Research expertise

Building sustainable ways of wellbeing requires an in-depth understanding of current and emerging needs – needs of individuals, their families, their networks of support and the broader community. One size rarely fits all. Context, readiness, relatability and relevance matter for an optimal fit. This is TC’s philosophy across all of her work.

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Research Design, Assessment & Analytics

TC has worked with over 300 learning communities to assess wellbeing using mixed methods such as online surveys, focus groups and interviews. She specialises in wellbeing needs analyses as it is crucial to understand what the community needs and where they are at. Assessing needs prior to program design or implementation can optimise the fit and relevance for the community.

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Music Engagement & Wellbeing Sciences

Active engagement with music has been associated with cognitive, emotional, and social benefits, although measures of musicianship are typically limited to music training. TC developed two widely sought after music engagement measures to better capture the broad range of ways in which individuals engage with music and advance the capability to identify healthy and helpful ways to use music in both research and clinical settings.

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Peer-reviewed Publications
  1. McFerran, K., Cheong-Clinch, C., Bibb, J., & Chin, T-C. (2023). Using Music to Manage Anxiety: A Mixed Methods Intervention Study Between Two Lockdowns. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 8(1):17. doi:10.21926/obm.icm.2301013
  2. Chin, T-C., Ricci, E., Cooper, A., Downie, A., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2022). Using Theory of Change for Fostering Wellbeing and Engagement in Learning Communities. In K. A. Allen, M. J. Furlong, D. A. Vella-Brodrick, & S. M. Suldo (Eds.). The Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (3rd ed.). Taylor and Francis.
  3. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Frisina, J., Chin, T-C., & Joshanloo, M. (2022). Tracking the effects of positive education around the globe. In K. A. Allen, M. J. Furlong, D. A. Vella-Brodrick, & S. M. Suldo (Eds.). The Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (3rd ed.). Taylor and Francis.
  4. Jacques-Hamilton, R., Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2022). Using Experience Sampling Methods to understand how various life and school experiences affect student well-being. In K. A. Allen, M. J. Furlong, D. A. Vella-Brodrick, & S. M. Suldo (Eds.). The Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools (3rd ed.). Taylor and Francis.
  5. Jarden, A., Jarden, R., Chin, T-C., & Kern, M. L. (2021). Assessing Wellbeing in School Communities. In M. L. Kern, & M. L. Wehmeyer (Eds.). The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education. Springer Nature.
  6. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., & Chin, T-C. (2021). Student wellbeing interventions and implementation. In K. A. Allen, A. Reupert, L. G. Oades (Eds.). Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy. Adaptable Policy for Teachers and School Leaders. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003025955
  7. Sigley-Taylor, P., Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2021). Do subjective and objective resilience measures assess unique aspects and what is their relationship to adolescent well-being? Psychology in the Schools, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22517
  8. Hou, H., Chin, T-C., Slemp, G. R., & Oades, L. G. (2021). Wellbeing Literacy: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Preliminary Empirical Findings from Students, Parents and School Staff. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4):1485. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041485
  9. Francis, J., Chin, T-C., Vella-Brodrick, D. (2020). Examining Emotional Literacy Development Using a Brief On-Line Positive Psychology Intervention with Primary School Children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20):7612. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207612
  10. McFerran, K. S., Lai, H. I. C., Chang, W-H., Acquaro, D., Chin, T-C., Stokes, H., & Crooke, A. H. D. (2020). Music, Rhythm and Trauma: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis of Research Literature. Psychol.11:324. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00324
  11. Vella-Brodrick, D., Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2019). Examining the processes and effects of an exemplar school-based well-being approach on student competency, autonomy and relatedness, Health Promotion International.https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz115
  12. Trask-Kerr, K., Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. (2019). Positive education and the new prosperity: Exploring young people’s conceptions of prosperity and success. Australian Journal of Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944119860600
  13. Morrish, L., Chin, T-C., Rickard, N., Sigley-Taylor, P., & Vella-Brodrick, D. (2019). The role of physiological and subjective measures of emotion regulation in predicting adolescent wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 9(2), 66-89. doi:10.5502/ijw.v9i2.730
  14. Chin, T-C. (2019). Measuring adolescents’ emotional responses to music: Approaches, challenges and opportunities. In K. S. McFerran, P. Derrington, & S. Saarikallio (Eds.), Handbook of Music and Adolescence. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
  15. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Rickard, N. S., & Chin, T-C. (2018). Evaluating positive education: A framework and case study. In N. J. L. Brown, T. Lomas, & F. J. Eiroa-Orosa (Eds.), The Routledge international handbook of critical positive psychology (pp. 488-502). London, England: Routledge.
  16. Chin, T-C., Coutinho, E., Scherer, K. R., & Rickard, N. S. (2018). MUSEBAQ: A modular tool for music research to assess musicianship, musical capacity, music preferences and motivations for music use. Music Perception, 35(3), 376-399. doi:1525/mp.2018.35.3.376
  17. Morrish, L., Rickard, N. S., Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2017). Emotion regulation in adolescent well-being and positive education. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi:10.1007/s10902-017-9881-y
  18. Chin, T-C. (2017). Keeping up with the times: A considered approach to measuring youth well-being. In M. White, G. R., Slemp, & S. Murray (Eds.), Future Directions in Well-being: Education, Organizations, and Policy, 47-51. Adelaide, Australia: SPC Press.
  19. Jach, H., Sun, J., Loton, D., Chin, T-C.,Waters, L. (2017). Strengths and subjective wellbeing in adolescence: Strength-based parenting and the moderating effect of mindset. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi:10.1007/s10902-016-9841-y
  20. Slemp, G. R., Chin, T-C., Kern, M. L., Siokou, C., Loton, D., Oades, L. G., Vella-Brodrick, D. A., & Waters, L. (2017). Positive Education in Australia: Practice, Measurement, and Future Directions. In E. Frydenberg, A. J. Martin, & R. J. Collie (Eds.), Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia Pacific, pp. 101-122. Australia: Springer.
  21. Rickard, N. S., & Chin, T-C. (2017). Defining the musical identity of “non-musicians”. In R. Macdonald, D. J. Hargreaves, & D. Miell (Eds.), Handbook of musical identities, pp. 288-303. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
  22. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2016). “Music use predicts neurobiological indices of well-being and emotion regulation capacity.” Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC 14). San Francisco, CA: USA.
  23. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2016). “Predicting emotional well-being: The roles of emotional sensitivity to music and emotion regulation using music.” Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC 14). San Francisco, CA: USA.
  24. Chin, T-C., Rickard, N. S., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). Development and feasibility of a mobile experience sampling application for tracking program implementation in youth well-being programs. Psychology of Well-being: Theory, Research and Practice. doi:10.1186/s13612-016-0038-2
  25. Rickard, N. S., Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2015). Cortisol Awakening Response as an index of mental health and well-being in adolescents. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi:10.1007/s10902-015-9706-9
  26. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2014). Beyond positive and negative trait affect: Flourishing through music engagement. Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice, 4(1), 1-13.
  27. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2014). Emotion regulation strategy mediates both positive and negative relationships between music uses and well-being. Psychology of Music, 42, 692-713.
  28. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2012). Re-conceptualizing ‘musicianship’: Music performance and training through to music reception and engagement. In N. S., Rickard, & K., McFerran (Eds.), Lifelong engagement with music: Benefits for mental health and well-being, pp. 161-180. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
  29. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2012). The Music USE (MUSE) Questionnaire: An instrument to measure engagement in music. Music Perception, 29(4), 429-446.
  30. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2010). Nonperformance, as well as performance, based music engagement predicts verbal recall. Music Perception, 27(3), 197-208. doi:1525/mp.2010.27.3.197
  31. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2010). The Music USE (MUSE) Questionnaire. In S. M., Demorest, S. J., Morrison, & P. S., Campbell (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC 11). Seattle, WA: University of Washington.
  32. Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2008). Music engagement predicts verbal memory as effectively as musicianship. In K., Miyazaki, Y., Hiraga, M., Adachi, Y., Nakajima, & M., Tsuzaki (Eds.), Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC 10). Sapporo, Japan: Hokkaido University.
Conference Talks
1.Chin, T-C. & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2019). “Enhancing adolescent well-being and mental health through Positive Education.” The 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
2.Chin, T-C. (2019). “Old data, new data: Making sense of it all.” The 5th Positive Education Schools Association National Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
3.Chin, T-C. (2018). “Measuring and building student well-being in schools.” The 4th Positive Education Schools Association National Conference, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
4.Chin, T-C. & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2017). “A collaborative approach to measuring and understanding youth well-being in a municipality.” The 3rd Positive Education Schools Association National Conference, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
5.Chin, T-C., Loton, D., & Patrick, K. (2017). “The highs and lows of screen time: Investigating relationships between leisure screen time and complex models of well-being in a large sample of Australian teens.” The 9th SELF Biennial International Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
6.Chin, T-C., Jiang, J., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). “Beyond outcomes: Measuring well-being and identifying needs of young people in the community.” The 5th Australian Positive Psychology and Well-being Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
7.Chin, T-C., Loton, D., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). “#SocialMediaUse @HighSchoolers: Examining the mediating effects of risk factors on emotional and social well-being.” The 5th Australian Positive Psychology and Well-being Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
8.Chin, T-C., Kern, M., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). “Measuring the effects of Positive Education: The role of intuition, internal Assessments and independent Evaluations.” The Festival of Positive Education, Dallas, Texas, USA.
9.Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). “Integrative approaches to measuring student well-being.” The Festival of Positive Education, Dallas, Texas, USA.
10.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2016). “Music use predicts neurobiological indices of well-being and emotion regulation capacity.” The 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC14), San Francisco, CA, USA.
11.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2016). “Predicting emotional well-being: The roles of emotional sensitivity to music and emotion regulation using music.” The 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC14), San Francisco, CA, USA.
12.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2016). “MUSEBAQ: A psychometrically robust questionnaire for capturing the many voices of music engagement.” The 14th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC14), San Francisco, CA, USA.
13.Chin, T-C. & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). “Capturing a snapshot of student well-being: Using the Well-being Profiler at your school.” The 2nd Positive Education Schools Association National Conference, Mt Eliza, Victoria, Australia.
14.Chin, T-C., Joyce, T., & Waters, L. (2015). “Using the Well-being Profiler for Schools.” The 4th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Orlando, Florida, USA.
15.Chin, T-C., Rickard, N. S., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2015). “Capturing a deeper perspective through the lens of mobile experience sampling.” The 4th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Orlando, Florida, USA.
16.Chin, T-C., Rickard, N. S., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2015). “Tracking real-world learning: A mobile experience sampling approach.” The 4th World Congress on Positive Psychology, Orlando, Florida, USA.
17.Chin, T-C., Rickard, N. S., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2014). “Using a mobile experience sampling app to evaluate youth mental health and well-being programs.” The 4th Australian Positive Psychology and Well-being Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
18.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2014). “For better or for worse: Music engagement for mental health and well-being.” The 4th Australian Positive Psychology and Well- being Conference, Melbourne, Australia.
19.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2013). “Using music to reduce stress: the mediating role of emotion regulation.” The 3rd International Conference on Music and Emotion, Jyvaskyla, Finland.
20.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2013). “Wuzzup? A mobile experience sampling application for mental health and well-being research.” The 3rd World Congress on Positive Psychology, Los Angeles, California, USA.
21.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2011). “A physiological assessment of music-based emotion regulation.” The 34th National Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia and the 2nd International Conference on Music and Emotion, Perth, Australia.
22.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2011). “Emotion regulation as a mediating factor between music engagement and well-being.” The 34th National Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia and the 2nd International Conference on Music and Emotion, Perth, Australia.
23.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2010). “The Music USE (MUSE) Questionnaire: An instrument to measure engagement in music.” The 11th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC11), Seattle, USA.
24.Chin, T-C. (2010). “Developing an instrument to measure engagement in music.” Australian Music & Psychology Society Seminar Series, Melbourne, Australia.
25.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2009). “Re-operationalization of “musicianship” – Inclusion of non-performance engagement in music activities.” International Conference on Music Communication Science (ICoMCS2), Sydney, Australia.
26.Chin, T-C., & Rickard, N. S. (2008). “Music engagement predicts verbal memory as effectively as musicianship.” The 10th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC10), Sapporo, Japan.
Commissioned Research
  1. Chin, T-C. (2021). Fostering wellbeing in the Upper Hunter. Parkville: The University of Melbourne. Commissioned by Upper Hunter Where there’s a Will, NSW, Australia.
  2. Chin, T-C. (2020). Cultivating wellbeing in the Arts8. Parkville: The University of Melbourne. Commissioned by ArtsReady, Australia.
  3. Chin, T-C., Stevenson, I., Jacques-Hamilton, R., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2019). Wellbeing in the Maroondah Network of Schools: Understanding the wellbeing needs of students, staff, parents and carers in Maroondah. Parkville: The University of Melbourne. Commissioned by The Department of Education and Training, Victoria.
  4. Chin, T-C., Stevenson, I., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2019). Understanding the needs of young people in Yarra Ranges: Findings from the student well-being survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by the Yarra Ranges Shire.
  5. Chin, T-C. (2019). Understanding the needs of young people in the performing arts academies: Findings from the student well-being survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by ArtsReady.
  6. Chin, T-C. & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2019). Maroondah Student Well-being: Trends from 2016 to 2017. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Maroondah City Council.
  7. Chin, T-C. (2019). Understanding the needs of international students at Trinity College Pathways School: Findings from the student well-being survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Trinity College.
  8. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Chin, T-C., Mughairbi, F. A., & Elhoweris, H. (2019). UAE Positive Education Pilot Study Report. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by the United Arab Emirates Prime Minister’s Office.
  9. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., & Chin, T-C. (2019). UAE Positive Education Interim Report. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by the United Arab Emirates Prime Minister’s Office.
  10. Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2018). Understanding the needs of young people in Wangaratta: Findings from the student well-being survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by the Rural City of Wangaratta.
  11. Chin, T-C., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2017). Understanding the needs of young people in Whitehorse: Findings from the student well-being survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Whitehorse City Council and Gateway Local Learning and Employment Network.
  12. Chin, T-C., Jiang, J., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2017). Understanding the needs of young people in Maroondah: Findings from the Community Youth Survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Maroondah City Council.
  13. Chin, T-C., Jiang, J., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2017). Understanding the needs of young people in Maroondah: Findings from the Parent and Community Member Survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Maroondah City Council.
  14. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Rickard, N. S., Hattie, J., Cross, D., & Chin, T-C. (2017). Enhancing adolescent mental health through positive education. A longitudinal evaluation of Year 10 positive education: Findings from 2014 to 2016. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Funded by the Australian Research Council (LP130100357 – Enhancing adolescent mental health through positive education) in partnership with Geelong Grammar School.
  15. Chin, T-C., Jiang, J., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2016). Understanding the needs of young people in Maroondah: Findings from the student well-being survey. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Maroondah City Council.
  16. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Rickard, N. S., Hattie, J., Cross, D., & Chin, T-C. (November, 2015). An Evaluation of Year 10 Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School: Findings from 2014. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Funded by the Australian Research Council (LP130100357 – Enhancing adolescent mental health through positive education).
  17. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Rickard, N. S., & Chin, T-C. (August, 2014). An Evaluation of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School: A snapshot of 2013. The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by Geelong Grammar School.
  18. Vella-Brodrick, D. A., Rickard, N. S., & Chin, T-C. (April, 2013). Evaluation of youth-led programs run by the Reach Foundation. Monash University, VIC, Australia. Commissioned by the Reach Foundation.