Staff Profiles

Ron Gold
Position	Associate Professor
Email	ron.gold@deakin.edu.au
Area	School of Psychology
Phone	+61 3 924 46477
Campus	Burwood
Role and Profile	Ron Gold is Associate Professor in the School of Psychology. He teaches cognitive psychology at the second and third year levels, and supervises fourth year and higher degree students.
Teaching Responsibilities	Unit Chair for: HPS303/783 Cognitive Psychology B
Research Interests	Ron Gold's main current research interests are in social cognition, particularly as applied to health-related decision-making. Over the last decade, in the light of the AIDS epidemic, he has extensively researched sexual decision-making, particularly in gay men. Most recently, his work has focused on 'unrealistic optimism' in relation to various threats to health.
Memberships	Member, Australian Psychological Society
Conferences	Gold, R.S., Skinner, M.J., Karmiloff-Smith, A., & Bartrip, J. (1991, June). Situational factors associated with unprotected intercourse: A comparison of one heterosexual and two homosexual samples. Paper presented at the Seventh International Conference on AIDS, Florence. Gold, R.S., & Skinner, M.J. (1999, July). Decision-making processes underlying sexual risk-taking in gay men. Paper presented at the Sixth European Congress of Psychology, Rome, Italy. Gold, R.S., Hinchy, J., & Batrouney, C. (1999, July). Reasons for non-uptake of antiretroviral therapy of Australians infected with HIV. Paper presented at the Fourth International Conference on AIDS’ Impact, Ottawa, Canada. Gold, R.S. (2001, July). What joy does to the boy: Effects of mood states on AIDS-related judgments in gay men. Paper presented at the Fifth International Conference on AIDS’ Impact, Brighton, U.K. Gold, R.S., Martyn, K., & Aucote, H.M. (2003, July). Explaining unrealistic optimism. Paper presented at the Eighth European Congress of Psychology, Vienna, Austria.
Publications	Gold, R.S. (1987). The description of cognitive development: Three Piagetian themes. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Gold, R. S., & Skinner, M. J. (1992). Situational factors and thought processes associated with unprotected intercourse in young gay men. AIDS, 6, 1021-1030. Gold, R.S. (1993). On the need to mind the gap: On-line versus off-line cognitions underlying sexual risk-taking. In: D. Terry, C. Gallois, and M. McCamish (Eds.) The theory of reasoned action: Its application to AIDS preventive behaviour (pp. 227-252). Oxford: Pergamon Press. Gold, R.S., & Rosenthal, D.A. (1995). Preventing unprotected anal intercourse in gay men: A comparison of two intervention techniques. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 6, 89-94. Gold, R.S. (2004). Explaining gay men’s unrealistic optimism about becoming infected with HIV. International Journal of STD & AIDS, 15, 99-102.
Research Link	View Deakin Associated Research Data
Highest Qualification	Doctor of Philosophy University of Oxford Completed: 03-JUN-78

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