Erin O'Connor, Ph.D.

Education

B Psych, QUT, Australia, 2001
B Psych (Hons), QUT, Australia, 2002
PhD, QUT Australia, 2007

Teaching

As a higher education teacher, I aim to engage learners through the development of new and innovative experiences and to monitor the quality of my teaching through student evaluations. I have taught a number of courses of under graduate psychology including Abnormal Psychology and Mental Health; Introductory Psychology; Social and Developmental Psychology; and I have developed and taught capstone and service-learning experiences in Psychology. I have also supervised graduate and post-graduate research students in the areas of Social and Health Psychology.

Research

I am interested in three main areas of research:

1. Health Psychology: “How does the information received by non-clinical populations influence their health decision making?” and “How can we engage ‘non-users’ in health technology use and health behaviors”
2. Online environments and the impact on psychological wellbeing and learning: “What is the impact of online environments, such as games and chat rooms, on people’s psychological wellbeing and how might these environments be manipulated to improve mental health?” and “How can new online tools be used in the higher education context to improve study techniques and learning outcomes”
3. Higher education and learning theories: I have been involved in a number of research projects investigating elements of the higher education setting including: assessment, policy, peer support, service and work integrated learning, problem-based learning, and e-portfolio use. As a private consultant, I have also conducted action research to investigate the curriculum and design or learning at elementary and secondary schools in Australia. I’m excited about being involved in the new BSHS program and hope to continue and extend this research as part of my involvement in the program.

Recent Publications and Presentations

O’Connor, E.L., & White, K.M. (2010) Willingness to trial functional foods and vitamin supplements: The role of attitudes, subjective norms, and dread of the risks. Food Quality & Preference, 21, 75-81.

O’Connor, E.L., & White, K.M. (2009). Intentions and willingness to use complementary and alternative medicines: What potential patients believe about CAMs. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 15 (3), 136-140.

O’Connor, E.L., & Hansen, J.A. (2009). Clarifying expectations of psychology students through professional engagement: A case study. Chapter 6, Australian Experiences, In Teaching Psychology Around the World, Vol 2, Eds, S.McCarthy, V. Karandashev, M. Stevens, A. Thatcher, J. Jaafar, K. Moore, A. Trapp, and C. Brewer. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Moss, N.D., O’Connor, E.L., & White, K.M. Psychosocial predictors of the use of enhanced podcasting in student learning. Computers in Human Behavior (Accepted: In press). 

Longman, H., O’Connor, E., & Obst, P. (2008) The effect of social support derived from World of Warcraft on negative psychological symptoms. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 12/(5), 563-566.

O'Connor, E L. and Sullivan, K A. (2008) Diagnosis and treatment without a client: The challenge of undergraduate client-based learning. In Proceedings International Conference for Teaching of Psychology, 12-16th July, St Petersburg, Russia.

O'Connor, E. L. and White, K. M. (2006). The adoption of health innovations: An examination of attitude, efficacy, and risk factors. In Proceedings International Food and Health Innovation Conference, pages pp. 46-46, Malmo Sweden.