Staff profile

Dr Mary M Omodei

Adjunct Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering

School of Psychological Science
Department of Psychology

George Singer Building, room 259, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

BSc QLD., DipEd ACT., PhD UMELB.

Membership of professional associations

Australian Psychological Society MAPS, Society for Research in Child Development, Australasian Human Development Association, European Association for Decision Making, Judgment and Decision Making So

Area of study

Psychology

Brief profile

 Dr Omodei obtained her doctorate in 1993 in the area of cognitive psychology and joined La Trobe University in 1994. Her principal research interests are in theoretical and applied cognitive psychology, with a focus on how humans exert decision making control over complex systems.

The decision making control of complex systems involves (a) sequences of decisions, (b) uncertain, multi-variable, time-pressured environments, and (c) multiple decision makers. Decision environments with these characteristics are common. Whenever an organisation is responsible for managing (or controlling) an environment, such complex decision making activity is required. Examples include military combat, military operations other than war (OOTW’s), emergency services (e.g. fire, police, medical, rescue), critical industrial operations (e.g., product recall) and senior management teams.

The main aim of the research is to identify and understand the psychological factors (especially cognitive, personality, and affective factors) which impact on how decisions are made in such important real life contexts. The major outcomes of the research are recommendations concerning the optimal structure of decision making teams, operational procedures, communication networks, and decision aiding tools. As such the research has implications for the design of decision making environments, to take into account not only the physical and physiological characteristics of human participants, but also their psychological characteristics. That is the research can be described as “cognitive engineering”.

The research involves the application of a range of complementary methodologies, both laboratory based and field based. A number of these methodologies have been developed or refined in the School of Psychological Science especially for this research.

Recent publications

 Chapters in Edited Books Omodei, M. M., Wearing, A. J., & McLennan, J. P., (2000). Relative efficacy of an open versus a restricted communication structure for command and control decision making: An experimental study. In C. McCann & R. Pigeau & (Eds.). The human in command: Exploring the modern military experience. Plenum Publishing Corporation . Pp 369-386.

McLennan, J., Omodei, M. M., & Wearing, A. J. (2001). Cognitive processes of first-on-scene fire officers in command at emergency incidents as an analogue of small-unit command in peace support operations. In P. Essens, A. Vogelaar, E. Tanercan, & D. Winslow (Eds.). The human in command: Peace support operations. Amsterdam Holland: Mets & Schilt

Omodei, M. M., Wearing, A. J., McLennan, J., Elliott, G. C., & Clancy, J. M. (in press) “More is Better? ”: Problems of Self-regulation in Naturalistic Decision Making Settings. In R. Montgomery, R. Lipshitz, & B. Brehmer (Eds.). How professionals make decisions

McLennan, J, Pavlou, O., & Omodei, M. M (in press). Cognitive control processes discriminate between better versus poorer performance by fire ground commanders. In R. Montgomery, R. Lipshitz, & B. Brehmer (Eds.). How professionals make decisions

Clancy, J. M., Elliott, G. C., Ley, T., Omodei, M. M., Wearing, A. J., McLennan, J. P., & Thorsteinsson (in press). Command style and team performance in a dynamic decision making task. In S. Schneider & J. Shanteau (Eds.). Emerging perspectives in decision research.

Omodei, M. M., McLennan, J. P., & Wearing, A. J. (in press). How expertise is applied in real-world dynamic environments: Head mounted video and cued recall as a methodology for studying routines of decision making. In S. Haberstroh (Ed.). The routines of decision making.

Refereed Journal Articles Omodei, M. M., McLennan, J, & Whitford, P. (1998). Improving decision making in complex natural settings: Using a head-mounted video camera to improve performance of competitive orienteers. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 29, 115-131.

Dickson, J., & McLennan, J, & Omodei, M. M. (2000). Effects of concurrent verbalization on a time pressured dynamic decision task. Journal of General Psychology. 127, 217-228.

McLennan, J., & Omodei, M. M., (2000). Conceptualizing and Measuring Global Interpersonal Mistrust-Trust. Journal of Social Psychology. 140, 279-294