Perception, Cognition and Behaviour | Lifecycle & Development Members

Areas of interest/supervision

• infant and child language development,  particularly in the areas of speech perception, babbling, bilingualism and infant-directed speech
• word learning in infants, children and adults

Selected Publications

Clemencic-Jones, S., Trajkovski, S., Fuller, A., Mattock, K., & Stulz, V. (2024). Music therapy with preterm infants and their families after hospital discharge: An integrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1018, DOI:10.3390/ijerph21081018
SDG's: 3
FOR codes and percentage: 5201 (30%), 52101 (70%)

Projects

Neuroprotective Developmental Care (NDC) is a an evidence-based suite of programs that promote cued care to support adequate sleep, secure attachment, parent-infant enjoyment, and maternal wellbeing. In collaboration with Prof Schmied (Nursing and Midwifery), Prof Hespos (MARCS Institute) and NDC Founder, general practitioner, Pam Douglas, this project evaluates the NDC Rural initative, an extension of the program to support the needs of parents in rural and remote communities in Australia

Unfolding Narratives: Artefact
An education program based on a co-created short film will be developed to promote greater understanding among students (future health professionals) of TDG people’s lived experiences of healthcare. This program is expected to lead to more inclusive and affirming healthcare for TGD people (collaborators: Diana Jefferies and Paul Glew (Nursing and Midwifery; Brahm Marjadi (Medicine), Liz Thyer (Paramedicine).

Areas of interest/supervision

• Visual perception: visual crowding, time perception, spatial vision, object recognition, binocular vision, visual attention
• Multi-sensory perception: perceived timing
• Human-machine interaction: training and optimisation
• Virtual and augmented reality
• Effects of cogntive load and stress on human performance
• Body-image: perceptual, cognitive and social effects

Selected Publications

Cass, J., Jertberg, R., & Van der Burg, E. (2025). Reciprocal roles of crowding and serial dependence in visual perception, BioRXiv, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.16.633480

Cass, J., Fu, W., Cahill, L., & Weidemann, G. (2025). Effects of shock on perceptual learning in a virtual reality environment, BioRXiv, doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.19.633815

Cass, J., & Van der Burg, E. (2023). Visual crowding: Double dissociation between orientation and brightness judgments, Journal of Vision, 23(7), doi: https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.23.5.7

Van der Burg, E. Olivers, C.N.L., & Cass, J. (2017). Evolving the keys to visual crowding, journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 43(4), doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000337

Projects

• Effects of stress, cognitive load and training on performance in immersive simulated environments
• Perceptual combination of space and time: Interactions between serial dependency and visual crowding
• Effects of social comparison and social media on human body perception

Areas of interest/supervision

• health and wellbeing,
• impact of life events on development from the point of view of migratory experiences and settlement issues.

Publications

Narchal, R. & Hembrow, R. (2024). Hidden care: a qualitative exploration of the roles and responsibilities of language brokers. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Wellbeing. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Wellbeing, 19(10, 2371536 DOI: 10.1080/17482631.2024.2371536 SDG's: 3

Projects

Areas of interest/supervision

• effects of obesity and associated correlates (inflammation, arterial stiffness, diabetes) on cognition, and whether cognition and cognitive processes impact on eating behaviour and body image.

• developing or modifying treatments for obesity and eating disorders (attention training therapy, cognitive remediation therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, schema therapy).

Selected Publications

Areas of interest/supervision

• developmental psychology, with a particular focus on early childhood development
• Nicole’s doctoral research was in infant-directed speech and how this speech register is involved in infants’ early language learning.

Selected Publications

Kolhoff, J., & Traynor, N. M (2024). Prospective evaluation of parent and child outcomes following admission to a‘virtual’ early parenting residential programme. BMJ Open, 14:e077024. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077024
SDG's: 3
FOR codes and percentage: 5201 (60%) , 5203 (40%)

Traynor, N. M., Hughes, M., Wood, A., Onslow, G.,  Edwards, K., Clements, J., Kohlhoff, J. (2024). Supporting families with complex early parenting needs through a virtual residential parenting service: an investigation of outcomes, facilitators and barriers. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 33 (3), 1122-1133 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.16927
SDG's: 3
FOR codes and percentage: 5201, 5203, 4205Projects

Professor Gabrielle Weidemann  Professor in Psychological Science Interim Dean, School of Psychology

Areas of interest/supervision

• investigates associative learning and classical conditioning processes in human participants, specifically assessing the role of higher order cognitive processes in the acquisition and expression of predictive learning, conditioning and instrumental learning.

Selected Publications