Dr Heather Douglas
Lecturer
School of Psychological Sciences
- Email:heather.douglas@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4913 8773
Understanding our professional selves
By providing a glimpse into the human psyche, Dr Heather Douglas’ work in the field of organisational psychology is contributing to more effective systems, structures, and interventions for workplaces and their teams.
As a social, personality and individual differences psychologist, Dr Heather Douglas wants to know what factors from our internal and external worlds influence our professional behaviour and performance. Rather than seeing individuals as static, Heather describes people’s behaviours as changing from moment-to-moment based on the complex interplay between environmental settings and people’s own unique personality traits.
“I want to understand how people integrate their motives, emotions, thoughts, sense of self, personality traits, and other systems to produce behaviour at work,” says Heather.
By examining how people engage in their work and why, Heather’s research is establishing an evidence base from which organisations such as hospitals and universities can design more effective systems and recruitment processes, improve access and equity, and create more user-friendly environments.
“I’m proud that my work has had a wide-ranging impact on applied areas of human behaviour including in health systems, on equity issues in education, in organisational behaviour, and more.”
The confidence balance
The idea that people’s behaviour can appear inconsistent has provided Heather with a new lens through which to examine well-documented behavioural patterns in the workplace, such as the “imposter phenomenon”. Also known as imposter syndrome, this phenomenon describes a pattern of behaviour where an individual doubts their professional capabilities, despite objective evidence to the contrary.
“Previous research has explored imposter phenomenon as a ‘maladaptive personality style’, meaning they measure it once per person, and assume this characterises their emotions and behaviour across many time points.”
However, Heather’s work highlights that people who suffer from imposter syndrome may not experience these negative feelings in every situation.
“What my research looks at is how imposter feelings might vary from moment to moment, and what might cause this variation. For example, an impending assignment or work deadline, comparison to a perceived ‘more successful’ co-worker, salience of a particular skillset that an individual wishes they had more competence in, and so on.”
While a lack of confidence can create psychological stress and negative professional outcomes for individuals, Heather’s research shows that high levels of confidence can also have adverse effects.
“The combination of intelligence and confidence predicts potential career ‘derailers’, including difficulty controlling aggression and a lack of stated concern for safety at work.”
Heather’s research into professional confidence has led to improved recruitment strategies for organisations, including more reliable psychological assessment tools that help to match the right person to the right role. It could also help to improve equity in education. External literature demonstrates that minority ethnic students, and those who perceive classroom competition as more threatening, are more likely to experience adverse psychological outcomes in their university courses.
Heather explains that understanding students’ experiences, including why and how they experience psychological syndromes such as imposter syndrome, could lead to improved support services for students and increase equity in terms of both accessibility and performance.
Predicting problems and biases
Heather’s research shows that there is mutually beneficial relationship between a worker and their workplace. Improve worker wellbeing, and productivity increases. Adjust organisational systems, and worker satisfaction improves.
“People derive more than just financial reward from work. They achieve identity, social rewards, a sense of achievement, and more.
“Rather than being driven by laziness, or a lack of interest in being at work, my research suggests that people are motivated until the situation creates the conditions for them to be unmotivated. The interaction between individual differences and the organisational situation might create the perfect conditions for procrastination, counter-productive work behaviour, burnout, emotional exhaustion, need frustration, and voluntary turnover.”
The psychologist’s work provides organisations with valuable insights into likely problem and opportunity areas among their workforces. For example, one of Heather’s research projects sought to determine how the fast-paced, high-stress workplace environment of a NSW hospital emergency department might impact a doctor’s ability to accurately prescribe medications to patients.
“My team observed doctors doing their work, how many times they were interrupted by others, how many times they multi-tasked, and what impact this had on their error rate on prescribing medications to patients.
“What we found was the doctors were more likely to make a mistake when they were interrupted doing this very important task. I contributed the psychological measurement of working memory to this project, and we later found that doctors with higher working memory were more successful in protecting themselves from errors when prescribing medications to patients.”
Recently, Heather has expanded her work into new research areas, including exploring the effects of cognitive and social biases within workplaces and society. In particular, she is researching a phenomenon known as the “backfire effect”, a tendency for people to strengthen their firmly held opinion in the face of evidence that contradicts it.
“At a societal level, the backfire effect is implicated in a resistance to the evidence of climate change, the impacts of domestic violence, and difficulty considering different political viewpoints.
“I wish to explore the evidence that personality traits moderate a person’s sensitivity to factual evidence contradicting their beliefs on important social issues. This could help us understand the conditions under which the backfire effect is more likely to operate, and therefore where intervention efforts to mitigate it will have the most impact.”
While Heather’s research is targeted at improving workplace systems, culture and productivity, its foray into areas such as the backfire effect could also help to underpin wider health and environmental awareness strategies to create community and even global change.
Understanding our professional selves
By providing a glimpse into the human psyche, Dr Heather Douglas’ work in the field of organisational psychology is contributing to more effective systems, structures, and interventions for workplaces and their teams.
Career Summary
Biography
I completed my PhD in March of 2014 at the University of Newcastle, on the mechanisms by which personality traits translate into behaviour through values, goals, and vocational interests. I am an interdisciplinary applied psychologist with expertise in individual differences assessment and measurement. This includes both intelligence and personality assessment in particular. I have a special interest in the assessment and validation of decision-making style measures in organisational psychology, particularly how individuals enhance or conversely handicap their career progression. I have also applied my expertise to assessing the impact of diversification of higher education populations on academic outcomes, multi-tasking in healthcare professionals, community aged care service provision, and using technology to hack the learning process.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), University of Newcastle
Keywords
- Assessment and Selection
- Intelligence
- Personality
- Psychometrics
Fields of Research
Code | Description | Percentage |
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520503 | Personality and individual differences | 50 |
520108 | Testing, assessment and psychometrics | 25 |
520102 | Educational psychology | 25 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
Title | Organisation / Department |
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Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Psychology Australia |
Academic appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
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11/4/2016 - 30/11/2018 |
Lecturer in Psychology Lecturer in Psychology, Murdoch Singapore Campus. Primary responsibilities included the development and introduction of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology Program at the Murdoch Singapore Campus, teaching into the undergraduate psychology programs offered by Murdoch Singapore, and research and HDR supervision as required. |
Murdoch University School of Psychology and Exercise Science Australia |
1/11/2014 - 18/3/2016 |
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Development of research strengths in aged care, particularly the use of indicators of social participation to demonstrate aged care quality. The role also included the development of research evidence to examine multi-tasking among healthcare providers and the impact of this multi-tasking on subsequent patient care tasks. |
Macquarie University Australian Institute of Health Innovation Australia |
9/12/2013 - 31/10/2014 |
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow The University of New South Wales, Australian Institute of Health Innovation (same |
The University of New South Wales Australian Institute of Health Innovation Australia |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (29 outputs)
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2023 |
Douglas HE, Cunningham ML, Tisdell J, Arneson J, 'The problem with confidence: too much and too little results in poorer achievement, inner conflict, and social inhibition', Frontiers in Psychology, 14 (2023) [C1] Introduction: Confidence is defined as the feelings and thoughts people have during a task that result in judgments about their performance. Evidence suggests that confidence is t... [more] Introduction: Confidence is defined as the feelings and thoughts people have during a task that result in judgments about their performance. Evidence suggests that confidence is trait-like, but thus far research on the relative match between confidence and accuracy has been primarily restricted to over-confidence effects, and subject to the methodological flaws involved with using difference scores. We sought to answer an exploratory question in this research, whether discrepancies in ability and confidence in either direction reliably predicted individual differences on a broad-spectrum and commercially available personality test, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI260). Methods: Participants were 220 employed adults who had previously taken the CPI260 for career development purposes. They were invited to complete a measure of cognitive ability and confidence in return for feedback on the same. Data were modeled using polynomial regression and response surface analysis, to determine whether and how CPI260 personality traits were associated with matches or mismatches between accuracy and confidence in the same test. Results: We identified negative curvilinear effects along the line of disagreement for four CPI260 scales, suggesting that both under- and over-confidence were associated with personality. Discussion: In contrast to our expectations, individuals who were under-confident and those who were over-confident had lower achievement potential, less social confidence, and more inner conflict than other individuals in this sample. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that both over-confident and under-confident individuals are aware of potential weaknesses that impede their functioning.
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2022 |
Falkland EC, Wiggins MW, Douglas H, Sturman D, Auton JC, Shieh L, Westbrook JI, 'Explaining emergency physicians capacity to recover from interruptions', Applied Ergonomics, 105 (2022) [C1] Objective: To assess whether the capacity to utilize cues amongst emergency physicians is associated with differences in the capacity to recover performance following an interrupt... [more] Objective: To assess whether the capacity to utilize cues amongst emergency physicians is associated with differences in the capacity to recover performance following an interruption. Background: Interruptions are implicated in errors in emergency medicine due to the cognitive load that they impose on working memory, resulting in a loss of performance on the primary task. The utilization of cues is associated with a reduction in cognitive load during the performance of a task, thereby enabling the allocation of residual resources that mitigates the loss of performance following interruptions. Method: Thirty-nine emergency physicians, recruited at a medical conference, completed an assessment of cue utilization (EXPERTise 2.0) and an online simulation (Septris) that involved the management of patients presenting with sepsis. During the simulation, physicians were interrupted and asked to check a medication order. Task performance was assessed using scores on Septris, with points awarded for the accurate management of patients. Results: Emergency physicians with higher cue utilization recorded significantly higher scores on the simulation task following the interruption, compared to physicians with lower cue utilization (p = .028). Conclusion: The results confirm a relationship between cue utilization and the recovery of performance following an interruption. This is likely due to the advantages afforded by associated reductions in cognitive load. Application: Assessments of cue utilization may assist in the development of interventions to support clinicians in interruptive environments.
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2022 |
de Freitas S, Waring P, Douglas HE, Curtis GJ, Ritchie SM, 'Delivering blended learning to transnational students: students' perceptions and needs-satisfaction', STUDIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, 47 1890-1902 (2022) [C1]
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2022 |
Ienna M, Rofe A, Gendi M, Douglas HE, Kelly M, Hayward MW, et al., 'The Relative Role of Knowledge and Empathy in Predicting Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behavior', SUSTAINABILITY, 14 (2022) [C1]
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2021 |
Steele AR, Douglas HE, 'Investigating the educational experiences of transnational students: Differences in academic integration, social integration, and institutional and goal commitment', British Journal of Educational Psychology, 91 1414-1433 (2021) [C1] Background: Despite the growing popularity of transnational education, there is a dearth of quantitative research regarding how transnational students experience higher education.... [more] Background: Despite the growing popularity of transnational education, there is a dearth of quantitative research regarding how transnational students experience higher education. Aims: This comparative study sought to explore differences in educational experiences between transnational and onshore domestic students enrolled either at the Australian (domestic) or Singapore (transnational) campus of an Australian university. Sample and Methods: An online survey gathered responses from 199 domestic students and 313 transnational students. Results: Results indicated transnational students to be significantly lower than domestic students on social and academic integration, institutional commitment, and satisfaction. No group differences were found in persistence intentions. A series of regression analyses showed integration and commitment significantly predicted student persistence intentions, across both cohorts, beyond demographic and course characteristics. Conclusions: This study offers several recommendations for how universities can better foster integration and commitment in their transnational students, including better funding the development of student societies and providing realistic course previews and career advice to students upon entry into their courses. Further, universities are encouraged to reconsider their transnational staffing models to provide more opportunities for academic support and student consultation beyond the classroom.
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2021 |
McCormack L, Douglas H, Joseph S, 'Isolation, self-blame and perceived invalidation in aid personnel: identifying humanitarian-specific distress using the PostAID/Q', Journal of International Humanitarian Action, 6 (2021) [C1]
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2021 |
Gibbon E, Douglas HE, 'Personality and the pro-environmental individual: Unpacking the interplay between attitudes, behaviour and climate change denial', PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, 181 (2021) [C1]
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2020 |
Douglas HE, Rubin J, Scevak J, Southgate E, MacQueen S, Richardson JTE, 'Older women, deeper learning: Age and gender interact to predict learning approach and academic achievement at university.', Frontiers in Education, 5 (2020) [C1]
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2018 |
Cunningham ML, Douglas H, Boag S, 'General mental ability moderates the link between confidence and integrity test scores', Personality and Individual Differences, 123 94-99 (2018) [C1] The present study examined whether general mental ability (GMA) moderated the link between confidence and integrity test scores. Participants were 477 Australian adults who comple... [more] The present study examined whether general mental ability (GMA) moderated the link between confidence and integrity test scores. Participants were 477 Australian adults who completed an online survey that gauged GMA, confidence in the accuracy of responses to GMA items, and the Hilson Safety/Security Risk Inventory as a measure of integrity. Results indicated that confidence was a negative predictor of both Safety Risk and Lack of Hostility/Anger Control. An interaction effect was also found in that overconfident individuals (i.e., low GMA and high confidence) were less likely to report more aggression and hostility on the job. The implications of the findings are discussed.
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2018 |
Westbrook JI, Raban MZ, Walter SR, Douglas H, 'Task errors by emergency physicians are associated with interruptions, multitasking, fatigue and working memory capacity: A prospective, direct observation study', BMJ Quality and Safety, 27 655-663 (2018) [C1] Background Interruptions and multitasking have been demonstrated in experimental studies to reduce individuals' task performance. These behaviours are frequently used by clin... [more] Background Interruptions and multitasking have been demonstrated in experimental studies to reduce individuals' task performance. These behaviours are frequently used by clinicians in high-workload, dynamic clinical environments, yet their effects have rarely been studied. Objective To assess the relative contributions of interruptions and multitasking by emergency physicians to prescribing errors. Methods 36 emergency physicians were shadowed over 120 hours. All tasks, interruptions and instances of multitasking were recorded. Physicians' working memory capacity (WMC) and preference for multitasking were assessed using the Operation Span Task (OSPAN) and Inventory of Polychronic Values. Following observation, physicians were asked about their sleep in the previous 24 hours. Prescribing errors were used as a measure of task performance. We performed multivariate analysis of prescribing error rates to determine associations with interruptions and multitasking, also considering physician seniority, age, psychometric measures, workload and sleep. Results Physicians experienced 7.9 interruptions/hour. 28 clinicians were observed prescribing 239 medication orders which contained 208 prescribing errors. While prescribing, clinicians were interrupted 9.4 times/hour. Error rates increased significantly if physicians were interrupted (rate ratio (RR) 2.82; 95% CI 1.23 to 6.49) or multitasked (RR 1.86; 95% CI 1.35 to 2.56) while prescribing. Having below-average sleep showed a >15-fold increase in clinical error rate (RR 16.44; 95% CI 4.84 to 55.81). WMC was protective against errors; for every 10-point increase on the 75-point OSPAN, a 19% decrease in prescribing errors was observed. There was no effect of polychronicity, workload, physician gender or above-average sleep on error rates. Conclusion Interruptions, multitasking and poor sleep were associated with significantly increased rates of prescribing errors among emergency physicians. WMC mitigated the negative influence of these factors to an extent. These results confirm experimental findings in other fields and raise questions about the acceptability of the high rates of multitasking and interruption in clinical environments.
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2018 |
Rubin JM, Scevak J, Southgate E, Macqueen S, Williams P, Douglas H, 'Older women, deeper learning, and greater satisfaction at university: Age and gender predict university students learning approach and degree satisfaction.', Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 11 82-96 (2018) [C1]
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2017 |
Walter SR, Raban MZ, Dunsmuir WTM, Douglas HE, Westbrook JI, 'Emergency doctors' strategies to manage competing workload demands in an interruptive environment: An observational workflow time study', Applied Ergonomics, 58 454-460 (2017) [C1] An observational workflow time study was conducted involving doctors in the emergency department (ED) of a large Australian hospital. During 121.7 h across 58 sessions, we observe... [more] An observational workflow time study was conducted involving doctors in the emergency department (ED) of a large Australian hospital. During 121.7 h across 58 sessions, we observed interruptive events, conceptualised as prompts, and doctors' strategies to handle those prompts (task-switching, multitasking, acknowledgement, deferral and deflection) to assess the role of multiple work system factors influencing doctors' work in the ED. Prompt rates varied vastly between work scenarios, being highest during non-verbal solo tasks. The propensity to use certain strategies also differed with task type, prompt type and location within the department, although task-switching was by far the most frequent. Communicative prompts were important in patient treatment and workload management. Clinicians appear to adjust their communication strategies in response to contextual factors in order to deliver patient care. Risk due to the interruptive nature of ED communication is potentially outweighed by the positive effects of timely information transfer and advice provision.
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2017 |
Douglas HE, Raban MZ, Walter SR, Westbrook JI, 'Improving our understanding of multi-tasking in healthcare: Drawing together the cognitive psychology and healthcare literature', Applied Ergonomics, 59 45-55 (2017) [C1] Multi-tasking is an important skill for clinical work which has received limited research attention. Its impacts on clinical work are poorly understood. In contrast, there is subs... [more] Multi-tasking is an important skill for clinical work which has received limited research attention. Its impacts on clinical work are poorly understood. In contrast, there is substantial multi-tasking research in cognitive psychology, driver distraction, and human-computer interaction. This review synthesises evidence of the extent and impacts of multi-tasking on efficiency and task performance from health and non-healthcare literature, to compare and contrast approaches, identify implications for clinical work, and to develop an evidence-informed framework for guiding the measurement of multi-tasking in future healthcare studies. The results showed healthcare studies using direct observation have focused on descriptive studies to quantify concurrent multi-tasking and its frequency in different contexts, with limited study of impact. In comparison, non-healthcare studies have applied predominantly experimental and simulation designs, focusing on interleaved and concurrent multi-tasking, and testing theories of the mechanisms by which multi-tasking impacts task efficiency and performance. We propose a framework to guide the measurement of multi-tasking in clinical settings that draws together lessons from these siloed research efforts.
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2017 |
Prgomet M, Douglas HE, Tariq A, Georgiou A, Armour P, Westbrook JI, 'The work of front line community aged care staff and the impact of a changing policy landscape and consumer-directed care', British Journal of Social Work, 47 106-124 (2017) [C1] Community aged care in Australia is facing both challenges and opportunities with the introduction of consumer-directed care and its goal to provide clients with greater choice an... [more] Community aged care in Australia is facing both challenges and opportunities with the introduction of consumer-directed care and its goal to provide clients with greater choice and control over their care services. Such policy changes impact not only aged care organisations, but front line staff who manage and deliver care. This study investigated the work of front line staff and their perceptions of the impact of a changing policy landscape. Focus groups were conducted with thirteen care workers and six case managers from one Australian aged care organisation. The data revealed valuable information about the: daily activities of front line staff; information exchange mechanisms facilitating front line work; management of clients and client relationships; and implications of policy and organisational changes on front line work and clients. Front line staff highlighted the importance of care coordination, communication and continuity of care delivery, all of which impact on client relationships and quality of care. For aged care organisations and policy makers, the findings identify important areas for consideration when making decisions about changes to community care, including the key role of front line staff in fostering client relationships, providing consistency and continuity, balancing the needs and expectations of clients, and providing support and advocacy of care options.
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2017 |
Douglas H, Georgiou A, Westbrook J, 'Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: An overview of concepts and their associations with health', Australian Health Review, 41 455-462 (2017) [C1] Objectives Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology, but the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity that renders it difficult to define an... [more] Objectives Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology, but the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity that renders it difficult to define and measure. This means that research on social participation is difficult to compare directly. The aim of the present study was to draw the literature on social participation in older adults together to inform health services researchers seeking to investigate social participation as an indicator of successful aging. Methods A narrative review of studies investigating the association between social participation and health in adults aged 65 years and older was conducted. Results Three concepts of social participation (i.e. social connections, informal social participation and volunteering) were defined, their measurement instruments described and evidence of their associations with health explored. All three concepts have demonstrated associations with an array of health indicators. Prospective studies reveal that social participation at baseline is positively associated with mental and physical health. Conclusion A model of social participation on health is presented, showing the evidence that all three concepts contribute to the association between social participation and health through their shared mechanisms of social support and social cohesion with the wider community. Using an instrument that can be separated into these three distinct concepts will assist health services researchers to determine the relative effect of each form of participation on the health of older adults. What is known about the topic? Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology. The scope of the literature on social participation is broad and the concepts diverse. For this reason, most previous systematic reviews have been unable to comprehensively assess the effect of all concepts of social participation on health. This means the research on social participation is difficult to compare directly, and indicators of social participation in older adults are difficult for policy makers to select. What does this paper add? This paper overviews the three concepts of social participation, their methods of measurement and their associations with health in older adults. We present a model of social participation that incorporates all three concepts of social participation and their effects on health. We argue that the use of a measure that can be segmented into each of the three forms of social participation will predict more of the variance in health outcomes than any measure on its own. What are the implications for practitioners' Enhancing the social participation of older adults is a key factor in successful aging that many older adults value. However, many service provision organisations tend to focus on meeting the specific physical needs of clients, rather than targeting services that connect older adults with their community. Targeting social participation may present one of the greatest opportunities to improve older adults' general health, and will also generate societal benefits by increasing community contributions from this group. Selecting an indicator of social participation that measures each of the three concepts overviewed in this paper will enable policy makers to identify the areas in which social interventions for older adults will have the most effect.
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2017 |
Borotkanics R, Rowe C, Georgiou A, Douglas H, Makeham M, Westbrook J, 'Changes in the profile of Australians in 77 residential aged care facilities across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory', Australian Health Review, 41 613-620 (2017) [C1] Objective: Government expenditure on and the number of aged care facilities in Australia have increased consistently since 1995. As a result, a range of aged care policy changes h... [more] Objective: Government expenditure on and the number of aged care facilities in Australia have increased consistently since 1995. As a result, a range of aged care policy changes have been implemented. Data on demographics and utilisation are important in determining the effects of policy on residential aged care services. Yet, there are surprisingly few statistical summaries in the peer-reviewed literature on the profile of Australian aged care residents or trends in service utilisation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to characterise the demographic profile and utilisation of a large cohort of residential aged care residents, including trends over a 3-year period. Methods: We collected 3 years of data (2011-14) from 77 residential aged care facilities and assessed trends and differences across five demographic and three service utilisation variables. Results: The median age at admission over the 3-year period remained constant at 86 years. There were statistically significant decreases in separations to home (z=2.62, P=0.009) and a 1.35% increase in low care admissions. Widowed females made up the majority (44.75%) of permanent residents, were the oldest and had the longest lengths of stay. One-third of permanent residents had resided in aged care for 3 years or longer. Approximately 30% of residents were not born in Australia. Aboriginal residents made up less than 1% of the studied population, were younger and had shorter stays than non-Aboriginal residents. Conclusion: The analyses revealed a clear demographic profile and consistent pattern of utilisation of aged care facilities. There have been several changes in aged care policy over the decades. The analyses outlined herein illustrate how community, health services and public health data can be used to inform policy, monitor progress and assess whether intended policy has had the desired effects on aged care services.
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2017 |
Douglas HE, Georgiou A, Tariq A, Prgomet M, Warland A, Armour P, Westbrook JI, 'Implementing information and communication technology to support community aged care service integration: Lessons from an Australian aged care provider', International Journal of Integrated Care, 17 (2017) [C1] Introduction: There is limited evidence of the benefits of information and communication technology (ICT) to support integrated aged care services. Objectives: We undertook a case... [more] Introduction: There is limited evidence of the benefits of information and communication technology (ICT) to support integrated aged care services. Objectives: We undertook a case study to describe carelink+, a centralised client service management ICT system implemented by a large aged and community care service provider, Uniting. We sought to explicate the care-related information exchange processes associated with carelink+ and identify lessons for organisations attempting to use ICT to support service integration. Methods: Our case study included seventeen interviews and eleven observation sessions with a purposive sample of staff within the organisation. Inductive analysis was used to develop a model of ICT-supported information exchange. Results: Management staff described the integrated care model designed to underpin carelink+. Frontline staff described complex information exchange processes supporting coordination of client services. Mismatches between the data quality and the functions carelink+ was designed to support necessitated the evolution of new work processes associated with the system. Conclusions: There is value in explicitly modelling the work processes that emerge as a consequence of ICT. Continuous evaluation of the match between ICT and work processes will help aged care organisations to achieve higher levels of ICT maturity that support their efforts to provide integrated care to clients.
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2016 |
Douglas H, McCormack LM, Rose D, 'The Psychometric Properties of Cognitive Confidence: Structure across Cultures in Working Adult Samples.', The Journal of Psychology and Cognition., 1 81-90 (2016) [C1]
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2016 |
Douglas HE, Bore M, Munro D, 'Openness and Intellect: An analysis of the motivational constructs underlying two aspects of personality', Personality and Individual Differences, 99 242-253 (2016) [C1] Openness to Experience has been shown to subsume two aspects called Openness and Intellect. The aim of this study was to examine the discriminant validity of Openness and Intellec... [more] Openness to Experience has been shown to subsume two aspects called Openness and Intellect. The aim of this study was to examine the discriminant validity of Openness and Intellect in their relationship to Values, Interests, and Major Life Goals. Participants were 893 adults recruited into three studies who completed an online survey consisting of the Big Five Aspect Scales, Schwartz's Values, Holland's Interests, and Major Life Goals. Openness positively predicted Universalism Values in Study 1, and both Artistic Interests and Aesthetic Major Life Goals in all three samples. In contrast, Intellect was not significantly predictive of Values, Interests and Major Life Goals in any of the three studies. The implications of these findings for the discriminant validity of the two aspects are discussed.
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2016 |
Lehnbom EC, Douglas HE, Makeham MAB, 'Positive beliefs and privacy concerns shape the future for the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record', Internal Medicine Journal, 46 108-111 (2016) [C1] The uptake of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) has been slowly building momentum in Australia. The purpose of the PCEHR is to collect clinically importan... [more] The uptake of the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) has been slowly building momentum in Australia. The purpose of the PCEHR is to collect clinically important information from multiple healthcare providers to provide a secure electronic record to patients and their authorised healthcare providers that will ultimately enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery. Reasons for the slow uptake of the PCEHR and future directions to improve its usefulness is discussed later.
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2016 |
Douglas HE, Bore M, Munro D, 'Coping with University Education: The relationships of Time Management Behaviour and Work Engagement with the Five Factor Model Aspects', Learning and Individual Differences, 45 268-274 (2016) [C1] We examined the construct validity of time management behaviour and work engagement, defined as a positive work-related state of mind. Two-hundred and eighty-one participants comp... [more] We examined the construct validity of time management behaviour and work engagement, defined as a positive work-related state of mind. Two-hundred and eighty-one participants completed the Time Management Behaviour Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale - Student Version, and the Big Five Aspect Scales. Linear regression analyses revealed that time management behaviour was positively predicted by the Conscientiousness aspects, Industriousness and Orderliness. Work engagement variables were also predicted by Industriousness, and both aspects of Openness/Intellect. Openness significantly predicted vigor and dedication, while Intellect predicted absorption. These findings indicate that those higher in both time management behaviour and work engagement are more likely to use time effectively and minimise distractions. While individuals higher on time management behaviour are more likely to work in an orderly fashion, individuals higher in work engagement might be quicker to understand information. The implications for supporting students at university to learn more effectively are discussed in light of these findings.
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2015 |
Tariq A, Douglas HE, Smith C, Georgiou A, Osmond T, Armour P, Westbrook JI, 'A Descriptive Analysis of Incidents Reported by Community Aged Care Workers', Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37 859-876 (2015) Little is known about the types of incidents that occur to aged care clients in the community. This limits the development of effective strategies to improve client safety. The ob... [more] Little is known about the types of incidents that occur to aged care clients in the community. This limits the development of effective strategies to improve client safety. The objective of the study was to present a profile of incidents reported in Australian community aged care settings. All incident reports made by community care workers employed by one of the largest community aged care provider organizations in Australia during the period November 1, 2012, to August 8, 2013, were analyzed. A total of 356 reports were analyzed, corresponding to a 7.5% incidence rate per client year. Falls and medication incidents were the most prevalent incident types. Clients receiving high-level care and those who attended day therapy centers had the highest rate of incidents with 14% to 20% of these clients having a reported incident. The incident profile indicates that clients on higher levels of care had higher incident rates. Incident data represent an opportunity to improve client safety in community aged care.
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2015 |
Raban MZ, Walter SR, Douglas HE, Strumpman D, Mackenzie J, Westbrook JI, 'Measuring the relationship between interruptions, multitasking and prescribing errors in an emergency department: A study protocol', BMJ Open, 5 (2015) Introduction: Interruptions and multitasking are frequent in clinical settings, and have been shown in the cognitive psychology literature to affect performance, increasing the ri... [more] Introduction: Interruptions and multitasking are frequent in clinical settings, and have been shown in the cognitive psychology literature to affect performance, increasing the risk of error. However, comparatively less is known about their impact on errors in clinical work. This study will assess the relationship between prescribing errors, interruptions and multitasking in an emergency department (ED) using direct observations and chart review. Methods and analysis: The study will be conducted in an ED of a 440-bed teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia. Doctors will be shadowed at proximity by observers for 2 h time intervals while they are working on day shift (between 0800 and 1800). Time stamped data on tasks, interruptions and multitasking will be recorded on a handheld computer using the validated Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT) tool. The prompts leading to interruptions and multitasking will also be recorded. When doctors prescribe medication, type of chart and chart sections written on, along with the patient's medical record number (MRN) will be recorded. A clinical pharmacist will access patient records and assess the medication orders for prescribing errors. The prescribing error rate will be calculated per prescribing task and is defined as the number of errors divided by the number of medication orders written during the prescribing task. The association between prescribing error rates, and rates of prompts, interruptions and multitasking will be assessed using statistical modelling. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval has been obtained from the hospital research ethics committee. Eligible doctors will be provided with written information sheets and written consent will be obtained if they agree to participate. Doctor details and MRNs will be kept separate from the data on prescribing errors, and will not appear in the final data set for analysis. Study results will be disseminated in publications and feedback to the ED.
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2014 |
Southgate E, Douglas H, Scevak J, MacQueen S, Rubin JM, Lindell C, 'The academic outcomes of first-in-family in an Australian university: An exploratory study.', International Studies in Widening Participation, 1 31-45 (2014) [C1]
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2012 |
Douglas HE, Bore MR, Munro D, 'Distinguishing the dark triad: Evidence from the five-factor model and the Hogan Development Survey', Psychology, 3 237-242 (2012) [C1]
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2012 |
Douglas HE, Bore MR, Munro D, 'Construct validity of a two-factor model of psychopathy', Psychology, 3 243-248 (2012) [C1]
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2011 |
Paul CL, Sanson-Fisher RW, Douglas HE, Clinton-Mcharg TL, Williamson A, Barker DJ, 'Cutting the research pie: A value-weighting approach to explore perceptions about psychosocial research priorities for adults with haematological cancers', European Journal of Cancer Care, 20 345-353 (2011) [C1]
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2011 |
Carey ML, Clinton-Mcharg TL, Sanson-Fisher RW, Campbell S, Douglas HE, 'Patient or treatment centre? Where are efforts invested to improve cancer patients' psychosocial outcomes?', European Journal of Cancer Care, 20 152-162 (2011) [C1]
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2009 |
Paul CL, Clinton-Mcharg TL, Sanson-Fisher RW, Douglas HE, Webb G, 'Are we there yet? The state of the evidence base for guidelines on breaking bad news to cancer patients', European Journal of Cancer, 45 2960-2966 (2009) [C1]
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Show 26 more journal articles |
Conference (8 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
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2020 | Douglas H, 'I am lonely at the top: The contribution of situational cues to the experience of imposter phenomenon', Virtual Conference (2020) | ||||
2019 | Douglas H, Cunningham M, 'A poor match between ability and confidence in high-performance individuals: Evidence for the imposter phenomenon in working adults', Brisbane, Queensland University of Technology (2019) | ||||
2014 |
Douglas H, Bore MR, Munro D, 'An exploration of the correlates of Openness and Intellect', Travelodge Hotel, Newcastle (2014)
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2011 |
Douglas HE, Bore MR, Munro D, 'The five factor theory of personality: An empirical investigation', Conference Proceedings: 2011 Australian Conference on Personality and Individual Differences, Hobart, Tasmania (2011) [E3]
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2010 |
Bore MR, Munro D, Bridge PC, Douglas HE, Powis DA, 'A comparison of three personality trait models and the implications for selection into the medical and allied health professions', Abstracts of the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Melbourne, Australia (2010) [E3]
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2010 | Douglas HE, 'The construct validity of the two factor model of psychopathy', Abstracts of the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Melbourne, Vic (2010) [E3] | ||||
2009 |
Douglas HE, Bore MR, Munro D, 'Integrating adaptive and pathological traits: The role of the Dark Triad', 8th Australasian Conference on Personality & Individual Differences (ACPID09): Conference Program, Sydney, NSW (2009) [E3]
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Show 5 more conferences |
Report (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
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2015 |
Scevak J, Southgate E, Rubin, Macqueen S, Douglas H, Williams P, Southgate EL, 'Equity Groups and Predictors of Academic Success in Higher Education.', National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) Curtin University, 19 (2015) [R1]
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Nova |
Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 5 |
---|---|
Total funding | $126,690 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20241 grants / $4,200
Development of team leadership capacity assessment tool$4,200
Funding body: Brave Insights Pty Ltd
Funding body | Brave Insights Pty Ltd |
---|---|
Project Team | Doctor Emina Subasic, Doctor Heather Douglas |
Scheme | Consultancy |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2024 |
Funding Finish | 2024 |
GNo | G2400412 |
Type Of Funding | C3100 – Aust For Profit |
Category | 3100 |
UON | Y |
20211 grants / $6,602
Root Cause Analysis and Intervention for Work-Life Balance$6,602
Funding body: Bradken Resources Pty Limited
Funding body | Bradken Resources Pty Limited |
---|---|
Project Team | Doctor Heather Douglas |
Scheme | Research Grant |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2021 |
Funding Finish | 2021 |
GNo | G2100849 |
Type Of Funding | C3100 – Aust For Profit |
Category | 3100 |
UON | Y |
20201 grants / $26,888
Am I a fraud in the male-dominated culture? Imposter feelings and perceived gender stereotype threat in elite female coaches$26,888
Funding body: Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage
Funding body | Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage |
---|---|
Project Team | Doctor Heather Douglas, Doctor Kotryna Fraser |
Scheme | Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2020 |
Funding Finish | 2021 |
GNo | G2000002 |
Type Of Funding | C3500 – International Not-for profit |
Category | 3500 |
UON | Y |
20161 grants / $34,300
Innovation Catalyst for the Community Mental Health Intervention Team (COMIT) and the UBK Health Oriented Ageing (HOA) Community Ecosystem$34,300
This funding was received to conduct a case study on the Innovation and Collaboration Practices of O'Joy Care Services in Singapore. This case study was conducted through the lens of integrated care on O'Joy's delivery of mental health and social participation for older adults in the Upper Boon Keng region of Singapore. The final workshop on this case study was designed to enhance learning for non-profit organisations and leaders in this provision of community aged care services. A culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration was discussed, including best-practices for better service provision to older adults in the community. A case study report was also produced from the program of work.
Douglas, H.E., Tay, G., Bali, A.S., & Vas, C. (2016). Innovation Catalyst for the Community Mental Health Intervention Team (COMIT) and the UBK Health Oriented Ageing (HOA) Community Ecosystem. Toteboard: Case Study Collaborator.
Funding body: Tote Board
Funding body | Tote Board |
---|---|
Project Team | Douglas H, Bali A, Vas C |
Scheme | Tote Board Case Study Collaborator |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2016 |
Funding Finish | 2017 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C3212 - International Not for profit |
Category | 3212 |
UON | N |
20141 grants / $54,700
Equity groups and predictors of academic success in higher education$54,700
Funding body: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE)
Funding body | National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) |
---|---|
Project Team | Doctor Jill Scevak, Associate Professor Erica Southgate, Doctor Suzanne MacQueen, Associate Professor Mark Rubin, Dr Heather Douglas |
Scheme | Research Grants Program |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2014 |
Funding Finish | 2014 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | C2110 - Aust Commonwealth - Own Purpose |
Category | 2110 |
UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | PhD | Mitigating Science Denial in an Australian Context: Relationships between Covid-19 and Climate Change Denial | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
2021 | PhD | A Longitudinal Assessment of Impostor Phenomenon and how it Interacts with Psychopathology | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
2020 | PhD | Beyond Tokenism: Leadership and Change Towards Gender Equality | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
2019 | PhD | Developing a Screening/Assessment Tool for Bariatric Patients | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
2019 | PhD | Imposter Phenomenon and Transitions from University to the Workplace: Validation of a Measure | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
Past Supervision
Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
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2023 | PhD | Attentional Allocation and Automation: Reconstruction of Operator Situation Awareness During Takeover | PhD (Psychology - Science), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
News
News • 22 Oct 2020
Am I a fraud? Imposter feelings in elite Olympic level coaching
How do gender stereotypes create imposter feelings that halt the progression of women to elite coaching roles?
Dr Heather Douglas
Position
Lecturer
School of Psychological Sciences
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Contact Details
heather.douglas@newcastle.edu.au | |
Phone | (02) 4913 8773 |
Links |
Research Networks UoN Blogs |
Office
Room | W105C |
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Building | Behavioural Science - W |
Location | Callaghan University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |