Psychology


The Bamboo Parenting Program: Promotion of a Randomised Pilot Trial.
Brian Law
01 Jun 2024
The Bamboo Parenting Program is an online social support program for first-time mothers in the perinatal period. The program has been designed to prevent mental illness during this vulnerable period, and by leveraging social support, Bamboo targets one of the most significant predictors of mental health for perinatal women. The program pairs first-time mothers with volunteer mothers or with mother-nominated individuals (with support training provided in program). Pairs work together to navigate the critical and difficult perinatal period. Funding from this seed fund will be used to promote a pilot randomised trial in North Queensland.
Strengthening the resilience of ICU nurses: Co-designing an online education intervention.
Brian Law
01 Jun 2024
ICU nurses are at increased risk of burnout, compassion fatigue, depression, and PTSD. Numerous studies have suggested that strengthening resilience in ICU nurses can decrease these negative psychological impacts. Research indicates that education and interventions to build resilience can positively influence resilience and well-being in ICU nurses. However, there is a paucity of research that explores the potential of accessible online education interventions to influence nurse resilience. Accordingly, this project will use focus groups of ICU nurses with varied experience to inform the co-design of online education to build resilience in ICU nurses.
Am I Talking to a Real Person? Experimental Investigations into Human Perceptions of Therapeutic Chatbots.
Brian Law
01 Jun 2024
Therapeutic chatbots could enhance the accessibility of psychological treatments, reducing wait times and costs; yet questions remain about user acceptance. Millet et al. (2023) highlight biases against AI-generated art, suggesting a similar bias may exist for perceptions of therapeutic chatbots. This program of experimental research will investigate whether therapeutic communications are perceived as less empathetic when attributed to therapeutic chatbots, as opposed to humans, across three populations: the general community; therapists/counsellors; and mental health app users. This research will inform future integration of chatbots into digital interventions, including their suitability across different contexts, and highlight targets for improved user experience.
Experiences of men who have sex with men (MSM) on dating apps.
Brian Law
01 Jun 2024
Dating app preferences among men who have sex with men (MSM) privileges partner profiles that depict norms of masculinity and particular ethnicities. Concerningly, preoccupation to appear masculine and internalisation of race-based sexual stereotypes are linked with health disparities. This study will attempt to elucidate the role of bias in partner preferences among MSM within the Australian context. Specifically, the study will explore the impact of masculinity and ethnicity in partner preferences on dating apps. It will also explore how self-esteem, body image and social identity influence MSM’s dating preferences.
A community-driven approach to health care partnerships and sustainable health outcomes with Indigenous communities in North Queensland.
Brian Law
01 Jan 2021
Western approaches to healthcare are often deficit-focused, top-down structures characterised by professionals’ identification of health problems and development and implementation of policies/promotions. Such approaches overlook an important prerequisite for improved health outcomes, which is to build genuine culturally safe partnerships between healthcare systems and Indigenous communities. These processes must be informed by Indigenous voices. This project is unique, targeting a community driven approach to (a) gain Indigenous perspectives on health and research, identify priorities among Indigenous communities in North Queensland, and (b) active relationship-building with healthcare providers/researchers, and building of health care options with Indigenous communities in North Queensland.
SMART MARK - A pilot trial exploring the marking of assessments using Artificial Intelligence
Brian Law
01 Jun 2024
This project will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) system as a marking aid for the Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Bridging) Program. Marking assessments and providing feedback to students are essential steps in pedagogy that keep track of student progress and contribute to learning outcomes. Leveraging customised and user-controlled AI models to assess large numbers of student assessments in a systematic, consistent, and efficient way can bring cost savings, help educators to manage tight turnaround times, improve quality of teaching and keep students engaged in their course of study.

Next-Generation Vaccines for Tropical Infectious Diseases

  • 2024
  • Elsevier
  • Researchers:Tammy AllenMaru Castellanos ReynosaPaul GiacominAndreas KupzDileep SharmaSuchandan SikderLiza van EijkDanica VojisavljevicGuangzu Zhao
Reseracher: Wendy Li (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
Reseracher: Wendy Li (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
Reseracher: Wendy Li (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
End Date: 01 Jan 2027
Reseracher: Wendy Li (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2018
Reseracher: Amanda Krause (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2023
End Date: 01 Jan 2027
Reseracher: Amanda Krause (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
End Date: 01 Jan 2027
Reseracher: Amanda Krause (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
End Date: 01 Jan 2026