A study of relationships between academic achievement and creative ability in 60 architecture students at the University of Melbourne did not substantiate findings of earlier research which suggested that the academically talented student is unoriginal, overcompliant, unimaginative and conformist and therefore lacking creative potential. (JT)

Among samples of Australian unemployed, younger and older people had different psychological reactions to unemployment. Age was a better predictor of psychological reactions than sex, length of unemployment, or migrant status. The younger unemployed showed less tolerance of others and less self-reliance than older people. (Author/MJL)

A study investigated the nature and characteristics of 68 staff working in employment services for people with a disability in New South Wales, Australia. Results indicate higher than usual staff turnover and that 53% had no previous professional experience working with people with a disability. Training needs are emphasized. (CR)

In this article we describe the leisure reading practices and attitudes towards reading of two cohorts of teenage boys and their parents from one educated, middle-class school community in Australia. Leisure reading refers to free choice or recreational reading across a range of genres (e.g., fiction/nonfiction) and modes (e.g., print/electronic).…

The Research Institute for Higher Education (RIHE) in Hiroshima University started a program of research on the Changing Academic Profession (CAP) in 2005. This research is funded by the Ministry of Education and Science as a grant-in-aid for scientific research headed by Professor Akira Arimoto, Director of the Research Institute for Higher…

Objectives: Our goal was to investigate the physical and mental health of mothers who care for a child with Rett syndrome. Methods: We assessed maternal physical and mental health by using the SF-12 version 1 physical component summary and mental component summary scores as the outcome measures of interest. Mothers (n = 135) of children with Rett…

This discussion paper describes the characteristics and life styles of single adults in Australia. Recent changes in sociological theory concerning marriage, family life, and single life are noted in the introduction, followed by a description of historical and demographic trends. Different categories of single adults (i.e., never married,…

Examined demographic, social, and economic characteristics of unmarried cohabiting partners among young adults. Never-married partners and ever-married partners differed from each other in level of education and economic situation and appeared to have different reasons for cohabitating. For many cohabitors, living together appeared to be a…

Detailed statistics need to be collected so that age patterns in Australian universities can be monitored. Attention needs to be given to the effects of aging on the role functions of academics. The issues of gerontological crisis is related to the prospect of obsolescence, rigidity, and inflexibility. (MLW)

Examines the relationships among family background, individual characteristics, proximal learning settings, and adolescent aspirations using a model of moderation-mediation. Indicates the need to examine between-group family differences to understand variations in student school outcomes based on family background. Includes references. (CMK)

A study examined the relationship between Australian high school students' perceptions of communication style and their preferred and actual educational (school and classroom) environments, and the effects of gender or grade level on that relationship. Results are discussed. (MSE)

This paper on the problem of sex offending among individuals with intellectual disabilities examines the incidence of this problem, characteristics of intellectually disabled sex offenders, determination of whether the behavior is a paraphilia or functional age-related behavior, and treatment options, with emphasis on the situation in New South…

A study examined the executive functioning, in particular the attentional set-shifting deficits in Australian individuals ages 6-20 with high-functioning autism (n=12) and Asperger's disorder (n=12). Results indicate that individuals with autism had a deficiency in shifting from local to global processing, however, this was not observed in…

Young people who experience homelessness, in Australia and in other western contexts (US, Canada, England), are widely perceived to use and abuse alcohol and drugs. The available research indicates that homeless young people use all drug types, whether injected or otherwise, more frequently than their home-based peers. Debate exists in the…

The study reported here focuses on the factors that contribute to the production or non-production of refereed publications by academics. A literature review revealed that factors associated with an academic's personal characteristics, attitude to work, and workplace circumstances could influence publication output. Academics from a large…