Arts and Social Sciences Papers

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/2

This collection houses research from Te Kura Toi School of Arts, Te Kura Whatu Oho Mauri School of Psychology, and Te Kura Aronui School of Social Sciences at the University of Waikato.

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How to survive a plague of flesh-eating rats: An introductory guide to studying remediated ‎gameplay imaginations of medieval folklore and beliefs in A Plague Tale: Innocence
(Centre for Medieval and Renaissance, the University of Winchester, 2021) Schott, Gareth R.; Redder, Ben Dorrington
Popular digital games such as Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017), Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019), and Red: Dead Redemption (2010) possess merit for their faithful and authentic interactive representations of elements of the past that furnish games with pedagogical value. Both digital game studies and historical game studies have contributed research furthering understanding of the pedagogical value and applications of historical games for students’ learning of history in school education, particularly secondary schools and universities (Kee, 2014, McCall, 2013, & Schrier, 2014). Despite the growing interest in the new forms of knowledge contained within games, and gameplay, the educational application of historical digital games can be limited to supplementary visual aids that do not fully account for the range and forms of historical investigation associated with the game development process. We forward a multi-modal perspective on the varied ways in which historical knowledge is present in both game design and the gameplay experience. Our approach is demonstrated with one of several under-investigated (yet valuable) modes of historical exploration, namely ‘Imaginative History.’ This is achieved using images from several sequences of recorded game footage in the Medieval historical fantasy game A Plague Tale: Innocence as a case example alongside supporting historical literature. This Medieval game is suitable for addressing this conference’s theme of crises or disasters as it is set in a re-imagination of the Black Death plague roughly within the south-western region of fourteenth century France, but one that personifies the real Black Death with a plague of supernatural flesh-eating rats and places players into the role of two fictional orphan children. This presentation seeks to demonstrate historical games’ value for teaching and learning by discussing A Plague Tale: Innocence’s fantastical adaptation of the plague as a model for exploring the role of re-mediation, and subversion, of past pre-modern folklore imaginations and beliefs. Fantasy or folkloric treatment of historical events or periods can provide insight into the experiential dimensions of a period in history re-told as an interactive folktale.
Protecting Māori data: Can a Privacy Code of Practice provide a partial solution?
(Te Ngira Institute for Population Research, 2025-10) Watts, David; Kukutai, Tahu
This paper explores whether a Māori Data Privacy Code, developed under the Privacy Act 2020, could provide additional protection for classes of information that are regarded by Māori as tapu. The Act already covers the personal information of Māori individuals in the same way it does any other individual. We argue that a MDP Code could offer additional protection for particular classes of sensitive personal information – specifically whakapapa data and data pertaining to deceased Māori. A MDP Code could restrict the purposes for which such information can be collected, used, disclosed, retained, stored and disposed of; put stronger requirements on agencies to demonstrate that their collection and use of this information is justified; require free, prior and informed consent for its use and disclosure; and provide for greater transparency and independent Māori oversight.
History and philosophy of experimental philosophy: All in the family
(De Gruyter Brill, 2024) Sytsma, Justin; Ulatowski, Joseph W.; Gonnerman, Chad
Experimental philosophy (or "x-phi") is a way of doing philosophy. It is "traditional" philosophy, but with a little something extra: In addition to the expected philosophical arguments and engagement, x-phi involves the use of empirical methods to test the empirical claims that arise. This extra bit strikes some as a new, perhaps radical, addition to philosophical practice. We don't think so. As this chapter will show, empirical claims have been common across the history of Western philosophy, as have appeals to empirical observation in attempting to support or subvert these claims. While conceptions of philosophy have changed over time, across these changes we find philosophers employing empirical methods in pursuing their philosophical questions. Our primary aim in this chapter is to illustrate this fact. We begin by discussing the relevance of history to experimental philosophy (Section 2), then offer a necessarily condensed and highly selective history of empirical work in Western philosophy, rang-ing from the ancients (Section 3), to the early moderns (Section 4), to the late moderns (Section 5), and on to the present (Section 6).
Investigating the relationships between student well-being and perceived environmental sustainability: Student environmental attitudes as a moderator
(Emerald, 2025) Sheeran, Zane; Sutton, Anna; Cooper-Thomas, Helena D.
Purpose: Higher education institutes (HEIs) face two key challenges: low levels of environmental sustainability and students with low levels of well-being. This paper suggests that, because of the interconnectedness of sustainable development goals, there may be a single solution to meet both these challenges, namely, increased sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to test whether higher perceived sustainability is associated with higher well-being, moderated by student attitudes towards the environment. Design/methodology/approach: This study followed a quantitative design. Students enrolled at a New Zealand university completed an online questionnaire (n = 292) measuring student perceptions of their HEI’s environmental sustainability, their attitudes towards the environment and their well-being. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to test hypothesised relationships. Findings: Students’ sustainability perceptions positively predicted student well-being. However, student attitudes towards the environment did not moderate this relationship. Originality/value: This study contributes to an emerging field by investigating the relationship between sustainability and well-being. The findings suggest HEIs may be able to improve their performance in multiple ranking criteria (student well-being and environmental sustainability) by focusing on sustainable practices and supporting students in their personal sustainability efforts.
Theoretical models for an intersectional and inclusive citizens’ assembly
(EU-CIEMBLY, 2024) Roy, Rituparna; Greaves, Lara
The aim of the EU-CIEMBLY project is to create a model for EU citizens’ assemblies that maximises intersectional equality, inclusion, and deliberation. To that goal, the researchers mapped the landscape of the relevant scholarship in Deliverable 2.1. Building on that foundation, Deliverable 2.2 initiated the development of theoretical and normative frameworks for fostering intersectional equality, inclusion, and deliberation within citizens’ assemblies. This Deliverable extends the theoretical work of Deliverable 2.2 by proposing innovative models for citizens’ assemblies. Adopting a 'blue sky' approach, it moves beyond practical constraints of resources and capacity to explore creative and conceptual design features, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the pursuit of truly inclusive and deliberative democratic practices. Drawing from political theory, sociology, representational theory, and critical theory on democratic innovations, Deliverable 2.3 proposes different models and design features for citizens’ assemblies that enhance inclusiveness for marginalised groups and PMIMG (people belonging to multiple, intersecting, marginalised groups; see Deliverable 2.2, Appendix I). The models in this Deliverable integrate intersectionality in a way that allows for a focus on a variety of interacting social positions, forces, factors, and power structures that create the barriers experienced by marginalised groups and PMIMG when participating in citizens’ assemblies. By focusing on these dynamics, the models seek to propose design features to enhance intersectional equality, inclusion, and deliberation (as per the project’s analytical framework, presented in Deliverable 2.2). The Deliverable consists of six theoretical models. Model 1: Descriptive Representation, presents a range of options through the lens of including PMIMG in the participant body and bureaucracy involved in a citizens’ assembly. Model 2: Discursive Representation, emphasises inclusion of diverse knowledge, perspectives and discourses through various mechanisms by moving beyond the sole focus on identity-based representation of PMIMG. Model 3: Subaltern Counterpublics, acknowledges the systemic marginalisation of certain groups and advocates by providing safe, dedicated spaces for PMIMG to articulate their perspectives without the fear of being pressured by dominant narratives. Model 4: Power Sharing, focuses on the ways in which an intersectional citizens’ assembly could address power imbalances through popular control, governance, and community-driven design. Model 5: Agonistic Pluralism, provides a number of design choices around facilitating conflicting opinions in citizens’ assemblies, to draw out the views of PMIMG and minority perspectives. Finally, Model 6: Relationality and Interdependence, discusses a range of design choices that would complement many of the models through emphasising commonalities, relationships, and bonding between participants, their communities, and other parts of the broader society, such as nonhuman animals or landmarks. The exploration of the models is followed by a section that covers alternative design choices or ‘additional considerations’, including using an additive model for sampling, and reconsidering the traditional strive for consensus in citizens’ assemblies, and the subsequent implications for intersectionality. Lastly, the Deliverable sets out the scope for future work in the project. In particular, the section flags considerations of strengths based versus deficit framing, essentialism versus external inclusion, balancing perspectives, and considerations of legitimacy when altering the conventional sampling model. The section also includes broader points around the need for a deliberative system approach and discusses the potential to create an overarching politico-philosophical framework about the project's conceptualisations of democracy, as well as considerations for the creation of policy recommendations. These are important points to consider as the project heads into more practical considerations under Work Package 3. The Deliverable concludes with an overall options table (Table 7), which maps all the potential starting points for design choices by model and according to each stage of the citizens’ assembly (i.e., governance, organisation, and management; sampling and recruitment; and facilitation and deliberation). The options explored in this deliverable thus provide a beginning point, based on theory and drawing on the analytical framework from Deliverable 2.2, in order to begin designing the citizens’ assembly pilots. These models are theoretical in nature, so they were designed to help conceive ideas and therefore do not represent an off-the-shelf solution for later work. Instead, they represent a starting point for later work packages, and aim to provide novel ideas for both the EU-CIEMBLY project and others seeking to implement intersectionality in deliberative designs.
Racial inequalities in engineering employment in Aotearoa New Zealand
(WERO, Te Ngira Institute for Population Research, The University of Waikato, 2025) Roy, Rituparna; Collins, Francis L.
This report presents findings from research on racism and inequality in engineering employment in New Zealand. Conducted as part of the Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO) research programme (see: https://wero.ac.nz/), this study examines how racial discrimination operates in recruitment and career progression within the engineering sector. The research was carried out with the support of Engineering New Zealand | Te Ao Rangahau and the Association of Consulting and Engineering New Zealand. This research involves two phases of in-depth interviews. The first phase entails interviews with industry key informants such as human resources staff, managers, or people from diversity and culture teams for different engineering firms that ranged from very small to large in size. In the second phase, currently employed engineers from different ethnic groups were undertaken, including Māori, Pacific, Pākehā, Asian and Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA). The findings from these two sets of interviews are presented respectively in Section 3 and 4. The research also included an analysis of the workforce composition and wage gaps in Engineering based on analysis of Census and New Zealand Income Survey data. This analysis, which is presented in Section 1, revealed the disproportionately low number of female engineers, and of Māori and Pacific people employed as engineers. Analysis of average median hourly wages revealed notable differences, with Māori and Pacific engineers having median wages that are around 80% of the overall median. There has been a significant emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in recruitment and human resource management in Engineering in recent years. This emphasis reflects industry efforts to address known ethnic and gender imbalances in the workforce. Industry informants, however, highlighted several challenges, tensions, and contradictions they faced in integrating and practicing DEI in recruitment. Employers often struggle to balance competing frameworks such as equity, meritocracy, and people-focused approaches, making recruitment decisions complex. Despite initiatives like blind CV screening, targeted graduate programmes and preferential shortlisting of Māori and Pacific applicants, the industry remains heavily merit-driven. Additionally, DEI efforts are largely gender-focused, lacking an intersectional approach that considers overlapping social inequities. The interviews with engineers revealed that individuals from different ethnic groups face distinct barriers and challenges in securing employment and advancing their careers. For Māori and Pacific engineers, the pathway into engineering is severely limited, with only a small number entering the profession each year. Those currently employed often experience what has been described V as a ‘cultural tax’—being expected to take on cultural responsibilities in addition to their technical roles, without monetary compensation or clear career advancement opportunities. Racialised immigrant engineers, on the contrary, reported devaluation and deskilling of their qualifications and experience based on their ethnic and national origins. Despite extensive work experience in their home countries, they were often required to restart their careers in graduate or entry-level positions. Several participants shared experiences of unfair promotions, where White, European, and Anglophone employees were favoured for leadership roles. When discussing their own career trajectories, most non-Pākehā and nonEuropean participants expressed scepticism about ever being promoted to senior positions with decision-making authority. The accounts of discriminations and racial inequalities shared by engineers have profound implications for their employment, career progression, well-being, and society at large. Navigating a predominantly monocultural work environment—marked by challenges like cultural taxation, glass ceilings, and the ‘white boys’ club’—places additional burdens on racialised groups. The pressure to constantly prove their worth further exacerbates these issues, leading to serious retention problems. If not addressed, the sector risks losing engineers from diverse ethnic backgrounds, exacerbating gender and ethnic pay gaps, worsening representation and diversity issues, and reinforcing systemic racial inequities. Addressing monoculturalism and the ‘white boys’ club’ culture and fostering a genuinely inclusive profession will require systemic changes within engineering firms and in accepted norms in the profession and industry. Without a shift in workplace culture, efforts to recruit more engineers from underrepresented backgrounds will remain ineffective, as many will continue to leave due to unwelcoming environments. To create lasting change, DEI initiatives must go beyond recruitment and actively reshape the structures, policies, and day-today practices that define the industry. This requires the mindful integration of diverse cultural values and practices into every layer of organisational functions, including recruitment, career advancement frameworks, and job descriptions.
Safety hubs and partnership policing: Coordination, collaboration and partnership working in Auckland city centre
(2025) Tompson, Lisa; Bradley, Trevor
This report presents key insights from an exploratory study of the Safety Hub initiative that first appeared in the run up to the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Auckland. It highlights the potential and the pitfalls of partnership-based approaches to community safety in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study was based on a series of in-person focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with key partners and stakeholders including Community Patrols New Zealand (CPNZ) volunteers, NZ Police (Auckland city Beat officers and Liaison staff), Auckland council staff and Ngā Watene Māori (Māori Wardens). Data collection for this study took place over a four-month period from November 2024 through to February 2025, structured around the availability of participants. The study employed a thematic analysis methodology to systematically identify and organise key themes and issues within the qualitative data gathered from interviews and focus groups. In summary, the operational reality of the Safety Hub was rather less structured and more ‘organic’ than some participants had hoped, but it still delivered meaningful outcomes. The Safety Hub made its own valuable contribution to community safety while the difficulties it faced helped identify the need for a wider, linked-up ecosystem of community safety in Auckland city. The Hub has proved itself to be a viable concept, that diverse partners can work together in a shared space, and that the presence of volunteers does offer reassurance and can make people feel safer. However, those involved in the Hub also identified a range of challenges that need to be overcome if the Hub is to be more than just a base for increasing the visibility and presence of capable guardians.
Rasch analysis of the hospital anxiety and depression scale in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome
(Elsevier, 2025) Bartholomew, Emerson J.; Medvedev, Oleg N.; Petrie, Keith J.; Chalder, Trudie
Background: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is widely utilized for assessing psychological distress in medical populations, yet its clinimetric properties in chronic fatigue conditions remain underexplored. Given the complex symptom presentation in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), rigorous clinimetric validation is essential for accurate clinical assessment. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the HADS using Rasch methodology in patients with CFS, with particular emphasis on dimensionality, item functioning, and measurement precision. Methods: Rasch analysis was conducted on HADS responses from 286 participants diagnosed with CFS. The Partial Credit Rasch model was applied to assess overall model fit, item performance, unidimensionality and differential item functioning. Results: Initial analysis revealed suboptimal model fit, necessitating subtest modifications to address local response dependence. The subtest solution demonstrated acceptable fit to the Rasch model with evidence of strict unidimensionality, high reliability (PSI = 0.87), and no differential item functioning by demographic variables. Rasch-converted interval scores showed improved measurement precision compared to ordinal scoring. Interval scoring yielding a significantly higher mean (M = 22.55, SD = 3.78) compared to unconverted scoring (M = 20.30, SD = 6.87), t(275) = −19.54, p < .001, indicating that ordinal scoring systematically underestimates the latent trait level. Interval scores showed a 45 % reduction in measurement error demonstrated by the substantial reduction in standard error. Conclusions: The HADS demonstrated acceptable measurement properties in patients with CFS. The development of ordinal-to-interval conversion tables enhances the scale's precision, supporting its continued use in clinical and research contexts.
Factors affecting students' sense of inclusion in the undergraduate engineering program at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland)
(Wiley, 2025) Dhopade, Priyanka; Tizard, James; Watson, Penelope; Fox, Ashleigh; Allen, Tom; Namik, Hazim; Karan, Aryan; Roy, Rituparna; Blincoe, Kelly
Background: Women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ people have historically been excluded from the engineering profession. When they do pursue engineering, they often face challenges within both education and industry. Retention is a growing issue; for example, women in industry have significantly higher turnover rates than men. Purpose/Hypothesis: Feelings of belonging, satisfaction, and perceptions of one's future career are important for retention in engineering education. However, little is known about the factors that impact these constructs in tertiary education—where foundational engineering experiences occur—for a range of potentially intersectional social identities in contexts other than the United States. Methods: We designed an online questionnaire (n = 379) and a series of focus groups (n = 17) with engineering students at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland) in Aotearoa (New Zealand). We applied thematic analysis to extract a list of common factors that influenced students' experiences in this unique context. Results: Students who were unsure of or did not want to disclose parts of their identity reported the lowest sense of belonging and satisfaction. The factors that specifically impacted historically excluded groups included unsupportive working environments, not being respected academically, and exclusionary course content. Conclusion: Our findings identify factors that contributed to students' experiences that may impact retention in Aotearoa but have implications for other contexts. Finally, we make recommendations to engineering education practitioners on how to support (and retain) students from historically excluded groups, including dedicated learning and social environments, inclusive course content, and awareness education on inclusivity.
AI meets psychology: an exploratory study of large language models’ competence in psychotherapy contexts
(Informa UK Limited, 2025) Tan, Kean Sian; Cervin, Matti; Leman, Patrick; Nielsen, Kristopher; Kumar, Prashanth Vasantha; Medvedev, Oleg N.
The increasing prevalence of mental health problems coupled with limited access to professional support has prompted exploration of technological solutions. Large Language Models (LLMs) represent a potential tool to address these challenges, yet their capabilities in psychotherapeutic contexts remain unclear. This study examined the competencies of current LLMs in psychotherapy-related tasks including alignment with evidence-informed clinical standards in case formulation, treatment planning, and implementation. Using an exploratory mixed-methods design, we presented three clinical cases (depression, anxiety, stress) and 12 therapy-related prompts to seven LLMs: ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, Meta Llama 3.1, Google Gemini 1.5 Pro, and Microsoft Co-pilot. Responses were evaluated by five experienced clinical psychologists using quantitative ratings and qualitative feedback. No single model consistently produced high-quality responses across all tasks, though different models showed distinct strengths. Models performed better in structured tasks such as determining session length and discussing goal-setting but struggled with integrative clinical reasoning and treatment implementation. Higher-rated responses demonstrated clinical humility, maintained therapeutic boundaries, and recognised therapy as collaborative. Current LLMs are more promising as supportive tools for clinicians than as therapeutic applications. This paper highlights key areas for development needed to enhance clinical reasoning abilities for effective mental health use.
Digital cities and their commercial aesthetics: The celebration of monarchy in Bangkok
(SAGE Publications, 2025) Isaacs, Bronwyn
This article argues that the expanding role of digital urban infrastructure in Bangkok has revitalised a visual aesthetic designed to uphold royal authority. This royal aesthetic permeates in intimate and widespread areas of city design and urban life, particularly in regard to everyday consumption. The article examines how digital infrastructures facilitate a cheap and efficient continuation of long-standing practices of publicising royal imagery. This politicised practice visually marks Bangkok with a conservative vision of Thainess inextricably tied to monarchy. The article engages with scholarly critiques of ‘smart cities’, scholarship of digital city imaginaries and the study of urban authoritarianism in Bangkok. Based in a visual anthropological approach, the article draws on ethnographic research, both in person and digital, to analyse digital visual propaganda including a campaign called The Pride of Thailand, eulogistic celebrations of King Bhumibol following his death and birthday celebrations of King Vajiralongkorn. The article argues that in Bangkok, digital infrastructures provide an efficient and cost-effective aesthetic that renders urban inequality ordinary and bolster monarchical authority. Owing to the commercial basis of many mainstream digital infrastructures, these images are circulated regardless of consumers’ political preferences. The everyday encounters with images of the monarchy in commercial spaces and online platforms thus serve as an intimate and unavoidable imposition of royal influence.
Using picturebooks in a second year cultural perspectives course to draw on an highlight the knowledge of cultural insiders
(2022) Barbour, Julie Renee; Daly, Nicola
Using picturebooks in tertiary settings to: (1) provide a glimpse into familiar and unfamiliar cultures; (2) create experts of students who are cultural insiders; (3) provide a finite experience of a complex situation, suitable for classroom discussion and analysis.
Māori and Pacific language data in linguistics classes
(2023) Barbour, Julie Renee; Wessels, Kanauhea
Māori and Pacific language data rarely appears in introductory linguistic text books. In a discipline with a dearth of Māori and Pacific scholars, there is an opportunity to reflect on our teaching materials and consider ways in which we can make our classes more inclusive spaces. In this presentation, we share some of the materials and associated activities that we incorporate into undergraduate linguistics classes, in an effort to make our disciplinary content more attractive to students who join our classes with a variety of heritage languages.
Re-designing forum discussions to combat GenAI use
(2024) Gibbons, Stephanie
Our online Philosophy papers make extensive use of forum posts for discussion of moral issues. It is tempting for students to make use of GenAI for these short, informal contributions. My aim in these courses was to discourage the use of AI, to demonstrate to students the shortcomings of GenAI, and to reduce any advantage of using it. I seeded forums with clearly identified examples of what GenAI would write. Students could earn marks for sensible criticisms of AI contributions. But no marks were available for writing the kind of things GenAI produces. This technique prevents me from having to prove AI use: such posts are simply not worth marks. While the assessment design cannot prevent students from using GenAI, it both raises their awareness of its shortcomings, and reduces any advantage from its use. Successful use of this method requires careful communication in setting up the assessment, and regular monitoring and reinforcement. I was straightforward with students about what I was trying to achieve, and why. I learned a great deal about how to frame assessment questions, and what to emphasise to students. My constant refrain was “this is what AI can do already. What value are you adding?” The method showed some success in reducing GenAI use, and response from students was very positive.
Empowering Pacific and Māori students via Zoom
(University of Waikato, 2023) Brown, Georgia; Wymer, Tineka; Gibbons, Stephanie
When discussing online teaching, a common refrain is that online teaching doesn’t suit Pacific and Māori students: they learn kanohi ki te kanohi. We present some experiences from students who attended a Zoom tutorial for Pacific students in 2023. These experiences show that a quality online learning experience is possible, and that Pacific and Māori students value and appreciate online options.
Wellbeing and policy in New Zealand: From a wellbeing framework to a government-wide approach
(Routledge, 2025) Weijers, Dan M.; Briguglio, Marie; Czap, Natalia; Laffan, Kate
This chapter summarises the modern state of wellbeing and public policy in New Zealand. The evolution of New Zealand’s wellbeing approach to policy is explained, key learnings from the process are discussed, and specific action points to further wellbeing and public policy in New Zealand and around the world are suggested. New Zealand often ranks in or near the top 10 nations on international wellbeing metrics and is often looked to as one of the leaders in wellbeing policy. In 2011, the New Zealand Treasury reinterpreted its goal to that of promoting the wellbeing of New Zealanders - publishing the Living Standards Framework, a new model of wellbeing for policy-making. Progress on this was greatly aided in 2018 when a change in government brought with it an explicit wellbeing approach to the national budget and reporting processes, much of which was codified into new laws. The Living Standards Framework and its associated wellbeing tools have continued to evolve. Key innovations include an interactive dashboard of wellbeing data and a wellbeing Cost Benefit Analysis tool that covers many domains and indicators of wellbeing. This has resulted in greater collaboration between government agencies and more transparent reporting on the inner workings and results of public policies. But more could be done, including taking environmental concerns more seriously, fixing data gaps, reporting on wellbeing data more frequently, further training and teamwork for policy-makers, and setting up a citizens assembly on wellbeing and public policy.
Haumanu hauora: A commentary on strengthening health institution responsiveness to Māori health in the face of climate change
(Nga Pae o te Maramatanga, 2025) Masters-Awatere, Bridgette; Charlton, Areta Ranginui; Howard, Darelle; Graham, Rebekah; Young, Trish
Climate change is the biggest threat to humanity through compounding ecological disasters. A focus on global averages tends to hide dramatic differences and mask health disparities that exist for Indigenous people. For 21 years, district health boards (DHBs) were responsible for providing or funding the provision of health services across Aotearoa. The introduction of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 disestablished DHBs and offered an opportunity to reshape health in ways that give serious consideration to climate change impacts. The need to give greater consideration to Indigenous people in climate change conversations is essential. The Waitangi Tribunal highlights areas where the Crown needs to work to improve Māori health outcomes. A clear deficit in existing policy process means a lack of preparedness for the intersecting health crises vulnerable Māori will experience in the face of climate change. Structural change is needed to strengthen health institution responsiveness to Māori health needs.
A multi-phase assessment for selecting an augmentative and alternative communication modality
(Informa UK Limited, 2025) Carnett, Amarie; Neely, Leslie; Holloway, Katherine
Children with autism, who have limited speech, are often candidates for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modalities to learn basic mands. However, few studies have evaluated the assessment of AAC modalities. We report on the results of an evidenced-based multi-phase assessment, with a focus on choice as a foundational element, to evaluate modality selection, comparison, and acquisition for six children with autism. Assessment procedures involved using an indirect assessment that evaluated environments and the caregiver’s preference as a listener. The results of the indirect assessment informed the experimental evaluation of learner acquisition and preference for a modality. Findings indicate that the assessment process is relatively quick, the child participants did demonstrate a preference for a mand modality, and the child participants were able to meet mastery criteria for the use of the initial mand. Results point to a potentially useful approach for assessing AAC modalities for young children with autism.
How to implement online warnings to prevent the use of child sexual abuse material
(2023) Hunn, Charlotte M; Watters, Paul A; Prichard, Jeremy; Wortley, Richard; Scanlan, Joel; Spiranovic, Caroline A; Krone, Tony
Online CSAM offending is a challenge for law enforcement, policymakers and child welfare organisations alike.
The effect of therapeutic and deterrent messages on Internet users attempting to access ‘barely legal’ pornography
(Elsevier, 2024) Prichard, J; Wortley, Richard; Watters, P; Spiranovic, C; Scanlan, J
Online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a growing problem. Prevention charities, such as Stop It Now! UK, use online messaging to dissuade users from viewing CSAM and to encourage them to consider anonymous therapeutic interventions. This experiment used a honeypot website that purported to contain barely legal pornography, which we treated as a proxy for CSAM. We examined whether warnings would dissuade males (18–30 years) from visiting the website. Participants (n = 474) who attempted to access the site were randomly allocated to one of four conditions. The control group went straight to the landing page (control; n = 100). The experimental groups encountered different warning messages: deterrence-themed with an image (D3; n = 117); therapeutic-themed (T1; n = 120); and therapeutic-themed with an image (T3; n = 137). We measured the click through to the site. Three quarters of the control group attempted to enter the pornography site, compared with 35 % to 47 % of the experimental groups. All messages were effective: D3 (odds ratio [OR] = 5.02), T1 (OR = 4.06) and T2 (OR = 3.05). Images did not enhance warning effectiveness. We argue that therapeutic and deterrent warnings are useful for CSAM-prevention.

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