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<p dir=”auto”>This study aims to investigate what qualities individuals with certain dark personality traits seek in new acquaintances.</p>
<p dir=”auto”><strong style=”font-size: 1.125rem;”>ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
</strong>You are invited to participate in this study if you:
1) Are aged 18+.
2) Reside in Australia.
3) Understand written instructions and survey questions in English, by your own assessment.
4) Do not have a personal relationship with the researchers.</p>
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<strong>STUDY DESCRIPTION</strong>
The ‘Dark Tetrad’ (Machiavellianism, grandiose narcissism, primary psychopathy, sadism) and the ‘Vulnerable Dark Triad’ (borderline personality, secondary psychopathy, vulnerable narcissism) are sets of interrelated personality traits that exist in the general population and share malevolent or neurotic tendencies, respectively. While research exists on how these traits present in intimate and familial relationships, little is currently known about how these traits manifest in other important social relationships like friendships. This study, therefore, aims to investigate what qualities individuals with these dark personality traits seek in new acquaintances.

<strong>NAME OF INVESTIGATOR</strong>
Ms Amber Cohen, Dr Haruka Kitamura (supervisor/CI)

<strong>HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
</strong>This study has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 833190623).

<strong>PROJECT END DATE</strong>
Data collection will end October 31, 2023

<strong>SURVEY LINK</strong>
<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><a href=”https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3dCaGIGkk8eueFM?Source=Research”>https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3dCaGIGkk8eueFM?Source=Research</a></span>

<span style=”color: #f8f8f8;”><a id=”A816250423″></a>816250423</span>

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<p dir=”auto”>This research uses a quantitative survey design to explore the contributions of the uptake of feminine ideologies, differentiation of self, and sexual subjectivity to the relationships between embodiment and sexual well-being in women, 18 years and over, living in Australia.</p>
<p dir=”auto”><strong style=”font-size: 1.125rem;”>ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
</strong><span style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.125rem;”>To complete this survey, we ask that you are: a woman or female identified person; 18 years and older; residing in Australia; able to read and understand proficient enough in English, by your own assessment, to complete an online survey in English; and not in a personal relationship with any of the researchers.</span></p>
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<strong>STUDY DESCRIPTION</strong>
Although sexuality is central to happiness in general and satisfaction in human relationships, there is limited research that has been directed toward identification of the factors that contribute to sexual well-being among adult women. In their Developmental Theory of Embodiment, Piran and Teall (2012) suggest that the experience of being connected to the body promotes an understanding of the body as worthy of respect, care, and protection. Disruption to this connection is influenced by the uptake of feminine ideologies that encourage inauthenticity in relationships, objectification of the body, dependence, deference, and modesty. Potential negative effects on differentiation of self, sexual subjectivity, and sexual well-being may result.

<strong>NAME OF INVESTIGATOR</strong>
Natasha Krajovski, Mimi Van Wyk, and A/Prof Fiona Ann Papps (supervisor/CI)

<strong>HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
</strong>This study has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 816250423).

<strong>PROJECT END DATE</strong>
Data collection will end August 30, 2023

<strong>CONTACT AND NEXT STEPS</strong>
The Facebook page for the research is here: <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><a href=”https://www.facebook.com/people/An-exploration-into-female-sexual-well-being/100090736434445/”>https://www.facebook.com/people/An-exploration-into-female-sexual-well-being/100090736434445/</a></span>

<strong>SURVEY LINK</strong>
<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><a href=”https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehbA3GkXuZA9FOK”>https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehbA3GkXuZA9FOK</a></span>

<span style=”color: #ffffff;”><a id=”A818250423″></a>818250423</span>

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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To complete this survey you must:
• I am 18 years or older
• I reside in Australia
• I read and understand English well enough by my own assessment to complete a survey in English.
• I do not have a personal relationship with any of the researchers.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
This study examines how people learn when multiple events of information are presented for a very short time. When we complete daily tasks, we find that some take more mental effort than others. For example, doing a mathematical task in your head demands more mental effort than brushing your teeth. Another thing that takes mental effort is in situations where we conduct concurrent tasks. For example, trying to learn and understand what the teacher is saying, taking notes and talking to the student next to us. Each individual task is simple enough, but when we are trying to do two things at once, it requires a much greater mental effort to stay focused. What you feel when you are trying to do multiple mental tasks concurrently is an example of working under a high cognitive load.

The present study has been designed to look at how people learn when they complete an online browser-based task where they need to make choices while placed under non-stressful situations that might demand a greater mental effort.

NAME OF INVESTIGATOR
How Hong Sii, Seung Hwa Song.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 826010623).

PROJECT END DATE
Data collection will end 31st October 2023.

SURVEY LINK
https://www.psytoolkit.org/c/3.4.0/survey?s=6SKR4

829050623

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To complete this survey you must:
• 18 years or older
• Self-identify as having experienced depressive symptoms and having used at least one Nootropic for treatment.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
Despite the availability of conventional pharmacological treatments, some individuals find them ineffective or struggle with their side effects, prompting a search for alternative methods. Nootropics have been suggested as a potential solution, but the individual experiences and outcomes remain unexplored. This qualitative project aims to explore the experiences of individuals who have used nootropics for the management of depressive symptoms. The findings of this research project will provide valuable information that can lead to more effective and personalised treatment options for those struggling with debilitating mental health conditions.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Mr. Alejandro Safranchik and Mr. Micheal Weston.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 829050623).

PROJECT END DATE
Data collection will end September 2023.

SURVEY LINK
https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NSo3XhjeA3Fo22

827010623

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To complete this survey you must:
• be 18 to 25 years of age (including 18 and 25 years)
• be an Australian resident/citizen (or currently reside in Australia)
• be proficient enough in English to complete an online survey in English.
• not have a personal relationship with any of the researchers.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
Young people between 18-25 years of age can find it difficult to navigate their career pathways and make confident career decisions once they have left adolescence which can affect their professional growth. Developmentally, young people are expected to take on an adult role and become independent, yet get influenced by people around them, including their caregivers. Thus, this study will investigate the relationship between parental attachment and career development among young adults, and will assess the role of personal and social resources.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Rachael Lee and Dr. Anna Praskova.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 827010623).

PROJECT END DATE
Data collection will end 31st August 2023.

SURVEY LINK
https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3lbEE1gM6g2Uclw

832140623

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To complete this survey you must:
• Are over 18 years of age
• Live in Australia
• English proficiency by self-assessment
• Have a current mental health condition as diagnosed by a professional.
• Do not have a personal relationship with any of the researchers.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between faith and spirituality, shame, and the self-stigma of mental health conditions. The aim is to discover if people with different religious/spiritual affiliations, different levels of religious/spiritual participation, and differing degrees of religiosity/spirituality may have different levels of shame and self-stigma.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Dr Rachel Maunder and Amanda Fletcher.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: 832140623).

PROJECT END DATE
Data collection will end 30th August 2023.

SURVEY LINK
https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eIDl3vpyznJMyLI

808200223

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
N/A

STUDY DESCRIPTION
Australia is experiencing a teacher shortage crisis because of high teachers’ turnover and low attraction and intake into the profession. This worrying trend became more pronounced during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, exaggerated further with increased demands on teachers who were tasked to modify education under the strict COVID-19 restrictions with limited time and resources, with many experiencing increased work-life conflict. Thus, the aim of this mixed method study was to firstly (a) identify the key stressors primary school teachers faced during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then (b) quantitatively investigate theory-driven relationships between teachers’ work-life conflict, career calling, burnout, and intention to leave.

A survey study using retrospective-prospective design (capturing how past events affect present outcomes and intentions) was completed by a sample of primary school teachers recruited via teacher Facebook groups such as Australian Teachers who worked in Australian primary schools between January 2020 and May 2023. The survey included demographic questions (e.g., age, gender, teaching context), an open-ended question capturing the key stressors for the teachers during COVID-19, and a series of brief psychological scales (e.g., teachers’ burnout, intention to leave). Those who completed the anonymous survey had an average 12 years of teaching experience (SD = 10.02). At the peak of the pandemic, most teachers (90%) worked in public institutions, 5% in catholic institutions, and 5% in independent institutions.

Content analysis of 59 usable responses (M age = 38.2 years, SD = 11.50; 70% female) to the open-ended question showed that, during the peak of the pandemic, teachers noted substantial increase in work demands that interfered with their other life commitments and reported a strain on resources and strain on their health and wellbeing. Furthermore, teachers expressed increased dissatisfaction with their job as a teacher and heightened concern for their students’ wellbeing as well as concern about the quality of education that they were providing.

A moderated mediation analysis was conducted in PROCESS for SPSS on the numerical responses of 79 teachers (M age = 37.5, SD = 10.41 years; 55% female). As expected, results showed that as teachers’ work-life conflict at the peak of COVID-19 increased, so did their burnout, and, in turn, their intention to leave teaching profession. Notably, this effect was the strongest for teachers with low career calling (less passion for teaching), indicating that having a passion for teaching served as a key personal resource that reduced teachers’ intention to leave.

This study gave voice to primary school teachers who were working tirelessly during the pandemic to ensure the quality of education was maintained despite all the adversaries. By identifying the key stressors and impacts of the pandemic on the primary school teachers work and life, as well as the key personal resource (having a calling for teaching) that reduced the negative effects of burnout on intention to leave, the findings provide the much-needed context to better understand and manage the current teacher shortage crisis.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Dr Anna Praskova and Marissa Kotsaris.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP HREC (Approval Number: 808200223).

PROJECT END DATE
N/A

SURVEY LINK
https://www.acap.edu.au/applied-psychology/student-research-initiatives/

820090523

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
N/A

STUDY DESCRIPTION
“Coming out” is the process by which lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people disclose their sexual minority status to others. Prominent identity models for sexual minorities and popular belief represent coming out as generally positive, liberating, and a necessity. However, these models do not account for contextual factors, such as minority stress, heteronormativity, and implicit media bias towards universal positivity, meaning some LGB people may accept their identity yet conceal their sexual minority status. Coming out, then, may be a process associated with loss for some LGB people, which has not been recognised in the extant models. Therefore, in this research, we explored how, during the coming out process, was grief experienced for eight LGB adults living in Australia. Tidus collected data using semi-structured interviews and analysed the verbatim transcripts using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. From the data, we developed a provisional three-stage model of coming out: (a) person before the crisis, (b) the crisis of coming out, and (c) person after the crisis. The findings did not support the linearly positive portrayals of extant sexual identity theories, instead showing the coming out process to be shaped by contextual factors and marked by losses that required active and continual coping, despite the positive experiences attached to living an authentic self. This provisional model may be used to assist sexual minorities better understand, conceptualise, and process negative emotions associated with coming out and to aid in designing contextually sensitive interventions and inclusivity programs that champion equity and action.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Mr Tidus Artorius and Associate Prof. Fiona Ann Papps.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP HREC (Approval Number: 820090523).

PROJECT END DATE
N/A

SURVEY RESULTS
https://www.facebook.com/ThePsychologyResearch 

853250923

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To participate in this study you must be aged 18 years or over with self-assessed proficiency in English at a level that allows the completion of an online survey.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
Hostile attribution bias is a cognitive bias where individuals interpret the behaviours of other people as threatening across a range of social settings. Existing research shows that people with hostile attribution bias react more aggressively in both experimental and real-world scenarios. However, research is limited when exploring the connections between personality and hostile attribution bias. Therefore, this study aims to examine how emotional intelligence, personality, and attachment-style relate to hostile attribution bias. These findings may assist in understanding the various factors that influence aggressive behaviour and highlight potential intervention options.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Prof. John Reece; Miss. Marisa Mackdacy.

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP HREC (Approval Number: 853250923).

PROJECT END DATE
04/03/2024.

SURVEY LINK
https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eu1PFp8syPhdYmW

853250923

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Participants must be Australian citizens who are at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and not affiliated with Han Du or Dr. Rachel Maunder.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
The project explored whether an individual’s age is a component that may influence the relationship between the amount of contact they have had with sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and the level of prejudice and discrimination towards them. Currently, research shows that intergroup contact is strongly associated with reduced prejudice and discrimination if the person holding the prejudice possesses an attribute that is associated with increased prejudice. However, there has yet to be research around whether this also applies to an individual’s age because that is an attribute which has been found to be associated with increased SGM prejudice. Within this study, participants completed measures of their quantity of contact with SGM individuals as well as their attitudes and avoidance towards SGM individuals.

RESULTS
Quantity of contact with SGM individuals was found to be significantly negatively associated with negative attitudes and avoidant behaviours towards SGM individuals. This means that increases in contact quantity with SGM individuals are related to decreases in negative attitudes and avoidance towards that social group. However, the age of the individual participant was not significantly related to their degree of negative attitudes and avoidance towards SGM people. In turn, the analyses found that an individual’s age did not significantly influence the association between their quantity of contact and their extent of negative attitudes and avoidance towards SGM individuals.

NAME OF INVESTIGATORS
Han Du, Dr. Rachel Maunder

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This study has been approved by the ACAP HREC (Approval Number: 856121023).

PROJECT END DATE
17/01/2024

SURVEY LINK
https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eu1PFp8syPhdYmW

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Gay male or male-identified non-white person.
• Currently in an open relationship.
• 18 years or older.
• Reside in Australia.
• Read and understand English well enough by own assessment to complete an interview in English.
• Does not have a personal relationship with either of the researchers.

STUDY DESCRIPTION
Much of the existing research on sexuality and gender diverse people has focused on the experiences of individuals who belong to a single minority group, specifically white gay men. According to the minority stress theory, people who belong to multiple minority groups may experience accumulated stress from the operation of multiple microaggressions and systemic discrimination. Gay milestones such as the “coming out” process may therefore be experienced differently, and further complicated when people choose to have open relationships, which may require a “double” coming out. This research aims to explore the lived experience of coming out in a sample of six non-white gay men who are in an open relationship. Data will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis producing an extensive examination of each individual’s lived experience. This information may be useful for future research and therapy.

NAMES OF INVESTIGATORS
Elvis Centeno Gallegos and Fiona Ann Papps

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This research has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (EC00447) (Approval Number: 881110624).

PROJECT END DATE
August 1, 2024

SURVEY LINK
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557436509823

A865020424

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
We are seeking full-time, part-time, or casual relief teachers who:

• Have worked in a face-to-face teaching role (permanent, part-time, or casual) in an Australian primary, middle, or secondary school (but not as teacher’s aide)
• Have a minimum of one year of teaching experience
• Have taught in the last 12 months
• Have no personal relationship with either of the researchers

STUDY DESCRIPTION
Inclusive education emphasises justice, equity, and quality education for all students, particularly those who have been excluded from education because of ethnicity, disability, gender and sexuality, socioeconomic disadvantage, and faith/spirituality. Inclusive education is associated with positive outcomes for both teachers and students and enablers of the implementation of inclusive practices are both personal (e.g., sense of self-efficacy and positive attitudes toward inclusion) and structural (e.g., training opportunities). Working in an environment that encourages both personal and structural enablers of inclusive practice may be associated with lower levels of stress and burnout among teachers. No research to date has explored the relationships among personal attitudes and perceived structural enablers of inclusive education, stress, and teacher burnout, especially in an Australian context. This exploratory study will use a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design and an online survey to examine these relationships in a minimum sample of 74 teachers living in Australia.

NAMES OF INVESTIGATORS
Associate Professor Fiona Ann Papps, Miss Caity Falcon

HREC APPROVAL NUMBER
This research has been approved by the ACAP Human Research Ethics Committee (EC00447) (Approval Number: 865020424).

PROJECT END DATE
August 2024

SURVEY LINK
https://acap.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82eEPxSzvxLrrIa
A880070624