Personal details
- Name
- Associate Professor Erin O'Connor
- Position(s)
- Associate Professor
Faculty of Health,
School - Psychology and Counselling - IHBI Membership
Institute of Health Biomedical Innovation (IHBI),
IHBI Health Projects,
IHBI Psych and Counc - HDHS - Discipline *
- Other Education, Psychology, Other Studies in Human Society
- Phone
- +61 7 3138 4812
- Fax
- +61 7 3138 0486
- el.oconnor@qut.edu.au
- Location
- View location details (QUT staff and student access only)
- Identifiers and profiles
-
- Qualifications
-
Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology), Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) (Queensland University of Technology)
- Professional memberships
and associations - Director of Academic Programs, School of Psychology & Counselling
- Registered Psychologist (Australia)
- Associate Member of the Australian Psychological Society
- Member – Association for Contextual Behavioural Science
- Chair School of Psychology and Counselling Learning and Teaching Committee
- Member – University Academic Board
- Member – University Learning and Teaching Committee
- Member – Faculty of Health Learning and Teaching Committee
Biography
Dr O’Connor is a registered Psychologist and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has completed post-doctoral training at the University of Minnesota and worked as a learning design consultant in universities and in secondary schooling. She is the chair of her school’s Learning and Teaching Committee and represents the Faculty of Health (shared seat) on the QUT Higher Education Research Network Executive. Erin received a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2014, two Vice Chancellor’s Performance Awards, two nominations for the David Gardiner Teacher of the Year Award, and the APS Early Career Teacher Award for 2012.
Her research
interests include:
- Adult learning and decision making;
- Community program evaluation and participatory research; and
- Health and consumer psychology.
Teaching
PYB301 (previously PYB207) – Psychology in the Community (subject for final year students)
- Career development for psychology students
- 50 hour service learning placement with a community, private, or government organisation
- Reflection skills and training in mindfulness and self evaluation
- This placement unit culminates in a student conference during which we present short video briefs of where the students went, what they supported the organisation to do, and their professional development outcomes.
PYB207 – Group Work
- Intensive experiential learning through a group experience;
- Development of group facilitation skills; and
- Refinement of reflective thinking during and after group facilitation.
Erin has also previously taught PYB000, PYB215, PYB302, PYB306 and designed the school’s first offerings of PYB000. Dr O’Connor also developed and taught the psychology first year curriculum for University of Minnesota’s Bachelor of Science (Health science) degree.
Experience
Past Experience:
- Post Doctoral Associate – University of Minnesota, USA
- Learning Designer – Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology
- Education Evaluation (Private consultant) – St Paul’s School, QLD
- Elected Committee Member: Consumer Liaison Committee, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
Previous research appointments: Cancer Council, Center for Accident Research and Road Safety – QLD, St Flanna’s School (Refugee support), and St Paul’s School
Previous volunteer service: Association for Friends and Relatives of the Mentally Ill (ARAFMI), and Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Center.
Publications
- Hamilton K, Morrissey S, Farrell L, Ellu M, O'Donovan A, Weinbrecht T, O'Connor E, (2018) Increasing psychological literacy and work readiness of Australian psychology undergraduates through a capstone and work-integrated learning experience: Current issues and what needs to be done, Australian Psychologist p151-160
- O'Connor E, Sims L, White K, (2017) Ethical food choices: Examining people's Fair Trade purchasing decisions, Food Quality and Preference p105-112
- Moss N, O'Connor E, White K, (2010) Psychosocial predictors of the use of enhanced podcasting in student learning, Computers in Human Behavior p302-309
- Longman H, O'Connor E, Obst P, (2009) The Effect of Social Support Derived from World of Warcraft on Negative Psychological Symptoms, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking p563-566
- O'Connor E, Longman H, White K, Obst P, (2015) Sense of community, social identity and social support among players of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs): A qualitative analysis, Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology p459-473
- Lum M, Garnett M, O'Connor E, (2014) Health communication: A pilot study comparing perceptions of women with and without high functioning autism spectrum disorder, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders p1713-1721
- Wilson D, O'Connor E, (2017) Mindfulness, personality and disordered eating, Personality and Individual Differences p7-12
- O'Connor E, White K, (2010) Willingness to trial functional foods and vitamin supplements: The role of attitudes, subjective norms, and dread of risks, Food Quality and Preference p75-81
- Lodge J, O'Connor E, Shaw R, Burton L, (2015) Applying cognitive science to critical thinking among higher education students, The Palgrave handbook of critical thinking in higher education p391-407
For more publications by this staff member, visit QUT ePrints, the University's research repository.