Denise Dillon
- denise.dillon@jcu.edu.au
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0191-7841- Acting Dean Research/Associate Dean Research Education / Associate Professor Psychology
- JCU Singapore School of Social and Health Sciences
Projects
0
Publications
43
Awards
12
Contact Details
Dean Research (acting)
- +65 6709 3730
- denise.dillon@jcu.edu.au
-
149 Sims Drive, Singapore 387380
Biography
Dr Denise Dillon is the current acting Dean Research for JCU in Singapore. She is also Associate Dean Research Education at the JCU Singapore campus and Chair of the JCU Singapore IACUC. After serving as Head of Academic Group for psychology, arts and education for almost 10 years, Denise now facilitates and promotes the strategic direction of research within JCUS, improvements in the quality and impact of that research, and the growth of local, national and international research collaborations.
Research
Research Interests
Her primary research focus is biophilia (love for life and lifelike processes) pertaining to both natural and built environments, and this includes factors such as nature connectedness and eco-anxiety. Denise is a certified Forest Therapy Guide. View my Research Impact Story to see more.
Research Data
Research Collaborators and Partners
University of Reading Malaysia
James Cook University Singapore
University of Reading Malaysia
James Cook University Singapore
James Cook University Singapore
University of Reading Malaysia
James Cook University Singapore
James Cook University Singapore
James Cook University Singapore
Teaching
Teaching Interests
Denise's key teaching focus on environmental psychology aligns well with her research on biophilia and nature connectedness. She has past teaching experience in the areas of personality and individual psychology, statistics and research methods, memory & cognition, health and social psychology, lifespan development, and effective writing.
Research Advisor Accreditation
Advisor Type
Mentor
Research Advisor Accreditation
Role
Chair; Independent Academic
Taught Modules
2023
2024
[PY2109] Environmental PsychologyLecturer, Coordinator
2025
[RM8501] Research PlanningCoordinator
2024
[RM8501] Research PlanningLecturer
2025
[RM8502] Research ProjectCoordinator
2024
[RM8502] Research ProjectLecturer
2025
[PY2109] The World Around Us: Environmental PsychologyLecturer, Coordinator
2023
Current JCU Research Students
Morality's Nudge on Creative Action
Doctor of Philosophy (Society and Culture)
Breaking down the mindfulness construct and examining factors influencing mindfulness
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Completed JCU Research Students
Educational expectations and suicide risk among university students in the Western Pacific
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)- 2023
A Virtual Reality Approach to Improving Public Speaking Skills
Doctor of Philosophy (Information Technology)- 2025
Defining Emotional Dysregulation in Early Childhood
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)- 2023
Current Honours and External Research Students
Connect, Respect and Reflect
HONOURS- 2025
Completed Honours and External Research Students
Effects of Connectedness and Community on Pro-environmental Behaviours
HONOURS
Increasing physical exercise through action and coping planning
HONOURS
Climate Anxiety and Nature Connectedness: Exploring the Role of Climate Science Education Background on Psychological Impact
UNDERGRADUATE_PROJECT
The moderating effect of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) on the association between anxiety and Positive Youth Development (PYD)
HONOURS
Flourishing or frightening? Visitor feelings about nature and urban green spaces.
HONOURS
Nature Connectedness and Wellbeing
OTHER
Virtual Reality Therapy’s Restorative Effect on Directed Attention Fatigue
HONOURS
On a trajectory towards zero waste: Changing behaviours through active citizenry
HONOURS
Connection to nature, spirituality and well-being in residents of Singapore during COVID-19
OTHER
The relationship between religious beliefs and value orientations associated with nature seeking behaviours during COVID-19 in Singapore
OTHER
The Role of Social Connectedness and Values in Psychological Wellbeing
OTHER
The effect of exposure to different environments on cognitive performance
COURSEWORK_MASTERS
Can nature be human? Exploring the role of anthropomorphism on proenvironmental behaviour
HONOURS
Values and Vulnerabilities: What affects willingness to keep animals as pets?
HONOURS
A Preliminary Validation of Guided Forest Therapy as an Effective and Beneficial Practice in a Healing Setting
HONOURS
Understanding Climate Skepticism and Anxiety: A Comprehensive Survey of Public Perceptions and Emotional Responses
UNDERGRADUATE_PROJECT
Social media use of stickers/affect to enhance communication
COURSEWORK_MASTERS
Community gardening: Stress, well-being and resilience potentials
COURSEWORK_MASTERS
Available Projects
Activities
Media
Languages
Other Activities
Committees
Research Education Advisory Committee
2018 - 2023
JCU Singapore Exam Board
2008 - 2019
Academic Board
2017 - 2021
Education
PhD, James Cook University
2003 - 2008
Employment
Senior Lecturer, JCU Singapore
2015 - 2021
Associate Dean of Psychology, JCU Singapore
2008 - 2014
Contract data analysis consultant, Self-employed
2007 - 2007
Contract research assistant, JCU
2007 - 2007
Lecturer, JCU Singapore
2008 - 2014
Child Protection Officer, Dept of Families
2003 - 2003
Awards
Visiting Scholar
2012
Visiting Scholar
2012
Associations
HCSNet Scholarship (annual conference travel)
2005 - 2008
Singapore Psychological Society Council
2019 - 2021
Journal of Tropical Psychology
2015 - 2017
JCU Singapore
2016 - 2018
Outreach
2018-2025 JCUS 3MT Event Organiser & Host
2018 - 2025
2022 JCUS Emerging Leaders Webinar Series
2022 - 2022
2020 JCUS Professorial Lecture Series
2020 - 2020
Consultancy
Lifeline Australia,
2001 - 2003
Lifeline Australia,
2000 - 2002
Output
Dillon, Denise (2021) Bathing in the benefits of nature immersion. Singapore: [Non-Research Book Chapter]
Other Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Khader, Majeed; Dillon, Denise; Chen, Xingyu Ken; Neo, Loo Seng; Chin, Jeffrey (2020) How to Prepare for the Next Pandemic: behavioural sciences insights for practitioners and policymakers. Singapore: [Edited Publication] [DOI]
Other Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Dillon, Denise Bridget (2008) The values of meaning and the meanings of 'values': environmental language in text and concept system in a Wet Tropics World Heritage context. [Thesis] [DOI]
Dillon, Denise B.; Lumagbas, Precious; Lee, Kelli-Ann (2025) 'The Influence of Cognitive Vulnerabilities and Attributions of Animal Sentience on Willingness to Own Pets'. Anthrozoos, . [DOI]
Hui, Elsie; Singh, Smita; Lin, Patrick K.F.; Dillon, Denise (2024) 'Social Media Influence on Emerging Adults’ Prosocial Behavior: A Systematic Review'. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 46 (4):239-265. [DOI]
Dillon, Denise; Lee, Sean T.H.; Tai, Eunice W.L. (2024) 'Flourishing or Frightening? Feelings about Natural and Built Green Spaces in Singapore'. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21 (3). [DOI]
Dillon, Denise; Lee, Sean T.H. (2023) 'Green Spaces as Healthy Places: Correlates of Urban Green
Space Use in Singapore'. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (17). [DOI]
Dillon, Denise; Cai, Jiaying (2022) 'Virtual Reality Greenspaces: Does Level of Immersion Affect Directed Attention Restoration in VR Environments?'. J, 5 (3):334-357. [DOI]
Patinadan, Paul Victor; Dillon, Denise (2022) 'Friends, food or worth fighting for? A proposed stereotype content model for nonhuman animals'. Human–Animal Interactions, 2022 (December). [DOI]
Yap, Trina; Dillon, Denise; Chew, Peter K.H. (2022) 'The Impact of Nature Imagery and Mystery on Attention Restoration'. J, 5 (4):478-499. [DOI]
Wee, Zhi Qiang Clement; Dillon, Denise (2022) 'Increasing physical exercise through action and coping planning'. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (7). [DOI]
Dillon, Denise (2022) 'Wilderness in 19th Century South Seas Literature: An Ecocritical Search for Seascapes'. eTropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 21 (1):348-372. [DOI]
Lim, Pei Yi; Dillon, Denise; Chew, Peter K. H. (2020) 'A guide to nature immersion: psychological and physiological benefits'. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (16). [DOI]
Deer who are distant: response congruency to relative pronouns across human and nonhuman entities
2020
Dillon, Denise; Pang, Josephine (2020) 'Deer who are distant: response congruency to relative pronouns across human and nonhuman entities'. Society and Animals, 28 (5-6):447-471. [DOI]
Koay, Way Inn; Dillon, Denise (2020) 'Community gardening: stress, well-being and resilience potentials'. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (18). [DOI]
Jacobs, George M.; Dillon, Denise (2019) 'Promoting critical literacy: the case of promotional materials for burgers'. Ecolinguística: Revista brasileira de ecologia e linguagem, 5 (1):16-27.
Chew, Peter K.H.; Dillon, Denise B.; Swinbourne, Anne L. (2018) 'An examination of the internal consistency and structure of the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS)'. PLoS ONE, 13 (3). [DOI]
Dillon, Denise (2018) '“Footprint”: the apocalyptic imprint of end as immanent in Atwood's Oryx and Crake'. Etropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 17 (2):52-61. [DOI]
Chew, Peter; Swinbourne, Anne; Dillon, Denise (2017) 'An absence of attentional bias: statistics anxiety is unique among anxieties'. Journal of Articles in Support of the Null Hypothesis, 13 (2):91-112.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Dillon, Denise B. (2016) 'The author as the novel self: Shirley Lim's Sister Swing'. Asian American Literature: Discourses & Pedagogies, 7 :78-87.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Wong, Chin Meng; Dillon, Denise (2014) 'Meaning making model: inner purpose, goals, and religiosity/spirituality partially predict acceptance strategies and volunteerism behaviours'. International Journal of Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy, 5 (1):105-123.
Statistics anxiety update: refining the construct and recommendations for a new research agenda
2014
Chew, Peter K.H.; Dillon, Denise B. (2014) 'Statistics anxiety update: refining the construct and recommendations for a new research agenda'. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9 (2):196-208. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Reliability and validity of the Statistical Anxiety Scale among students in Singapore and Australia
2014
Chew, Peter K.H.; Dillon, Denise B. (2014) 'Reliability and validity of the Statistical Anxiety Scale among students in Singapore and Australia'. Journal of Tropical Psychology, 4 :1-7. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Chew, Kia Hong Peter; Dillon, Denise (2014) 'Statistics anxiety and the Big Five personality factors'. Procedia: social and behavioral sciences, 112 :1177-1186. [DOI]
Chew, Peter K.H.; Swinbourne, Anne; Dillon, Denise B. (2014) 'No evidence of attentional bias in statistics anxiety'. The European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences, 10 (3):1451-1465. [DOI]
Song, Insu; Dillon, Denise; Goh, Tze Jui; Sung, Min (2011) 'A health social network recommender system'. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 7047 :361-372. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Dillon, Denise (2005) 'The value of meaning and the meanings of value'. LiNQ, 32 (1):11-23.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Dillon, Denise (2010) 'People, environment, language and meaning: values in nature and the nature of 'values'' Language and Ecology, 3 (2) :1-10.
Arushi, Arushi; Dillon, Roberto; Teoh, Ai Ni; Dillon, Denise (2023) Innovation-Driven Business and Sustainability in the Tropics . In: Eijdenberg, Emiel L.;Mukherjee, Malobi;Wood, Jacob eds. Detecting Public Speaking Stress via Real-Time Voice Analysis in Virtual Reality: A Review Singapore, [DOI]
Conference Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Predicting foreign language anxiety: trait emotional intelligence and Big-Five personality traits
2016
Goh, Sin Er; Dillon, Denise; Goh, Samantha Yi Wei (2016) ELTC 2016: Asia-Pacific English Language Teaching Conference Predicting foreign language anxiety: trait emotional intelligence and Big-Five personality traits Shanghai, China,
Conference Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Chew, Peter K.H.; Dillon, Denise B. (2015) CBP 2015: 4th Annual International Conference on Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology . In: Chhabra, Dinesh eds. Statistics anxiety and attitudes toward statistics Singapore, [DOI]
Conference Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Chew, Kia Hong Peter; Dillon, Denise (2013) ICMAC 2013: International Conference on Managing the Asian Century . In: Mandal, Purnendu eds. Individual differences in statistics anxiety among students in Singapore Singapore, [DOI]
Conference Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Diederich, Joachim; Dillon, Denise (2009) CGAT 2009: Annual International Conference on Computer Games, Multimedia and Allied Technologies Sentiment recognition by rule extraction from support vector machines Singapore, [DOI]
Dillon, Denise; Cottrell, David; Reser, Joseph (2008) JADT 9th International Conference on the Statistical Analysis of Textual Data . In: Heiden, Serge;Pincemin, Benedicte eds. Group differences in word use and meaning: a text analysis of the abstract word, values Lyon, France,
Conference Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
The meanings of values in a wet tropics world heritage context: social representations and rhetoric
2005
Dillon, Denise; Reser, Joseph; Cottrell, David (2005) Ecopolitics XVI: transforming environmental governance for the 21st century . In: Curran, Giorel;Hollander, Robyn;Howes, Michael;Star, Cassandra;Whelan, James eds. The meanings of values in a wet tropics world heritage context: social representations and rhetoric Brisbane, QLD, Australia,
Conference Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Gasson, Susan; Dillon, Denise; Redman-MacLaren, Michelle (2023) ARMS 2023: Australasian Research Management Society Annual Conference A Tripartite Framework for Inclusive Higher Degree Researcher Assessment: Applicant | Supervisor | Context Sydney, NSW, Australia, .
Conference Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Psychometric properties of the Statistical Anxiety Scale among students in Singapore and Australia
2014
Chew, Peter K.H.; Dillon, Denise B. (2014) CBP 2014: 3rd Annual International Conference on Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology Psychometric properties of the Statistical Anxiety Scale among students in Singapore and Australia Singapore, . [DOI]
Conference Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Chew, Kia Hong; Dillon, Denise B. (2012) Association for Psychological Science 24th Annual Convention Statistics anxiety fluctuates over a semester and decreases with experience Chicago, Illinois, USA, .
Hoo, Jia Yi Felicia; Dillon, Denise (2012) 24th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science 'A river is living': 'moving' words elicit false animacy impressions Chicago, Illinois, USA, .
Ling, Jia En Dorcas; Dillon, Denise (2012) 24th Annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science Music can remediate affect depending on personality Chicago, Illinois, USA, .
Conference Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Song, Insu; Dillon, Denise (2011) Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society Therapeutic animatron: interaction framework for making people happy Boston, Massachusetts, USA, .
Conference Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Pang, Hui Josephine; Dillon, Denise (2009) The Australian Language and Speech Conference 2009 People that are nervous: attributions of humanness in third-person pronouns? Sydney, NSW, Australia, .
Dillon, Denise; Koh, Ghee Kian (2020) 'A journal of the COVID year: what can we learn from previous pandemics?' In: Dillon, Denise, and Koh, Ghee Kian (2020) A journal of the COVID year: what can we learn from previous pandemics? In: Khader, Majeed, Dillon, Denise, Chen, Xingyu Ken, Neo, Loo Seng, and Chin, Jeffrey, (eds.) How to Prepare for the Next Pandemic: behavioural sciences insights for practitioners and policymakers. World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 3-21(Eds.). How to Prepare for the Next Pandemic: behavioural sciences insights for practitioners and policymakers. Singapore : World Scientific. [DOI]
Book Chapter
ResearchOnline@JCU