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Damian ScarfEmail damian.scarf@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7636

It was a third-year Psychology paper (PSYC 319) and its teacher (Professor Michael Colombo) that first got Damian Scarf interested in psychology. After completing his BSc in Zoology, Damian went on to complete his PhD in Professor Colombo's lab. His PhD research focused on how pigeons execute and plan sequences. Damian continues to collaborate with Professor Colombo and Damian's comparative research now employs electrophysiological techniques in order to uncover how sequences are represented at the neural level.

Damian received his PhD from the University of Otago in 2011. This focused on the representation and planning of sequences in pigeons. During the course of his PhD Damian received a Fulbright scholarship and worked as a visiting researcher in Professor Herb Terrace's Primate Cognition Lab at Columbia University. While at Columbia University, Damian investigated the planning abilities of rhesus monkeys and transitive preference in children. Damian received several other scholarships during his PhD as well as a number of travel grants. At the time his PhD was conferred, Damian had 9 first author publications. Damian's PhD was also placed on the University of Otago Division of Sciences List of Exceptional PhD Theses.

After completing his PhD Damian went on to be Postdoctoral Fellow, and subsequently a Research Fellow, in Professor Harlene Hayne's child development lab. In Professor Hayne's lab Damian focused on memory development in young children and investigated whether children are born with an innate sense of right and wrong.

In 2013 Damian became a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. Damian is now the head of the Adolescent Behaviour and Child Development (ABCD) Lab. The current focus of Damian's research is positive youth development in high school students and alcohol consumption in university students.

Teaching

  • PSYC 427 Topical Issues in Child Development
  • PSYC 436 Topical Issues in Adolescent Behaviour

Research interests

  • Child development eg, the impact of media on behaviour
  • Adolescent behaviour eg, building resilience in adolescents

Find out more about Associate Professor Scarf's research interests

Publications

Schimanski, I., Scarf, D., Rapsey, C., Treharne, G. J., & Mason, A. (2024). Step by step? Understanding suicidal thoughts and behavior among university students in Aotearoa New Zealand: Utility of the Three–Step Theory of Suicide. Journal of College Student Mental Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/28367138.2024.2407428 Journal - Research Article

Du, K., Hunter, J. A., Yogeeswaran, K., Scarf, D., Arahanga-Doyle, H., & Ruffman, T. (2024). Information regarding shared genes between humans improves attitudes towards world members. European Journal of Social Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.3111 Journal - Research Article

Mitlash, A., Rapsey, C., Treharne, G. J., & Scarf, D. (2024). Adapting an online guided self-help CBT programme targeting disordered eating for students in Aotearoa New Zealand: A qualitative study. Nutrients, 16, 2905. doi: 10.3390/nu16172905 Journal - Research Article

Tan, K., Hamley, L., Treharne, G. J., Fraser, G., & Scarf, D. (2024). The integration of queer-related curriculum in psychology training in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A survey with programme directors. Psychology & Sexuality. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/19419899.2024.2388251 Journal - Research Article

Hunter, J. A., Stringer, M., Azeem, A. A., Kong, Q., & Scarf, D. (2024). The language of political violence in Northern Ireland. In A. Akande (Ed.), Leadership and politics: New perspectives in business, government and society. (pp. 443-467). Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-56415-4_18 Chapter in Book - Research

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