ACP2013


“Connectedness, Identity and Alienation: The 21st Century Enigma”

March 28–31, 2013 | The Ramada Osaka, Osaka, Japan

Being connected has become much easier in the 21st century. The digital revolution, the internet social network sites, Skype, and the ubiquity of mobile phones have helped us to reconnect with long-lost family and friends, to make new relationships even with people we have not met in person, and to stay connected despite geographical separation. However, this revolution in convenience and communication has not necessarily helped us to be truly connected. Social connectedness refers to the quality and quantity of relationships with others including family, friends, colleagues, and the wider community, through various modes of contact, and the resulting benefits. Being truly socially connected involves not only the number of connections with important people in our lives, but also factors such as trust, disclosure, loneliness and isolation. Other aspects of connectedness are also equally as important as the social: psychological connectedness with our multiple, changing selves gives us our sense of identity over space and time; connectedness with our environment, be it the natural environment or our social ones, such as school, work, or community provides us with a sense of belonging; spiritual connectedness in the transcendental sense provides meaning in our lives; and moral connectedness, being true to our values helps us to maintain our integrity in our complex lives.

Back to Top


Conference Report

ACP2013 was held alongside ACERP2013, welcoming 275 delegates from around the world to join in discussion ranging from trust, motivation and psychological concerns and mental health issues in modern social systems to practical studies on emotions, policies, and clinical psychology. In the plenary session, our Keynote speaker, Professor Dennis McInerny of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong, addressed the interconnectedness of child education, parental psychological support, and caring schools. His speech, "Harnessing the Power of Social Forces for Healthy Self Development and Successful Engagement in Education" touched on the self-identity formation relative to the self-determination theory, which could predict a child's learning outcome. He also advocated for the concept of parental involvement/engagement being a strong factor for the child's development as well as connectedness with the school. Professor McInerny emphasised that teachers are still a powerful source of reinforcement for a child's academic behaviour and encouraged high quality teacher-child relationships to facilitate higher academic achievement.

Later on in the conference, Featured Speaker Professor Jiro Takai from Nagoya University, Japan, spoke on "When Japanese Are Not Japanese: Being Betrayed by Japanese Samples in Cross-cultural Comparisons" and gave details of how Japanese people could not properly respond to questionnaires without context. Other featured speakers included Dr Sandra Neil from the Satir Centre of Australia, Australia, who gave a presentation on "New Concepts in Family Psychology: Reconnection of Couples, Families and Cultures; Through Affinity, Love and Compassion" and Dr Monty Satiadarma from Tarumanagara University, Indonesia who gave his presentation on "Münchausen by Internet: Psychological Concerns in Modern Communication Systems".

Back to Top


Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Dennis McInerney
Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong

Dennis McInerney is Chair Professor of Educational Psychology and Co-Director of the Assessment Research Centre at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong.

Professor McInerney has published over 200 research articles in refereed international journals, books and conferences. He edited two international research series, Research on Sociocultural Influences on Motivation and Learning (Vols 1-9) and International Advances in Self Research (Vols 1-3). He has received numerous research grants including seven Australian Research Council grants and two Hong Kong University Grants Committee grants. Professor McInerney has also written a number of textbooks including Educational Psychology: Constructing Learning (Pearson 5th Edition, 2010) which is a bestselling educational psychology text in Australia; Developmental Psychology for Teachers (Allen & Unwin, 2006); Helping Kids Achieve Their Best: Understanding and Using Motivation in the Classroom (published by Allen & Unwin, 2000 and republished by Information Age Publishing, 2005), and Publishing Your Psychology Research (Sage and Allen & Unwin, 2001).


Featured Speakers

Sandra Neil
The Satir Centre of Australia, The Australian Psychological Society and The International Council of Psychologists

Sandra Neil has 45 years experience as a Clinical Psychologist, Family Psychologist And Indi­vidual, Marital, and Group Psychotherapist For the International Council of Psychologists (ICP), she served as President Elect 1997, President 1998, and Past-President 1999. She also serves as ICP World Area Chair Coordinator 2000-2014. She has conducted professional workshops on the family, and Human Rights Summits throughout the world. She was Conve­ner of the Scientific Program in Melbourne, Australia, for the ICP’s Annual Convention in 1997, and IMP Human Rights World Summit July 2010, Melbourne, Australia.

The Founder and Director of the Satir Centre of Australia, Dr Neil is interested in a wide range of clinical problems and therapeutic approaches; and conducts a full-time private multi­cultural psychology practice in Melbourne, Australia. in addition to her extensive international work. She received specialised training in both psychiatry and psychology at St Vincent’s Hos­pital, Prince Henry’s Hospital, and the University of Melbourne, which awarded her a PhD for her research into psychotherapy in obesity and body image problems.

Having published many books, articles, book reviews, television and press interviews in the last 45 years, Dr Neil has also been Convener of all the Human Rights World Summits for the ICP at its annual conventions between 1983 and 2011. In 2011 she organised the Scientific Programme for The International Council of Psychologists annual Convention in Washington D.C 29th July – 2nd August and in 2012 she delivered the keynote address, “Strengthening Couples and Families” for the United Nations Family Day, 14th May 2012 in Vienna, Austria.

Her book published with Dr R.L Silverberg The Multicultural Family Chess Board describes a therapy method she uses with individuals, families, and organisations in many countries.

Lowell Sheppard
HOPE International Development Agency, Japan

Lowell Sheppard is Asia Pacific Director of the HOPE International Development Agency, an organization focused on working with the world’s extreme poor in their quest to climb out of poverty. Aside from his 25-year involvement with HOPE, Mr. Sheppard has dedicated much of his life to social and environmental improvement projects throughout the world.

Monty P. Satiadarma
Tarumanagara University, Indonesia

Dr Monty P. Satiadarma is an academic and psychologist who has lectured around the world, and who continues to practice in his native Indonesia. He was the Dean of the department of psychology at Tarumanagara University from 1997-2005, and Rector of the University from 2008-2010. Dr Satiadarma has a particular interest in educational psychology, and in music and art therapy, methods with which he treated survivors of the Indonesian tsunami on behalf of the International Red Cross and the United Nations. He is a board member and area chair of the International Council of Psychology, and a founder and board member of the Asian Psychology Association.

Jiro Takai
Nagoya University, Japan

Jiro Takai is professor of social psychology at Nagoya University, and received his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has served in the executive committees of the Japan Society for Social Psychology, the Japan Group Dynamics Society, the Japan Intercultural Education Society, the Communication Association of Japan, and the Japan-US Communication Association (affiliate of National Communication Association). Although he was born in Japan, he spent 15 years as a youth growing up in Canada, and has also spent two years living in the United States. Because of such a background, he has an interest in cross-cultural matters, particularly in the context of interpersonal communication as well as research interests in interpersonal competence, self-presentation and Multi-faceted self concept.

Back to Top


Organising Committee

Dexter Da Silva
Keisen University, Japan

Dr Dexter Da Silva is currently Professor of Educational Psychology at Keisen University in Tokyo. He has taught EFL at junior high school, language schools, and universities in Sydney, and for the past two decades has been living and teaching at the tertiary level in Japan. Professor Da Silva was educated at the University of Sydney (BA, Dip. Ed., M.A.), and the University of Western Sydney (PhD) He has presented and co-presented at conferences in Asia, Australia, Europe and the U.S., and written or co-written articles and book chapters on education-related topics, such as trust, student motivation, autonomy, and content-based language teaching. He is a past editor and current associate editor of On CUE Journal, regular reviewer for conferences and proceedings, and recent co-chair of the 2011 CUE Conference on Motivation.

Monty P. Satiadarma
Tarumanagara University, Indonesia

Dr Monty P. Satiadarma is an academic and psychologist who has lectured around the world, and who continues to practice in his native Indonesia. He was the Dean of the department of psychology at Tarumanagara University from 1997-2005, and Rector of the University from 2008-2010. Dr Satiadarma has a particular interest in educational psychology, and in music and art therapy, methods with which he treated survivors of the Indonesian tsunami on behalf of the International Red Cross and the United Nations. He is a board member and area chair of the International Council of Psychology, and a founder and board member of the Asian Psychology Association.

Jiro Takai
Nagoya University, Japan

Jiro Takai is professor of social psychology at Nagoya University, and received his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has served in the executive committees of the Japan Society for Social Psychology, the Japan Group Dynamics Society, the Japan Intercultural Education Society, the Communication Association of Japan, and the Japan-US Communication Association (affiliate of National Communication Association). Although he was born in Japan, he spent 15 years as a youth growing up in Canada, and has also spent two years living in the United States. Because of such a background, he has an interest in cross-cultural matters, particularly in the context of interpersonal communication as well as research interests in interpersonal competence, self-presentation and Multi-faceted self concept.

Back to Top