Behaviour Modification
Behaviour modification is an approach to changing human behaviour. It has been used to help people in education, healthcare, and even work settings. Although it is mostly associated with use in the professional setting, the …
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Behaviour Management
The umbrella of behaviour management encompasses strategies, techniques and practices that promote good behaviour and prevent or respond to challenging behaviour. Effective behaviour management is essential for creating a positive, peaceful, and productive environment in …
Positive Behaviour Support Training
Positive behaviour support training is essential for anyone that would like to become a positive behaviour support practitioner. Training programs are focused on helping future practitioners learn to use the PBS framework itself – a …
Positive Behaviour Support Strategies
Positive behaviour support strategies exist to help people that exhibit challenging behaviour. Individuals with developmental disorders, intellectual disabilities, or mental health issues may have trouble expressing their feelings or communicating their needs. Sometimes, these things …
Behaviour Support Practitioner
Positive behaviour support practitioners are professionals who play an important role in the lives of individuals that need help managing challenging behaviour. They utilise a framework called Positive Behaviour Support – a holistic approach to …
What is Challenging Behaviour?
Challenging behaviour is a term describing a wide range of behaviours that people exhibit to communicate an unmet need or to fulfil an unmet purpose. What is “challenging” about these actions is that they tend …
What is a Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP)?
A Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP) is an evidence–based and individualised plan that is designed to improve a person’s quality of life by helping them to develop appropriate functional behaviour and by decreasing their challenging …
Links between criminality and psychiatric illnesses explored
THE RISK of violent offending has been estimated to be several times higher in people with mental illness. The research highlights the role of substance abuse as a key risk factor for criminal offending, especially …
Facial recognition ability on for young and old
They determined there was no significant difference between the two groups in how much their performance dwindled in response to the change in viewpoint, contrary to the argument that children are more affected by viewing …
Teen girls more at risk than boys in smoking effects
A UNIVERSITY of WA study has found the risk of heart disease is greater among teen girls who smoke or take the oral contraceptive pill (OC), compared to teen boys who smoke. We found that …
Genetic variants lend insight into behavioural traits
THREE genetic variants have been found to be significantly associated with educational attainment in certain individuals, according to a recent study involving Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. The results showed three SNPs significantly associated with educational …
Music trialled as support mechanism for Alzheimer’s walking
BEATS and music may have negative effects on Alzheimer disease (AD) patients’ ability to walk, new research has found. Prof Hill says further research is required to explore possible benefits of further practice and exposure …
Sudden drop in ADHD suggests ineffective prescription monitoring
A RECENT report has revealed over-prescription of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication was occurring in WA throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. “If you want a quick way to calm children down, then ADHD drugs …
Juvenile offenders shown grisly reality of risk-taking behaviour
WA juvenile offenders have met with patients suffering from serious injuries, as part of a groundbreaking research project aimed at curbing risk-taking behaviour in young people. “The participants receive a range of lectures first, detailing …
Media may influence water-saving behaviour
RECENT research has revealed unscientific and biased media coverage of water issues could be negatively impacting public engagement and understanding of water management measures. Research reveals only 14 per cent of articles presented factual information …
Anxiety increases error, but not bias, in facial recognition
In fact, anxiety may actually decrease stereotyping, as people’s brains work harder to avoid cognitive shortcuts, he says. iStock People under pressure prone to facial recognition mistakes Anxiety thought to decrease racial stereotyping as brains avoid …
Childhood brain tumours linked with parents’ activities
AN AUSTRALIA-wide case-control study has found men who refuel their cars more than four times per month or use a closed wood heater before their child’s birth may increase the risk of their offspring developing …
Cost or Climate? Study investigates our behavioural motivators
APPEALS to ‘save the planet’ may not be the most effective way of addressing climate change, as a new study linking beliefs and behaviours reveals most people are driven by cost and fashion rather than …
Are you watching TV more than 14 hours per week?
CHILDHOOD is an important time for good TV viewing habits, as the amount watched could be crucial to reducing negative health effects during adulthood, according to a new study. The TV watching habits of nearly …
Walking down stairs could help prevent dementia
WE’RE pretty familiar with the notion that exercise is good for our health. But new WA research suggests that something as simple as encouraging the elderly to walk down a flight of stairs could help …
Leafy greens reduce aggressive behaviour in adolescents
HIGH magnesium intake has been associated with reduced aggressive behaviour in WA adolescents, highlighting the importance of a magnesium-rich diet in emotional and behavioural health. While previous research has linked low dietary zinc and magnesium …
Sleep deprivation found to trigger initial seizure
NEUROLOGISTS studying WA’s first-ever seizure database have established that sleep deprivation is more likely to act as a trigger for people having seizures, rather than a provoked cause of epilepsy. Royal Perth Hospital neurologist and lead …
Targeting macrophages rescues immune dysfunction in the elderly
WESTERN Australian researchers are bridging the gap in knowledge between the aging process and anti-cancer immune responses. “Immune dysfunction is not permanent and in fact can be restored to function similarly to a young immune …
Proximity to take-home alcohol outlet increases harm, depression
A RECENT Perth-based study has shown new evidence that people with greater access to liquor outlets were more likely to consume harmful levels of alcohol and develop mental health disorders. “We found that the average …
Life skills for Down syndrome fostered by supportive open employment
RESEARCH exploring open employment and the transition from school to adulthood for young adults with Down syndrome has won the ‘Three Minute Thesis’ (3MT) competition for an ECU Occupational Therapist. The research concluded that a …
TV alcohol advertising reaching quarter of child audience
UNIVERSITY of WA research has exposed the alarmingly high levels of alcohol television advertising screened during potential child viewing times, at odds with efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia. In a two month study, …
Nationwide study finds khat abuse within community
PERTH’S Somali-Australian community has played a key role in new research on the health impacts of khat (Catha edulis) leaves, chewed for their amphetamine-like stimulant effects. It contains the alkaloids cathine, norephedrine and cathinone (the …
Oral insulin won’t needle diabetics
A TEAM of researchers at Curtin University have found a substitute for insulin to help treat diabetes orally. “Our innovation is the development of a new chemical entity, a small drug molecule we have discovered …
Gene involved brain development and intellectual disability identified
Chromosome 21 linked to genetic factors for intellectual disability Gene responsible for the formation of neural circuits in the brain identified as likely candidate Potential to correct gene dosage imbalances and restore normal function in …
ADHD high among substance abusers
ALMOST half of adults who are substance users show symptoms of an attention disorder and are more likely to have poorer treatment outcomes according to a multi-institutional international study. “The recommendations from our research in …
Population based study provides new alcohol and pregnancy data
BOTH Indigenous and non-Indigenous children of mothers with an alcohol-use disorder have the same risk of intellectual disability, a Curtin University study has found. Dr O’Leary says all children of mothers with an alcohol-related diagnosis …
Health professionals asked to consider security as priority
HEALTH providers need to instil a culture of security when safeguarding their medical data to avoid becoming the weakest link in the national eHealth system, according to ECU researchers. Dr Johnstone says the health industry’s …
Fitzroy children centre of Foetal Alcohol Disorder study
ABORIGINAL organisations in Fitzroy Valley have called for research into social, health and wellbeing issues associated with alcohol abuse. Paediatrician James Fitzpatrick is leading one investigation into Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in Fitzroy Valley …
Ecstasy derivative targets blood cancers
A TEAM of UWA researchers have found they may be able to alter the club drug ‘ecstasy’ to kill certain types of blood cancers at the same time boosting the potency and reducing the psychoactivity. …
Cochlear implant maintence via the internet
THE Ear Science Institute of Australia (ESIA) is building software that will allow for remote mapping and analysis of cochlear implants. Under the software patients would be able to plug their implants into their computer …
PERSPECTIVE: local coral reefs battle bleaching conditions
When corals all around the world suddenly turn a ghostly white, it is a warning sign that global climate change is happening right in front of our eyes. Coral reefs are extremely sensitive to heat …
ICT centres of excellence open in WA
THE Australian Computer Society (ACS) WA branch recently announced the launch of Australia’s first two ACS Centres of Excellence, promising to open the West Australian ICT community to national and overseas interest. The two centres …
New headphones can pick and choose outside noises
A TINY hearing device roughly the size and shape of an earbud will make it possible to select which parts of the outside world part become part of your earphone experience. Head of School of …
WA to build nation’s first Sun power tower
Written by Aaron Fernandes WESTERN Australia looks set to host the country’s first ever power station utilising Solar Updraft Technology, with a project scheduled to get underway in the state’s Midwest. “This plant will provide …
Environmental effects of fracking unclear: CSIRO study
CSIRO scientists have highlighted concerns that chemicals produced by hydraulic fracturing could be affecting ground and surface waters. In a review published in the national science agency’s online Environmental Chemistry journal, researchers say fracking may be …
More toxicity in canola-based biodiesel
EXHAUST from pure canola oil biodiesel is more lethal for human epithelial cells than that from traditional diesel, new research contends. “They also have a higher specific surface area and thus higher capacity to absorb …
Native plum likely new weapon against Alzheimer’s
Written by Kerry Faulkner The Kakadu plum produces powerful antioxidants to protect themselves from the harsh environment they grown in. Parks Australia WEST Australian researchers are confident the native Australian fruit Kakadu plum could provide the …
Australia on path to join supercontinent ‘Amasia’
The latest supercontinent, Pangea, (pictured) which existed roughly between 320 million years ago (Ma) and 170Ma broke up and created the Atlantic, Indian and Southern Ocean. Image: Dennis S Hurd THE possibility that Earth could have a …
Actual viability of soil carbon sequestration for farmers studied
NEW UWA research looking at the economic impacts of implementing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration methods into farming practices, is showing that these impacts may prove impractical for farmers. By modeling the cost of these practices …
Desert cat hunters cut wildlife protection costs
Nolia Ward with a feral cat that she has just hunted. Kate Crossing, Central Desert Native Title Services Gibson Desert Aborigines’ dietary preferences supported to target predator species Skinks, moles and bilbies thrive in Indigenous Protection …
Expedition to unravel coastal seafloor’s ancient secrets
The JOIDES Resolution, one of the world’s largest research vessels will be travelling up the NW coast, drilling cores at different latitudes to piece together a full record of ancient conditions. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) …
New dates for prized Kimberley spear points
A pressure-flaked Kimberley spear point, recovered from the Mount Behn excavation. Noel Tan AN ARCHAEOLOGIST dating Kimberley stone tools says the region’s most sophisticated stone technology, known as Kimberley points, appeared just 1,000 years ago. Australian …
Crisis in cosmology stirs emotional debate
The Alternative Cosmology Group (ACG) meeting coincided with the commissioning of Europe’s Large Hadron Collider at CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland and University of WA physics professor John Hartnett attended the meeting. Although weird and wonderful …
GIS technology verifies Caesar and Helvetii history
According to Caesar, more than a quarter of a million Helvetii were settled in the Swiss plateau before they decided to abandon their territory and invade Gaul in 58 BCE. Thomas Whitley AN INTERNATIONAL team is …
Professor John de Laeter dies, aged 77
TRIBUTES have poured in from around the world to honour the man who has inspired generations of scientists across Australia and internationally. Emeritus Professor John de Laeter died in the early hours of Monday morning after …
New find challenges ‘simple’ Australian artefacts assumption
Ground-edged axes like this one were found at a site near Windjana Gorge in the central Kimberley. Chris Langeluddecke PURPOSLEY sharpened or ‘retouched’ stone axes evolved in Australia thousands of years before they appeared in Europe …
Mathematicians suggest new way for aircraft boarding
RESEARCHERS from Curtin University and Beihang University in Beijing have come up with a new ‘third way’ to improve airplane boarding. Lead researcher Dr Tie-Qiao Tang said while modelling had previously been done on factors …
Making sense of Iron Man’s science
UWA Professor Adrian Keating suggests some of the technology seen in the latest Marvel blockbuster, such as controlling the exoskeleton with simple thoughts, will be available in the near future. Marvel Studios Dust grain-sized robots could …
Western diet leads to poorer performance
HIGHER intake of a western diet by 14-year-olds has been linked with diminished cognitive performance at age 17. Researchers found that participants with a western dietary pattern—characterised by high intakes of takeaway food, red and …
Great Southern algae bloom kills waterway fish
A SIGNIGICANT freshwater fish kill 15km west of Albany earlier this month has been attributed to a large bloom of blue-green algae affecting the waterway. Phytoplankton analysis of water samples taken from Marbellup Brook by …
Perth CBD evolving to be more pedestrian friendly
ACCORDING to a sustainability expert, the Perth CBD has become a more ‘walkable’ city in the past 15 years, with a shift to living a more sustainable urban lifestyle. Curtin University Policy Institute (CUSP) lecturer …
Rottnest culls feral peacocks
AND then there were three – all males, their blue-green chests and colourful fantails all that is left of Rottnest Island’s peacock population. Only three male peacocks remain after the female birds (peahens) were removed …
All About the Goldfields in Esperance
The Goldfields–Esperance region is a compelling example of Australia’s diverse and sometimes inhospitable landscape. Sandy beaches and rugged limestone cliffs greatly contrast the arid desert that extends north to meet the Northern Territory border. As …
Aboriginal cervical cancer rates parallel health inequity
A NEW international study has found that Aboriginal women have a significantly higher rate of cervical cancer and dying from it than non-indigenous women in Australia. “These health inequalities lead to higher mortality among Indigenous …
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud: The Father of Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud is considered one …
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow: The Psychologist Who Pioneered Humanistic Psychology Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist and one of the founders of humanistic psychology. He is best known for his Hierarchy of Needs theory, which is still …
B.F. Skinner
B.F. Skinner: A Brief Biography Burrhus Frederic Skinner, or B.F. Skinner, was an American psychologist and behaviorist who developed the theory of operant conditioning. He was born on March 20, 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, and …
Jean Piaget
The Life and Work of Jean Piaget Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist and philosopher who is best known for his pioneering work in the field of cognitive development. He is widely regarded as one …
Karen Horney
Karen Horney: A Pioneering Psychologist Karen Horney was a pioneering psychologist who made significant contributions to the field of psychology. Her work focused on the development of personality and the ways in which people cope …
Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson: A Biography of the Famous Psychologist Erik Erikson is one of the most influential and renowned psychologists of the 20th century. He is best known for his theory of psychosocial development, which is …
Carl Rogers
Carl Rogers: A Pioneering Psychologist Carl Rogers was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century, and his theories and practices in the field of psychotherapy and counseling are still widely used today. …
Albert Bandura
Albert Bandura: The Father of Social Learning Theory Albert Bandura is a renowned psychologist who is best known for his pioneering work on social learning theory. He was born in 1925 in Alberta, Canada and …
Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov: The Father of Classical Conditioning Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist and psychologist who is best known for his pioneering work on classical conditioning. He was born in Ryazan, Russia on September 14, …
John B. Watson
John B. Watson: The Father of Modern Psychology John B. Watson is widely regarded as the father of modern psychology. He is credited with introducing the concept of behaviorism, which studies observable behavior rather than …
Gordon Allport
Gordon Allport: An Overview of the Famous Psychologist Gordon Allport was an influential American psychologist and one of the most influential figures in the field of psychology during the 20th century. He is best known …
Stanley Milgram
Stanley Milgram: The Psychologist Who Changed Our Understanding of Obedience Stanley Milgram was a renowned American psychologist and social scientist who, over the course of his career, made significant contributions to our understanding of obedience …
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman – A Pioneering Psychologist Daniel Kahneman is a renowned psychologist, economist, and Nobel Laureate who has made significant contributions to the field of psychology. He is best known for his pioneering work in …
Albert Ellis
Albert Ellis: The Father of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Albert Ellis was an American psychologist who is widely regarded as the founder of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a type of psychotherapy that has been used …
Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky: The Father of Modern Linguistics Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, political critic, and activist. He is widely considered to be the father of modern linguistics, and one of …
Lev Vygotsky
The Life and Work of Lev Vygotsky Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist who is widely considered to be one of the most influential figures in the field of psychology. Born in 1896, Vygotsky is …
David Rosenhan
David Rosenhan: A Notable Psychologist David Rosenhan was a pioneering psychologist whose research and writings have had a lasting impact on the field of psychology. He is best known for his work on the diagnosis …
Philip Zimbardo
Philip Zimbardo: The Father of Social Psychology Philip Zimbardo is a renowned psychologist and professor emeritus at Stanford University who has made significant contributions to the field of social psychology. He is best known for …
Lawrence Kohlberg
Lawrence Kohlberg: The Pioneer of Moral Development Psychology Lawrence Kohlberg was an American psychologist best known for his pioneering work in moral development. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential psychologists of …
Martin Seligman
Martin Seligman: A Profile of the Psychologist Martin Seligman is one of the most influential psychologists of the modern era. He is best known for his work on positive psychology, which seeks to understand and …
Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner: A Biography of the Influential Psychologist Howard Gardner is a renowned psychologist and professor of education at Harvard University. He is best known for his theory of multiple intelligences, which posits that humans …
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker: The Well-Known Psychologist Steven Pinker is a renowned psychologist and one of the most influential thinkers of our time. He is a professor of psychology at Harvard University and is best known for …
Elizabeth Loftus
Elizabeth Loftus: The Pioneering Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus is a pioneering psychologist whose research has helped to shape our understanding of memory and its implications for the criminal justice system. Her work has been influential in …
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: A Pioneering Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a pioneering psychologist and one of the most influential figures in the field of positive psychology. He is best known for his work on the concept of …
James McCosh
James McCosh: An Overview of the Influential Psychologist James McCosh (1811-1894) was a Scottish-born American psychologist and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of psychology. He was also an influential figure in the …
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt: The Father of Psychology Wilhelm Wundt is widely considered to be the father of modern psychology. He was a German physician and philosopher who is credited with establishing the first psychology laboratory in …
William James
William James: The Father of American Psychology William James was an American psychologist and philosopher who is widely regarded as the father of American psychology. He was born in 1842 in New York City and …
Edward Thorndike
Edward Thorndike: The Pioneer of Modern Psychology Edward Thorndike was an American psychologist who was an influential figure in the development of modern psychology. He was born in 1874 in Massachusetts and died in 1949 …
Jean Paul Sartre
Jean Paul Sartre: The French Philosopher and Psychologist Jean Paul Sartre was a French philosopher and psychologist who is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century. He is best …
John Dewey
John Dewey: A Psychologist Who Changed the World John Dewey was a pioneering psychologist and philosopher who is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. He was born in …