Winter Research Program - projects and supervisors
Applications for the 2025 Winter Research Program open soon.
Applications open Monday 24 March, and close Sunday 13 April.
General information on the program, including how to apply, is available from the UQ Student Employability Centre’s program website.
Explore the available winter research projects:
Confidence and controllability
Supervisor: Dr Kristy Armitage k.armitage1@uq.edu.au
When we think about our past actions, we often consider alternative possibilities and think about what ‘could have been’ – known as counterfactual thinking. While it is well-established that children as young as 6 years can think counterfactually, it remains unknown how this ability relates to and is affected by other cognitive mechanisms. In this project, we will explore whether 6- to 9-year-old children’s task-specific confidence influences how they reflect on alternative possibilities, and whether they attribute wins and losses to past decisions made by themselves (i.e., controllable choices) or someone else (i.e., uncontrollable choices).
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Self-directed ageism, health and wellbeing
Supervisor: Professor Julie Henry julie.henry@uq.edu.au
Ageism directed at older people is unique in two ways: it is socially condoned in a manner that other types of prejudice are not, and the animus is eventually self-directed. Self-directed ageism refers to the many ways in which ageist beliefs become increasingly self-relevant and internalised. Internalization of ageist stereotypes can be harmful in late adulthood; not only is self-directed ageism experienced more frequently than ageism from others, but it is more strongly linked to older adults’ health and wellbeing (Allen et al., 2022; Kang & Kim, 2022). However, important questions remain about the strength and specificity of these relationships. Therefore, the goal of this project is to provide the first meta-analysis of the relationships between self-directed ageism and important health and wellbeing outcomes.
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How does accent affect our social interactions?
Supervisor: Dr Kana Imuta k.imuta@uq.edu.au
In modern day multicultural societies, accent is one of the most meaningful cues to one’s background. We readily use accent to evaluate others and interact accordingly, but how this manifests in prejudice and discrimination is hardly recognised by society and largely unexplored by researchers. As a Winter Scholar, you will contribute to a research programme that seeks to understand how and why accent comes to be a powerful cue in our everyday social interactions. The specific tasks will be discussed with the Winter Scholar closer to the time of project commencement, but will likely involve helping with developing an empirically validated database of voice recordings and some ‘hands-on’ research (e.g., recruitment, data collection, coding) with children and/or adults in this line of work.
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Medicinal cannabis use: Who uses, why, and what are the consequences?
Supervisor: Dr Daniel Stjepanovic d.stjepanovic@uq.edu.au
For this project we will recruit individuals who have a prescription to use medicinal cannabis. Participants will complete a baseline assessment, and will then complete 10 days of ecological momentary analysis (EMA). On each day participants will be messaged multiple times to collect data on their cannabis use that day and consequences of this use.
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Measuring social attention with wearable eye-tracking technology
Supervisor: Dr Sarah Grainger s.grainger@uq.edu.au
This project aims to provide the first test of how adolescents and young adults visually navigate through a real-life referential communication task (i.e., the Director task). We have a large mobile eye-tracking dataset that was collected using the Tobii Glasses 3. An important next step in this project is pre-processing the eye-tracking data, using the Tobii lab Pro software, so that the data can be formally analysed.
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Caught on camera: Acts of benevolent ageism on social media
Supervisor: Dr Sarah Coundouris s.coundouris@uq.edu.au
Relative to hostile forms of ageism, benevolent ageism can be difficult to recognise as it can present subtly, and be characterized not only by condescension, but warmth and kindness. Examples of benevolent ageism include using pet names or baby talk to address older people; emphasising pity for people above a certain age; or the importance placed on “protecting” older people during the COVID pandemic.
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Children’s understanding of possibilities and impossibilities
Supervisor: Dr Jon Redshaw j.redshaw@uq.edu.au
Previous research has established that children are adept at distinguishing between outcomes with high and low probabilities. However, it is less clear whether young children have explicit concepts of “possibility” and “impossibility” to guide their choices. In this study, 3- and 4-year-old children will be introduced to gumball machines that can produce either desirable or undesirable outcomes. In different machines, these outcomes will be either guaranteed, impossible, or merely possible. We are interested in whether children consistently choose to operate gumball machines that are more likely to produce desirable outcomes.
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Children’s memory recall and cognitive offloading strategies
Supervisor: Dr Jon Redshaw j.redshaw@uq.edu.au
Most studies of children’s working memory require them to recall information in forwards or backwards order, instead of giving them a choice over which items to recall first. It therefore remains unknown whether children can prioritise high-value memory information, which might require sophisticated metacognition. In this study, children aged 4 to 9 years will complete a tablet-based memory task in which they can choose to recall high- and low-value items in any order they wish, and on some trials they will have the option of “saving” memory items as a form of cognitive offloading. We are interested in whether memory recall and offloading strategies vary as a function of item value and age.
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What factors influence parent’s levels of engagement in online parenting interventions?
Supervisor: Mr Tianyi Ma tianyi.ma@uq.edu.au
Although evidence-based parenting programs have been viewed as the “gold standard” approach in treating child mental health conditions, parent’s participation and retention in the program have always been a challenge. It is even more of an issue for digital interventions. This project aims to develop a better understanding of predictors of parent engagement in online parenting interventions.
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Can we use AI to educate young people about substance use?
Supervisor: Dr Tianze Sun tianze.sun@uq.edu.au
This project explores the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) to minimise the harms associated with youth substance use and promote healthier choices. You will be tackling complex questions like "Can AI-generated content effectively educate young people about the harms associated with substance use?" and "How do we leverage this new technology to promote health while addressing ethical issues surrounding AI?"
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Understanding patterns of sexual choking
Supervisor: Dr Leah Sharman l.sharman1@uq.edu.au
Sexual choking is becoming commonplace, particularly among 18-35 year olds. Worryingly, there is also a lack of appreciation or knowledge of the risks involved among this cohort. While educational interventions are being developed, understanding if there are underlying factors that may influence an individual’s perception of and engagement in sexual choking would help to target these interventions.
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Investigating the rising demand for ADHD medication: Insights into the ongoing stimulant shortage
Supervisor: Associate Professor Gary Chan c.chan4@uq.edu.au
There is a growing shortage of ADHD medications, raising concerns about the factors driving this increased demand. This project will examine practice guidelines, existing literature, and news reports to explore how policy changes, clinical recommendations, and media coverage have influenced ADHD medication use over time. Using qualitative research methods, students will conduct thematic analyses to understand the complex interplay between public perception, clinical practice, and supply issues.
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Gaming addiction and gaming disorder – Insight from the International Gaming Study 2024
Supervisor: Associate Professor Gary Chan c.chan4@uq.edu.au
Gaming disorder is a new mental health disorder under the international Classification of Disease Version 11. While most people who play digital games do not experience any problem, a substantial proportion develop addiction, which has caused severe negative impacts on their daily lives. This project will use data from our latest International Gaming Study 2024, a collaboration with researchers in Australia, the Netherland, Indonesia and China, to understand the negative impact of gaming disorder, and also to develop a screening tool to differentiate normal gaming and gaming addiction.
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The psychedelic revival in addiction research and practice: A social and policy analysis in Australia and the UK
Supervisor: Dr Tony Barnett tony.barnett@uq.edu.au
The psychedelic revival in addiction research and practice: A social and policy analysis in Australia and the UK
This international comparative project will explore the policy and social implications associated with the use of psychedelics as potential treatments for addiction in Australia and the UK. The project aims to: (1) explore how psychedelics are framed in drug policy for the treatment of addiction; (2) explore consumers, researchers, and policymakers’ perspectives on psychedelics; and, (3) explore how psychedelics might be implemented within addiction policy and practice in the future. The benefit of the project will be to ensure that the future translation of psychedelics to practice is done in a responsible way where consumers and experts are consulted about their preferences for translation within policy and practice.
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Structural brain changes associated with childhood adversity and complex trauma
Supervisor: Dr Lena Oestreich l.oestreich@uq.edu.au
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (complex PTSD) is a severe mental illness that develops in response to prolonged or repeated traumatic life events (Maercker et al. 2022). It has recently been adopted as a new diagnosis in the ICD-11 (World Health Organisation, 2018). Complex PTSD is distinct from PTSD in that it recognises the differential effects of chronic, as opposed to situational, trauma. Survivors of childhood adversity are particularly vulnerable to develop complex PTSD (McLaughlin et al. 2017). To date, it is poorly understood whether aberrant brain development during early childhood and young adulthood in response to chronic trauma is an underlying factor in the susceptibility to complex PTSD and other mental illnesses later in life.
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Cannabis policy and public health outcomes – Insights from the International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS)
Supervisor: Associate Professor Janni Leung j.leung1@uq.edu.au
Cannabis legalization and policy reforms are evolving worldwide, yet their impact on public health remains a critical area of research. The International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS) is a large-scale, multi-country study that examines how cannabis policies influence population-level cannabis use and related harms. This project will analyze ICPS data from various jurisdictions, comparing trends in cannabis consumption, patterns of use, and health outcomes.
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Understanding the neurophysiology of executive function
Supervisor: Dr Hannah Filmer h.filmer@uq.edu.au
This project explores the causal neural basis of executive functions —multi-tasking, decision-making, and cognitive control — which are among the most vital psychological operations for adaptive behaviour in everyday life. We use a variety of research methodologies, including behavioural tasks, ultra high-field (7T) MRI, non-invasive brain stimulation, EEG, and drug manipulations to understand and enhance human performance. The Winter Scholar will have the opportunity to experience the work we do in this space, and contribute to ongoing projects.
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Reward-based decision-making across different age groups
Supervisor: Dr David Sewell d.sewell@uq.edu.au
Reasoning and learning are often thought to be grounded in “cold” systematic evaluation of evidence. However, humans frequently deviate from rational choice and make decisions that are impacted by simple heuristics and emotion. In this project, we are interested in how manipulations of task and decision environments impact people’s predictions, choice confidence, appraisal of decision outcomes, and ultimately, the choices they make. We will evaluate the influence of these manipulations in terms of prospective metacognitive judgement (expected outcome and confidence), retrospective valence (how do you feel about X), and choice behaviour.
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The potential for psychological harm in performance management processes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Supervisor: Dr Kirsten Way k.way@psy.uq.edu.au
Research on performance management has predominantly focussed on positive outcomes such as improved job performance, despite it being an organisational process that also has the potential to cause psychological distress. Not surprisingly then, the mechanisms by which performance management causes psychological distress remain unclear and research findings are fractured and poorly integrated. This study aims to synthesize extant empirical research to examine whether studies exploring psychosocial hazards – work characteristics with the potential to cause stress-mediated harm – may help explain the performance management-psychological distress relationship.
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The relationship between empathy and sensitivity to pain-related facial expressions
Supervisor: Dr Jess Taubert j.taubert@uq.edu.au
The emotional valence of a facial expression is thought to influence a person’s approachability; we are more likely to approach someone who is happy, and more likely to avoid someone who is scared or fearful. However, in this context, facial expressions associated with pain are not well understood. Previous research has indicated that individuals expressing intense pain, non-verbally, are more likely to be helped by observers but it is not clear whether pain-related facial expressions would elicit help from any observer. The goal of this exploratory project is to determine whether sensitivity to pain-related facial expressions is correlated with empathy.
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Improving global health with online learning: A qualitative study of barriers and enablers
Supervisor: Associate Professor Michael Noetel m.noetel@uq.edu.au
Improving global health with online learning: A qualitative study of barriers and enablers
Healthcare in low-income countries lags decades behind high-income countries. Sometimes this is due to lack of resources, but occasionally it’s due to slow translation of knowledge.
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Literature review and infographic
Supervisor: Professor Winnifred Louis w.louis@psy.uq.edu.au
The project will focus on a specific topic relevant to the research areas covered by researchers in the Social Change Lab. You will be asked to explore and engage previous research on the topic. This project involves looking at the psychological research as well as interdisciplinary research in other areas. The specific research topics for the projects will be advised closer to the time.
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Collaborative project for journalism/communications students (or those with journalism/communication experience) to develop/progress a podcast/vodcast, blog or other social media translating research findings for a community audience
Supervisor: Professor Winnifred Louis w.louis@psy.uq.edu.au
The task will be to work with others to create/progress a podcast/vodcast, a blog or other social media based on research conducted by researchers within the Social Change Lab. They will be for the purpose of translating research findings for a community audience.