Jane Cocks

Dr Jane Cocks

Visiting Research Fellow

School of Psychology

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

My research has broadly focused on positive psychology and health behaviour change, as well as the use of interactive media and technologies to promote mental health and wellbeing. I have recently contributed to research focussed on developing a mental health and wellbeing framework, and have led the design of practical resources and a digital toolkit to promote mental health and wellbeing in young adult fire and emergency service volunteers. I am passionate about conducting research and creating new technologies which foster resilience and positive health outcomes.

I completed my PhD as part of the Engage Research Lab at the University of the Sunshine Coast in June 2020. I used a multidisciplinary mixed methods approach to integrate psychology theory with game design practice, to develop a framework for designing games which foster positive health behaviour change.

Previously I have contributed to research at the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies at the University of Adelaide including projects examining: the mental health and wellbeing of the Australian Defence Force, the long term impacts of childhood exposure to bushfires, and the predictors of resilience following the Eyre Peninsula bushfires.

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2021 Taylor, A., Cocks, J., Lawn, S., Lawrence, D., Rikkers, W., Roberts, L., . . . Van Hooff, M. (2021). Mental health and wellbeing in young adult fire and emergency service volunteers. The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 36(4), 29-30.
    2014 Furber, G., Segal, L., Leach, M., & Cocks, J. (2014). Mapping scores from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to preference-based utility values. Quality of Life Research, 23(2), 403-411.
    DOI Scopus24 WoS23 Europe PMC16

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2017 Rogerson, M., & Cocks, J. (2017). F** king with Psychology: Psychological tests as boardgame design inspiration. In Proceedings of the 10th Digital Games Research Association Conference (DiGRA 2017) (pp. 1-5). Melbourne, Victora: Digital Games Research Association.
    2017 Cocks, J. (2017). Synthesising Behaviour Change Theory with Game Design Practice. In Proceedings of CHI Play 2017. online: ACM.
    2012 Cocks, J., Van Hooff, M., & McFarlane, A. (2012). Predicting Resilience and Recovery: Examining the trajectories of adaptive mental health outcomes following a major Australian bushfire. In 17th Australasian Conference on Traumatic Stress. Perth, Western Australia.

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2019 Cocks, J. (2019). Press Play for Positive Change: Health behaviour change theory meets game design practice. Poster session presented at the meeting of APS College of Health Psychologists Conference 2019.
    2011 Cocks, J., Van Hooff, M., & McFarlane, A. (2011). Investigating the relationship between resilience and post traumatic stress disorder in adults exposed to a natural disaster as children: A 20-year longitudinal follow-up. Poster session presented at the meeting of ISTSS 27th Annual Meeting. Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

  • Report for External Bodies
    Year Citation
    2021 Taylor, A. (2021). Positive mental health in young adult emergency service personnel.

  • Theses
    Year Citation
    2020 Cocks, J. (2020). The Rosetta Wheel: Towards a Shared Language and Framework for Game Design for Health Behaviour Change. (PhD Thesis, The University of the Sunshine Coast).

I have previously taught into the online Graduate Diploma of Psychology course within the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. Subjects taught include: Learning and Behaviour, Social Psychology, and Research Methods, Design and Analysis. 

  • Board Memberships
    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2018 - 2021 Board Member Digital Games Research Association Australia (DiGRAA) DiGRAA Australia

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2020 - ongoing Member Associate Member Australian Psychological Society (APS) Australia

  • Editorial Boards
    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2019 - ongoing Consulting Editor Journal of Games, Self, & Society Carnegie Mellon University, ETC Press United States
Connect With Me
External Profiles