Abstracts of the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology "How did this happen? What can we do?" family-based approach to adolescents with Comparing family members' beliefs medically unexplained somatic symptoms. It about adolescents' medically illustrates that parental health beliefs may be unexplained somatic symptoms more amenable to change than those of the adolescent. BIBBY, H. (Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead), SAMPSON, S. (The Keywords: adolescent unexplained somatic Children's Hospital at Westmead), BENNETT, D. symptoms, illness perceptions, child health, chronic (The Children's Hospital at Westmead), HOFFMAN, fatigue syndrome, family-based approach R. (The Children's Hospital at Westmead), TOWNS, S. (The Children's Hospital at Westmead) ‘Dokic is not an Australian name’: Constructions of identity, culture and This study involved 50 adolescents (aged 12 to nation in Australian perspectives on 17 years) with medically unexplained somatic multiculturalism symptoms and their families. They received a multi-disciplinary, rehabilitative treatment DANDY, J. (Edith Cowen University) program which attempts to help them gradually draw a link between somatic and psychological aspects of the adolescent’s condition. The aim of The Australian multicultural ‘experiment’ has this study was to compare family members’ often been described as highly successful, health beliefs over the course of treatment. resulting in the “peaceful co-existence” of Thirty six percent of the adolescents met criteria diverse groups (Borowski, 2000, p. 461). Whilst for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and the there is some evidence to support this, there remaining 64% received a DSM-IV diagnosis of remains considerable racial and ethnic one of the Somatoform Disorders. Participants discrimination in Australia as well as continued and their parents completed questionnaires ambivalence in Australians’ attitudes toward measuring physical and psychosocial functioning multiculturalism and acceptance of ‘outgroups’. (the Child Health Questionnaire) and health In this paper I will discuss these attitudes, their beliefs (the Illness Perception Questionnaire) at features and their possible foundations. In so recruitment, four months into treatment, and 12 doing, I will draw upon interview and survey months later. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) data collected over the past five years, including were conducted to examine how adolescent the Australian Pilot for the International Study of functioning and family health beliefs changed Attitudes Toward Immigration and Settlement over the 12-month period, and to compare (ISATIS; Dandy & Pe-Pua, 2009). I will argue that family members’ health beliefs over time. There there are competing discourses in Australian were significant improvements in adolescent multiculturalism that echo concerns in other physical and psychosocial functioning over the diverse contexts and nations. Australians’ first four months of treatment, and these were support for multiculturalism is connected with maintained at 12 months. In terms of beliefs beliefs in social equality and egalitarianism but about what caused the adolescent’s condition, these are in tension with fears of threats to significant interaction effects were obtained Australian national identity and social cohesion. such that parents became increasingly open to These fears can be linked to essentialist the role of psychosocial causes, while discourses of race and ethnicity, as well as adolescents did not. In terms of beliefs about beliefs that cultural homogeneity is necessary what might cure/control the condition, for strong communities (Dunn, Forrest, Burnley, significant main effects for time and family & McDonald, 2004). I will propose that these member were obtained, as well as a significant discourses serve to reinforce white interaction effect. Follow-up contrasts revealed multiculturalism in Australia, in which Australian that fathers placed greater importance on the identity remains centred around a white, British adolescent’s role in cure/control (relative to the cultural heritage (Dandy, in press; Forrest & role of treatment) than other family members, Dunn, 2006; Hage, 1998). The paper will and that this difference became more marked conclude by opening for discussion of ways that over time. This study provides support for a researchers and policymakers can contribute to the development of a more inclusive 1030 Brief Oral Presentations Abstracts of the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology construction of national identity in Australia and phenomenon in which risk events or perceived other diverse contexts. threats become heightened through collective information processing and sense making. Public Keywords: diverse cultural backgrounds, perceptions of risk are influenced by such multiculturalism, immigration, Australia sources as news media, scientists, private networks, public agencies, other institutions and personal experience. Risk is also amplified by ‘Making sense' of climate change intra-individual information processing and response: Reframing the applied sense making biases. Factors that appear to challenge of climate change mitigation and adaptation. contribute to risk attenuation include protection motivation, level of trust and credibility in information sources, and the extent of O'NEILL, G. (Griffith University) disagreement or debate. This paper assesses the extent to which selected theories, models and Climate change (CC) constitutes the most conceptual frameworks provide a useful basis significant challenge facing humanity and the for exploring important psychological aspects of natural environment this century. Substantial how individuals and societies perceive, appraise debate continues in the media as to whether CC and make sense of climate change. is real, and if it is, whether the prime causes are anthropogenic, natural cyclical patterns of the Keywords: climate change, sense making, social earth’s climate, or some combination of these. amplification, collective information-processing, These social representations of CC have resulted climate change in a confusion of beliefs and concerns. A substantial proportion of the public is reported ‘NIMBYism’ and public participation in as believing that the risks of CC and its likely electricity network change impact on their life are low, to be skeptical about any immediate direct threat to themselves, and as not feeling personally DEVINE-WRIGHT, P. (University of Exeter) vulnerable or responsible for CC. For others, apocalyptic predictions and media doom-saying The United Kingdom Government plans to are arguably resulting in feelings of despair and implement greater low-carbon electricity hopelessness. Research into public generation from both nuclear and renewable understandings of CC can be usefully informed energy sources in response to the problem of by conceptual frameworks such as ‘sense climate change. These changes lead to a need to making’ (SM) and the ‘social amplification and extend and reinforce the existing electricity attenuation of risk’ (SAAR). Such models can network to connect new generating sources and assist in identifying key factors influencing risk balance electricity demand and supply. New perception and appraisal, and in designing overhead line proposals, often in rural areas, are effective messages and strategies to foster problematic due to public reactions to proposed appropriate behaviour change. Inter alia, routes, reactions often dubbed ‘NIMBYism’. empirical research based on SM and SAAR could Public opposition has emerged around issues provide valuable insights into how individuals such as potential health risks from electric and deal with and respond to CC. For example, SM is magnetic fields, damage to visual amenity and a framework and an approach in psychology and household property values. As such, the the social sciences which addresses how rationales and methods of engagement between individuals and societies make sense of their network operators such as National Grid and world and their experiences from the myriad of local communities affected by line proposals are cues in their external (social, physical, etcetera) of critical importance for understanding how and internal (cognitive, affective, etcetera) individuals’ respond to technology proposals. environments. Sense making is also the This paper draws together the results of two underlying process that individuals use to make ongoing qualitative studies: interviews with key sense of a threat and phenomenon such as actors in the networks industry around issues of climate change. Social amplification of risk is a public roles and engagement methods (n = 25) and an investigation of representations of public 1031 Brief Oral Presentations Abstracts of the 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology participation in network planning using the Q- their gardening activities, despite experiencing method with a diverse sample of local actors in physical limitations since first gardening, was affected line proposal communities (n = 28). The extremely important, while for others, simply findings show how recent regulatory change has ‘being’ in the garden was of value. Participants encouraged greater levels of engagement by reported reminiscence of childhood gardens, network operators with members of the public. and the desire to pass on the benefits of However, this typically occurs at a level experiences to younger people; this latter effect ‘downstream’ of the decision-making