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This paper reviews the development of social psychology in Australia from its early beginnings, through post- World War II, to the current situation. Social psychology became an integral part of the psychology curriculum after the Second World War, with a strong emphasis at the University of Melbourne. It received an impetus in the 1960s with the creation of Flinders, Macquarie, and La Trobe universities. Currently, teaching and research in social psychology is widespread, with major centres at the Universities of Queensland and New South Wales, and at the Australian National University, but with universities such as Flinders, Macquarie, and Melbourne continuing to contribute. In general, social psychologists in Australia have not deliberately set out to develop a distinctive local identity. Instead, they have a strong international focus and are eclectic in their interests, drawing on theories and methodologies from major centres in North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. They have made distinctive contributions in many areas, including research on acculturation, achievement motivation, the psychological impact of unemployment, values, expectancy-value theory, role theory, social identity and self-categorization theory, deservingness, gender studies and household work, close relationships, decision-making, social cognition, ostracism, and the effects of mood. Uniquely, Australian topics include research on tall poppies or high achievers, and on the cultural cringe. Social psychologists in Australia have also been active in industrial/organizational research and in cross-cultural research, but there is little social psychological research involving the indigenous Australian population. Australian contributions to social psychology are not always recognized, partly because of Australia's distance from the major centres. However, social psychologists in Australia now have their own association, the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP), offer symposia and special academic appointments that draw international visitors, and compensate for the tyranny of distance by travelling widely and using the internet. Social psychology is now one of the strongest areas of Australian psychology internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a brief account of the Australian Strategic Review of the Psychology Discipline and its Research. Issues discussed include Australia's contribution to world research in psychological science, research funding, the age and qualifications of researchers, the social and economic benefits arising from the applications of research outcomes, multidisciplinary issues, the role of psychology in industry, links between the discipline and the profession of psychology, professional training, cross-cultural issues, and educational issues. Priorities for development of research and postgraduate training are identified, and include human factors and other areas related to technological change, clinical psychology with particular attention to health psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, and neuroscience and physiological psychology. Cet article est un expose succinct de la ≪Revue strategique australienne de la psychologie en tant que discipline et domaine de recherche≫. Parmi les questions abordees se trouvent la contribution australienne a la recherche mondiale en psychologie, le financement de cette recherche, l'age et les qualifications des chercheurs, les benefices sociaux et economiques qui resultent de l'application des resultats de recherche, les aspects multidisciplinaires, le role de la psychologie dans l'industrie, les liens entre la discipline et la profession, la formation professionelle, les dimensions multiculturelles, et les problemes relies a l'enseignement. Les priorites dans le developpement de la recherche et da la formation postgradues sont identifies, parmi lesquelles sont incluses l'ergonomie et autres domaines associes aux changements technologiques, la psychologie clinique (surtout la psychologie de la sante), la psychologie industrielle et organisationelle, les neurosciences et la psychophysiologie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychology in Australia can be studied in many ways, but for the most part it can be described in terms of the adoption of orientations to the discipline illustrated by ‘functional’, ‘objective’ and ‘quantitative’ prescriptions of science. It is important to recognize, however, that these dimensions fit within the broad cultural traditions of thinking that characterize Australia as a settlement society. In this paper, research in Australia is used to illustrate a number of cultural factors at work, detailed consideration being given to the study of hypnosis and the role of context. Cross-cultural analysis of theorizing about the role of context in hypnosis indicates clear differences in conceptualization of the issues, but also an encouraging degree of convergence on common concerns. The point of view is illustrated that the diversity of the discipline and its tools of inquiry, evidenced across different cultural contexts, is one of Psychology's major strengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]