The economic value of psychology in Australia: 2001

The purpose of this paper was to update the Guldberg & Sivaciyan (1995) estimates of the value of psychology based on 1991 figures. In addition, this paper expands the scope of their work by including comparisons of other related professional groups (those with tertiary training in psychiatry, mental health nursing, social work, counselling, occupational therapy and human resources). Economic modelling indicated that psychology contributes $8.6 billion to the National economy – some 500% more than in 1991, and more than all other related professional groups combined. However, psychology incomes in most sectors have marginally decreased in real terms, and still lag 9.2% behind related professionals. The number of individuals trained in psychology has also risen dramatically to at least 37 978. Many of these individuals (17 364) have only a bachelor degree, and experience a higher rate of unemployment than both their higher qualified peers in psychology, and the national average for individuals with the same level of qualification. The ongoing lack of Federal funding for professional higher degrees, and the training guidelines of the Australian Psychological Society are likely to lead to rises in the cost of postgraduate education in the coming years. There is nonetheless a substantial economic advantage to students undertaking professional higher degrees in psychology. The implications for the profession of psychology are discussed

The impact of cultural similarity and level of acquaintance on personality

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether people’s personality appeared to change depending on how well they knew other people they were interacting with, and whether those persons were from the same culture or not. This is a challenging question for two reasons. Personality is relatively stable by its nature, and the relationship between social context and personality is not at all well understood. Until recently studies in this area have used a relatively static model of personality. Recent research in this area is moving toward a more dynamic model to explain how personality and social context may interact with each other. Ninety-two participants took part in the study. The protocol utilized a within-subject experimental design where participants were asked to rate the personality of someone they knew well, in a number of different social situations. The results indicated that people appeared to be more self-disclosing, displayed more power-seeking behaviour, and were more empathic to others who were culturally similar. People also trusted their friends and family more, and were more self-conscious with strangers. While culture similarity and level of acquaintance did affect personality at least to some degree, they did not appear to interact

Challenging physiognomy: questioning the idea that facial characteristics are indicative of personality

Physiognomy; the idea that facial characteristics are indicative of personality has persisted within the science of psychology despite some questionable supporting evidence. Indeed the idea is not unreasonable if certain premise can be supported. The aim of this research was to test three related premise in order to ascertain whether people could accurately judge the personality of a stranger from only a superficial exposure. An experiment was devised which exposed participants to one of eight video clips. The video clips were all of the same person but varied in duration, whether the eyes were visible, and whether the person was talking. One hundred and forty participants took part in the study. After watching one of the video clips each participant was asked to assess the personality of the person in the video using a standard personality questionnaire. The null results challenge the findings of previous research in support of physiognomy

Scaling properties of Wilson loops pierced by P-vortices

P-vortices, in an SU(N) lattice gauge theory, are excitations on the center-projected Z(N) lattice. We study the ratio of expectation values of SU(2) Wilson loops, on the unprojected lattice, linked to a single P-vortex, to that of Wilson loops which are not linked to any P-vortices. When these ratios are plotted versus loop area in physical units, for a range of lattice couplings, it is found that the points fall approximately on a single curve, consistent with scaling. We also find that the ratios are rather insensitive to the point where the minimal area of the loop is pierced by the P-vortex.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Using Fundamental Measure Theory to Treat the Correlation Function of the Inhomogeneous Hard-Sphere Fluid

We investigate the value of the correlation function of an inhomogeneous hard-sphere fluid at contact. This quantity plays a critical role in Statistical Associating Fluid Theory (SAFT), which is the basis of a number of recently developed classical density functionals. We define two averaged values for the correlation function at contact, and derive formulas for each of them from the White Bear version of the Fundamental Measure Theory functional, using an assumption of thermodynamic consistency. We test these formulas, as well as two existing formulas against Monte Carlo simulations, and find excellent agreement between the Monte Carlo data and one of our averaged correlation functions

Persistent topographic development along a strike-slip fault system: The Mount McKinley restraining bend

The Denali Fault is a major strike-slip fault extending from British Colombia, into western Alaska. Mount McKinley, at 6,114 m, is the highest peak in North America and is located to the south of a bend in the Denali Fault (Fig.1). To the north, at the apex of the bend in the fault, Peters Dome (3,221 m) is the highest peak and north-side peak elevations rapidly decrease moving away from the bend’s apex

An insight into adolescent transition from rural to urban centres

[Abstract]: A cooperative research project between the Health Promotion Unit of the Health Department and the university is tracking the adjustment of adolescents leaving country towns to seek educational or employment opportunities in urban centres. Over 400 Queensland families willingly participated in the project, their enthusiasm reflecting the widespread concern in Australian country towns about the out-migration of their youth, their apparent failure to return and a sense of hopelessness about how to stem the flow. The project collects data on three occasions over a twelve month period during which time a proportion of the adolescents move to the city. Additional data are contributed by the family or caregiver and the school teacher. Only Time 1 data are available for this study which investigates how parent and child expectations and preferences are implicated in one of the key adolescent transitions, that of leaving a rural home and school to enrol in an urban boarding school. Data show some unexpected discrepancies and the discussion reviews some key features that could be important components for future health promotion intervention programs designed to prepare and support adolescents in transition

SB30-10/11: Federal Pell Grants

SB30-10/11: Federal Pell Grants. This resolution passed 12Y-8N on a roll call vote during the March 23, 2011 meeting of the Associated Students of the University of Montana (ASUM)