Dr Bradley Elphinstone

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Associate Supervisor.

Honours

Available to supervise honours students.

Honours topics and outlines

Approach to supervision: The topics provided are examples of my areas of interest. I am more than happy to work with students in these areas, or related areas, to develop a project which is more closely aligned with your interests.

Consumer behaviours, individualism, and societal inequality: Societies with greater wealth inequality tend to report poorer mental health and high school completion rates, and greater obesity, crime, suicide, and teenage pregnancy. The purpose of this project would be to investigate inequality in relation to different types of consumer behaviours, and how these are related to different ways of perceiving the self in relation to others.

Identifying the conditions required to 'live well': Based on Aristotle's idea of Eudaimonia, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and other Positive Psychology approaches to motivation and wellbeing, this project could examine the factors that contribute to individual, social, and/or environmental wellbeing.

Influence of anti-intellectualism and expedient thinking: I have previously published research on how anti-intellectualism and less effortful thinking relates to autonomous motivation (e.g., doing something because you can see why it's worthwhile rather than because it's 'expected' or 'normal'). This has implications for academic, political, social, and environmental engagement.

Outcomes of mindfulness and nonattachment.: Societies with greater wealth inequality tend to report poorer mental health and high school completion rates, and greater obesity, crime, suicide, and teenage pregnancy. The purpose of this project would be to investigate inequality in relation to different types of consumer behaviours, and how these are related to different ways of perceiving the self in relation to others.