Southern Cross University Research Articles

Assessing the universality of the Modified Receptive Field theory: Evidence from Sinhalese script

Event Abstract Back to Event Assessing the universality of the Modified Receptive Field theory: Evidence from Sinhalese script Ravini Jayawardena1* and Heather Winskel1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Aims: The current study aimed to examine universality of the Modified Receptive Field (MRF) theory (Tydgat & Grainger, 2009) with English native speakers and Sinhalese native speakers. According to the MRF account, a change or expansion occurs in receptive fields of initial, central and final letter positions in arrays of letters, which gives an initial and final position advantage. This does not occur for symbols. When tested with a five-position array, a characteristic W-shaped pattern has been found for Roman letters whereas a Λ-shaped pattern has been found for symbols. In contrast in Thai, a similar linear trend was found for both letters and symbols (Winskel et al., 2014). Sinhalese forms an interesting comparison due to its own distinctive alphabetic script and its shared similarities with Thai; visually complex and non-linear. Method: A two-alternative-forced-choice procedure was used to measure identification accuracy for all positions in an array of five characters, which consisted of Roman letters, Sinhalese letters and symbols. Thirty native English speakers and 30 bilingual native Sinhalese speakers participated in the experiment. Results: For English speakers, similar results were found to previous studies. For Sinhalese speakers, similar results were found for Roman script and symbols. However, a script-specific linear-trend was found for Sinhalese script. Notably, identification of letter positions 1 and 2 were not significantly different. Conclusions: For Sinhalese readers, reading Sinhalese script, while qualified support was found for the MRF theory in terms of an initial letter advantage, a script-specific effect also emerged. It is proposed that this is due to a specialised adaptive mechanism that has developed while learning to read this visually complex, non-linear script. Keywords: Serial Position effect, Sinhalese, Modified Receptive Field (MRF) Theory, Script specific effects, Two-alternative-forced choice Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Jayawardena R and Winskel H (2015). Assessing the universality of the Modified Receptive Field theory: Evidence from Sinhalese script. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00023 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Ravini Jayawardena, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, r.gunaseela.jayawardena.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ravini Jayawardena Heather Winskel Google Ravini Jayawardena Heather Winskel Google Scholar Ravini Jayawardena Heather Winskel PubMed Ravini Jayawardena Heather Winskel Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Why men rule the world: attitudes toward social dominance and gender

Event Abstract Back to Event Why men rule the world: attitudes toward social dominance and gender Batoul Hodroj1*, Desirée Kozlowski1 and James Donnelly1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Aims: Gender perception is often associated with judgements of dominance, with males being perceived as more dominant than females in almost all circumstances. The aim of this study was to discover to what extent people conflate gender with dominance. In addition we assessed whether characteristics of the observer, such as Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), beliefs about the precariousness of gender, and sex, influenced these judgements. Method: 132 Adult participants (74% female) viewed feminine and masculine point-light walkers (PLWs) paired with masculine, neutral, and feminine narratives and rated each pairing on its level of dominance. Observer SDO, Precarious Gender Beliefs (PGB), and participant reported sex were also measured. Results: Factorial analysis of variance showed significant main effects for walker and narrative type (p < .001) but no walker by narrative interaction. Male walkers were rated as more dominant than female walkers. Masculine narratives were rated as most dominant, followed by neutral narratives, with feminine narratives rated least dominant. Dominance ratings were not significantly associated with SDO, PGB, or sex. Conclusions: Both visual and verbal masculine stimuli were again judged as more dominant than feminine stimuli. However, SDO, PGB and sex seemed to have no effect on judgements of dominance. Further research on participant characteristics that may influence judgements of dominance is recommended. Keywords: Femininity, Masculinity, Perception, Social Dominance, gender Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Hodroj B, Kozlowski D and Donnelly J (2015). Why men rule the world: attitudes toward social dominance and gender. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00009 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Batoul Hodroj, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, b.hodroj.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Batoul Hodroj Desirée Kozlowski James Donnelly Google Batoul Hodroj Desirée Kozlowski James Donnelly Google Scholar Batoul Hodroj Desirée Kozlowski James Donnelly PubMed Batoul Hodroj Desirée Kozlowski James Donnelly Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The effects of acute exercise on executive functioning, mood and attention

Event Abstract Back to Event The effects of acute exercise on executive functioning, mood and attention Ashryn Ostler1* and Alison Bowling1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Aims: It is internationally recognised that exercise is beneficial—both physically and mentally. However, only a minority of published research has explored the unique contribution of the exercise task itself. We tested the effect an ‘acute bout of moderate exercise’ had on selective attention, executive function and mood. We hypothesised that acute exercise would improve mood and cognitive performance compared to the controls. Method: 29 females and 11 males aged between 18-50 (M=26.5, SD=8.8) were administered the Stroop Colour-Interference Test, Erikson Flanker Task and Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions (exercise or relaxation). The experimental group (N=20) performed 20 minutes of exercise on a treadmill. The control group (N=20) relaxed for 20 minutes. Measures were taken before and after the intervention. Results: An independent samples t-test compared the differences between post-test and pre-test for the two groups. Results revealed a significant difference between the exercise group and control group on the measures of mood. The exercise group reported increased positive affect (t(38) = 3.10, p = .004, d = .99) and decreased negative affect (t(38) = -3.24, p = .003, d = 1.0) on the post-test. No significant differences between the exercise and control groups were obtained for the two tasks of cognitive performance. Conclusions: A significant difference in the PANAS ratings following exercise offers strong support to earlier research demonstrating that acute exercise improves mood. Although no significant improvement in performance was observed in the two cognitive tasks following acute exercise, it is possible that fitness levels could be the relevant factor, rather than acute exercise as a task. Our findings did not support the hypothesis that acute exercise improves cognitive performance. Keywords: Affect, Attention, Acute Exercise, executive functioning, Stroop task, Eriksen Flanker task, Regular Exercise Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Ostler A and Bowling A (2015). The effects of acute exercise on executive functioning, mood and attention. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00027 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Ashryn Ostler, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, a.ostler.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ashryn Ostler Alison Bowling Google Ashryn Ostler Alison Bowling Google Scholar Ashryn Ostler Alison Bowling PubMed Ashryn Ostler Alison Bowling Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Individuation instructions decrease the Cross-Race Effect in a face matching task

Event Abstract Back to Event Individuation instructions decrease the Cross-Race Effect in a face matching task Prachi Batra1* and Mitchell Longstaff1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Aims: The increased tendency to incorrectly identify faces from unfamiliar (or cross) races (CR), termed the Cross-Race Effect (CRE), holds significant relevance in identity verification environments. Research reveals that individuation instructions heighten perceiver motivation to attend to identity-diagnostic features of CR faces, thereby reducing the CRE. Previous research has predominantly employed sequential face presentation paradigms, which do not simulate practical applications such as document screening. This study sought to determine the efficacy of individuation instructions in ameliorating the CRE within an unfamiliar face matching task (UFMT). Method: Caucasian participants (n=38) were allocated to either the training (n=18) or control group. All participants completed a baseline UFMT comprised of grey-scale Chinese (cross-race) and Caucasian (same-race (SR)) faces. In training, participants received individuation instructions while the control group received unrelated instructions. All participants then viewed successively presented faces (20 CR and 20 SR) followed by a second UFMT. Results: Overall, face matching accuracy was high (M = 87%, SE =1). Accuracy for CR faces significantly improved (by 7.2%) following individuation instructions, t(1, 17) = -4.2014, p = .001, however no change was found for SR faces, t(1, 17) = .762, p = .456. In the control group, face matching accuracy for SR faces decreased (by 4.4%) following instructions, t(1, 19) = 2.682, p = .015, however no change was found for CR faces, t(1, 19) = .827, p = .418. That is, face matching accuracy for CR faces improved for participants receiving individuation instructions but not for the control group. Conclusions: Individuation instructions are an effective moderator of the CRE even within a face matching paradigm. Since unfamiliar face matching tasks most closely simulate document verification tasks, specifically passport screening, instructional techniques such as these may improve task performance within applied settings of significant practical importance. Keywords: face perception, Face matching, individuation, Cross-Race Effect, Document screening Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Batra P and Longstaff M (2015). Individuation instructions decrease the Cross-Race Effect in a face matching task. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00017 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Prachi Batra, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, p.batra.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Prachi Batra Mitchell Longstaff Google Prachi Batra Mitchell Longstaff Google Scholar Prachi Batra Mitchell Longstaff PubMed Prachi Batra Mitchell Longstaff Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Delay and probability discounting: Examining the relationship between caffeine withdrawal and impulsivity

Event Abstract Back to Event Delay and probability discounting: Examining the relationship between caffeine withdrawal and impulsivity Glen Tanner1* and Stephen Provost1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Impulsivity is linked to drug dependency. Research has found that both nicotine and amphetamine-dependent individuals delay discount (DD) hypothetical monetary gains more steeply than matched controls. Within these dependent populations, discounting levels have been shown to spike during cessation/withdrawal, providing insight to perhaps why certain individuals respond better to abstinence-based treatments than others. Despite being the world's most widely consumed psychostimulant, the effect between caffeine withdrawal and impulsivity is yet to be examined using the delay discounting measure. Aims: The present study aims to explore the relationship between caffeine withdrawal and impulsivity as measured by the delay discounting (DD) procedure. It was predicted that abstinent regular coffee/caffeine consumers would show steeper levels of discounting than non-abstinent coffee/caffeine consumers. Method: Participants were randomly allocated to either a before or after caffeine consumption group. Both groups completed identical online surveys regarding their regular caffeine consumption, followed by two hypothetical discounting tasks. Discounting tasks involved hypothetical questions regarding investment choices. Results on discounting tasks were calculated via the ‘area under the curve’ (AUC) method. Results: The caffeine withdrawal condition was predicted to have steeper discounting curves than the non-caffeine condition. A positive correlation was predicted between the level of weekly caffeine consumption and discounting levels. Conclusions: Validating previous research for other stimulants, conditional support was found for a correlation between caffeine withdrawal and impulsivity. However, these results could also be explained by other well-documented symptoms of stimulant withdrawal such as confusion or anxiety. Further efforts should be devoted to determining the effect anxiety has on impulsivity as measured by the delay discounting procedure. Keywords: Caffeine, impulsivity, withdrawal, delay discounting, dependency Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Tanner G and Provost S (2015). Delay and probability discounting: Examining the relationship between caffeine withdrawal and impulsivity. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00003 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Mr. Glen Tanner, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, g.tanner.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Glen Tanner Stephen Provost Google Glen Tanner Stephen Provost Google Scholar Glen Tanner Stephen Provost PubMed Glen Tanner Stephen Provost Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Thematic and taxonomic priming effects at different length stimulus onset asynchronies

Event Abstract Back to Event Thematic and taxonomic priming effects at different length stimulus onset asynchronies Daria Filippova1* and Heather Winskel1 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia Aims: People conceptually categorise or group objects in various ways. Two category types that have been identified are taxonomic and thematic. Taxonomic refers to grouping of objects with shared features or being of the same kind, e.g., ‘sheep’ and ‘goat’ are grouped together as they belong to the superordinate category animals. Thematic relations refer to objects that are categorised based on an association, e.g., ‘sheep’ and ‘grass’. Priming effects have been shown to occur for both category types. However, taxonomic and thematic priming have been found to have different time courses when stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) is manipulated. Research has found that a taxonomic priming effect was most apparent at 500ms SOA but declined with a longer SOA, whereas thematic priming was more apparent at a longer than shorter SOA duration (Estes & Jones, 2009). The current research aims to investigate in a single study how SOA duration influences taxonomic and thematic priming effects. Method: A lexical decision semantic priming task was administered to 54 participants. There were two SOA conditions; 500ms and 1500ms. Target words were preceded with thematic, taxonomic and a baseline condition. Results: Taxonomic priming was found to have a greater facilitatory effect than thematic priming at 500ms SOA. Facilitatory effects declined for both taxonomic and thematic priming at the longer SOA duration. Conclusions: There was a greater taxonomic priming effect at 500ms than at the longer SOA. However, the temporal pattern for thematic priming did not concur with previous findings. These results will be compared with Malaysian participants, as research has found categorisation differences in Western and Asian participants. Keywords: priming, taxonomic, thematic, stimulus onset asynchrony, Object categorisation Conference: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 25 Sep - 26 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Research Topic: Psychology Citation: Filippova D and Winskel H (2015). Thematic and taxonomic priming effects at different length stimulus onset asynchronies. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: 12th Annual Psychology Research Conference, 2015. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00005 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 23 Sep 2015; Published Online: 23 Sep 2015. * Correspondence: Ms. Daria Filippova, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, d.filippova.10@student.scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Daria Filippova Heather Winskel Google Daria Filippova Heather Winskel Google Scholar Daria Filippova Heather Winskel PubMed Daria Filippova Heather Winskel Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Advance care planning in 21st century Australia: a systematic review and appraisal of online advance care directive templates against national framework criteria.

A drive to promote advance care planning at a population level has led to a proliferation of online advance care directive (ACD) templates but little information to guide consumer choice. The current study aimed to appraise the quality of online ACD templates promoted for use in Australia. A systematic review of online Australian ACD templates was conducted in February 2014. ACD templates were identified via Google searches, and quality was independently appraised by two reviewers against criteria from the 2011 report A National Frameworkfor Advance Care Directives. Bias either towards or against future medical treatment was assessed using criteria designed to limit subjectivity. Fourteen online ACD templates were included, all of which were available only in English. Templates developed by Southern Cross University best met the framework criteria. One ACD template was found to be biased against medical treatment--the Dying with Dignity Victoria Advance Healthcare Directive. More research is needed to understand how online resources can optimally elicit and record consumers' individual preferences for future care. Future iterations of the framework should address online availability and provide a simple rating system to inform choice and drive quality improvement.

Counterculture

Counterculture

Aquarius and Beyond: Thinking through the Counterculture

Aquarius and Beyond: Thinking through the Counterculture

Counterculture and Alternative Media in Utopian Contexts: A Slice of Life from the Rainbow Region

Counterculture and Alternative Media in Utopian Contexts: A Slice of Life from the Rainbow Region

Black Fellas and Rainbow Fellas: Convergence of Cultures at the Aquarius Arts and Lifestyle Festival, Nimbin, 1973

Black Fellas and Rainbow Fellas: Convergence of Cultures at the Aquarius Arts and Lifestyle Festival, Nimbin, 1973

Counterculture, Property, Place, and Time: Nimbin, 1973

Counterculture, Property, Place, and Time: Nimbin, 1973

Dispatches

Dispatches

Mental health nursing: what difference does it make?

Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health NursingVolume 21, Issue 6 p. 558-563 COMMENTARY Mental health nursing: what difference does it make? G. Browne PhD, G. Browne PhD Senior Lecturer School of Nursing and Midwifery, Newcastle University, Port Macquarie, NSW, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Hurley PhD, J. Hurley PhD Associate Professor School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorR. Lakeman DNSc PhD, R. Lakeman DNSc PhD Senior Lecturer School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author G. Browne PhD, G. Browne PhD Senior Lecturer School of Nursing and Midwifery, Newcastle University, Port Macquarie, NSW, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Hurley PhD, J. Hurley PhD Associate Professor School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorR. Lakeman DNSc PhD, R. Lakeman DNSc PhD Senior Lecturer School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 August 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12162Citations: 8Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume21, Issue6August 2014Pages 558-563 RelatedInformation

An Introduction to Pacific Solutions in Hindsight

We are pleased to present what we believe is an excellent collection of articles conceived and developed around the theme of “Pacific Solutions”, a conference organised by the Centre for Australian Studies at the University of Barcelona (ASC) and The Centre for Peace and Social Justice at Southern Cross University (CPSJ), celebrated at the University of Barcelona in December 2011. Their yearly meetings have acquired and are characterized by a plural nature. The interand trans-disciplinary philosophy of both Centres enables ways to create new forms of knowledge and, therefore, innovative and potentially empowering articulations of culture(s). We agree with Eleanor Wildburger in this collection when she claims the necessity “to move in cognitive processes beyond existing boundaries,” and also with her considerations that

Comparison of Cumulative Effects of Four Days of Alternate or Continuous Training on Expression of Selected Mitochondrial Genes in Rat Skeletal Muscle

IntroductionAdaptations to training include the accumulation of specific proteins. The ideal stimulus that alters gene transcriptive response that initiates changes in protein concentration is important for adaptations.MethodsFifty‐four male Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomly divided into 9 experimental groups, with six rats in each group. The groups consisted of: control (group 1); one day of training (2); continuous training groups who trained for a further two to four days followed by three days recovery (3,4,5,6); alternate‐day training consisting of a further two to four sessions (7,8,9) finishing on the 7th day. On each training day, the animals ran on a motor driven treadmill at a slope of 10° and a speed of 19.3 m/min (∼76%VO2max) for 90 minutes. Gastrocnemius muscle specimens were obtained from the respective groups 1 hour after training ceased. Real‐time PCR was performed to determine the changes (in fold) in mRNA of PGC1α, COXIV, CaMKIV, NRF1, AMPKα1 and α2, and mtTFA. One‐way ANOVA was used in comparisons of the mean values between groups.ResultsThe results showed that mRNA expression was significantly different between the training groups for AMPkα1 after the 3rd training session, PGC1α after the 4th training session, with CaMKIV significantly different following three days of recovery. COXIV and mtTFA were not significantly different at any point.ConclusionsTraining design has differing effects on expression of the selected genes. This data has provided insight into the importance of training design and recovery intervals which warrants a need for further research.Ethical Animal ResearchThe study was approved by the Southern Cross University Animal Care and Ethics Committee. Sources of funding: None declared. Competing interests: none.

The current status of knowledge of herbal medicine and medicinal plants in Fiche, Ethiopia.

BackgroundA majority of Ethiopians rely on traditional medicine as their primary form of health care, yet they are in danger of losing both their knowledge and the plants they have used as medicines for millennia. This study, conducted in the rural town of Fiche in Ethiopia, was undertaken with the support of Southern Cross University (SCU) Australia, Addis Ababa University (AAU) Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity (EIB), Ethiopia. The aim of this study, which included an ethnobotanical survey, was to explore the maintenance of tradition in the passing on of knowledge, the current level of knowledge about medicinal herbs and whether there is awareness and concern about the potential loss of both herbal knowledge and access to traditional medicinal plants.MethodsThis study was conducted using an oral history framework with focus groups, unstructured and semi-structured interviews, field-walk/discussion sessions, and a market survey. Fifteen people were selected via purposeful and snowball sampling. Analysis was undertaken using a grounded theory methodology.ResultsFourteen lay community members and one professional herbalist provided information about 73 medicinal plants used locally. An ethnobotanical survey was performed and voucher specimens of 53 of the plants, representing 33 families, were collected and deposited at the EIB Herbarium. The community members are knowledgeable about recognition of medicinal plants and their usage to treat common ailments, and they continue to use herbs to treat sickness as they have in the past. A willingness to share knowledge was demonstrated by both the professional herbalist and lay informants. Participants are aware of the threat to the continued existence of the plants and the knowledge about their use, and showed willingness to take steps to address the situation.ConclusionThere is urgent need to document the valuable knowledge of medicinal herbs in Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical studies are imperative, and concomitant sustainable programmes that support the sustainability of herbal medicine traditions may be considered as a way to collect and disseminate information thereby supporting communities in their efforts to maintain their heritage. This study contributes to the documentation of the status of current traditional herbal knowledge in Ethiopia.

Education in South-East Asia

Series Editor Preface, Colin Brock (University of Durham, UK) Contributors 1. Education and Issues in South East Asia: A Regional Overview, Lorraine Pe Symaco (University of Malaya, Malaysia) 2. Brunei Darussalam: Planning for Educational transformation and ICT in Education, Murray Brown (Educational Consultant, Brunei Darussalam) and Haji Abdul Rahim Derus (Ministry of Education, Brunei Darussalam) 3. Cambodia: From Dependency to Sovereignty - Emerging National Leadership, Vincent McNamara (Educational Consultant, Cambodia) 4. Cambodia: Evolving Quality Issues in Higher Education, Luise Ahrens (University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia) and Vincent McNamara (Educational Consultant, Cambodia) 5. Indonesia: The Challenges of Quality and Equity in Education, Mark Heyward (Educational Consultant, Indonesia) and Sopantini (University of Tasmania, Australia) 6. Indonesia: Islamic Higher Education - Periphery within Periphery?, Anthony Welch (University of Sydney, Australia) and Saefudin Syafi'i (University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) 7. Lao PDR: The Great Transformation, Richard Noonan (Independent Researcher, Laos), Phouvanh Phommalangsy (University of Queensland, Australia) and Inthasone Phetsiris (Ministry of Education and Sports, Loas) 8. Malaysia: Ethnocracy and Education, Moses Samuel (University of Malaya, Malaysia) and Meng Yew Tee (University of Malaya, Malaysia) 9. Malaysia: The Education of Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Children, Hema Letchamanan (Taylor's University, Malaysia) 10. Myanmar: Governance, Civil Society and the Developments in Education, Richard Martin (Educational Consultant, Australia) 11. The Philippines: Education Issues and Challenges, Lorraine Pe Symaco (University of Malaya, Malaysia) 12. The Philippines: Higher Education and Development, Lorraine Pe Symaco (University of Malaya, Malaysia) 13. Singapore: Education in Transition, Letchmi Devi Ponnusamy (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) and Saravanan Gopinathan (UniSim, Singapore) 14. Singapore: The Malay Ethnic Minority - Playing Perennial Catch-up in Education?, Jason Tan (National Institute of Education, Singapore) 15. Thailand: Issues in Education, Chaiyuth Punyasavatsvt (Thammasat University, Thailand) 16. Timor-Leste: Education, Decolonisation and Development, Bob Boughton (University of New England, Australia) 17. Vietnam: The Education System - A Need to Improve Quality, Martin Hayden (Southern Cross University, Australia) and Le Thi Ngoc Lan (Foreign Trade University, Vietnam) Index

Benchmarking the strategies for assessing clinical reasoning in osteopathic curricula

BackgroundBenchmarking between educational institutions is a vital component of quality assurance and contributes to greater consistency and quality in teaching and learning practices. The investigation of clinical reasoning in osteopathy has only recently begun to be explored in depth. Benchmarking builds confidence in our education practices and processes and demonstrates a maturing of the osteopathic academic profession. ObjectiveThe aim of this project was to benchmark the assessment strategy used for clinical reasoning across the final two years of the clinical components of four osteopathic programs. MethodsLearning objectives and clinical assessments from the final two years in each of the four programs were analysed to identify the types and frequency of assessments and the degree of alignment between learning objectives and Bloom's taxonomy and Miller's heirarchy. ParticipantsRepresentatives from Southern Cross University, Australia, Victoria University, Australia, Unitec, New Zealand and the British School of Osteopathy, UK. ResultsAll institutions assess clinical reasoning in a variety of ways such as the assessment of student's actual performance during real-time, in-situ clinical consultations; the assessment of simulated performance; the clinical supervisors' report and; oral or written reports - on simulated case study. The results show that the osteopathy teaching institutions in the present study do not scaffold the expected learning objectives to reflect an increase in difficulty as the student's progress; the learning objectives tend to be clustered and relatively stable. However, this may be a reflection of only investigating the final years of an osteopathy teaching program. This opens the field for future research. ConclusionsIt would be worthwhile if future studies benchmarked the criteria used in clinical assessments and made explicit the key professional values related to assessing clinical competencies in line with the Core Competencies outlined in the World Health Organization's Benchmarks for Training in Osteopathy.

Evidence for a divergence between psychophysiological and behavioural measures of expectancy and prediction in a roving mismatch negativity paradigm.

Event Abstract Back to Event Evidence for a divergence between psychophysiological and behavioural measures of expectancy and prediction in a roving mismatch negativity paradigm. Steve Provost1* and Lachlan Foster1 1 Southern Cross University, Health and Human Sciences, Australia Background: Perruchet (1985) reported that as the number of reinforced trials in an eyeblink conditioning preparation increased, participants’ expectation that the next trial would be reinforced decreased. At the same time, however, conditioned eyeblink responding was strengthened. These data are often cited as evidence for a discontinuity between explicit and implicit processes in learning. Aims: To investigate the effect of run-length on psychophysiological (MMN) and behavioural (RT) measures of expectancy. Method: An auditory “roving” MMN procedure was employed, in which each of a variety of different tones serves both as deviant (on the first trial of a sequence of trials) and as a standard (on all subsequent trials of that sequence). Sequence lengths were determined using a hazard function over short (2-3), medium (4-6) and long (7-24) runs of the same stimulus. Thirty-two channels of EEG were measured, and ERP signals were extracted from these and subject to analysis. Results: MMN measured at F4 in the 170-190ms window was a linear function of sequence length. The same was true of a component measured between 300 and 330ms post stimulus onset, although there was some evidence of a quadratic trend in the size of this component. RTs were also largely linearly related to run length, for both deviants and standards. However closer examination of individual run lengths revealed some indication of an increase in RT to standards and a decrease to deviants at long run lengths (greater than 15 trials). Conclusions: The experiment failed to provide evidence for the discontinuity described by Perruchet. However, it is possible that a change in the behavioural response occurs after a relatively large number of trials in the sequence. It may be that the run lengths chosen here were simply not long enough for this effect to be detected. This possibility warrants further attention. Keywords: mismatch negativity (MMN), eyeblink conditioning, expectancy, prediction, Explicit and implicit learning Conference: Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Inc, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 26 Nov - 28 Nov, 2014. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Psychophysiology Citation: Provost S and Foster L (2014). Evidence for a divergence between psychophysiological and behavioural measures of expectancy and prediction in a roving mismatch negativity paradigm.. Conference Abstract: Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Inc. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2014.216.00003 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 19 Nov 2014; Published Online: 02 Dec 2014. * Correspondence: Dr. Steve Provost, Southern Cross University, Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, Australia, Steve.provost@scu.edu.au Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Steve Provost Lachlan Foster Google Steve Provost Lachlan Foster Google Scholar Steve Provost Lachlan Foster PubMed Steve Provost Lachlan Foster Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.