School of Psychology

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https://hdl.handle.net/2440/103031

This collection contains Honours, Masters and Ph.D by coursework theses from University of Adelaide postgraduate students within the School of Psychology. The material has been approved as making a significant contribution to knowledge.

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Open Access
Stereotypy and the reinforcement of play behaviour in Asian small clawed Otters (Aonyx cinerea)
(1990) Mellowship, Rachel; School of Psychology
Open Access
Effects of flotation rest and progressive muscle relaxation on blood pressure, heart-rate, anxiety and mood of cyclists
(1993) Stanislawski, Peter; Delin, Peter; Martin, Cathy; Dept. of Psychology
Open Access
First-time expectant fathers’ experiences and expectations of the perinatal period
(2016) De Sousa Machado, Tiffany; School of Psychology
Postnatal depression (PND) affects approximately 16% of women in Australia. PND can have damaging and lasting effects on women, their infants and the family, including the risk of paternal PND (PPND). There is limited research on men’s perceptions of and understanding about PND, despite the fact they may play an important role in identifying symptoms and encouraging their partner to seek help. Furthermore, they may also require emotional, psychological and practical support during the perinatal period. The current understanding of PND within a biomedical model includes both psychological and biological elements. In this qualitative study, the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes first-time fathers have of the perinatal period, specifically in relation to PND and their attitudes towards help seeking were explored. As well as covering the psychological and biological aspects of PND, gender roles and men’s expectations and notions of motherhood were discussed by participants. Through triangulating data from both expectant fathers and their partners, Thematic Analysis identified five main themes: Preparing for a Newborn, Illness Perceptions of PND, Gendered Roles and Power, Idealistic Postnatal Expectations, and The Risk of PND to Men. This study provides insight into what first-time fathers know and are prepared for in the postnatal period. These insights have the potential to inform health professionals in educating and preparing first time parents for the reality of life with a newborn, in clinical settings, health promotion campaigns and in health care and government policy.
Open Access
Measuring workplace safety climate in terms of its key components
(2016) Heffernan, Cassandra; School of Psychology
This study investigated the concept of Workplace Safety Climate in terms of its key components affecting aspects of work related safety in two human service organisations. In particular, the project investigated whether employee assessments of worker attitudes and behaviours contributed additional explanatory variance to the association with key work-related stress indicators or whether their assessments of management attitudes and behaviours either wholly or primarily determine this association. A sample of 111 employees working in a large entertainment and hospitality organisation completed normed measures of safety climate, psychosocial safety climate (PSC) and burnout. Results were compared to the same measures completed by 228 Disability Support Workers (DSWs) who provide residential care for people with disabilities in houses in the community. Results showed that for both groups safety climate and PSC were significantly correlated to worker burnout. However, it was found through multiple regressions that worker safety attitudes did not add predictive capacity for burnout above that of management in the large entertainment organisation but did so for DSWs. Findings suggest that the relative influence of safety related attitudes and behaviours of managers and workers may vary depending on the structure of the organisation.
Open Access
“I Don’t Need Advice or Lectures” A Discursive Psychological Analysis of Men’s Posts in an Online Discussion Forum for Depression
(2016) Drioli-Phillips, Phoebe; School of Psychology
Australian men are diagnosed with depression at half the rate of Australian women and, as such, depression in men has received less attention historically. Depression is often positioned as gendered, that is, as a psychological condition that women are more likely to experience. Many argue however that the disparity in depression diagnosis rates is not presentative of depression prevalence. Rather, such disparities have been suggested to be an artefact of inappropriate diagnostic criteria and societal norms about masculinity and help-seeking. The challenging nature of improving understanding of these gender differences, is that typical features of male depression which make diagnosis difficult (for example, reticence to discuss psychological distress openly), also make it difficult to study. Increasing use of online discussion forums on depression provides an opportunity to investigate how men describe their experiences with depression in ways that are not directed or influenced by researchers’ concerns. This thesis aims to examine how men routinely describe their experiences of depression and position themselves in relation to the condition in an online forum. A discursive psychological approach informed by membership categorisation analysis is used to analyse how men formulate initial posts on an online discussion forum for depression.
Open Access
Differences identified when correcting scores of preterm children: consequences for service access
(2016) Fuss, Belinda; School of Psychology
When chronological age is used for age-standardised developmental tests, preterm children often perform worse than when age corrected for time born preterm is used. This difference reduces as children develop, however it is unclear when it becomes insignificant, leaving practice of age-correction largely up to clinician discretion. The present study contributes to questions surrounding whether age-correction should be used when evaluating children born preterm. To investigate whether a difference existed at two time points (ages 18 months and 7 years), the current study considered the DQ (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition) and IQ (Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence) scores of 577 (305 male, 526 Caucasian) preterm children. Means of scores standardised for chronological and corrected age were compared. Impairment was indicated based on standardised scores, and frequency of indicated impairment was compared. Statistically and clinically significant differences were seen (Cohen’s d = 1.24 and 0.15, and changes of 13.9% and 6.9%, respectively) at both age points. Findings indicate that in research, age-correction should be used to eliminate bias. In clinical practice, categorisation as at-risk for impairment and subsequent referral to services can depend on the use of age-correction. To maximise access to services, clinicians should therefore not correct.
Open Access
Do social casino games influence gambling cognitions in young Australians? A randomized controlled study
(2016) Stevens, Matthew; School of Psychology
Objective: Social casino games (SCGs) are free-to-play online gambling-themed games that structurally resemble gambling and involve purchasable virtual credits, but do not offer a financial payout and thus are not legally considered gambling activities. The aim of this study was to examine whether playing SCGs had any impact on gambling attitudes (general opinions about gambling) and cognitions (specific gambling-related biases). Method: This study employed a test-retest randomized controlled design. A total of 77 first-year psychology students with no previous SCG experience were recruited. An online survey measuring gambling attitudes and cognitions was administered, and then participants were randomly allocated to one of three groups: (1) free-play (play SCG with free credit); (2) financed (play SCG with $20 purchased credit); and (3) control (no SCG play). The experimental groups were required to download ‘Slotomania’, and play for 20 minutes per day over a three-day period. A post-test survey assessed gambling attitudes and cognitions after three days. Results: A repeated-measures mixed ANOVA assessed changes in cognition outcomes from baseline to post-test. All three groups reported significant increases from baseline for gambling attitudes, but there were no significant group differences in cognitions. A chi-square analysis determined SCG-playing significantly decreased future intent to gamble, but did not alter general views of gambling. Conclusions: SCG-playing did not affect participants’ attitudes towards or cognitions about gambling. Although this work is preliminary, it demonstrates the role of SCGs and financial investment in gambling migration is complex and warrants further investigation.
Open Access
Shame, guilt and social anxiety: the role of perspective-taking and alexithymia
(2016) Cheok, Frida; School of Psychology
The relationship between shame-proneness and psychopathology is well established, while most research suggests that guilt-proneness may be unrelated to psychopathology. The present study expands previous research concerning relationships between shame, guilt and social anxiety, and examines relationships of these variables with perspective-taking and alexithymia. Most prior research has focused on internal shame (which includes shame-proneness), but this study also examined external shame, identified as an area requiring further research. Findings were consistent with the literature in associations between shame-proneness and social anxiety (positive) and between guilt-proneness and social anxiety (no association). External shame was positively associated with social anxiety, adding to the limited research suggesting similar psychopathology as shame-proneness. Perspective taking did not play a role in social anxiety. Key new findings were: positive associations between alexithymia and both shame-proneness and external shame; and, indirect effects for both shame-proneness and external shame on social anxiety through alexithymia. The current research can help develop additional intervention strategies for social anxiety, a common problem in society, by identifying and targeting the risk factors of shame and alexithymia that may impinge on successful outcomes.
Open Access
“We’re completely back to normal, but I’d say it’s a new normal”: A qualitative exploration of adapted functioning in rural families following a parental cancer diagnosis
(2016) Garrard, Eleanor; School of Psychology
The Resiliency Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation (RMFAA) proposes that the diagnosis of cancer constitutes a life crisis for not only the patient, but the family unit as a whole. For rural families, a cancer diagnosis may be particularly debilitating due to the pile up of financial, practical and emotional stressors, all of which stem from difficulties in accessing vital medical and psychosocial care. A body of literature has investigated these issues using an individualistic framework, however, a holistic, family-oriented approach has not been applied to rural families affected by cancer. Therefore, in the current study, the RMFAA was utilised to guide a qualitative exploration into rural families’ functioning throughout the course of a cancer diagnosis. Ten families, wherein a parent of dependent children had received a cancer diagnosis, participated in focus groups. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, and four core themes were identified. “Key challenges to coping in a rural cancer context” encompassed three sub-themes: “frequent travel”, “increased work/financial demands”, and “familial separation”. Similarly, “protective internal factors” comprised three sub-themes: “children’s restricted comprehension of a cancer diagnosis and the need to adapt communication accordingly”, “strong and stable family relationships are highly valued by rural families”, and “the value of problem solving in promoting normality”. “Protective external factors” comprised two sub-themes: “offers of community support can be perceived as both helpful and unhelpful” and “support services are frequently accessed and typically appreciated”. “Not all consequences of a cancer diagnosis are negative” was the final theme to emerge from the data. The findings suggested that rural families’ ability to access external resources was moderated by the strength of their internal protective factors; resulting in significant practical implications pertaining to the development of interventions that accommodate the specific cancer support needs of rural families.
Open Access
Women’s Psychosocial Outcomes after Receiving Cardiotocography (CTG) or ST-Analysis (STan) Fetal Monitoring During Labour: An Australian Pilot Randomised Control Trial
(2016) Digenis, Christianna; School of Psychology
A common intervention to ensure the health of the fetus and mother during labour is electronic fetal monitoring (EFM). Standard practice for EFM in Australia is cardiotocography (CTG), which has a high false positive rate leading to unnecessary intervention such as caesarean delivery. The Women’s and Children’s Hospital is currently trialling a new technology, ST-Analysis (STan), which is used in conjunction with CTG. STan provides greater information to clinicians, allowing for more precise decision making thus leading to fewer unnecessary emergency caesareans. As a result, better outcomes such as lower levels of mental illness and better physical health are anticipated in the postnatal period. This pilot study aims to compare women via a randomised control trial on psychosocial outcomes after receiving either STan or CTG-only. No differences were observed between the treatment groups on satisfaction with EFM, early labour experiences and care. Based on thematic analysis on the positives and negatives of EFM, six themes were reported: perceived clinical errors, concern about EFM, experiences with staff, reassurance, comfort and more clinical information allowing for better decision making. When compared on mental and physical health outcomes, there was no variation between the two treatment groups except on subjective mental health, where the CTG-only group exhibited better mental health outcomes. Based on this pilot study, there seems to be no psychosocial advantage of including STan in the labour ward, however, more research is needed to replicate these findings.
Open Access
Awareness and Vigilance in Online Gambling
(2016) James, Olivia; School of Psychology
At present, few formal investigations of attentional process have been undertaken in electronic gaming machine (EGM) gambling, despite the fact that ‘reality testing’ and pre-commitment budgeting strategies are often recommended as useful policy responses to reduce the potential harms associated with this form of gambling. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate gamblers’ awareness and vigilance while playing EGMs online and the influences of sound levels and immersion on player responses. Players were randomly allocated to conditions with different levels of sound immersion and players were asked to complete both within-session and post-session vigilance and recall tasks as well as self-reported measures of attention and conscious experience. Vigilance tasks included the ability to monitor a pop-up symbol; to recall the correct symbols in the game; to be aware of the contents of a voice-over announcement during the simulation; and to correctly perceive the time duration of 25 minutes and total play time. All participants completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), Dimensions of Attention Questionnaire (Pekala, 1991) and Jacobs’ short measure of dissociative experiences (Jacobs, 1986). Results supported the development of new methodology and measures to assess gamblers’ attentional absorption, but did not find significant interactions between levels of sound and immersion, and player responses. The results were limited by the sample composition of infrequent gamblers. Nevertheless, the findings demonstrated that even infrequent gamblers’ attention can became strongly engaged in EGMs. It is anticipated that the inclusion of problem gamblers in future studies will produce much stronger effects.
Open Access
Adherence in Cardiovascular Disease: The Role of Positive and Negative Metacognitive Worry Beliefs
(2016) Pinto, Ronette B.; School of Psychology
On a national and global scale, cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses deleterious consequences for individual mortality and morbidity, and for broader health economics. Enhancing patient adherence is crucial for secondary prevention and improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Health psychology research to date is characterised by limited and inconsistent findings regarding the role of worry. Specifically, research has failed to investigate the positive and negative beliefs held by individuals regarding their worry processes. The current study utilized the Metacognitive Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder as a theoretical basis for quantitatively testing if adherence to CVD-specific recommendations, HRQoL, and engagement in health behaviours were differentially associated with positive and negative metacognitive worry beliefs. The study adopted a mixed-methods design to further qualitatively explore satisfaction with medical care, adherence barriers, facilitators, and self-reported levels of adherence. Self-report data (N = 33) were analysed using linear and logistic regressions; qualitative data from brief semi-structured telephone interviews (N = 30) were analysed through content analysis. Results indicated that metacognitive worry beliefs were only partially associated with outcomes, whereas interviews elicited other psychological variables that are potentially more salient than worry. Adherence barriers and facilitators ranged across factors pertaining to the individual, the illness, and the medical practitioner. These findings have practical implications for the development of interventions that can enhance adherence, reduce mortality and morbidity, and ultimately benefit Australia's health care system. Worry and worry beliefs are worthy of further investigation in larger, more inclusive CVD samples free from social desirability and external validity limitations.
Open Access
Resilience and Savoring in Older Adults in Relation to Subjective Well-Being
(2016) Philip, Elise; School of Psychology
Research has identified a wide range of benefits associated with resilience (i.e., the ability to effectively adapt to adversity) and savoring positive experiences (i.e., the capacity to enhance and actively manage positive emotions). However, research on these constructs particularly among older adults is limited. Smith and Hollinger-Smith (2015) found that resilience moderated the relationship between savoring and the affective constructs of happiness and depression. However, no significant moderation effect on the cognitive construct of satisfaction with life was found possibly due to the type of measure used. Furthermore, other aspects of subjective well-being that reflect social relationships were not examined. The current study investigated whether resilience moderated the relationship between savouring and three variables of subjective well-being, specifically, satisfaction with life, satisfaction with social relationships, and perceived quality of social relationships in older adults. Moreover, exploratory analyses were conducted to identify whether particular facets of resilience and savoring were more strongly related to older adults’ subjective well-being. Community-dwelling adults aged 60 and above (N = 412) completed a survey which included five standardised measures assessing savoring, resilience, and the three variables of subjective well-being. The main finding of this study is that resilience moderated the relationship between savoring and satisfaction with life, and this relationship was stronger for older adults with lower resilience. This has implications for the implementation of savoring strategies targeted specifically at older adults lower on resilience as developing a greater ability to savor may enhance the psychosocial resources that they lack and thus improve subjective well-being.
Open Access
Human identification at a distance: The impact of image quality and image restoration techniques on human face matching performance
(2016) Calleja, Joseph; School of Psychology
The suitability of surveillance for facial identification has been questioned given the low quality of such imagery often captured at a distance. The Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group have developed the Zephyrus normalised cross-correlation (NCC) restoration technique to enhance long-range images, and demonstrated an improvement in facial recognition (FR) algorithm performance. However, whether this technique could improve human face matching performance was not known. This study aimed to understand the impact of image quality and the Zephyrus NCC image restoration technique on human face matching performance during the conduct of a simultaneous one-to-one face matching task. Participants (N = 50) from the University of Adelaide and the general public examined 120 facial image pairs in a repeated measures design, and were asked if they were of the same or different people. The quality of one image (the target image) varied in each pair, and was either a passport-quality, restored surveillance, or an unrestored surveillance image. The other image (the exemplar image) was always of passport-quality. Face matching decisions with passport-quality target images were the fastest, most accurate, and most confident, overall. However, decisions with restored surveillance target images were the slowest, least accurate, and least confident, overall. This may have been due to the restricted number of restored images accessible, and/or the distortion of spatial frequencies necessary to support facial identification. Future research could implement an objective image quality measure, assess the performance of many commercial FR algorithms alongside human performance, and explore various restoration techniques for long-range imagery.
Open Access
Predictors of Women’s Psychosocial Outcomes of Outpatient Priming for Induction of Labour
(2016) Benton, Madeleine; School of Psychology
Induction of labour (IOL) is one of the most commonly performed obstetric procedures. Many women undergoing IOL require cervical priming. Most Australian hospitals have an inpatient procedure for cervical priming, which involves pre-labour overnight hospital admission and separation from family and support companions. An alternative is for women to undergo the overnight ripening process in their own homes (outpatient setting). The outpatient setting for IOL has been associated with lower health care costs, reduced length of hospital stays, improved psychological outcomes for women, and overall improvement in women’s experience of the procedure. The aim of the current study was to examine predictors of women’s psychosocial outcomes of outpatient priming for IOL. The current investigation utilised data collected as part of a randomised controlled trial at two South Australian hospitals. Three-hundred and seven women completed a questionnaire seven weeks after giving birth to measure postnatal depression, infant feeding practices, psychosocial experiences of IOL in the outpatient setting, and demographic information. Several consistent findings emerged during data analysis. Women’s reported experiences of safety regarding priming for IOL in the outpatient setting was a significant psychosocial predictor of both postnatal depression and infant feeding practices. Further, women’s linguistic background emerged as a consistent finding, demonstrating a statistically significant relationship with numerous psychosocial experiences, including social support, self-efficacy, readiness, control, information, and safety. The current study offers psychological insight into the outpatient experience of IOL and has clear implications for the advancement of outpatient obstetric care.
Open Access
The Placebo Effect and Exercise: Testing the Mind-Set Matters Hypothesis in an Everyday Context
(2016) Brown, Jessica; School of Psychology
This study aimed to replicate and extend earlier findings relating to potential placebo effects in exercise. Prior research found that when workers were encouraged to view their job as physically demanding they perceived themselves to be getting greater levels of exercise than before, and experienced positive physical health changes despite actual activity levels not changing (Crum & Langer, 2007). These results suggest that expectations play a critical role in the outcomes associated with physical activities, and therefore that health benefits derived from exercise may be due, at least partially, to a placebo effect. In the current study participants (N = 68) were randomised to either the ‘informed’ group (n = 34), who received information on how their current level of housework and gardening qualified as exercise; or the control group (n = 34), who received an equal amount of information on a neutral topic. Perceptions of current exercise participation, and measures of physiological and psychological wellbeing, were taken at baseline and four weeks’ post-intervention. Contrary to hypotheses, both the informed and control groups perceived themselves to be getting more exercise at follow-up. The informed group did not experience significantly greater reductions in weight, body fat percentage or blood pressure than the control at follow-up, nor an increase in positive affect. The current study therefore found no compelling evidence to support earlier research suggesting that changing people’s mind-sets surrounding their current activities will result in meaningful health changes, and therefore no compelling evidence suggesting a placebo effect in exercise.
Open Access
“But this I will always carry with me”: Perceptions of Forgiveness Among Iranian Refugees
(2016) Alim, Mastura; School of Psychology
There is a significant body of literature to suggest that interpersonal forgiveness has many positive mental and physical health benefits for an individual. However, there is little research about the role of forgiveness at system level injustices, or experiences of forgiveness within people with refugee backgrounds. This study aimed to explore and understand the concept of forgiveness in relation to people with refugee backgrounds and how forgiveness relates to justice and wellbeing for refugees. Seven interviews were conducted with Iranian refugees. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The main themes identified include that ‘forgiveness is complex and hard to define’, ‘forgiveness is different for different people’, ‘to forgive would be to forget’, ‘justice is an important precursor to forgiving system-level transgressions’, ‘forgiveness leads to positive wellbeing’ and ‘refugees are unique in relation to forgiveness’. The findings of this study indicate that forgiveness is an important concept for people with refugee backgrounds and that they assign unique meaning to forgiveness as a result of their experiences.
Open Access
Achieving ‘partnership’: The relationship between horse and rider in the competition arena
(2016) Sandland, Jacqueline; School of Psychology
This study aims to explore the horse-rider relationship in elite-level eventing. Current literature suggests that the concept, ‘partnership’, is routinely used to describe a fundamental aspect of rider-horse compatibility, and that this concept is argued to need time to develop. Highly skilled riders who use multiple horses in competition may not have time to develop such ‘partnerships’, however, such combinations are often found to achieve significant competitive success. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore how elite-level eventing riders account for equestrian performance and how ‘partnership’ between horse and rider is routinely described in discussing achievement at this level. Discursive analysis was used to identify broad patterns in the data, as well as identifying routine linguistic practices and rhetorical organisation that recur in elite riders’ constructions of event horses. Event horses were routinely described in two ways: as autonomous, decision-making agent, and as social being, that displays specific dispositional attributes that contribute toward performance success. These constructions were applied to an ‘equine habitus’ framework (Gilbert & Gillett, 2011), to develop the notion of an ‘eventing habitus’. The study’s findings have practical application for riders and trainers in competitive environments as well as for other equestrian professionals (e.g. jockeys and stockmen) who are routinely required to ride unfamiliar horses in high-risk contexts.
Open Access
Barriers and facilitators to accessing Autism Spectrum Disorder services: A thematic analysis of the experiences of newly arrived families with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia
(2016) A'court, Jaimi; School of Psychology
Families who are newly arrived in Australia and are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) face unique challenges navigating the Australian healthcare system and accessing services. It is well established in the literature that conceptualisations of mental health vary according to cultural background, which presents unique challenges to service providers in countries such as Australia. However there is limited literature on these population’s experiences accessing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) intervention services in their new country. This qualitative study aimed to explore cultural understandings of ASD among newly arrived families with CALD backgrounds, as well as the barriers and facilitators to accessing ASD intervention services. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 healthcare professionals currently practicing across Australia, specializing in ASD services. Thematic analysis identified six main themes including ‘culture impacts definitions and understandings of ASD, ‘culture may impact a range of clinical processes’, ‘being newly arrived to Australia impacts access to ASD services’, ‘interpreters are essential for service delivery when providing ASD services to newly arrived families with CALD backgrounds’, ‘cultural competency is essential for service delivery’ and ‘relationship developing is central to optimising the effectiveness of ASD service provision’. It is anticipated that the results will address gaps in the literature and inform culturally competent practice for healthcare practitioners providing ASD service to clients with CALD backgrounds who are newly arrived in Australia.
Open Access
Hidden disability: Speech intelligibility and stereotypes of the hearing-impaired
(2016) Asimakopoulos, Angela; School of Psychology
Although there is a large amount of literature examining the negative stereotyping of people with various kinds of disabilities, few studies have researched stereotypes associated with the hearing-impaired. Hearing-impaired individuals have often been marginalised from society and treated as “outsiders”. The hearing-impaired often display complications in producing speech with quality and clarity, eliciting speech comprehension difficulties, thus making them more susceptible to negative attitudes and stereotyping. Speech intelligibility (SI) refers to the degree of speech that can be comprehended by a listener, with low-SI linked to unfavourable perceptions. The present study aimed to examine hearing-impaired stereotypes made by hearing-persons under low SI and high SI conditions using Fiske and colleagues’ (2002) ‘Stereotype Content Model’ (SCM) dimensions of competence and warmth. The sample comprised of N= 130 undergraduate university students who were randomly assigned an audio interview (high or low SI condition) and then asked to complete several survey items. Competence stereotypes were found to significantly differ between SI conditions, with higher competence for the high-SI condition. Prior contact and levels were considered an important factor contributing to stereotype formation, but actually contributed towards more positive attitudes towards the deaf. Although primarily positive attitudes towards the hearing-impaired were found in the sample, no significant gender differences were uncovered. The social and interactional implications for hearing-impaired persons such as the use of hearing aids offering auditory amplification and its links with SI were discussed. Finally, limitations of the present research posed several questions for future research to address.

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