Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

What's the best way to convince your boss to take on an idea you have? According to Prof Jen Overbeck, it’s important to look beyond our immediate goal and focus on establishing a foundation of credibility and respect.
Tune in to PsychTalks to hear more: go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Want tips on how to use power and influence more effectively - whether you’re pitching an idea, leading a team, or asking your preschooler to brush their teeth? Prof Jen Overbeck unpacks how persuasion works, and why gender, identity and context matter.

Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Menopause and ageing are often portrayed as a fundamentally negative and frightening process.

In the latest episode of PsychTalks, Dr Lydia Brown offers a more nuanced approach that encourages women to pursue self-compassion and healthier attitudes towards ageing.

go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

The psychology of psychology: Inside MetaMelb The psychology of psychology: Inside MetaMelb

We speak to @simine.com, @wchiggins.bsky.social and Laura Conlon about MetaMelb. This lab studies what is essentially ‘the psychology of psychology research’ – examining practices and norms across psychology.

Read it here: go.unimelb.edu.au/753p

Professional Staff Conference Success Professional Staff Conference Success

Congratulations Elizabeth Davie and Katie Possingham for their success presenting at the Professional Staff Conference 2025!

Read about their experience presenting "In Your Element: Play to Your Strengths" and "Improv 101: The Art of Embracing Uncertainty" go.unimelb.edu.au/8v3p

The body inside out: From experience to perception and back Join us for the annual Brotherton Lecture, presented by Professor Beatrice de Gelder, exploring the science of visual body perception.

Join us October 30 for the annual Brotherton with Professor Beatrice de Gelder: "The body inside out: From experience to perception and back" she will offer new perspectives on how the brain perceives and interprets bodies and social signals.

Register here: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-body-i...

What are the mental health impacts of menopause and how are they connected with our ideas about ageing? Dr Lydia Brown shares insights from her research on self-compassion and how it can help those managing the psychological challenges of menopause.

Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

How do media portrayals shape public views of mental illness and what happens when violence makes the headlines? Join us October 9 for the 2025 World Mental Health Day with our expert panel where we discuss how we can shift the narrative.

Register here: go.unimelb.edu.au/ee3p

How does language shape the way we think? While we can all see colours, different languages slice up the colour spectrum in unique ways. Some languages have far more words while others have just a handful.

Listen to the latest PsychTalks episode with Dr Frank Mollica here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Navigating Menopause with Compassion: Dr Lydia Brown’s Work in Women’s Mental Health Navigating Menopause with Compassion: Dr Lydia Brown’s Work in Women’s Mental Health

As part of Women’s Health Week, we are proud to spotlight Dr Lydia Brown: clinical psychologist, senior lecturer, and menopause and mental health expert. Catch her on next week's episode of PsychTalks or register for her CPD workshop October 30.

Read more: go.unimelb.edu.au/xn3p

Serena Williams admitted to taking weight loss drugs. What’s going on? Even when elite athletes and celebrities are seemingly transparent about their health and bodies, we still may not be getting the full story.

Serena Williams' openness about using GLP-1 meds for weight loss sparks debate. Is her honesty praiseworthy or does it glorify thinness over health? A/Prof Isabel Krug contributes her thoughts: go.unimelb.edu.au/u9kp

What do the names of colours, kinship terms and legal jargon tell us about the human mind? In the latest episode of PsychTalks, Dr Frank Mollica explores language as a culturally shaped, far from universal cognitive tool.

Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Why do some people seem naturally kind? Prof Luke Smillie breaks down personality traits like empathy, honesty and compassion – and how they shape behaviour. 🎧Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Menopause and Mental Health CPD An evidence update and practical skills to enhance psychological care, presented by Melbourne University.

Menopause meets mental health:
Learn from leading experts in gynaecology, neuropsychology & clinical psych Oct 30 CPD. Early bird closes Aug 24!
CBT, self-compassion & practical tools for clinicians.
🔗 www.eventbrite.com.au/e/menopause-...?

Why do some people seem naturally kind? Prof Luke Smillie breaks down personality traits like empathy, honesty and compassion – and how they shape behaviour. 🎧Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Why do some people seem naturally kind? Prof Luke Smillie breaks down personality traits like empathy, honesty and compassion – and how they shape behaviour. 🎧Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Menopause and Mental Health CPD An evidence update and practical skills to enhance psychological care, presented by Melbourne University.

Menopause and Mental Health CPD — Oct 30
Join us for an evidence-based workshop for psychologists. Learn how menopause impacts mental health & gain CBT + self-compassion tools.
www.eventbrite.com.au/e/menopause-...

Will the Australian government really lock under-16s out of TikTok? A/Prof Scott Griffiths returns to PsychTalks to unpack the proposed social media ban. He breaks down policy motives, enforcement hurdles, and how parents can protect kids’ mental health online.
🎧Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Youth Mental Health Map Explore youth mental health profiles with this digital, transdiagnostic assessment tool designed to improve understanding and outcomes.

📢 Australian Clinicians: Trial a new 5-minute, self-report youth mental health assessment tool

The Youth Mental Health Map, developed by Orygen & Unimelb, assesses four key symptom dimensions. Trial the tool, provide feedback and receive a small compensation.

👉 Register
go.unimelb.edu.au/72gp

Will the Australian government really lock under-16s out of TikTok? A/Prof Scott Griffiths returns to PsychTalks to unpack the proposed social media ban. He breaks down policy motives, enforcement hurdles, and how parents can protect kids’ mental health online.
🎧Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Will the Australian government really lock under-16s out of TikTok? A/Prof Scott Griffiths returns to PsychTalks to unpack the proposed social media ban. He breaks down policy motives, enforcement hurdles, and how parents can protect kids’ mental health online.
🎧Find it here go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

The ghost of Robodebt – Federal Court rules billions of dollars in welfare debts must be recalculated

The ruling has allowed the Department of Social Services to resume pursuing historical welfare debts, which the Ombudsman has previously found to be unlawful.

Meet Dr Raina Zhang: the researcher redefining how we understand memory and forgetting Meet Dr Raina Zhang: the researcher redefining how we understand memory and forgetting

What if forgetting was not the result of time erasing memories but interference from new, similar experiences?

It was what Dr Raina Zhang from the Complex Human Data Hub calls a “mind-blowing” theory that set her on the path to study the mechanisms behind memory.

Learn more: go.unimelb.edu.au/ut7p

Double dissociation of dynamic and static face perception provides causal evidence for a third visual pathway - Nature Communications The study shows a double dissociation between static and dynamic face perception in 108 patients with focal lesions, providing direct causal evidence for a third visual pathway via the posterior super...

How does your brain read a smile in motion vs a photo? Turns out it uses different pathways.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Dr Trevor Steward advocates for a shift away from the appearance-focused hype surrounding GLP-1 drugs, urging instead for a holistic approach to these drugs and binge-eating disorder treatment.

🎧Listen to his episode on PsychTalks go.unimelb.edu.au/9axe

🔗Pursuit article go.unimelb.edu.au/3s7p

2025 Melbourne Symposium: Advancing Emotion Regulation 2025 Melbourne Symposium: Advancing Emotion Regulation

The Ethics & Well-being Hub hosted the 2025 Melbourne Symposium on emotion regulation, featuring prominent national and international researchers and ERCs. Topics included social emotion management, mobile sensing technology and emotion dynamics.

Learn more: go.unimelb.edu.au/8x7p

‘We are social creatures that learn from each other every day’: Manikya Alister explores social learning and decision-making ‘We are social creatures that learn from each other every day’: Manikya Alister explores social learning and decision-making

Growing up in an unconventional country town, PhD candidate @manikyaalister.bsky.social has always been fascinated by how people learn and make decisions.

“We are social creatures that learn from each other every day.”

Read more: go.unimelb.edu.au/wn7p

Could Ozempic do more than help with weight loss? Dr Trevor Steward explains how Ozempic, tirzepatide and other GLP-1 drugs affect food noise, appetite and even binge-eating behaviours in PsychTalks Season 4.

🎧 Find PsychTalks on Spotify or your favourite podcast platform: go.unimelb.edu.au/7axe

Congrats Dr Sarah Knight! The National Disability Research Partnership has awarded a grant to her project which aims to support psychological safety for children with 'behaviours of concern' partnering with @yellowladybugs.bsky.social and Heads Together for ABI. Learn more: go.unimelb.edu.au/n5cp

Pushing the boundaries of mental tools: Frank Mollica and the Complex Human Data Hub Pushing the boundaries of mental tools: Frank Mollica and the Complex Human Data Hub

Dr Frank Mollica studies how humans develop and use mental tools like language and maths to achieve various goals. His research at the CHDH aims to improve education and communication technologies by understanding how we share and apply these cognitive skills.

Learn more: go.unimelb.edu.au/5mcp