Associate Professor Amy Lykins

Associate Professor - Faculty of Medicine and Health; School of Psychology

Amy Lykins

Phone: +61 2 6773 5014

Email: alykins@une.edu.au

Building: Psychology (S6)

Qualifications

B.A. Psychology (Hons) and Sociology (Indiana University)

M.A. Clinical Psychology (University of Nevada, Las Vegas). Ph.D. Clinical Psychology (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

Postdoctoral Fellowship (University of Toronto)

Certificate in Governance Practice (Governance Institute of Australia)​

Awards

  • School Citation for Education Excellence, School of Psychology, University of New England (2023)
  • School Citation for Education Excellence, School of Psychology, University of New England (2022)
  • Named as Australia’s leading researcher in Sex and Sexuality, 2018. The Australian.
  • Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar’s Nominated Academic (“Someone who has had an impact or been instrumental in helping students with their studies or achieving their results”), University of New England (2016)
  • Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar’s Nominated Academic (“Someone who has had an impact or been instrumental in helping students with their studies or achieving their results”), University of New England (2015)
  • Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar’s Nominated Academic (“Someone who has had an impact or been instrumental in helping students with their studies or achieving their results”), University of New England (2014)
  • Best Student Manuscript Award, International Academy of Sex Research (2008)
  • Regents’ Graduate Scholar Award (“Excellence in academics, leadership, and potential for continued success”), State of Nevada Board of Regents (2007)
  • Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2006)

Teaching Areas

PSYC503 Adult Psychological Disorders

PSYC528 Advanced Assessment and Intervention I (Adults)

Research Interests

A/Prof Lykins' primary research interests are in the following areas: climate change, natural hazards, and mental health (including the development of preparation and resilience-building interventions for at-risk communities and populations); pro-environmental behaviour changes and decision-making associated with both water use and diet; adoption of alternative food systems and agricultural practices; human-animal interactions (including promoting welfare for both wildlife and domesticated species, and grief following companion animal death); and the environmental, health, and moral issues related to meat eating and associated intensive farming practices.

Recent Grants:

  • Supporting mothers in regional NSW: Decreasing the impacts of birth trauma (2024). Sundaraja, C., Kelly, M., Chaku, J., Turner, J., Lykins, A., Cosh, S., Tully, P., Farrell, H., & Swamy, A. The Peregrine Centre, Rural Mental Health Partnership Grant ($26,708)
  • Wildlife Assist – Providing an evidence base for post-fire wildlife provisioning (2023). Herbert, C., Raubenheimer, D., McManus, P., Jones, B., Shaw, M., McGreevy, P., Lykins, A., Martin, J., Newsome, T., & Kennedy, B. NSW Environmental Trust ($181,446)
  • The Natural Disaster Resilience Project (2023). Cosh, S., Lykins, A., Tully, P., Bartik, W., Jefferys, A., & Newby, D. The Peregrine Centre, Rural Mental Health Partnership Grant ($41,666)
  • The Phoenix Project: A Community-based mental health fire recovery program (2022). Cosh, S., Lykins, A. D., Tully, P., Bartik, W., Murray, C., & Rice, K. Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources: Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program ($321,695)
  • Can we do it better? Understanding social decision-making in landscape restoration (2022). Thoms, M., Lykins, A. D., & Parsons, M. North-West Local Land Services ($100,000)
  • Building an evidence-base to inform post-fire wildlife provisioning of food and water (2022). Martin, J., Herbert, C., Raubenheimer, D., Finnerty, S., Shaw, M., McManus, P., Lykins, A. D., McGreevy P., Kennedy, B., & Jones, B. WIRES Research Grants Program ($50,000)
  • The human dimensions of environmental non-compliance (2019). Howard, T., Bartel., R., Lykins, A. D., Reeve, I., and Parsons, M. Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, and Victorian Office of the Conservation Regulator ($336,700)

Research Supervision Experience

A/Prof Lykins is currently supervising Ph.D. and honours research projects. These projects are in the areas of climate change/natural hazards and mental health, pro-environmental behaviours related to food, and human behaviour correlates of positive horse welfare interactions.

Publications

For the latest, please see ResearchGate or Google Scholar

Gale, M., Torbay, R., & Lykins, A. D. (in press). Visual attention to evolutionarily relevant information in heterosexual men and women viewing mock online dating profiles. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Wilkins, C., McGreevy, P., Cosh, S. M., Henshall, C., Jones, B., Lykins, A. D., & Billingsley, W. (2024). Introducing the Mellorator—the Five Domains Model in a welfare monitoring app for animal guardians. Animals. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14152172

Pike, C., Dohnt, H., Tully, P. J., Bartik, W., Welton-Mitchell, C., Murray, C., Rice, K., Cosh, S. M., & Lykins, A. D. (2024). A community mental health integrated disaster preparedness intervention for bushfire recovery in rural Australian communities: Protocol for a multi-methods feasibility and acceptability pilot study. JMIR Research Protocols, 13, e53454. doi: https://www.researchprotocols.org/2024/1/e53454

Cosh, S. M., Doyle, M., Lykins, A. D., & Clark, L. (2024). Experiences of professional mental help-seeking and engagement with services among emerging adult men identifying as gay. Clinical Psychologist, 28, 142-154. doi: 10.1080/13284207.2024.2330925

Pike, C., Lykins, A. D., Bartik, W., Tully, P. J., & Cosh, S. M. (2024). Climate change and rural Australian communities: Natural hazard preparedness and recovery needs. Climate. doi: 10.3390/cli12050057

Lykins, A. D., Nunn, P. D., Kumar, R., Sundaraja, C., & Cosh, S. (2024). “Na Neitou Qele Ga Qo” (“This is our only land”): Adaptation to the effects of climate change in rural Indigenous Fijians. Global Environmental Psychology. doi: 10.5964/gep.11239

Sundaraja, C., Hine, D. W., Thorsteinsson, E. B., & Lykins, A. D. (2022). Purchasing products with sustainable palm oil: Designing and evaluating an online intervention for Australian consumers. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2022.27

Lykins, A. D., Bonich, M., Sundaraja, C., & Cosh, S. M. (2024). Climate change anxiety positively predicts antenatal distress in expectant female parents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102801

Lykins, A. D., Cosh, S. M., Bartik, W., & Tully, P. (2024). Mental ill-health in metropolitan and rural dwelling Australian youth during the first COVID-19 wave. Journal of Rural Mental Health. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rmh0000257

Jones, B., Herbert, C., Finnerty, S., Martin, J. M., Shaw, M., McManus, P., Raubenheimer, D., Lykins, A. D., Kennedy, B., & McGreevy, P. D. (2023). In-situ provisioning wildlife with food, water or shelter after bushfires: Using a One Welfare framework to guide responses. Animals, 13, 3518. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13223518

Paul, N. A., Cosh, S. M., & Lykins, A. D. (2023). “All we found were bones”: Grief and trauma in animal care workers following Australia’s Black Summer. Veterinary Record, e3614. doi: 10.1002/vetr.3614

Lykins, A. D., Cosh, S. M., Nunn, P. D., Kumar, R., & Sundaraja, C. (2023). “Io, Keimami Leqataka Vakelevu Na Vei Gauna Mai Muri” (“We are worried about the future generation”): Experiences of eco-grief in rural Indigenous Fijians. Global Environmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.5964/gep11447

Lykins, A. D., McGreevy, P. D., Bennett, B., Paul, N. K., & Gotsis, N. (2023). Attachment styles, continuing bonds, and grief following companion animal death. Death Studies, 48, 698-705. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2023.2265868

Lykins, A. D., Parsons, M., Craig, B. M., Cosh, S. M., Hine, D., & Murray, C. (2023). Australian youth mental health and climate change concern after the Black Summer bushfires. EcoHealth, 20, 3-8. doi: 10.1007/s10393-023-01630-1

Paul, N., Cosh, S., & Lykins, A. D. (2023). “A love-hate relationship with what I do”: Protecting the mental health of animal care workers. Anthrozoos, 36, 489-508. doi: 10.1080/08927936.2023.2166712

Benjamin, S., Parsons, M., Apthorp, D., & Lykins, A. D. (2022). Why take the risk? Exploring the psychosocial determinants of floodwater driving. Frontiers in Psychology, 13: 913790. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913790

Sundaraja, C., Hine, D. W., Thorsteinsson, E. B., & Lykins, A. D. (2022). Purchasing products with sustainable palm oil: Designing and evaluating an online intervention for Australian consumers. Australian Journal of Environmental Education.

Parsons, M., & Lykins, A. D. (2023). Cultural worldviews and the perception of natural hazard risk in Australia. Environmental Hazards, 22, 29-50. doi: https://doi.org.10.1080/17477891.2022.2050668

Bennett, B., Cosh, S. M., Thepsourinthone, J., & Lykins, A. D. (2022). A mixed-methods assessment of human wellbeing related to the presence of companion animals during the COVID-19 pandemic. People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 5(1), article 5.

Ecker, S., & Lykins, A. D. (2021). “Voted Yes—What else can I do?” Individual coping with stigma-related stress during the Australian marriage equality debate. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. doi: 10.1037/sgd0000543

Allenden, N., Hine, D., Craig, B., McGreevy, P., & Lykins, A. D. (2022). What should we eat? Realistic solutions for reducing our food footprint. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 32, 541 – 549. doi: 10.1016/j.spc.2022.05.008

Cosh, S. M., Rice, K., Bartik, W., Jefferys, A., Hone, A., Murray, C., & Lykins, A. D. (2021). Acceptability and feasibility of telehealth as a training modality for trainee psychologist placements: A COVID-19 response study. Australian Psychologist. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00050067.2021.1968275

Sundaraja, C., Hine, D. W., Alex, A., Cosh, S. M., & Lykins, A. D. (2021). Can consumers do it all? An exploration of factors that influence the purchase of sustainable palm oil products. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 27, 223-242.

Sundaraja, C., Hine. D. W., & Lykins, A. D. (2021). Palm oil: Understanding barriers to sustainable consumption. PloS One, 16(8), e0254897

Morales, P. K., Roslan, H., Haas, A., & Lykins, A. D. (2021). Citizen science engagement: Lessons learned from the ClimateWatch “Scientist for a Day” program. Applied Environmental Education and Communication.

Thorsteinsson, E., Draper, A., & Lykins, A. D. (2020). To vaccinate or not: The relative impact of attitudes toward autism spectrum disorders and the ability to interpret scientific information on vaccination decisions. Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Sundaraja, C. S., Hine, D. W., & Lykins, A. D. (2020). Confronting the palm oil crisis: Identifying behaviors for targeted interventions.Environmental Science and Policy. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2019.08.004

Morandini, J., Spence, B., Dar-Nimrod, I., & Lykins, A. D. (2020). Do bisexuals have a bisexual viewing pattern? It depends on how you analyze your data. Archives of Sexual Behavior. doi: 0.1007/s10508-019-01514-y

Rahn, A., Jones, T., Bennett, C., & Lykins, A. D. (2020). Baby boomers’ attitudes to maintaining sexual and intimate relationships in long-term care. Australasian Journal on Ageing.

Rahn, A., Bennett, C., Jones, T., & Lykins, A. D. (2020). Happy partnered older adults’ relationship-enhancing behaviours. Australasian Journal on Ageing.

Ecker, S., & Lykins, A. D. (2019). Effects of short-term human-horse interactions on human heart rate variability: A multiple single case study. People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 2, 1-19.

Morandini, J., Veldre, A., Hsu, K., Bailey, J. M., Lykins, A. D., & Dar-Nimrod, I. (2019). Visual attention to sexual stimuli in mostly heterosexuals. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 48, 1371-1385. doi: 0.1007/s10508-019-1419-4

Walter, S., Lykins, A. D., & Graham, C. A. (2019). Relationship quality and perceived partner’s body appreciation is related to women’s own body appreciation and sexual function. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 45, 265-275. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2018.1518882

Parsons, M., & Lykins, A. D. (2017). Cultural worldviews and natural hazard risk perception: A pilot study of Australian adults. Proceedings of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and AFAC Conference, BNHCRC Report No. 305.2017, 306-315.

Rahn, A., Bennett, C., Jones, T., & Lykins, A. (2017). Couples’ Privacy in Residential Aged Care. In Digging for gold: Building success in ageing research: 16th National Conference of Emerging Researchers in Ageing Program & Proceedings (pp. 49-51). Perth, Australia: Curtin University.

Walton, M. T., Cantor, J. M., Bhullar, N., & Lykins, A. D. (2017). Hypersexuality: A critical review and introduction to the “Sexhavior Cycle.” Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46, 2231-2251. doi: 10.1007/s10508-017-0991-

Fazio, R. L., Dyshniku, F., Lykins, A. D., & Cantor, J. M. (2017). Leg length versus torso length in pedophilia: Further evidence of atypical physical development early in life. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 29, 500-514. doi: 10.1177/1079063215609936

Walton, M. T., Cantor, J. M., & Lykins, A. D. (2017). An online assessment of personality, psychological, and sexuality variables associated with self-reported hypersexual behavior. Archives of Sexual Behavior. doi: 10.1007/s10508-015-0606-1

Rahn, A., Jones, T., Bennett, C., & Lykins, A.D. (2016). Conflicting agendas: The politics of sex in aged care. Elder Law Review.

Clarke, M. J. H., Marks, A. D. G., & Lykins, A. D. (2016). Bridging the gap: The effect of gender normativity on differences in empathy and emotional intelligence. Journal of Gender Studies, 25, 522-539. doi: 10.1080/09589236.2015.1049246

Walton, M. T., Lykins, A. D., & Bhullar, N. (2016). Beyond heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual: A diversity in sexual identity expression. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45, 1591-1597. doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0778-3

Walton, M. T., Lykins, A. D., & Bhullar, N. (2016). Sexual arousal and sexual activity frequency: Implications for understanding hypersexuality. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45, 777-782. doi: 10.1007/s10508-016-0727-1

Gathercole, M., Lykins, A. D., & Dunstan, D. A. (2016). Identifying key pathways into sexual offending for juvenile offenders and exploring possible differences for the Aboriginal community. Sexual Abuse in Australia and New Zealand, 7, 18-30.

Jones, T., del Pozo de Bolger, A., Dune, T., Lykins, A. D., & Hawkes, G. (2015). Female-to-male (FtM) transgender people’s experiences in Australia: A national study. Springer: Dordrecht/Cham.

Dyshniku, F., Murray, M. E., Fazio, R. L., Lykins, A. D., & Cantor, J. M. (2015). Minor physical anomalies as a window into the prenatal origins of pedophilia. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44, 2151-2159. doi: 10.1007/s10508-015-0564-7

Ellis, L., Lykins, A. D., & Ratnasingam, M. (2015). Putative androgen exposure and sexual orientation: Cross-cultural evidence points to a modified neurohormonal theory. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 12, 2364-2377 doi: 10.1111/jsm.13070

Clarke, M. J. H., Marks, A. D. G., & Lykins, A. D. (2015). Effects of gender group norms on the endorsement of same-sex attraction, behavior, and identity. Journal of Bisexuality, 15, 319-345. doi:10.1080/15299716.2015.1050537

del Pozo, A., Jones, T., Dunstan, D., & Lykins, A. D. (2015). Australian Trans Men: Development, sexuality, and mental health. Australian Psychologist, 49, 395 – 402. doi: 10.1111/ap.12094

Lykins, A. D., Robinson, J. J., LeBlanc, S., & Cantor, J. M. (2015). The effects of common medications on volumetric phallometry. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 21, 385-393. doi: 10.1080/13552600.2014.

Clarke, M. J., Marks, A. D. G., & Lykins, A. D. (2015). Effect of normative masculinity on males’ dysfunctional sexual beliefs, sexual attitudes and perceptions of sexual functioning. Journal of Sex Research, 52, 327-337. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2013.860072

Lykins, A. D. & Hucker, S. (2014). Treatment of sexual masochism. In W. O’Donohue (Ed.), Case studies in sexual deviance: Toward evidence based practice. Routledge: New York.

Fazio, R., Lykins, A. D., & Cantor, J. M. (2014). Elevated rates of atypical-handedness in pedophilia: Theory and implications. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 19, 690-704. doi: 10.1080/1357650X.2014.898648

Anandan, A., Kirby, S., Lykins, A. D., & Graham, C. A. (2014). Predictors of intentions to have pelvic examinations among a U.K. sample of young Asian and non-Asian women. International Journal of Sexual Health, 26, 258-267. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2014.885923

Spokes, T., Hine, D. W., Quain, P., Marks, A. D. G., & Lykins, A. D. (2014). Arousal, working memory capacity, and sexual decision-making in men. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 335-350. doi: 10.1007/s10508-014-0277-3

Lykins, A. D., & Cantor, J. M. (2014). Vorarephilia: A case study in masochism and erotic consumption. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43, 181-186. doi: 10.1007/s10508-013-0185-

Lykins, A. D., Ferris, T., & Graham, C. A. (2014). Body region dissatisfaction predicts attention to body regions on other women. Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 11, 404-408. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.05.003

Bossio, J., Spape, J, Lykins, A. D., & Chivers, M. L. (2014). Observational stance as a predictor of subjective and genital sexual arousal in men and women. Journal of Sex Research, 51, 303-315. doi: 10:1080/00224499.2012.729276

Cantor, J. M., Klein, C., Lykins, A. D., Rullo, J. E., Thaler, L., Walling, B. R. (2013). A treatment-oriented typology of self-identified hypersexuality referrals. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 42, 883-893. doi: 10.1007/s10508-013-0085-1

Ellis, L., & Lykins, A. D. (2013). 2D:4D, sexual orientation, and east versus west: Maybe it’s true that the twain shall never meet (on average). Mankind Quarterly, 54, 115-150.

Lykins, A. D., Janssen, E., Newhouse, S., Heiman, J., & Rafaeli, E. (2012). The effects of similarity in sexual excitation, inhibition and mood on sexual arousal problems and sexual satisfaction in newlywed couples. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9, 1360-1366. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02698.x

Lykins, A. D., Cantor, J. M., Kuban, M. E., Blak, T., Dickey, R., Klassen, P. E., & Blanchard, R. (2010). Sexual arousal to female children in gynephilic men. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 22, 279-289. doi: 10.1177/1079063210372141

Lykins, A. D., Meana, M., & Minimi, J. (2010). Visual attention to erotic images in women reporting pain with intercourse. Journal of Sex Research, 48, 43-52. doi: 10.1080/00224490903556374

Lykins, A. D., Cantor, J. M., Kuban, M. E., Blak, T., Dickey, R., & Klassen, P. E., & Blanchard, R. (2010). The relation between peak response magnitudes and agreement in diagnoses obtained from two different phallometric tests for pedophilia. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 22, 42-57. doi: 10.1177/1079063209352094

Blanchard, R., Lykins, A. D., Wherrett, D., Kuban, M. E., Cantor, J. M., Blak, T., Dickey, R., & Klassen, P. E. (2009). Pedophilia, hebephilia, and the DSM-V. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 335-350. doi: 10.1007/s10508-008-9399-9

Meana, M., & Lykins, A. D. (2009). Negative affect and somatically focused anxiety in young women reporting pain during intercourse. Journal of Sex Research, 46, 1-9. doi: 10.1080/00224490802624422

Lykins, A. D., Meana, M., & Strauss, G. P. (2008). Sex differences in visual attention to erotic and non-erotic stimuli. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37, 219-228. doi: 10.1007/s10508-007-9208-x

Lykins, A. D., Meana, M., & Kambe, G. (2006). Detection of differential viewing patterns to erotic and non-erotic stimuli using eye-tracking methodology. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 569-575. doi: 10.1007/s10508-006-9065-z

Lykins, A. D., Janssen, E. J., & Graham, C. A. (2006). The relationship between negative mood and sexuality in heterosexual college women and men.  Journal of Sex Research, 43, 136-143. doi: 10.1080/00224490609552308

Meana, M., Rakipi, R. S., Weeks, G., & Lykins, A. D. (2006).  Sexual functioning in a non-clinical sample of partnered lesbians. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy, 5, 1-22. doi: 10.1300/J398v05n02_01

Lykins, A. D., & Meana, M. (2004). [Review of the book The science of romance: Secrets of the sexual brain], Archives of Sexual Behavior, 33, 515-516

Memberships

  • Mental Health and Climate Change Research Network (Full Member)
  • Manna Institute (Senior Researcher)
  • Planetary Limits Academic Network (Full Member)
  • American Psychological Association (Full Member)
  • American Psychological Association’s Division 34—Society for Environment, Population, and Conservation Psychology (Full Member)