Victorian Inter-university Postgraduates in Psychology Conference Abstracts

Abstract

A one-day conference, the first Victorian Inter-University Postgraduate Conference in Psychology, was held at the La Trobe University city campus on September 9th 2000. The conference was organised by a committee of postgraduate students at La Trobe University – Murray Lawson, Melissa Lehmann and Emilie Tijs – and sponsored by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Osbome. The aim of the conference was to provide a supportive forum for students to present papers on their research, as well as to meet and discuss ideas with postgraduates and staff from other universities. It is anticipated that the conference will become an annual event, with a different university organising and hosting it each year.The conference attracted papers from students at seven universities located in the Melbourne area: Deakin, La Trobe, Melbourne, Monash, RMTT, Swinburne, and VUT. Twenty-two abstracts were accepted, and one invited paper was presented by Dr Frances Shawyer on the topic “Perception of gender from biological motion: development in childhood”. Participants ranged from a first year postgraduate student to a recently completed PhD. Several-branches of Psychology were represented, including cognitive, social, neuro, health, and organisational. The conference was a great success. Participants praised the high quality of the presentations and the lengthy discussions which followed each. Presenters appreciated the opportunity to discuss their research outside their own departments, and to meet students and staff from other institutions.