From tenancy and employment disputes to family law and domestic violence cases, students helped to alleviate some of the stress these situations could cause for community members and gained meaningful experience of legal processes in the real world.
Kirsty Paynter, a lecturer at Griffith University who served on the board of My Community Legal, said the opportunity to work alongside experienced lawyers to assist the public was invaluable for her students.
“Sitting opposite a human being who is facing eviction or trying to navigate custody of their kids, and watching and listening to the volunteer lawyer provide legal advice, is a big step towards developing the soft skills legal professionals need for a successful and rewarding legal career,” she said.
Jennifer Gillan
“My time at My Community Legal showed me how important access to justice can be for people experiencing difficult circumstances,” said Jennifer Gillan, a third year student studying Law and Political Science and International Relations at Griffith.
“It reinforced my desire to use my legal career to positively support the community,” she said.
Flávia São Thiago Carvalho moved to Australia from Brazil ten years ago and had been navigating the complex journey to obtain professional registration in her field.
Having spent many years and thousands of dollars on this process, she was compelled to seek help from My Community Legal late last year when she lost her job.
“I had less than a week to make a decision that could change the course of my life forever,” Mrs São Thiago Carvalho said.
“The legal advice I received helped me better understand my situation and gave me the confidence to move forward with greater clarity.”
Griffith students learn from experienced legal professionals in a real world setting
Ross Lee OAM, founding director of My Community Legal Gold Coast, said the decision to set up the charity law practice came from a desire to give back to the community, but the rewards for volunteers, both students and established lawyers, were significant.
“The great thing about My Community Legal Gold Coast is that it’s a liberator of clients, educator of the future profession and pro bono delivery system for the current profession,” Mr Lee said.
“Students learn much from immersion among our clients and lawyers and in turn, practitioners often gain a refresh on the purpose of their legal careers.”
My Community Legal offers free legal advice every Thursday from 5pm at the GCCC Robina Community Centre.
Fossil fuel companies were a major force behind the United States (US) state of Florida’s move to stop banks and pension funds from investing in companies that prioritised environmental and social governance (ESG), new research from Griffith University found.
Associate Professor Erin O’Brienfrom the School of Government and International Relations examined Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ political campaign, finding efforts to restrict public investment in ESG-aligned companies formed part of a wider national trend, with 18 US states adopting similar measures to limit the use of ESG principles in public investment decisions.
Associate Professor Erin O’Brien
“Backlash to so-called ‘woke capitalism’ intensified when businesses began embedding ESG principles into core decision-making, and began to enact tangible social change,” Associate Professor O’Brien said.
“This stands in contrast to DeSantis’ claim that his party opposed ‘virtue signalling’, greenwashing, and the failure to prioritise financial returns.
“The research revealed the fight over ‘woke capitalism’ was less about investment strategy and more about who holds the power to shape the values and future direction of capitalist markets.
“The political trend to condemn values-based capitalism has worldwide implications by creating a legitimising environment for corporations to roll back their environmental and social commitments, and was seen most recently in BHP’s decision to cancel plans to scale back high fossil fuel emitting projects to meet net zero targets.”
The research found DeSantis’ “war on woke” harnessed militarised language to elevate ESG into a high-stakes political conflict to justify state intervention in financial markets.
“Woke capitalism” was framed as a threat to “everyday people”, and anti-ESG rhetoric constructed a divide between “everyday people” and “corporate elites”, positioning ordinary citizens as victims of socially responsible investment.
Political leaders such as DeSantis and US President Donald Trump have increasingly reframed responsible investment as a threat to democracy, claiming corporate actors, or “martini millionaires”, imposed their values without voter consent.
The research also identified the influence of fossil fuel companies and allied politicians who sought to prevent banks and pension funds from considering issues such as climate change and modern slavery when making investment decisions.
“The American Legislative Exchange Council, backed by powerful fossil fuel companies, drafted and disseminated anti‑ESG laws across the USA,” Associate Professor O’Brien said.
“On one hand, DeSantis criticised ESG investment as extreme political ideology, while simultaneously using state power to impose their own ideological preferences on markets.”
The paper ‘The war on woke capitalism: State deployment of discursive power in the backlash to responsible investment’ was published in Business and Politics.
When Professor Emeritus Ljubo Vlacic arrived at Griffith University in 1991 as a lecturer in microelectronic engineering, self-driving cars were science fiction.
By the time he became a Professor Emeritus in 2017, his laboratory, the Intelligent Control Systems Laboratory (ICSL), had helped move them onto real roads.
Professor Emeritus Vlacic leads Griffith’s 2026 King’s Birthday honour roll, appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to control systems engineering and to tertiary education.
In 1991, he established the Intelligent Control Systems Laboratory (ICSL), where his work on cooperative self-driving vehicles placed Griffith University and Queensland amongst the early international leaders in vehicles that could share city roads and make cooperative driving decisions in real time.
His career began at the University of Sarajevo, where he earned degrees in electrical engineering and control systems, along with a conservatorium degree in violin.
“While I appreciate this acknowledgement and am pleased to accept it, I would like to share the honour with the many people who joined me on my Griffith Journey – my family, research and course students, colleagues, and practising professionals,” Professor Emeritus Vlacic said.
Professor EmeritusLjubo Vlacic AM
“Their willingness to share their critical perspectives helped me refine and sharpen my ideas on the interactions and partnerships between humans and artificial beings, and ultimately transformed ideas into practical, operational frameworks.”
Six other Griffith-connected recipients were also honoured.
Former Queensland Police Commissioner (2019–2024) Ms Katarina Carroll APM was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to law enforcement and disaster management as a Queensland Police and emergency services leader.
Griffith named her an Outstanding Alumnus in 2018; she graduated with a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in 1996 and an Executive Master of Public Administration (GBS) in 2013.
Professor Noel Hayman, a Member of the Order (AM), was recognised for his work in First Nations health care and medical education; he holds a professorship at Griffith alongside his clinical leadership at the Inala Indigenous Health Service.
Dr Bianca Beetson, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD) and former Director of Griffith’s Indigenous Research Unit, was made a Member of the Order (AM) for significant service to Indigenous art as educator, curator and artist.
Amongst recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), Mrs Maxine Appo, a member of the advisory board of the Griffith Institute for Tourism, was honoured for service to tourism and the First Nations community of Queensland.
Dr Dilipkumar Gahankari, an Adjunct Professor across three Griffith health institutes, was recognised for plastic and reconstructive surgery, including pro bono humanitarian work in remote tribal India.
Dr Helen Grzyb, a recent recipient of the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, was honoured for service to the Western Australian community.
Dr Bianca Beetson AM
Katarina Carroll APM AO receives her Outstanding Alumnus Award from Professor Paul Mazerolle in 2018
Ms Katarina Carroll APM — AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), for distinguished service to law enforcement, to disaster management response and recovery, and to the community. Griffith affiliation: Outstanding Alumnus Award, Griffith University, 2018.
Dr Bianca Beetson — AM (Member of the Order of Australia), for significant service to Indigenous art as an educator, curator and artist. Griffith affiliation: Adjunct Associate Professor, Queensland College of Art, since 2022; Director, Indigenous Research Unit, 2020–2023; Director, Bachelor of Arts (Contemporary Indigenous Australian Art), 2017–2020; Member, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee, 2013–2022; Doctor of Visual Arts, 2018.
Professor Noel Hayman — AM (Member of the Order of Australia), for significant service to medicine, particularly to First Nations health care and medical education. Griffith affiliation: Professor, Griffith University.
Professor Emeritus Ljubo Vlacic — AM (Member of the Order of Australia), for significant service to control systems engineering, and to tertiary education. Griffith affiliation: Professor Emeritus, School of Built Environment, since 2017; Professor, 2004–2017; Member, Institute of Intelligent and Integrated Systems, 2017–2024; roles in School of Microelectronic Engineering from Lecturer (1991) through Associate Professor (to 2004); Griffith University Medal for Diligent and Loyal Service (25 years), 2016.
Mr Bradley Woods – AM (Member of the Order of Australia) for significant service to the tourism and hospitality industry, and to the community of Western Australia. He graduated with a Bachelor of International Business in 1992.
The late Professor Edward Blakely – AM (Member of the Order of Australia) for significant service to urban planning, to regional development, and to social justice. He graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Global Law Practice in 2017.
Distinguished Professor Greg J. Bamber – AM (Medal of the Order of Australia) for significant service to tertiary education and international industrial relations research. He served as Professor in the Department of Employment Relations, and as Director and Dean of the Graduate School of Management.
Mr Wayne Fossey – OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) for service to the Indigenous communities of southern Queensland. He graduated with a Master of Environmental Management in 1986.
Mrs Maxine Appo — OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia), for service to tourism, and to the First Nations community of Queensland. Griffith affiliation: Member, Industry Advisory Board, Griffith Institute for Tourism (current).
Dr Dilipkumar Gahankari — OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia), for service to plastic and reconstructive surgery. Griffith affiliation: Adjunct Professor, Australian Centre for Precision Health and Technology, since 2023; Adjunct Professor, National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases, since 2025; Adjunct Professor, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, 2023–2025.
Dr Helen Grzyb — OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia), for service to the community of Western Australia. Griffith affiliation: Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, Griffith University, 2025
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Pickett CSM (Retd) – OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) for service to the performing arts, particularly through music. He graduated with a Master of Music Research in 2015.
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Finch – CSC (Conspicuous Service Cross) for outstanding devotion to duty as Chief Operations Officer with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force while deployed on Operation Fortitude. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Business in 2009.
Chief Superintendent Marcus Hill – APM (Australian Police Medal) for distinguished service as a member of the Queensland Police Service. He graduated with an Executive Master of Public Administration in 2024.
Detective Superintendent George Marchesini – APM (Australian Police Medal) for distinguished service as a member of the Queensland Police Service. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1998.
Senior Sergeant Ritchie Callaghan – APM (Australian Police Medal) for distinguished service as a member of the Queensland Police Service. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1990.
Two worlds collide in a powerful new exhibition transforming criminological research into visual art to examine the systemic nature and emotional aftermath of wrongful convictions.
After is a research-informed art show by Griffith University criminologist and artist Rachel Dioso-Villa, whose work over the past fifteen years has demonstrated that while wrongful conviction may be rare, it is not exceptional, but a recurring problem embedded within legal processes and institutional decision making.
“I use art to say all the things I cannot say in words or in academic papers,” said Associate Professor Dioso-Villa.
“In academia, we are often asked to be neutral and objective; by contrast, in my art, the feelings are very large, and I can express them openly and honestly.”
The exhibition brought together three interconnected bodies of work: Data, Process, and Response, each engaging with the same research material from a different position.
The Data works translated academic research and case analysis into visual form, making visible the scale and systemic nature of error within the justice system.
The Process works drew on journals, research notes, and working documents to reveal the labour of research and art making.
The Response works explored the emotional impact of engaging with trial transcripts, court decisions, media reporting, and interviews with exonerees, their families, and advocates, bringing forward feelings that are often left out or unspoken in professional and research contexts.
After can be seen at Grey Street Gallery, 226 Grey Street, South Bank, 4101 from 3-13 June 2026.
A new research initiative led by Griffith University is developing evidence-based tools to help Australian workplaces identify, assess and manage psychosocial hazards, supporting both worker wellbeing and compliance with evolving workplace health and safety requirements.
The research team includes Professor Paula Brough, Director of Griffith University’s Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW), Professor Ashlea Troth, Deputy Director, WOW and Dr Wendy Muller.
Professor Paula Brough
The project, led by Professor Paula Brough, is developing two complementary tools: the Australian Psychosocial Index (API) and the Australian Psychosocial Scanning Tool (API-ST).
Psychosocial hazards are aspects of work that have the potential to cause psychological or physical harm, including factors related to job design, workplace environments, organisational practices, and workplace interactions and behaviours.
The research comes as organisations across Australia respond to growing expectations to protect workers’ psychological health alongside physical safety.
Professor Brough said many organisations recognise the importance of psychosocial safety but are seeking practical, evidence-based approaches to identifying risks and prioritising interventions.
“Workplaces are increasingly aware of their responsibilities to manage psychosocial hazards, but many are still looking for reliable ways to understand where risks exist and how best to address them.”
“Our goal is to provide organisations with robust, scientifically validated tools that can help them identify potential psychosocial risks early, benchmark their results, and make informed decisions that support both worker wellbeing and organisational performance.”
The Australian Psychosocial Index (API) is being developed as a self-report tool that assesses workers’ perceptions of the 17 psychosocial hazards identified in Australian legislation. The research team is currently validating each hazard against established psychological measures to ensure the tool is reliable and fit for purpose.
The project is also examining three emerging psychosocial hazards that are not yet formally recognised in legislation: artificial intelligence, digital work, and climate-related hazards.
Professor Brough said these emerging challenges have the potential to significantly influence worker wellbeing in the years ahead.
“The nature of work is changing rapidly. New technologies, increasing digital demands, and the impacts of climate change are creating workplace pressures that we need to understand and measure effectively,” she said.
“By investigating these emerging hazards now, we’re helping organisations prepare for future workforce challenges while contributing to the evidence base that informs policy and practice.”
The Australian Psychosocial Scanning Tool (API-ST) complements the worker-focused API by examining organisational practices, systems and priorities related to psychosocial risk management. The tool is designed for completion by workplace leaders, business owners, human resources professionals, and workplace health and safety personnel.
Used together, the two tools will provide organisations with a comprehensive picture of psychosocial risk factors and risk management capability, supporting a practical, audit-based approach to workplace wellbeing.
Both the API and API-ST are expected to be launched in late 2026 following pilot testing and validation studies. To learn more about the project and register your interest in the project, visit the Psychosocial Safety website.
Griffith Business School is proud to once again support the Vinnies CEO Sleepout, with a team of staff and alumni taking part for the fourth consecutive year. On Thursday 18 June, these leaders will once again trade their warm beds for a night on cold concrete, helping raise vital funds and awareness for Australians experiencing homelessness.
2024 CEO Sleepout team
This year’s Griffith Business School team, led by Professor Caitlin Byrne, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business), includes:
Professor Martin Berka
Professor Alberto Posso
Associate Professor Alexandr Akimov
Associate Professor Kanchana Kariyawasasm
Dr Ayesha Scott
Dr Tommy Soesmanto
Associate Professor Popi Sotiriadou
Celine Dang, PhD student
Chrystal Coughlan, PhD student and former GBS Student Leader
Alvin Yap, former GBS Student Leader
Their ongoing involvement reflects the School’s deeply held values of responsible leadership and community engagement. The team has already raised over $10,000 toward their ambitious $40,000 goal, a reflection of the growing momentum and community support behind GBS’s commitment to this cause.
The urgency behind this commitment has never been greater. Queensland’s housing crisis has reached record levels, with 54,490 active households now on the state’s social housing register as of February 2026. That figure represents a 77 per cent increase in the waitlist since 2017, and the situation shows no sign of easing. *
Prof Caitlin Byrne
Professor Caitlin Byrne, who has been a participant since 2022 says. “The numbers behind Queensland’s homelessness crisis are sobering, but behind every number is a person, a family, a story. The CEO Sleepout keeps that reality front of mind for leaders across our community, and I’m proud that Griffith Business School continues to answer that call.”
The annual CEO Sleepout, run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, is more than a symbolic gesture. Funds raised go directly toward services including emergency accommodation, food, healthcare, and pathways out of poverty for vulnerable Australians. Last year, the event raised over $9.4 million nationally.
Prof Alberto Posso
For Professor Alberto Posso, now in his third year of participation, the event bridges the gap between academic insight and real-world action.
“As researchers, we spend our careers analysing poverty, inequality, and housing insecurity, producing the data and policy recommendations that can, over time, drive systemic change,” he says. “But the CEO Sleepout reminds us that change also happens one dollar, one conversation, one cold night at a time. Being part of this team year after year reinforces why the work matters.”
*Data sourced from the Queensland Government Housing Dashboard (February 2026) and the Queensland Government Ministerial Media Statements.
A new research review led by Griffith University suggests using human urine as a fertiliser could significantly boost sustainable agriculture – but key health risks and knowledge gaps must be addressed before it could be widely adopted.
The review, led by a multi-disciplinary research team from Griffith, analysed 35 global studies examining microbial risks associated with urine-derived fertilisers (UDF).
With growing pressure on global food systems and fertiliser supply chains, urine recycling represented a promising – but still developing – solution for more sustainable agriculture, off-grid communities and water-scarce regions for use in spaces such as private gardens or public-use areas.
Such technologies have been piloted in Australia and several countries including Switzerland, Germany, and New Zealand.
For example, VUNA (Valorisation of Urine Nutrients in Africa) was an implementation project aimed at developing an improved sanitation system enabling complete nutrient recovery from urine.
The urine-based fertiliser derived from this project, Aurin, received official approval in Switzerland, however, the project encountered challenges in expanding its scale due to scale, collection, community awareness, and acceptance.
The team found while urine was a highly efficient source of nutrients – containing up to 80 per cent of nitrogen and 50 per cent of phosphorus in wastewater – its safe reuse remained uncertain.
Doctoral researcher Johanna Engels said the biggest risk was not urine itself, but contamination from faecal matter during collection and storage; this cross-contamination could introduce harmful pathogens capable of causing gastrointestinal illness.
“Urine has enormous potential as a renewable fertiliser, but our review shows we don’t yet fully understand the health risks,” Ms Engel said.
The study found storing urine could reduce many pathogens through a natural process called urea hydrolysis, which produced ammonia and helped kill pathogens.
However, the effectiveness of this process varied widely depending on environmental conditions such as temperature, pH and dilution with water – making it difficult to control in real-world settings.
The research team also warned viruses – likely present but rarely studied – may persist longer than bacteria, meaning current risk assessments could underestimate potential health impacts.
“Our review also highlighted emerging concerns around antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance,” co-author Professor Cara Beal said.
“Residual pharmaceuticals in urine were not consistently removed during treatment and may contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
“While studies suggest minimal uptake of these substances in crops, they may still move through soil and into water systems.”
Despite these challenges, the research highlighted the strong potential for urine reuse to support circular economy goals.
“By recovering nutrients from waste streams, urine-derived fertilisers could reduce reliance on energy-intensive synthetic fertilisers and help address global resource shortages.”
However, the authors stressed further research was essential before the practice could be scaled, including exploring better data on pathogen levels, improved treatment methods, and standardised safety guidelines.
“Addressing these uncertainties is critical to building public confidence and enabling safe, large-scale use,” Associate Professor Iftekhar said.
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are challenging to conduct in rural areas, however, a new Griffith University study examined how high-quality research could be conducted when RCTs were not possible.
Dr Tanvir Kapoor
Dr Tanvir Kapoor from Griffith’s School of Medicine and Dentistry said rural areas posed challenges due to small populations, limited infrastructure, and workforce constraints.
“But RCTs are considered the gold standard in medical research, so it is imperative we find a way to include rural communities who are often underrepresented in research and health policies, which often reflect evidence generated in metropolitan settings,” Dr Kapoor said.
“A method known as ‘target trial emulation’ offers a rigorous and practical alternative as it involves using data which has already been collected during routine care.”
Researchers first defined what an ideal RCT would entail then replicated that design using real-world data.
This approach could produce robust and practical evidence without the cost, delay or logistical challenges of running a traditional trial, when it otherwise might be unfeasible.
Dr Kapoor said the approach would allow rural health innovations such as telehealth, workforce initiatives, and point-of-care diagnostics, to be researched quickly and rigorously.
“It ensures policies and funding decisions are informed by evidence generated in rural settings, leading to more equitable and effective healthcare,” he said.
“This work provides a pathway for embedding research into everyday clinical practice.
“By leveraging routinely collected data, it supports the development of learning health systems which generate timely, high-quality evidence to improve care and reduce health inequities in rural and remote communities.”
The paper ‘Target trial emulation and the target guideline to advance rural and remote health research’ has been published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
PsiQuantum’s Asia-Pacific Test & Validation Lab has moved to the next stage of development with lab construction at Griffith University’s Brisbane South (Nathan) campus complete and officially launched.
Dr Dylan Saunders, PsiQuantum Principal Scientist and Griffith University alumnus.
The announcement marks a significant milestone in PsiQuantum’s expansion in Queensland and its mission to build the world’s first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
The Asia-Pacific Test & Validation Lab features high-powered cryogenic systems that will cool, test, and measure photonic quantum chips, accelerating progress towards utility-scale quantum computing in Australia.
“This partnership underpins a vital need for building not only opportunities and infrastructure to support leading researchers in quantum technology, it also creates unique pathways for our students who are future-focused on careers in STEM.”
The new facility will serve as a critical hub for the testing, calibration, and integration of PsiQuantum’s high-performance photonic quantum chips and subsystems, which the company will assemble at scale to form the quantum computer.
Griffith University Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Andrea Bishop said: “The opportunities that PsiQuantum’s Asia-Pacific Test & Validation Lab at Griffith’s Brisbane South campus will offer both students and researchers are incredibly exciting.”
“This partnership underpins a vital need for building not only opportunities and infrastructure to support leading researchers in quantum technology, it also creates unique pathways for our students who are future-focused on careers in STEM.”
Professor Andrea Bishop
A key feature of the lab is ‘Poseidon,’ one of the most powerful custom high-cooling-power cryogenic systems in Australia.
Poseidon is a modular platform allowing PsiQuantum’s Brisbane team to cool, test and measure several photonic quantum chips at once.
“This lab represents an important step forward as we transition from research and development into full system integration and industrial-scale deployment,” said Victor Peng, Interim CEO of PsiQuantum.
“By establishing advanced test and validation capabilities here in Brisbane, we are accelerating our ability to deliver utility-scale quantum computing and strengthening Australia’s position at the forefront of this global effort.”
The facility will operate in close coordination with PsiQuantum’s global engineering teams with its role expected to expand as the company progresses toward full-scale system deployment in Brisbane.
PsiQuantum’s Test & Validation Lab opens at Griffith University. Photo by Sarah Keayes/The Photo Pitch
“As PsiQuantum’s operations grow in Australia, having a dedicated, state-of-the-art facility for testing and validation is essential,” said Professor Geoff Pryde, Chief Technical Director of PsiQuantum Australia.
“This lab connects our team in Brisbane directly with our teams around the globe to advance our cryogenic testing capability and will play a critical role in ensuring our systems perform at the level required for utility-scale quantum computing.”
“As a Queenslander and a Griffith University graduate, I am extremely proud to be part of bringing this facility to life right here in Brisbane,” said Dr Dylan Saunders, Principal Scientist at PsiQuantum.
“Nearly 20 years ago, as a kid from rural Queensland, I started building pool-table-sized optical quantum gates in the very same building as this lab.
“The fact that our technology, which once filled a room but now fits on a chip, is coming back to where it all started, is something I have to pinch myself about.
“This lab will combine world-class experts here in Australia with our world-leading quantum hardware, and we’re excited to help train the next generation of physicists and engineers who will carry this field forward.”
As non-surgical cosmetic procedures grow in popularity, accessibility and affordability, new Griffith University research has created two new measures to assess people’s attitudes and motivations towards cosmetic procedures.
In 2024, more than 20 million non-surgical procedures were conducted globally, which was 8.5 million more than the yearly total in 2015.
PhD Candidate Grace Barker
PhD Candidate from Griffith’s School of Applied Psychology, Grace Barker, said the two new measures were needed as non-surgical treatments had become much more common, and attitudes towards them may differ from attitudes towards surgery.
“Additionally, non-surgical procedures may involve different perceptions of risk, reversibility, accessibility and normalisation,” Miss Barker said.
“By measuring these attitudes separately, the study aimed to better understand how people think and feel about each type of cosmetic procedure, both surgical and non-surgical.”
The study investigated surgical cosmetic procedures such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation and face lifts, and also non-surgical procedures where the skin may be pierced rather than cut, such as botox and filler injections.
The assessment tool measured attitudes, which were formed by beliefs and evaluations toward an object, behaviour or person.
Dr Veya Seekis
The tool comprised intrapersonal considerations including self-esteem and confidence, plus interpersonal considerations such as forming bonds with others, and finally consideration of risk, cost and pain.
Co-author on the paper, Dr Veya Seekis, said the study involved 723 individuals identifying as women from Australia and internationally.
“Women were selected as the focus of the study because they are disproportionately exposed to appearance-related messaging across social and digital media environments,” Dr Seekis said.
“This is influenced by systemic pressures, societal expectations, and gendered appearance norms.
“Women also comprise the majority of cosmetic procedure patients globally, with the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimating 84 per cent of surgical and non-surgical procedure patients identify as women.”
Professor Caroline Donovan
Co-author, Professor Caroline Donovan, hoped the two new measures would help researchers gain a clearer and more detailed understanding of people’s attitudes towards cosmetic procedures as well as social factors which could shape and influence attitudes over time.
“Importantly, the scale focuses on an individual’s own views rather than broad or generalised opinions, allowing for a better understanding of personal differences,” she said.
“This improved insight may also support the development of more targeted prevention and intervention efforts, particularly for individuals who may be more vulnerable to appearance-related distress such as complex body image concerns of psychological conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder.”
The paper ‘Cosmetic procedure attitudes scale (CPAS): Development and validation’ has been published in Body Image.
