Cassy Dittman

I am the Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology) and a Senior Lecturer in Psychology based at the Bundaberg campus. I teach in the area of developmental psychology (PSYC12010) and psychological testing and assessment (PSYC13020).

My research focuses on the impact of parenting on important developmental skills and outcomes, including positive development, behavioural and emotional adjustment and self-regulation. Recent research includes trials of online parenting support and brief, targeted parenting groups, alongside investigations into the parenting challenges and support needs of particular groups of parents, such as FIFO workers and parents of adolescents. Areas of current work include a partnership with the NRL to develop a new online induction program for parents of junior rugby league players to promote positive parental behaviour in the sporting context; ways to enhance the capacity of early childhood educators to promote children’s prosocial behaviour and reduce child behaviour problems; and the influence of strong parent-adolescent relationships in the positive development and mental health of young people. This latter research area includes the development of adolescent-specific measures of adolescent functioning, parenting, and the parent-adolescent relationship.