The Risk and Resilience (R&R) Group

To develop interventions that help people successfully manage risk and promote resilient outcomes in both extreme and normal environments.

Our team investigates personal, relationship and organisational factors that help people successfully manage risk and promote resilient outcomes in both extreme (e.g. Antarctica, developmental disorders, military, family violence) and normal (e.g. learning) environments.

We use this information to inform and evaluate interventions to maximise human health and performance across a range of environments. We are committed to translating our research into practice - providing real-world solutions to real-world challenges.

Expertise

  • Extreme Environments
  • Resilience and adaptation
  • Military/Defence
  • Mental health
  • Violence
  • Behaviour change
  • Educational Psychology

Projects

Risk and Resilience in Extreme Environments:

Identifying factors that influence adaptation, performance and resilience in extreme environments including Antarctica, spaceflight, and first responders (e.g. police, fire service, paramedics)

Factors that influence decision-making in high-risk environments including Antarctica and first-responder populations

Developing interventions to support enhanced adaptation, performance and resilience for military personnel

Mental Health

Identifying factors that predict resilient and non-resilient outcomes in families adapting to a child’s chronic health condition (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Hyperactivity Disorder, Downs Syndrome, Cancer)

Developing interventions to enhance psychological health and wellbeing in people with mental health disorders

Evaluating mental health intervention programs

Family/other violence:

Identifying effective assessment and intervention methods for family violence offenders

Identifying effective intervention methods for sexual offenders

Educational Psychology:

Identifying factors that influence academic performance and developing methods to maximise student learning outcomes

Implementing and evaluating innovative teaching and assessment methods for university settings

Group Leader(s)

Affiliation

School of Psychological Sciences

Contact

Email: kimberley.norris@utas.edu.au

Group members

Dr Kate Talsma

Dr Crystal Meehan

Robyn Yaxley

Victoria Heinrich

Clare Hawkes

Angela Waite

Sarah Peart

Jesse Richardson

Jane Sutcliffe

Samantha Blight

Vanessa Smith

Caitlin Connolly

Kate Stephens

Clare Pitt

Cleo Thomas

We welcome applications from future students interested in joining this research group.