Alexander W O’donnell
Biographic Data
| ID | 312090 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexander W O’donnell |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexander W |
| FAMILY NAME | O’donnell |
| SIGNATURE | O’DONNELL A W |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Tasmania |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8120-3536 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 62 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Beyond prejudice reduction: Personal and civic effects of intergroup contact among marginalized youth in Northern Ireland
Intergroup contact reduces prejudice, but its potential to foster broader personal and societal change remains understudied. We address these gaps by examining a large‐scale peacebuilding intervention (PEACE4Youth) among marginalized youth in post‐conflict Northern Ireland. Using latent growth curve modeling across three waves, we demonstrate that increased intergroup contact is associated with improvements not only in youth's outgroup attitudes …
Stable profiles of contact and prejudice: Few people report co-occurring increases in intergroup contact and decreases in prejudice over time
The contact hypothesis proposes that positive intergroup encounters can causally improve intergroup attitudes, and its tenants have informed prejudice reduction efforts across the globe. Most support for the hypothesis is correlational, as it is assumed that correlations (partially) reflect a pattern whereby increases in positive intergroup contact cause increases in intergroup warmth. In the present article we interrogate this assumption. Latent…
Adolescents’ educational aspirations and expectations: The Interaction Between School Experiences, Region, and Financial Disadvantage
Adolescents residing in regional areas, and those from more financially disadvantaged families, traditionally have worse academic outcomes relative to their counterparts in metropolitan communities. A key mechanism that may account for these differences is how far individuals would like to progress in the educational system (aspirations) and how far they actually think they will progress (expectations). These plans are shaped by social background…
Conspiracy beliefs and democratic backsliding: Longitudinal effects of election conspiracy beliefs on criticism of democracy and support for authoritarianism during political contests
There are widespread concerns that conspiracy theories undermine democracies. But do conspiracy beliefs increase criticism of democracy and/or support for authoritarianism? Or are antidemocratic people more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs? To answer these important questions, we collected longitudinal data during two concurrent democratic elections—the 2020 US Presidential Election (N = 609) and the 2020 General Election in New Zealand (N = …
Statistics anxiety or statistics fear? A reinforcement sensitivity theory perspective on psychology students’ statistics anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy
This research investigates the role of reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) in statistics education among two distinct samples of undergraduate psychology students. In Study 1, 318 students in a third-year statistics course completed self-report measures of RST, anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy concerning the study of statistics. In Study 2, 577 students from first-, second-, and third-year statistics courses participated. Controlling for …
Extracurricular activity participation, school belonging, and depressed mood: A test of the compensation hypothesis during adolescence
Feelings of acceptance within school communities can promote positive psychological outcomes. Despite occurring outside of the classroom, youth who engage in extracurricular activities typically report greater school belonging. Accordingly, we examined the longitudinal effect of extracurricular activities on school belonging and depressed mood in a nationally representative, Australian sample of adolescents (N 3,850, M age 12.41) followed for fou…
Longitudinal Relationships Between Financial Stress, Career Related Optimism, and Psychological Distress During Emerging Adulthood in Australia
The current study examined financial stress, career-related optimism, and psychological distress from the age of 19 (2013; n = 5,787), until the age of 25 (2019; n = 2,933) using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australia Youth (2009 cohort). Longitudinal mediation using latent growth curve modeling observed trajectories of change across young adulthood, whereby financial stress and career-related optimism decreased, while psychological distress incre…
Who excludes? Young People's Experience of Social Exclusion
Existing policy research has not comprehensively examined the processes by which young people experience social exclusion: that is, the relationships among different risk factors for exclusion, their actual experiences of exclusion, and outcomes that matter for their life chances. Drawing on data from a survey of Australian 13-14 year olds (N=3,535), this paper adapts the Bristol Social Exclusion Matrix to examine pathways from young people's per…
Social and Emotional Wellbeing Among Young People; the Mitigating Role of Ecological Domains
To examine the role of neighbourhood, what Bronfenbrenner describes as an element in the exosystem, as a protective asset for adolescents’ social and emotional wellbeing. The study used a subset of national data reported by adolescents and their parents from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). A linear mixed-effect model was used to estimate the association between neighbourhood indicators and trajectories in a measure of social…
Distinct trajectories of psychological distress among resettled refugees: Community acceptance predicts resilience while low ingroup social support predicts clinical distress
Refugees can experience elevated levels of psychological distress upon resettlement, although disparate outcomes over time are expected. The current study modeled trajectories of changes in distress over a 5-year period among resettled refugees and sought to explicate post-settlement factors that influence distress over time. A large-scale sample of refugees resettled in Australia (2,399) was tracked over a 5-year period, completing measures of p…
The Relationship Between Financial Hardships and the Development of Risk-Taking Behaviors: The Protective Role of Extracurricular Activities
Past research has demonstrated an association between financial hardships and risk-taking behaviors (defined as delinquent or transgressive acts). However, this effect may differ based upon the provision of protective spaces, like those offered in extracurricular activities. In the current study, we examined the longitudinal effect of financial hardships on risk-taking in a sample of Australian adolescents ( N = 3,852). We found experiences of fi…
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Cross-Race Friendships and Attraction
Four studies investigated the link between cross-race friendships and attraction. In Study 1, White Australian participants ( N = 240) who reported friendships with racial outgroup members were more likely to report attraction to the members of the racial group their friends belonged to. Studies 2a ( N = 300 White American participants) and 2b ( N = 303 White British participants) showed that experiences of cross-race non-verbal intimacy, perceiv…
Social connections during physical isolation: How a shift to online interaction explains friendship satisfaction and social well-being
Measures implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19 have included stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and self-isolation, all of which have limited in-person interactions. Given the key role of technology in maintaining social connections during this period, the current study examined the experiences of young adults who shifted from predominantly offline to online interaction with friends during COVID-19. Specifically, we investigated wheth…
Reducing educational disparities between Australian adolescents in regional and metropolitan communities: The compensatory effects of extracurricular activities
Australian adolescents living in regional communities are significantly more likely to perform worse at school, relative to those in metropolitan communities. These disparities are partially due to the development of lower educational expectations among regional adolescents. In the current study, we tested whether the differences in educational expectations across communities were reduced when adolescents engage in extracurricular activities, and…
Online Social Connection as a Buffer of Health Anxiety and Isolation During Covid-19
COVID-19 has given rise to a myriad of social, psychological, and health-related complications. The specific mental health implications of COVID-19 are still being uncovered, but we know that there are likely to be negative outcomes for many people. This is particularly the case for vulnerable members of the community, such as those with high health anxiety, and under conditions where individuals feel isolated or disconnected from others. The obj…
Trajectories of Substance Use and Well‐being in Early and Middle Adolescence Shaped by Social Connectedness
Increasing substance use and decreasing well-being are typical in adolescence, yet how social contexts shape disparate development during this time is less well-understood. A latent growth class analysis was conducted that identified groups of early (N = 706; Age m = 12.20) and middle (N = 666; Age m = 14.38) adolescents distinguished by rates of substance use and well-being over three years. In both cohorts, the largest group reported low substa…
Technological and analytical advancements in intergroup contact research
The prolific expansion of intergroup contact research has established that intergroup interactions are tightly linked to social integration. In this review, recent technological and statistical innovations with the potential to advance this body of research are presented. First, concerns over the validity of longitudinal models are discussed before innovative analytical techniques are introduced that explore change over time. Next, intensive repe…
How do we get people into contact? Predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking
Compared to the impressive amount of research on consequences of intergroup contact, relatively little work has been devoted to predictors of intergroup contact. Although opportunities for intergroup contact are constantly growing in modern diverse societies, these contact opportunities are not necessarily exploited. In the present review article, we describe current research on predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking on a…
Sport participation may protect socioeconomically disadvantaged youths with refugee backgrounds from experiencing behavioral and emotional difficulties
INTRODUCTION: Youth with refugee backgrounds experience social and socioeconomic difficulties that arise following resettlement. Research has found that sport participation generally provides youth with a protective milieu that is especially beneficial for the most disadvantaged youth. Accordingly, the current study examines whether sport participation is related to positive psychosocial outcomes for resettled adolescent refugees, and if these ef…
Associative Learning Processes in the Formation of Intergroup Anxiety and Avoidance in Society
Laboratory-based aversive conditioning studies have reliably induced fear toward an image of an outgroup member by pairing the image with a fear-inducing, aversive stimulus. However, laboratory-based studies have been criticized for being simplistic in comparison to the complexities of the real world. The current study is the first to apply an aversive conditioning framework to explain the formation of intergroup fear and subsequent anxiety towar…
Ongoing engagement in organized activities may buffer disadvantaged youth against increasing externalizing behaviors
This study examined whether dropping out of non-sport organized activities predicted increased externalizing behaviors and if youth attending socioeconomically disadvantaged schools were disproportionately affected. Adolescents in grade 8 who engaged in organized activities (n = 418, MT1 = 13.46, SDT1 = 0.31) nominated the activity in which they spent the most time and were categorized as dropping out, swapping into a different activity, or remai…
The long-term financial and psychological resettlement outcomes of pre-migration trauma and post-settlement difficulties in resettled refugees
How do we get people into contact? Predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking
Compared to the impressive amount of research on consequences of intergroup contact, relatively little work has been devoted to predictors of intergroup contact. Although opportunities for intergroup contact are constantly growing in modern diverse societies, these contact opportunities are not necessarily exploited. In the present review article, we describe current research on predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking on a…
Technological and analytical advancements in intergroup contact research
The prolific expansion of intergroup contact research has established that intergroup interactions are tightly linked to social integration. In this review, recent technological and statistical innovations with the potential to advance this body of research are presented. First, concerns over the validity of longitudinal models are discussed before innovative analytical techniques are introduced that explore change over time. Next, intensive repe…
The long-term financial and psychological resettlement outcomes of pre-migration trauma and post-settlement difficulties in resettled refugees
Trajectories of Substance Use and Well‐being in Early and Middle Adolescence Shaped by Social Connectedness
Increasing substance use and decreasing well-being are typical in adolescence, yet how social contexts shape disparate development during this time is less well-understood. A latent growth class analysis was conducted that identified groups of early (N = 706; Age m = 12.20) and middle (N = 666; Age m = 14.38) adolescents distinguished by rates of substance use and well-being over three years. In both cohorts, the largest group reported low substa…
Conspiracy beliefs and democratic backsliding: Longitudinal effects of election conspiracy beliefs on criticism of democracy and support for authoritarianism during political contests
There are widespread concerns that conspiracy theories undermine democracies. But do conspiracy beliefs increase criticism of democracy and/or support for authoritarianism? Or are antidemocratic people more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs? To answer these important questions, we collected longitudinal data during two concurrent democratic elections—the 2020 US Presidential Election (N = 609) and the 2020 General Election in New Zealand (N = …
Who excludes? Young People's Experience of Social Exclusion
Existing policy research has not comprehensively examined the processes by which young people experience social exclusion: that is, the relationships among different risk factors for exclusion, their actual experiences of exclusion, and outcomes that matter for their life chances. Drawing on data from a survey of Australian 13-14 year olds (N=3,535), this paper adapts the Bristol Social Exclusion Matrix to examine pathways from young people's per…
Social and Emotional Wellbeing Among Young People; the Mitigating Role of Ecological Domains
To examine the role of neighbourhood, what Bronfenbrenner describes as an element in the exosystem, as a protective asset for adolescents’ social and emotional wellbeing. The study used a subset of national data reported by adolescents and their parents from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). A linear mixed-effect model was used to estimate the association between neighbourhood indicators and trajectories in a measure of social…
Ongoing engagement in organized activities may buffer disadvantaged youth against increasing externalizing behaviors
This study examined whether dropping out of non-sport organized activities predicted increased externalizing behaviors and if youth attending socioeconomically disadvantaged schools were disproportionately affected. Adolescents in grade 8 who engaged in organized activities (n = 418, MT1 = 13.46, SDT1 = 0.31) nominated the activity in which they spent the most time and were categorized as dropping out, swapping into a different activity, or remai…
Distinct trajectories of psychological distress among resettled refugees: Community acceptance predicts resilience while low ingroup social support predicts clinical distress
Refugees can experience elevated levels of psychological distress upon resettlement, although disparate outcomes over time are expected. The current study modeled trajectories of changes in distress over a 5-year period among resettled refugees and sought to explicate post-settlement factors that influence distress over time. A large-scale sample of refugees resettled in Australia (2,399) was tracked over a 5-year period, completing measures of p…
The Relationship Between Financial Hardships and the Development of Risk-Taking Behaviors: The Protective Role of Extracurricular Activities
Past research has demonstrated an association between financial hardships and risk-taking behaviors (defined as delinquent or transgressive acts). However, this effect may differ based upon the provision of protective spaces, like those offered in extracurricular activities. In the current study, we examined the longitudinal effect of financial hardships on risk-taking in a sample of Australian adolescents ( N = 3,852). We found experiences of fi…
Reducing educational disparities between Australian adolescents in regional and metropolitan communities: The compensatory effects of extracurricular activities
Australian adolescents living in regional communities are significantly more likely to perform worse at school, relative to those in metropolitan communities. These disparities are partially due to the development of lower educational expectations among regional adolescents. In the current study, we tested whether the differences in educational expectations across communities were reduced when adolescents engage in extracurricular activities, and…
Sport participation may protect socioeconomically disadvantaged youths with refugee backgrounds from experiencing behavioral and emotional difficulties
INTRODUCTION: Youth with refugee backgrounds experience social and socioeconomic difficulties that arise following resettlement. Research has found that sport participation generally provides youth with a protective milieu that is especially beneficial for the most disadvantaged youth. Accordingly, the current study examines whether sport participation is related to positive psychosocial outcomes for resettled adolescent refugees, and if these ef…
Associative Learning Processes in the Formation of Intergroup Anxiety and Avoidance in Society
Laboratory-based aversive conditioning studies have reliably induced fear toward an image of an outgroup member by pairing the image with a fear-inducing, aversive stimulus. However, laboratory-based studies have been criticized for being simplistic in comparison to the complexities of the real world. The current study is the first to apply an aversive conditioning framework to explain the formation of intergroup fear and subsequent anxiety towar…
Ongoing engagement in organized activities may buffer disadvantaged youth against increasing externalizing behaviors
This study examined whether dropping out of non-sport organized activities predicted increased externalizing behaviors and if youth attending socioeconomically disadvantaged schools were disproportionately affected. Adolescents in grade 8 who engaged in organized activities (n = 418, MT1 = 13.46, SDT1 = 0.31) nominated the activity in which they spent the most time and were categorized as dropping out, swapping into a different activity, or remai…
The long-term financial and psychological resettlement outcomes of pre-migration trauma and post-settlement difficulties in resettled refugees
Online Social Connection as a Buffer of Health Anxiety and Isolation During Covid-19
COVID-19 has given rise to a myriad of social, psychological, and health-related complications. The specific mental health implications of COVID-19 are still being uncovered, but we know that there are likely to be negative outcomes for many people. This is particularly the case for vulnerable members of the community, such as those with high health anxiety, and under conditions where individuals feel isolated or disconnected from others. The obj…
Trajectories of Substance Use and Well‐being in Early and Middle Adolescence Shaped by Social Connectedness
Increasing substance use and decreasing well-being are typical in adolescence, yet how social contexts shape disparate development during this time is less well-understood. A latent growth class analysis was conducted that identified groups of early (N = 706; Age m = 12.20) and middle (N = 666; Age m = 14.38) adolescents distinguished by rates of substance use and well-being over three years. In both cohorts, the largest group reported low substa…
Technological and analytical advancements in intergroup contact research
The prolific expansion of intergroup contact research has established that intergroup interactions are tightly linked to social integration. In this review, recent technological and statistical innovations with the potential to advance this body of research are presented. First, concerns over the validity of longitudinal models are discussed before innovative analytical techniques are introduced that explore change over time. Next, intensive repe…
How do we get people into contact? Predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking
Compared to the impressive amount of research on consequences of intergroup contact, relatively little work has been devoted to predictors of intergroup contact. Although opportunities for intergroup contact are constantly growing in modern diverse societies, these contact opportunities are not necessarily exploited. In the present review article, we describe current research on predictors of intergroup contact and drivers of contact seeking on a…
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Cross-Race Friendships and Attraction
Four studies investigated the link between cross-race friendships and attraction. In Study 1, White Australian participants ( N = 240) who reported friendships with racial outgroup members were more likely to report attraction to the members of the racial group their friends belonged to. Studies 2a ( N = 300 White American participants) and 2b ( N = 303 White British participants) showed that experiences of cross-race non-verbal intimacy, perceiv…
Social connections during physical isolation: How a shift to online interaction explains friendship satisfaction and social well-being
Measures implemented to combat the spread of COVID-19 have included stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and self-isolation, all of which have limited in-person interactions. Given the key role of technology in maintaining social connections during this period, the current study examined the experiences of young adults who shifted from predominantly offline to online interaction with friends during COVID-19. Specifically, we investigated wheth…
Reducing educational disparities between Australian adolescents in regional and metropolitan communities: The compensatory effects of extracurricular activities
Australian adolescents living in regional communities are significantly more likely to perform worse at school, relative to those in metropolitan communities. These disparities are partially due to the development of lower educational expectations among regional adolescents. In the current study, we tested whether the differences in educational expectations across communities were reduced when adolescents engage in extracurricular activities, and…
Social and Emotional Wellbeing Among Young People; the Mitigating Role of Ecological Domains
To examine the role of neighbourhood, what Bronfenbrenner describes as an element in the exosystem, as a protective asset for adolescents’ social and emotional wellbeing. The study used a subset of national data reported by adolescents and their parents from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). A linear mixed-effect model was used to estimate the association between neighbourhood indicators and trajectories in a measure of social…
Distinct trajectories of psychological distress among resettled refugees: Community acceptance predicts resilience while low ingroup social support predicts clinical distress
Refugees can experience elevated levels of psychological distress upon resettlement, although disparate outcomes over time are expected. The current study modeled trajectories of changes in distress over a 5-year period among resettled refugees and sought to explicate post-settlement factors that influence distress over time. A large-scale sample of refugees resettled in Australia (2,399) was tracked over a 5-year period, completing measures of p…
The Relationship Between Financial Hardships and the Development of Risk-Taking Behaviors: The Protective Role of Extracurricular Activities
Past research has demonstrated an association between financial hardships and risk-taking behaviors (defined as delinquent or transgressive acts). However, this effect may differ based upon the provision of protective spaces, like those offered in extracurricular activities. In the current study, we examined the longitudinal effect of financial hardships on risk-taking in a sample of Australian adolescents ( N = 3,852). We found experiences of fi…
Statistics anxiety or statistics fear? A reinforcement sensitivity theory perspective on psychology students’ statistics anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy
This research investigates the role of reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) in statistics education among two distinct samples of undergraduate psychology students. In Study 1, 318 students in a third-year statistics course completed self-report measures of RST, anxiety, attitudes, and self-efficacy concerning the study of statistics. In Study 2, 577 students from first-, second-, and third-year statistics courses participated. Controlling for …
Extracurricular activity participation, school belonging, and depressed mood: A test of the compensation hypothesis during adolescence
Feelings of acceptance within school communities can promote positive psychological outcomes. Despite occurring outside of the classroom, youth who engage in extracurricular activities typically report greater school belonging. Accordingly, we examined the longitudinal effect of extracurricular activities on school belonging and depressed mood in a nationally representative, Australian sample of adolescents (N 3,850, M age 12.41) followed for fou…
Longitudinal Relationships Between Financial Stress, Career Related Optimism, and Psychological Distress During Emerging Adulthood in Australia
The current study examined financial stress, career-related optimism, and psychological distress from the age of 19 (2013; n = 5,787), until the age of 25 (2019; n = 2,933) using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australia Youth (2009 cohort). Longitudinal mediation using latent growth curve modeling observed trajectories of change across young adulthood, whereby financial stress and career-related optimism decreased, while psychological distress incre…
Who excludes? Young People's Experience of Social Exclusion
Existing policy research has not comprehensively examined the processes by which young people experience social exclusion: that is, the relationships among different risk factors for exclusion, their actual experiences of exclusion, and outcomes that matter for their life chances. Drawing on data from a survey of Australian 13-14 year olds (N=3,535), this paper adapts the Bristol Social Exclusion Matrix to examine pathways from young people's per…
Stable profiles of contact and prejudice: Few people report co-occurring increases in intergroup contact and decreases in prejudice over time
The contact hypothesis proposes that positive intergroup encounters can causally improve intergroup attitudes, and its tenants have informed prejudice reduction efforts across the globe. Most support for the hypothesis is correlational, as it is assumed that correlations (partially) reflect a pattern whereby increases in positive intergroup contact cause increases in intergroup warmth. In the present article we interrogate this assumption. Latent…
Adolescents’ educational aspirations and expectations: The Interaction Between School Experiences, Region, and Financial Disadvantage
Adolescents residing in regional areas, and those from more financially disadvantaged families, traditionally have worse academic outcomes relative to their counterparts in metropolitan communities. A key mechanism that may account for these differences is how far individuals would like to progress in the educational system (aspirations) and how far they actually think they will progress (expectations). These plans are shaped by social background…
Conspiracy beliefs and democratic backsliding: Longitudinal effects of election conspiracy beliefs on criticism of democracy and support for authoritarianism during political contests
There are widespread concerns that conspiracy theories undermine democracies. But do conspiracy beliefs increase criticism of democracy and/or support for authoritarianism? Or are antidemocratic people more likely to endorse conspiracy beliefs? To answer these important questions, we collected longitudinal data during two concurrent democratic elections—the 2020 US Presidential Election (N = 609) and the 2020 General Election in New Zealand (N = …
Beyond prejudice reduction: Personal and civic effects of intergroup contact among marginalized youth in Northern Ireland
Intergroup contact reduces prejudice, but its potential to foster broader personal and societal change remains understudied. We address these gaps by examining a large‐scale peacebuilding intervention (PEACE4Youth) among marginalized youth in post‐conflict Northern Ireland. Using latent growth curve modeling across three waves, we demonstrate that increased intergroup contact is associated with improvements not only in youth's outgroup attitudes …
Psychology (20 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Developmental psychology (12 works) · Medicine (9 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Clinical Psychology (7 works) · Psychiatry (7 works) · Longitudinal study (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (6 works)