characterized by division of opinion
as to its worth. An example of the kind of negative reaction his early poetry received is the
following comment from fellow poet Stephen Spender: "The truth is that Thomas's poetry is
turned on like a tap; it is just poetic stuff with no beginning nor end, shape, or intelligent
and intelligible control" (Daily Worker, c. 1937). My thesis, using the tools of SFL, explores
what I see as the phasal progression within Thomas's Collected Poems 1934-1953, with a
view to encouraging recognition not only of tightly controlled form but also of "intelligible"
semantic control. Phase according to Gregory and then Martin and Rose will be outlined,
then examples given of the types of phasal progression I have identified in my research.
SAMPSON, Pauline
Supervisors: Dr John Franklin Predicted pathways to resilience and successful living; hope,
An underlying framework of skills that promote successful living can guide psychotherapy
and coaching. This research aims to test a theoretical model of success outlining a hierarchy
of skills essential for successful participation in society (Franklin, 2006). The strengths-
based research of Peterson and Seligman (2004) has informed the skills being tested.
Strengths that are being examined include: hope, curiosity, mindfulness, experiential
engagement, self esteem, self compassion, self control, empathy, interpersonal competence
and resilience.
Recognising that success is personally and culturally defined, a self report survey allows
respondents to identify their own level of happiness, life satisfaction and relationship
satisfaction. Culturally defined success is measured through occupational, educational,
income and community participation data, identifying relationships between personal
strengths, economic outcomes and community engagement.
SÁNCHEZ CHÁVEZ, Maria del Carmen
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Researching language learning motivation in a Mexican Public university
Mexican BA students have not been as rigorously examined as other language learning
groups on even the most general topics related to foreign language learning and no
researchers have investigated their motivation for learning English as a Foreign Language
and the possible factors that may contribute to the existence, lack, or varying strength and
type of such motivation.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the motivation of Mexican students taking
compulsory English courses at university level. Three different studies are envisaged in the
research project focusing on students' motivation and attitudes towards the learning of
English as a Foreign Language, the relationship between motivation and achievement, and
the teachers' use of motivational strategies in the classroom. This e-presentation will
describe the purpose of the three studies, the instruments, methodology, and the progress of
the research so far.
SANCHEZ HERNANDEZ, Veronica
Supervisors: Prof. Anne Burns Supervision in the language teacher program at BUAP: A narrative and descriptive
Supervision of teaching practice by its nature is an activity that implies judgment and evaluation (Bailey, 2006; Gebhard, 1990; Glickman and Bey, 1990). In contexts such as the language teacher program offered in the Autonomous University of Puebla, Mexico (LEMO), the perceived notion of supervision is still confusing and sometimes negative due to its intrusive connotation; therefore, the positive implications that supervision may bring to trainees (Bailey, 2006; Gebhard, 1990; Fanselow, 1990; Richards, 1990) may not be well understood. The aim of this study is to identify the nature of supervision and teaching practice in LEMO by investigating the perceptions of LEMO administrators, supervisors and student-teachers regarding the process of supervision. This study is both a narrative and descriptive inquiry using interviews, focus group and questionnaires. Therefore, a mixed methods approach including qualitative and quantitative forms of data analysis was used (Creswell, 1998). SARTIKA, Dahlia
Supervisors: Dr Robert Mannell Prof. Philip Newall Initial experiences with a paediatric speech test (INDO-CHIPS) in the Indonesian
Well-designed audiometric speech tests for Indonesian children are not currently available. A list of Indonesian words has been developed. A field study in Indonesia was performed in 2006, which involved testing the familiarity of the speech material with 65 normally hearing children from 2 years of age and sixteen hearing impaired children. Preliminary measurements of reliability were also carried out. The INDO-CHIPS material now needs to be re-recorded and several pictures need to be redrawn. An unexpected challenge was that the children presenting for hearing test were either had normal hearing or were profoundly deaf. The INDO-CHIPS test has proved to be quite useful, but it is more suited for children with moderate to severe hearing loss. Such children are surprisingly hard to find in Indonesia. It will therefore be necessary to develop a new set of hearing test materials. A further field trip to Indonesia is planned in 2008 to trial the new materials SAXTON, Alison
Supervisors: Dr Daphne Hewson Dr Catherine McMahon Dr Doris McIlwain Stories of resilience: Refugees' experience of resettlement
This presentation arises from a qualitative study examining the impact of the post migration
environment on refugee adjustment. Recent refugees to Australia have been subject of much
political and media interest and research suggests that representation of refugees has been
pervasively negative. Given this context, this presentation focuses on the ways that refugees
have coped with the multiple stressors of resettlement and the impact of the current political
and social climate on their sense of acceptance and safety.
SCHWARZ, Sebastian
Supervisors: Dr Ken Cheng Pattern discrimination in Melophorus bagoti
Ants, bees, and wasps follow stereotyped routes when they go out to forage.
Besides path integration ants and bees use particular landmarks to navigate back to their
nests depending on the habitat and the surrounding vicinity.
With these experiments we want to figure out the visual discrimination capacity of the
Australian desert ant (Melophorus bagoti). These ants use path integration and salient
landmarks for navigation and orientation. M. bagoti is expected to be able to cope with
different pattern discrimination tasks, e.g. determination between two pattern or colours.
These experiments could reveal new insights between landmark recognition and path
integration.
SCOTT, Claire
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Dr Annabelle Lukin Reporting war: Time and place in armistice reports
‘Recency' or ‘frequency' are often noted as ‘news values', criteria for discerning the
newsworthiness of an event (eg. Bell, 1991; Harrison, 2006; Hartley, 1982). We might thus
expect to find that time references are an important, foregrounded feature of a newspaper
article in order to assist the reader in orienting to the news event. However, a diachronic,
systemic functional analysis of Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) newspaper texts reporting
armistice shows that the resources for coding time and space in English, particularly
Circumstances of time and place, are used in different ways across a long period of time, and
correspond to different construals of what it means to "do reporting armistice". This paper
discusses the choices of time and place references in three SMH news reports from 1902,
1953 and 2003, and considers the implications of these for the way readers interpret media
mediations of war.
SEETO, Jason
Supervisors: Dr Peter Roger Perceptions and preconceptions: Non-native speakers teaching English
Professionally qualified teachers of English who are not native speakers of the language are often questioned about their credentials, their accent and their ability to teach effectively. Previous research suggests that because of this unfair treatment they can become marginalised in the profession, while the strengths that they bring frequently go unrecognised. This presentation will report some of the key findings from an 18-month longitudinal study of a cohort of postgraduate-level international students who have taught English as a foreign language in their home countries and were enrolled in the Master of Applied Linguistics (TESOL) program at Macquarie University. This presentation will highlight some of the ways in which these teachers perceive their role in the profession, and the real-life attitudes and challenges that come from within the English language teaching (ELT) community, i.e. language administrators, native-English speaking colleagues, parents and students. SENEDIAK, Christine
Supervisors: Dr Daphne Hewson A qualitative analysis of the core themes identified in clinical supervision training
This paper will provide an overview of a 15 week supervision training program which
teaches clinicians core supervision skills and gives them the opportunity to reflect on their
supervisory practice through the use of reflective journals, clinical logs and group
supervision of supervision. Within this program clinicians learn how to structure
supervision sessions, develop clear contracts and goals for supervision, and adopt reflective
practice and independent learning skills. A qualitative investigation was undertaken to
identify core themes for the participant's using their reflective journals and clinical logs.
Five core themes were identified, including the role of structure in supervision, trust,
reflectivity, power and responsibility. This paper will present the findings of this research
and the implications for structuring supervision training.
SENGAR, Anuradha
Supervisors: Dr Robert Mannell Modelling Hindi intonation for speech synthesis
In speech, intonation pattern is defined as the pitch pattern over time. It is a very important
aspect of speech because it gives naturalness and meaning to an utterance. An utterance may
convey different meanings due to changes in intonation even if it is composed of the same
words. Research and applications of intonation (for different languages) are carried out at
various research institutes and industrial companies to come up with high technology speech
and language products. Indian languages have not got much attention so far. Hence, I intend
to work on Hindi language, which is the official language of India. My proposed work is to
study the intonation of Hindi speech and come up with a model which is applicable to high
technology Hindi speech synthesis systems like Text-To-Speech. In this presentation I will
talk about the literature review and the proposed methodology.
SHAW, Tracey
Supervisors: Dr Melanie Porter Dr Robyn Langdon Prof. Max Coltheart Social functioning in Fragile X syndrome
Fragile X syndrome (FraX) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual impairment, affecting approximately 1 in 4000 males and 1 in 6000 females. While intellectual impairment is the most prominent symptom, FraX is also associated with an abundance of other physical, cognitive and behavioural impairments, including visuo-spatial, executive functioning and attention deficits. Additionally, there is growing evidence that individuals with FraX suffer from social-emotional difficulties including gaze aversion, shyness and social anxiety. As a result, the current research aims to investigate social functioning in FraX in more depth, focusing on the cognitive, perceptual and physiological aspect of social processing. SIM, Malcolm
Supervisors: Dr Peter Roger A matter of responsibility: Nurturing autonomy
The challenges facing ESL students furthering their studies in foreign countries are
considerable, and have been well documented. However, many of these trials and the
resultant lessons learned are often transferable to EFL situations. This study examines the
effect of integrating a structured and explicit focus on goal setting and active learning into
an English language and study skills university preparation program. This presentation will
discuss the findings from a refined investigation recently conducted by the researcher on
125 international students studying English before progressing into the Australian higher
education system. It will outline the structure and application of the treatment involved in
the ten-week study. The methods of measurement that were used to gauge the success of the
treatment will then be analysed, and the findings presented and discussed.
SIMPSON, Shelley
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Dr Jennifer Batchelor The cognitive profile of elderly individuals with a psychotic illness
Individuals with schizophrenia have been found to have widespread cognitive deficits. The
range and severity of these is broad and often affects the areas of attention, working memory,
memory, perception, language functioning, motor functioning, executive functioning and
level of intelligence. However, research into both the aging effects of schizophrenia on
cognition and the cognitive profile of individuals with very late-onset-schizophrenia (first
presentation over the age of 60) remains in the early stages. Existing research into these
disorders has generally utilised limited global measures such as the MMSE. This research
aims to examine the cognitive profiles of individuals with chronic schizophrenia who have
grown old, Very-Late-Onset-Schizophrenia-Like-Psychosis and Late Onset Psychotic
Depression. Research into these psychogeriatric groups is becoming increasingly important
due to our ever-aging population and expected increases in these conditions over the next
few decades.
SINGH, Puneet
Supervisors: A/P Kay Bussey Peer victimization: Predictors of psychological maladjustment
Bullying has a detrimental impact on children's psychological adjustment. Not all victims of bullying, however, suffer adverse consequences. Why does bullying harm some children more than others? To investigate this differential impact of bullying, this study examines how experiencing victimisation across multiple contexts (i.e. experiencing peer bullying/sibling bullying) and efficacy for using coping strategies may contribute to psychological maladjustment. 2161 secondary students completed a self-report questionnaire. A scale that measured children's self-efficacy for using coping strategies was developed, as research shows that coping efficacy promotes recovery from stressful events and enables positive functioning. Results revealed that coping efficacy was related to a reduction in psychological maladjustment. The results also showed that sibling victimisation contributed to psychological adjustment after considering the contribution of peer victimisation. SIU, Kwai
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin The pragmatic competence of ESL students
The pragamtic competence of learners of English in Hong Kong was investigated using a
pragmatic judgement questionnaire to elicit the pragmatic comments from eight native
Cantontese-speaking ESL teachers and eight native English-speaking teachers. In addition,
the experimental and/or authentic data from students of two language proficiency levels
were examined to investigate their pragmatic performance. Research findings showed that
as the language proficiency levels of ESL learners of English increase, their pragmatic
competence also improves.
SMITH, Bradley
Supervisors: Prof. Christian Matthiessen Dr Alison Moore Prof. William S. Greaves Intonation transcription: Useful guidelines from systemic functional theory
This presentation will report on investigations into the intonation systems of phonology,
using the Systemic Functional theory of language, focussing on the relations between
intonation phonology and phonetics in particular and the lexicogrammatical systems they
realise. I aim to show that the difficulties of analysis of intonation systems, often considered
a barrier to the consideration of the grammatical and semantic systems they realise, is
lessened by consideration of certain fractal properties of language: valeur; and markedness.
It will be shown that phonetic analysis depends upon these considerations in no small
measure: a sound is realising one or other of the system choices available, and as in
articulatory phonology, will tend to realise a choice to the extent only that is necessary for
the realisation of that choice; and unless there is markedness in the phonetic description, one
can assume the unmarked choice.
SMITH, Carolynn
Supervisors: A/P Chris Evans Multi-modal displays and multi-dimensional responses
Food calling is widespread in social birds and primates. In Gallinaceous birds, these vocal signals often occur simultaneously with a visual display, creating a multimodal display. Despite the abundance of multimodal signals by birds, very few of these behaviors have been systematically studied. My research uses male golden Sebright chicken's tidbitting and food calling displays to examine how the components independently and jointly affect the responses of hens, which are the intended receivers. Work completed in 2007 employed high-definition video playbacks to tease apart the signal interactions. Using this technique, I demonstrated that the two display components have equivalent affects on food searching by hens and that the visual display is a signal, independent of the vocalization. This spring, I will begin using an animatronic male to study the active space of both signal components and to test the possibility that the male's wattles may act as a signal amplifier. SMITH, Victoria
Supervisors: Dr Peter Langford Evaluating the impact of corporate social responsibility programs
This presentation critically reviews and analyses the empirical literature relating to
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs and the impact they have on the attitudes
and behaviours of consumers. Given the increasingly important and influential role that
corporations are playing in society, this review considers the contrasting arguments as to
whether a well-designed and implemented CSR program has any impact. In doing so, this
review improves our understanding of the importance of corporate socially responsible
action and furthermore, identifies gaps in the field of CSR research that need to be addressed
in order to help organizations more effectively adopt CSR programs.
SNYDER, Steven
Supervisors: A/P Linda Cupples Dr Robert Mannell Response latency with cross-language pseudoword repetition
This E-presentation reports on a cross-language immediate repetition experiment, with
adult participants. In this experiment a voice key was used to measure response latency.
Four types of words items were auditorialy presented: real words and pseudowords in both
Japanese and English. Despite the relative simplicity of these stimuli, the native Japanese
speakers had longer response latencies and more production errors were found with the
English language stimuli, while little effect was found in the native language condition.
These findings suggest a need for greater cognitive processing of auditorily presented
second language words. Additionally, longer response latency was associated with lesser
skill in English language. The combined use of voice key with the pseudoword repetition
task may have promise in second language skill assessment, especially for identifying those
learners who may have greater difficulties acquiring the language.
SOLEY, Fernando
Supervisors: Dr Phil Taylor Stenolemus giraffa (Reduviidae) predation on spiders: A case of aggressive mimicry?
Assassin bugs of the genus Stenolemus have been found to invade spider webs to kill and eat
the resident. S. giraffa from the Northern Territory feeds on a variety of spiders with
different web types. It lures the spiders into attacking range by plucking the web (creating a
vibratory stimulus to which the spider is attracted). Previous laboratory and field
observations suggest that this insect applies a "trial and error" strategy to determine which
vibratory signals to repeat when plucking a web, based on the spider's response. This
research aims to understand how such dynamic exploitation can be achieved by an insect, by
analysing the vibratory signals created by S. giraffa on different spider webs and conducting
playback experiments on different spider species and on S. giraffa while hunting.
STAPINSKI, Lexine
Supervisors: Dr Maree Abbott Affect intolerance and worry in Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Excessive worry is the central defining feature of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Affect intolerance has been proposed as an important maintaining factor in this disorder.
Specifically, current models propose that individuals with GAD experience heightened
emotional intensity and negative appraisal of their affective experiences. Consequently, they
employ unhelpful management strategies, such as suppression or avoidance of emotion.
Empirical findings indicate that due to its verbal linguistic nature, worry suppresses fear-
related imagery and the associated physiological arousal. Therefore, worry may serve a
cognitive avoidance function in the short term, but maintain anxiety by disrupting the
otherwise fear-reducing effects of repeated exposure to anxiety provoking stimuli. The present studies examine affect appraisal and intolerance in GAD, and investigate the impact of worry on physiological responding, threat associations, and the maintenance of anxiety. STONE, Charlie
Supervisors: A/P Amanda Barnier Socially-shared retrieval-induced forgetting: Does memorability increase forgetting?
In the retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) paradigm, participants study category cue-
exemplar word pairs and then practice retrieving half the exemplars from half the categories.
On a later test, they recall more practiced exemplars from practiced categories relative to
the baseline of unpracticed exemplars from unpracticed categories. Crucially, they recall
fewer unpracticed exemplars from practiced categories (relative to the baseline), an effect
known as RIF. While in everyday life people remember and forget with others, RIF focuses
just on the individual. To address this, Hirst and colleagues recently modified standard RIF
in "overhearer" and "conversation" paradigms to generate both within-individual RIF (for
the speaker) and socially-shared RIF (for the listener). The present experiment replicated
socially-shared RIF in the overhear paradigm and tested the counterintuitive prediction that
memorability of the unpracticed exemplars increases forgetting for both speaker and
listener.
SULIKOWSKI, Danielle
Supervisors: Dr Darren Burke Adaptations of spatial working memory to the foraging ecology of an omnivorous
bird
Theories of natural selection dictate that the cognitive abilities an animal has will typically be adapted to solve the challenges presented by that animal's ancestral environment. A tendency to avoid locations that have recently yielded food (win-shifting) has been established for a variety of nectar-feeding species. This bias has been interpreted as an adaptation to the distribution of nectar; spatially constant but completely depleted for some time after a feeding bout. My earlier research, using a native Australian honeyeater, the noisy miner bird, has identified this same win-shift behaviour and shown that it is associated with foraging for nectar but not for invertebrates. The data I will present today further explores the differences in how spatial cognition is used to forage for foods possessing different spatio-temporal distributions. SUZUKI, Takashi
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley The development of pragmatic competence in a study abroad context
Pragmatic competence is considered an important element of one's linguistic ability and yet
found difficult to acquire in a second language (L2). Study abroad (SA) can be expected to
help learners with this acquisition because of its potential to provide opportunities for
authentic, out-of-class communication in the context of the target culture. This study aims
to examine the effects of SA experience on the participants' pragmatic competence in L2,
which is operationalized as the knowledge and performance of speech acts. Data will be
collected from multiple sources including questionnaires, interviews, and introspective
comments of the participants. In order to investigate whether pre-departure instruction on
pragmatic differences will have any effect, participants who received such instruction will be
compared with those who did not.
TANGPIJAIKUL, Montri
Supervisors: Prof. Pam Peters Fine-tuning discourse in Thai EFL online bulletin board
This study hypothesizes that online bulletin board will allow Thai EFL learners to exercise
interpersonal communicative skills through the use of modal and intensifying elements in
English. The analysis includes modal auxiliaries (e.g. will, may), epistemic stance adverbs
(e.g. maybe, probably), adjectives (e.g. certain, possible), copular verbs other than ‘be' (e.g.
tend, seem), and intensifiers (e.g. rather, somewhat). By using move approach analysis, the
functions of these linguistic items are shown in context. The findings show that Thai
learners are able to fine-tune their expression with subtlety using these devices in online
group discussion. Interestingly, learners who write more frequently online tend to use these
linguistic features in a greater variety. On the issue of whether frequent use of modal and
intensifying elements correlate with higher academic performance, this Thai study shows
that it is not necessarily so.
TAPIA CARLÍN, Rebeca E.
Supervisors: A/P David Hall Teacher trainees and their beliefs about thesis writing and professional development
The aim of this case study is to explore pre-service teachers' beliefs about thesis writing and
professional development after writing their thesis and to compare them with the beliefs of
their former teacher. The study explores change in cognitions during teacher education, as
suggested by Borg (2006, p. 46). The participants of the study were former students during
their pre-service teacher-training and their former professor. This is an action research
project where the participants had continuous education on thesis writing and professional
development, and brief training on thesis defence. The participants were given two
questionnaires and wrote retrospective accounts to express their beliefs about thesis writing
and professional development; also they wrote dialog journals while writing their thesis.
The findings suggest that the participants experienced thesis writing in different ways and
their beliefs did change after the experience of thesis writing.
TAUBERT, Jessica
Supervisors: Dr Darren Burke Face recognition in a non-human primate species
Human performance during a face recognition task is compromised when the stimuli are
rotated 180o. The magnitude of this effect reflects specialised processes that have developed
to discriminate between faces at the exemplar level. It has been postulated that the
development of these processes has been driven by the importance of faces, as a class of
highly homogeneous stimuli, to social communication. A convincing demonstration of this
assumption would be to elicit the effect of inversion in another species, one whose social
organisation and physiognomy has placed equivalent demands on the visual system. Central
American spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) typically live in fission-fusion societies, where
social membership would demand the individuation of conspecifics. The current objective was to compare the behavioural signatures of face processing across primate species to decouple the predictions of the face-selective and expertise hypotheses in regards to cortical modularity. TAYLOR, Lee
Supervisors: Dr Lorna Peters Prof. Ron Rapee Dr Delyse Hutchinson Pregnancy and drug use: An exploration of treatment seeking women and their
Although the consequences of illicit drug use in pregnancy can be severe, there is a paucity of research in Australia on the socio-demographic, mental, physical and obstetric health of this group of women and their infants. The present investigation will address this gap and set the groundwork for the establishment of the first Australian cohort on this group. The study aims to: (1) examine the hospital records of approximately 120 women to gain an understanding of the maternal and neonatal characteristics of pregnant women seeking substance use treatment and their infants (retrospective cohort); and (2) conduct a more comprehensive pilot study of 40 pregnant women seeking substance use treatment to assess in detail a range of maternal and infant characteristics (prospective cohort). The research will have the potential to direct more targeted and appropriate services for this marginalised group of women and children both in the antenatal period, and also in the longer-term. THAM, Wendy
Supervisors: Dr Richard Stevenson Dr Laurie Miller Investigation of olfactory information processing in patients with medio-dorsal
thalamus
The olfactory system has a unique characteristic relative to other sensory systems in that olfactory information processing (OIP) occurs via two pathways – a direct projection to the neocortex, well as an indirect projection via the medio-dorsal nucleus of the thalamus (MDNT). The main aim of this study is to identify the functional role of MDNT in human olfaction. Patients who have a MDNT lesion were recruited and tested on a battery of tests designed to examine cross-modal learning, olfactory adaptation and top-down processing. They were also assessed on a series of tests used to evaluate their general olfactory abilities (i.e., odour detection, odour discrimination, odour identification, odour memory and hedonic judgement test) and general cognitive function. Their performances on these tests were compared to normal controls. Data collection is still underway but preliminary findings will be discussed in the presentation. TUCKWELL, Kathryn
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Prof. Christian Matthiessen Grammar and evolution: Two modes of ineffability
This paper explores Whorf's assertions about the potential limitations of ‘Standard Average
European' as the global language of science (Whorf, 1956). It will take as its data texts
about evolution, in particular Richard Dawkins's 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker, to
investigate why texts that claim to explain evolution as an emergent phenomenon
frequently ‘drift' (Butt, 1983) towards teleological explanations of speciation and the current
‘state' of biological systems. I argue that syndromes of lexicogrammatical features in
English contribute to a ‘teleological syndrome' in texts about evolution, and more broadly to
a ‘covert motif of intention' that carries implications of conscious and intentional agency in
relation to many different types of emergent processes and events. This covert motif makes
it difficult to effectively explain any kind of emergent complexity or complex system in
English without invoking notions of linear causation, purpose, and conscious and punctiliar
agency.
UDY, Catherine
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Hudson Dr Julie Fitness Parent-report accuracy in relation to anxious children
Parenting behaviours such as overprotection have been linked with the maintenance of childhood anxiety. Parents of anxious children may have a negative bias to threat, underestimating the capabilities of their children, and therefore motivating parents to overprotect them. Parent report bias was examined in a sample of 44 non-clinical, 43 anxious, and 30 anxious/depressed children, aged 8-14 years and their mothers. When compared to an objective observer, mothers of control children demonstrated a self-enhancing positive bias for both ratings of expected child speech performance in absolute terms and relative to peers. Neither clinical group exhibited a positive bias and maternal reports were lower for clinical children than for controls. The data suggest that mothers of clinical children held accurate expectations for child performance when compared to the "gold standard" of an objective observer. Implications for treatment are discussed. URSINI, Francesco-Alessio
Supervisors: Prof. Max Coltheart Prof. Stephen Crain EVSS: The logics of space
Spatial cognition allows us to perceive objects in Space and express relations between a
reference object and other objects. Spatial Representation links the "what" module of object
recognition with the "where" module of spatial configuration (Landau & Jackendoff (1993)).
In Theoretical Linguistics, many works have studied the fine-grained structure of Spatial
expressions as and how they convey information about Spatial Representations. Zwarts &
Winter (2000) offer a semantic analysis based on a vector-based algebra, while Svenonius
(2006) offers a syntactic analysis supported by cross-linguistic data.
In this talk, I will present an attempt to unify various semantic and syntactic ‘loose topics'
into one framework, called Extended Vector Space Semantics (EVSS). I will show how this theory is, on the one hand, closely linked to (non-linguistic) Spatial cognition and, on the other hand, how it offers a theoretical basis for studies of cross-linguistic Language Acquisition. VAN DEN BERG, Susan
Supervisors: Dr Arthur Shores The mathematical profile of children with velocardiofacial syndrome
Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is a congenital, autosomal dominant condition that
affects 1 in every 2000 to 4500 live births. In addition to general cognitive disability,
children with VCFS show specific deficiencies in the area of mathematical ability. To date,
few studies have attempted to identify the specific patterns of impairment that underlie poor
mathematical performance in this population. In this study, children with VCFS are given a
series of tasks investigating mathematical skill, which were designed to assess the
development of components of the model of arithmetic outlined by McCloskey, Caramazza,
and Basili (1985), within which number processing skills (reading, writing, transcoding, and
comprehending
numbers) and calculation skills (including fact retrieval and the implementation of
procedures) represent distinct modular components.
Preliminary results from children with VCFS and an age- and IQ- matched control group
will be discussed.
WALDRON, Jennifer
Supervisors: Dr Jennifer Hudson Child perfectionism development: The anxious rearing model
Perfectionism is suggested to be an important feature in the development and maintenance of several forms of psychopathology. A valuable way to investigate the nature of such a trait is to explore factors contributing to its development. The anxious rearing model of perfectionism development proposes that perfectionism develops due to general parental worry about being imperfect as evidenced by focus on negative consequences of mistakes, anxious over concern about mistakes and overprotection from the negative consequences of mistakes. The current study aims to assess this model with clinically anxious children compared to matched controls using pre-existing and newly developed measures. A task was designed to observe perfectionistic behaviours, to assess whether existing questionnaire measures predict perfectionism in situations, and to assess whether maternal behaviour during a testing session can alter observed perfectionism levels in children. Preliminary results will be presented. WALLACE, Justin
Supervisors: Dr Ben Searle Dr Julie Fitness Key antecedents of proactive behaviours
Today's corporate environment is becoming more decentralised and individuals who are
more proactive are essential for organisational success (Crant, 2000). However,
disagreement over the nature of proactivity has made it difficult to know what organisations
should do about it. Can we train employees to become more proactive or are individuals
simply born that way? This presentation focuses on the key antecedents for proactive
behaviours and proposes some interventions that may lead to increases in an individual's
level of proactivity.
WANG, Shuo
Supervisors: Prof. Philip Newall Dr Catherine McMahon Dr Robert Mannell Speech perception for tonal language
Chinese is a kind of tonal language, which is different from English and has its own
characteristics. The acoustic information of speech may influence the perception in different
ways comparing with the perception of English. Up to now, more than 4,000 hearing-
impaired patients have already been implanted with multi-channel cochlear implants in
China. However, studies indicate that child users of cochlear implants may not be receiving
much information about pitch using the implant. This project is proposed to assess the
speech perception ability of normally hearing subjects and cochlear implant users
respectively using modified speech materials in order to investigate the difference of
auditory processing ability between these two groups and expect useful findings of tone
perception by cochlear implant users.
WEGENER, Rebekah
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Prof. Christian Matthiessen Working with a model of context
The degree of formalism that is required from a model of context in various areas presents a
number of challenges to the modeling of context. Although there are many problems, two of
the central problems that will need to be resolved include units, or the process of
establishing boundaries in context, and participants, or the way in which we capture the
perspective of multiple participants on a context. Working within a Systemic Functional
Theory of language, one possible model of context is presented that resolves the problems of
boundaries and perspectives. These two problems are used to put the more general model of
context on display. These are presented through a worked example drawn from the hospital
environment in Sydney, Australia.
WHITE, Eddy
Supervisors: A/P Geoff Brindley Assessment for learning in an EFL context
While assessment practices can be hugely influential, much current practice emphasizes
assessment of learning rather than assessment for learning and misses the opportunity to
use assessment to improve learning. Assessment for Learning (AfL), originating in
mainstream education in the UK in the late 1990's, focuses on using classroom-based
assessment as a teaching and learning tool. According to Black and Wiliam's (1998) seminal
article Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment, assessment
for learning (formative assessment) is at the heart of effective teaching. This presentation
will summarize and explain the presenters continuing research on AfL theory and practice,
addressing such issues as peer assessment, formative feedback and sharing assessment
criteria with students. It will also describe further research planned in order to give a comprehensive view of putting AfL into practice in an EFL context. WIESE, Mark
Supervisors: Dr Darren Burke A/P Chris Evans Dr Paul McDonald A video playback procedure for studying social learning in the noisy miner
Preliminary data will be presented from research into mechanisms of social learning in
Australian honeyeater birds. A great deal of research into social learning is focused on
characterising the cognitive mechanisms underlying imitation, but progress is difficult. A
related concern in the literature is to identify whether the ability to learn via observation is
due to a cognitive mechanism evolved specifically for social learning. This project seeks to
identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for the occurrence of social learning in a
communally breeding and behaviourally flexible honeyeater species (noisy miner, Manorina
melanocephala). This approach will make direct comparison of the mechanisms of social and
individual learning possible. Data obtained from this stage of the project will enable
meaningful comparative work aimed at identifying the specificity or otherwise of superior
ability to learn via observation.
WIGNALL, Anne
Supervisors: Dr Phil Taylor To kill or be killed: Predatory behaviour of an araneophagic assassin bug
Web-invading araneophagic predators hunt a dangerous prey, and thus risk becoming the hunted rather than the hunter. As a result, these predators require considerable skill when hunting. An Australian araneophagic assassin bug, Stenolemus bituberus (Heteroptera, Reduviidae), is known to hunt a wide range of spiders by invading their webs. We observed the predatory behaviour of S. biutberus hunting 5 species of sympatric spiders, Stenolemus bituberus utilises two distinct predatory strategies whilst hunting these spiders: (1) luring, wherein S. bituberus manipulates the silk of the spider webs, appearing to attract the resident spider within attacking range; and (2) stalking, in which S. bituberus stealthily approaches and attacks the resident spider. We propose that the luring strategy adopted by S. bituberus may be a form of vibratory aggressive mimicry, a hypothesis that we are currently testing using a combination of comparative and playback experimental techniques. WILLIAMS TETTEH, Vera
Supervisors: Prof. Ingrid Piller English language training and settlement: Ethnography of African migrants in Sydney.
The Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP) in Australia is officially responsible for the
provision of functional English for the settlement of all migrants from non-English speaking
backgrounds assessed as having low English proficiency. This study will use participants'
language learning and settlement trajectories to evaluate the effectiveness of the AMEP as a
settlement initiative. From a teacher perspective the AMEP is a unique and laudable model
(Martin 1999). This study will draw on sociolinguistic ethnographic data from the African
community in Sydney to provide a learner perspective. Adult African learners of English
tend to be multilingual in oral languages with the mode of language acquisition usually
being through non-formal means. Given that some participants may be preliterate in their
own and those other languages and learning in a ‘highly pressurised context' (Gunn 2003), it is anticipated that English language training will be a challenge for learners and the AMEP. WILLIS, Megan
Supervisors: Dr Romina Palermo Dr Darren Burke Dr Genevieve McArthur Prof. Max Coltheart The role of emotional expression in the evaluation of approachability
The facial appearance of others helps us to determine whether we should approach or avoid
certain individuals in our daily social interactions. In the current study we assessed how
approachability was influenced by facial expressions of emotion. Twenty-five participants
rated the approachability of a series of faces displaying angry, disgusted, fearful, happy,
neutral and sad facial expressions. The approachability of faces varied with their facial
expression, with happy faces considered the most approachable and angry and disgusted
faces the least approachable. We propose that angry and disgusted faces are rated as
particularly unapproachable because the person generating the expression can be perceived
as a direct source of threat to the individual decoding the expression.
WILSON, Ellie
Supervisors: Dr Romina Palermo Prof. Max Coltheart Dr Jon Brock Exploring the abnormalities of face processing in developmental disorders
This research investigates the manner in which face processing may be impaired under two conditions: 1) when face processing is an isolated deficit, as in the case of Congenital Prosopagnosia, and 2) when it is a component of a more broad social and perceptual disorder such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder. A thorough examination of face perception and recognition in five self-declared Congenital Prosopagnosics was conducted, using a battery of computer tasks targeting the stages of face perception. A theoretical framework was then constructed, within which processes involved in face perception were assessed in a systematic and functional manner. Some tasks that were used have since been modified to maximise the relevance of assessment tools to the dissociable stages of the cognitive model. Future aims are to use the model to examine face processing in Autism, and elucidate factors affecting the development of such skills. WILSON, Alexandra
Supervisors: Dr Robyn Langdon Prof. Max Coltheart Cognitive rehabilitation of attention deficits in people with brain injuries
Cognitive and behavioural deficits (as opposed to motor deficits) account for the greatest
share of long term disability, financial dependence, unemployment, social isolation and
family distress following a traumatic brain injury (Whyte, 1998). Yet, in Australian
rehabilitation settings cognitive rehabilitation seems to get the least amount of attention, in
favour of physical therapies.
This research aims to:
-Examine the prevalence and nature of cognitive rehabilitation in NSW
-Investigate computer-games-based cognitive rehabilitation in improving cognitive
functioning of TBI patients -Examine what factors reduce/enhance the effectiveness of games-based rehab -Incorporate these factors in an accessible cognitive rehabilitation program based on Sony Playstation gaming. The ultimate goal of this research is to contribute to our understanding of the damaged brain and provide clinically viable improvements to the current treatment programs available to people with brain injuries. WILSON, David
Supervisors: A/P Chris Evans Dr Michael Gillings Dr Phil Taylor Production of high-risk alarm calls is the best predictor of mating success in fowl
Female fowl prefer to mate with males exhibiting large ornaments. However, the short-term
choice tests underlying this finding deny females information about male dominance and
other facultative traits. In the wild, fowl spend their lives in stable social groups. We
observed birds under naturalistic conditions to evaluate the biological significance of
ornament size and to explore other potential predictors of male mating success. For each
male, we measured morphology and several behaviours related to food, predators,
dominance, and courtship. We show that behaviour is the best predictor of male mating
success under natural conditions, and that the most salient behaviours are dominance and
the rate of antipredator signalling. Dominance likely affects mating by determining access to
females, but the mechanism responsible for the role of alarm calling is less clear. Alarm
signals may advertise male quality, or they may reflect judicious risk-taking by males that
have achieved paternity.
WITTEN, Michael
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Candlin Dr Annabelle Lukin A multimodal anlaysis of the 2006 Mexican Presidential Campaign billboards
This work analyzes the political discourse of the multimodal and multisemiotic texts that
the three major political parties involved in the 2006 Mexican presidential elections
produced and massively distributed through the medium of billboards. We investigate how
these parties express their particular ideologies, construct and convey social identities and
relationships, and construct relations of power between themselves and the readers/viewers
of these texts through billboards. The methodological framework addresses these issues
based on Fairclough's (1995) three-dimensional model of analysis while employing a variety
of qualitative techniques tools and approaches that can appropriately address the
complexities of these multimodal, multisemiotic texts.
WOO, Kevin
Supervisors: A/P Chris Evans Signal design in a visual system dominated by motion sensitivity
Signals are designed to be salient within one's environment. However, the selection
pressures that have shaped the evolution of design may be attributed to perceptual features
of the receiver sensory system and the influence of environmental noise. The Jacky dragon
(Amphibolurus muricatus) is an agamid lizard that is found in visually complex habitats, and
performs stereotyped displays used to communicate during social interactions. In this
presentation, I will present the methodological approaches that have led to a number of
significant results during my candidature. I used 3D animations adapted to the video
playback procedure to examine motion sensitivity and conspicuous behaviour. Furthermore,
I replicated the motion characteristics of natural environmental noise included in the stimuli. The Jacky dragon is found to be highly sensitive to fast speeds, which is representative of signal function, and this relationship is maintained as wind condition and speed increases. WYLIE, Peter
Supervisors: A/P David Butt Grammatical metaphor and structuralism
The notion of grammatical metaphor is based on the idea that the more typical lexical forms
of metaphor have grammatical analogues. Any account of grammatical metaphor is,
moreover, bound to be intimately related to the grammar in which it is developed. This
would seem to be the case for halliday's account of grammatical metaphor, which bears out
his structuralism. Now, if metaphor is a comparatively pragmatic or functional form of
expression, then it has the potential to expose the limitations of Halliday's broader
framework's structuralist commitments. Indeed, I want to argue that many of the difficulties
encountered by cognitive accounts of metaphor would seem to also be applicable to
Halliday's account of grammatical metaphor. I, therefore, want to discuss how such
objections shed light on how Halliday's systemic functional grammar can be made more
functional both in general and for a theory of grammatical metaphor.
XU, Jiahuan
Supervisors: Dr Alan Jones Acquiring the English tense system by advanced Chinese EFL learners
This study investigates how advanced Chinese EFL learners and NSs differ in their uses of tense. I propose the concept of "Situation Time", the objective time span a situation actually takes up, to probe into L2 learners' knowledge of the meanings of past and present tenses. Chinese learners seem to misinterpret tense as a temporal relation between situation time and speech time. Cloze type tasks were used to discover the different choices made by Chinese L2 learners and NSs. Follow-up retrospective interviews were conducted to investigate the specific reasoning and decision-making processes of learners. This study provides a new empirical basis for the discussion of tense theory from the perspective of language acquisition. Tense, it is claimed, expresses the speaker's subjective view of the situation at the moment of utterance. Tense distinction is thus analogous to aspectual distinction in that both are based on perspectival dimension. ZHOU, Peng
Supervisors: Prof. Stephen Crain Dr Rosalind Thornton Experimental studies on the interpretation of doubly quantified sentences in Chinese
Quantifier scope interpretation involves the interaction between syntax and semantics. Thus,
by examining the phenomenon, we will certainly gain some insight into how the two
interact with each other. To observe it, three experiments, an offline judgment task, a self-
paced reading task and an eye-tracking experiment, were conducted to investigate the
interpretation of doubly quantified sentences in Chinese, like Mei-ge qiangdao dou qiang-le
yi-ge yinhang (Every robber robbed a bank). The results showed that (i) Initially, the
language processor, by using syntactic information only, computes both S>O and O>S
representations; (ii) The discourse information is not employed in initial processing of
relative scope, it serves to evaluate the two representations in reanalysis; (iii) The lexical information of verbs affects their scope-taking patterns in both initial analysis and reanalysis. These findings provide evidence for the Modular Model on sentence processing. ZOPF, Regine
Supervisors: A/P Greg Savage Prof. Max Coltheart Is this my hand? – Investigating normal and altered body perception
The aim of this study is to investigate how multi-sensory information is integrated into a
percept of one's own body, which cognitive factors play a role, and what are the underlying
neural correlates? Furthermore, we would like to study factors that can lead to altered body
perception in neurological or psychiatric patients. One important means to study human
body perception are body illusions induced in experimental settings. Body illusions can for
example involve size, movement, position and even self-attribution for body parts or the
whole body. First we would like to study the so-called "rubber hand illusion", in which a
seen fake hand and one's own unseen hand are synchronously stroked. Many (but not all)
participants report that the fake hand "belongs" to them. A first aim is to investigate why
some people experience this illusion and some do not. Relevant background literature and
pilot data will be presented.

Source: http://www.humansciences.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/91558/2007_abstracts_071205.pdf