The School of Psychological Science has a history of excellence in research including a high level of success in attracting peer reviewed project grant funding, significant output in the form of publications and conference presentations, and for some years the School has had one of the largest postgraduate enrolments in the country.

The School of Psychological Science provides extensive research support. Specialised child development, biochemical and physiological laboratories, as well as a superior animal house and computing facilities, service a wide range of research programs. Our workshops produce specialised mechanical and electronic equipment and the School also provides technical, biochemical, and computer staff support as well as illustrative services and facilities.

Fostering Excellence in Research and Research Training
Research Groups
	Complex Decision Research Group		Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre
	Child Development Unit		Social Psychology Research Group

• Clinical and health psychology
• Cognitive and developmental psychology
• Neuroscience and neuropsychology
• Social psychology

Details of each of these areas and the staff working in them are as follows.

Clinical and Health Psychology
Professor Simon Crowe, Dr Lynette Evans, Mr Bruce Falconer, Dr John Farhall, Mr Tim Godber, Mr Martin Jackson, Associate Professor Glynda Kinsella, Dr Anna Kokavec, Professor Susan Paxton, Dr Sandra Tunley, Professor Eleanor Wertheim.

Researchers in the area of clinical psychology are widely recognised for a diverse range of research programs which include: adult and child assessment; couple interactions; parenting and family relationships; conflict resolution, mediation and forgiveness; body image and disordered eating; recovery and family work in psychotic and mood disorders; dementia; aspects of pain and its management; psychosocial factors in chronic and terminal illness; psychological complications associated with TBI, stroke, MS, dementia and other neuropsychiatric disorders; and resilience, primary prevention, early intervention and evaluation of service systems. Research in health psychology includes psychological factors related to social support within the workplace; premenstrual syndrome, factors related to healthy physical activity during pregnancy, postpartum depression, asthma and diabetes; nutritional factors that promote migraine symptoms; adherence to treatment for cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, osteoporosis and exercise-induced asthma; sleep and work; motor functioning; and rehabilitation.

The Doctor of Psychology degrees in clinical psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and health psychology have produced an increase in the scope of research projects associated with the professional training programs. Staff maintain extensive links with the community through research and placement activities. Dr John Farhall is appointed by the Department of Human Services and works in Mental Health Services as well as at the University.

Cognitive and Developmental Psychology
Associate Professor Edith Bavin, Associate Professor Sheila Crewther, Professor Geoff Cumming, Adjunct Professor Ross Day, Dr Cheryl Dissanayake, Dr Jim McLennan, Dr Mary Omodei, Dr Ben Ong.

Many of the members of the Cognitive and Developmental research group in the school have national and international links to other research groups. Collaborative research is currently underway in several areas of development and cognitive psychology with psychologists across Australia, in Europe, and in the United States. Research programs in cognitive and developmental psychology include investigations of cognition and perception, language, social and emotional development, memory, and processes underlying decision making. Some of the research in developmental psychology takes place in a purpose built Child Developmental Unit, which maintains a directory of parents and children interested in participating in research programs; other research takes place in government and non-government schools, and other departmental research laboratories.

Some of the research in cognitive psychology takes place in the Complex Decision Research Group Laboratory which implements complex research designs using networked computer simulations. Research in cognitive psychology is often undertaken in applied settings, such as at fires attended by the Melbourne Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board.

Aspects of atypical development with particular reference to autism, the nature and causes of reading difficulties and of language impairment are particular interest of members of the group. An excellent example of the close relationship between teaching and research development is StatPlay, a computer-based statistics package that is being developed and evaluated for use in teaching basic statistical concepts to University students from a wide range of disciplines.

Neuroscience and Neuropsychology
Associate Professor Sheila Crewther, Professor Simon Crowe, Mr Martin Jackson, Dr Stephen Kent, Associate Professor Glynda Kinsella, Dr Anna Kokavec, Dr Danuta Loesch, Dr Ben Ong, Associate Professor Tony Paolini, Dr Richard Weisinger.

The School is known for its strong track record in research achievements and professional training in neuroscience and neuropsychology. Research programs within the area are supported by extensive competitive grants including ARC Discovery, NH&MRC Project Grants, and, through international collaboration, by NIH (US).

Current research programs include: Biological basis of memory formation using chick models, including deficits in memory and learning; cognitive neuropsychological models of memory and executive skills as applied to normal and clinical populations; psychoneuroimmunology (i.e., interactions between the brain, behaviour, and the immune system); identification and understanding of the brain, cognitive, and behavioural changes in schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and early stages of Alzheimer's disease; biochemical factors associated with alcohol-related disease; neuropsychology of pain perception and psychological intervention; studies of genetic, biochemical, and environmental correlates of cognitive and behavioural deficits based on pedigree analysis (with special interest in a Fragile X Syndrome); investigation of neuroscientific basis of developmental disorders (such as amblyopia, dyslexia, ADHD) using behavioural, psychophysical, electrophysiological and fMRI approaches. The school also has a neurophysiology laboratory enabling in vivo electrophysiological recording to examine neural mechanisms of brain function with emphasis on the auditory system.

Researchers using animal models make extensive use of the University Central Animal House, and other specialized neuroscience laboratory facilities. Research programs with clinical populations are supported by the Psychology Clinic, and strong collaborative links with hospitals (Austin and Repatriation, Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Royal Hobart Hospital, and the Northern Hospital in Melbourne).

Social Psychology
Dr Lynette Evans, Dr Graeme Galloway, Dr Michael Halloran, Dr Jim McLennan, Dr Mary Omodei, Professor Susan Paxton, Dr Arthur Stukas, Professor Eleanor Wertheim.

The Social Psychology research group is an active and productive unit in the School and has been recognised as one of the top social psychology groups in Australia. Our academic staff and student members demonstrate expertise in a variety of domains relevant to the study and application of Social Psychology. The reputation of the group is enhanced by national and international research links and success in competitive grants schemes.
Maintaining a long tradition in social psychology, the research conducted by the group examines both basic social psychological processes and their application to the study of practical problems and their solutions. To meet both basic and applied aims, our research is conducted both in the laboratory and in the field. Thus, some of our studies use a set of purpose-built large and small laboratories, equipped with personal computers, whereas other studies are conducted in diverse settings in the field, often in partnership with existing organisations.

Members of the group are broadly trained and their research often crosses disciplinary boundaries, both within psychology (to areas like health, clinical, or cognitive psychology) and within academia more broadly (to areas like sociology and cultural anthropology). Our special areas of expertise centre on interpersonal, intergroup, and cultural processes, including a focus on: attitudes; attributions; helping behaviour; prejudice and stereotyping; social and cross-cultural comparisons; social identity and self-categorisation; the self; and terror management processes. We have applied our theoretical understanding of human social behaviour to the study of volunteerism, risk factors for body image and eating problems, indigenous issues, organizations and groups, tourism, peace and forgiveness, changes in the meaning of work, particularly in regional and rural areas, and factors influencing adolescent achievement orientations for the future.

The group supports a number of Masters and Doctoral students – many of whom are pursuing clinical training in combination with their emphasis in social psychology. Our students participate in fortnightly research group meetings during which we discuss the research interests and progress of both students and staff.

Research Training
With regard to research training, the PhD is the primary research only program in the School, although a small number of students complete research Masters degrees.

Currently, 57 students are enrolled in the PhD and the Masters of Behavioural Science. Student projects are distributed across the major areas of research specialisation in the School. A list of completed research theses is available on this site or may be obtained from the Administrative Officer in charge of postgraduate matters via psychology@latrobe.edu.au.

Coursework Training
In addition to the research degrees, there are also coursework postgraduate programs available. The Masters degree by coursework takes 2 years to complete and consists of 40% coursework, 30% placement and 30% research. Doctoral coursework degrees in Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology are also available. The Doctoral degree is taken over 3 years and the value of the components of this degree are 30% coursework, 30% placement and 40% research.