Fiona May Cram

Ngāti Kahungunu

1962 -

Fiona Cram was born in Gisborne and attended Mangapapa Primary School, Ilminster Intermediate and Lytton High School. She continued her studies at the University of Otago from 1980-90 and graduated with BA in Psychology in 1983, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychology in 1985, and a PhD in Social and Development Psychology in 1990. In 1990 she was appointed Lecturer in Social Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Auckland. She has been a visiting Research Fellow at the International Research Institute for Māori and Indigenous Education at the University of Auckland, and Visiting Research Fellow at Te Rōpu Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare, Wellington School of Medicine. In 1996 she became a member of the Māori Health Committee and since 1995 has been a member of the Public Health Research Committee and the Health Research Council. In July 1998 she was appointed to the Health Research Council. Cram researches areas of Māori health, including discourses of Māori health, mental health, whānau health, social and economic wellbeing, unemployment and iwi development. She has been investigator and principal investigator for a number of research projects. From 1997-99 she was the Eru Pomare Māori Health Research Fellow funded by the Health Research Council. She writes and publishes non-fiction articles and also has written unpublished fiction. Her specialist areas are social psychology and applied social psychology, particularly Māori-Pakeha relations and gender relations.

Biographical sources

  • Correspondence and phone conversation with Fiona Cram, June 1993, and 14 August 1998.

    Non-fiction

  • "Complementary and Antagonistic Intergroup Differentiations by New Zealand Nurses." New Zealand Journal of Psychology 15 (1986): 68-77.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng and Fiona Cram. The authors provide a detailed account of research conducted in 1985 on two groups of New Zealand nurses (polytechnic-trained comprehensive nurses and hospital-trained nurses) to assess complementary and antagonistic intergroup differentiations. An earlier version of this paper was read at the 1986 Annual Meeting Of Australian Social Psychologists.
  • "Biases and Equity in Reward Allocation Decisions." Issues in Intergroup Behaviour. Ed. Sik Hung Ng. Wellington, N.Z.: Social Sciences Research Fund Committee, 1987. 23-31.
  • Co-authors Fiona Cram and Sik Hung Ng. Proceedings of a symposium from the 1986 New Zealand Psychological Society Conference. The authors record the results of two experiments examining issues of bias and equity exhibited in intergroup situations with the added variable of status.
  • "Differentiation Between Social Groups." Issues in Intergroup Behaviour. Ed. Sik Hung Ng. Wellington, N.Z.: Social Sciences Research Fund Committee, 1987. 47-61.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng, Greg Tims and Fiona Cram. This is a report of two experiments conducted by the authors “to examine the responsiveness of intergroup differentiation to situational variables.” The authors state, “[w]e concentrated on the variable of situational majority/minority and examined its effects on groups which, as a result of social change, developed a defensive-offensive intergroup relation.”
  • "Polarization of Ingroup Bias in Secure and Insecure Groups." The Journal of Social Psychology 127.6 (1987): 589-594.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng and Fiona Cram. In this study of ingroup bias resulting from the division of individuals into groups, Ng and Cram note that earlier research has been conducted using individual private evaluations as opposed to group interaction. Ng and Cram draw on groups of New Zealand high school students to “[examine] the effects of group discussion and intergroup interaction on the biases of secure and insecure group members.” Ng and Cram discovered that “the bias scores of secure group members were unchanged by discussion or intergroup interaction; whereas those of insecure group members tended to be polarised by the discussion and later depolarized by the intergroup interaction.”
  • Fairness and Biases in Intergroup Relations: A Study on Reward Allocation and Intergroup Differentiation: Final Report submitted to the SSFRC, February, 1987. Dunedin, N.Z.: Psychology Department, U of Otago, 1987.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng and Fiona Cram. The authors state in their Preface that they draw on the theories of equity and social identity to “[test] for equity and bias in variously structured experimental groups assigned to make monetary allocations. We later incorporated group polarization theory and extended the experimental research to a survey of two nurse groups. In the course of our research, which spanned over three years, we examined (1) the experimental effects of performance, group membership, status, group decision making, offensive and defensive opinion groups, and situational majority and minority; as well as - in the nurse survey - (2) complementary and antagonistic intergroup differentiations, pay relativity, job satisfaction, and various other aspects of nursing career as perceived by the two nurse groups.” This final report was submitted to the New Zealand Social Sciences Research Fund Committee.
  • "Differentiation Between Social Groups." Issues In Intergroup Behaviour. Proceedings Of A Symposium For The 1986 New Zealand Psychological Society Conference. Ed. S. H. Ng. Wellington, N.Z.: Social Sciences Research Fund Committee, 1987. No further details.
  • Co-authors S. H. Ng, G. Tims and F. Cram.
  • "Biases and Equity in Reward Allocation Decisions." Issues In Intergroup Behaviour. Proceedings Of A Symposium For The 1986 New Zealand Psychological Society Conference. Ed. S. H. Ng. Wellington, N.Z.: Social Sciences Research Fund Committee, 1987. No further details.
  • Co-authors Fiona Cram and Sik Hung Ng. Proceedings of a symposium from the 1986 New Zealand Psychological Society Conference. The authors record the results of two experiments examining issues of bias and equity exhibited in intergroup situations with the added variable of status.
  • "Intergroup Bias by Defensive and Offensive Groups in Majority and Minority Conditions." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 55 (1988): 749-757.
  • Co-authors S. H. Ng and F. Cram.
  • "Hospital- and Technical Institute-Trained Nurses." New Zealand Nursing Journal 3 (1988): 23-28.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng, Fiona Cram and Alison Dixon. The authors report on a survey they conducted on technical institute-trained comprehensive staff nurses and hospital-trained general (general/obstetric) staff nurses who practised in two public hospitals in a South Island city. The survey was conducted in order to assess similarities and differences between the two groups.
  • "Job Satisfaction and Job Withdrawal among Staff Nurses in Public Hospitals: A Longitudinal Study." An interim report presented to the Department of Health, Wellington, N.Z., 1988.
  • Co-authors S. H. Ng, F. Cram and L. Jenkins.
  • Job Satisfaction And Job Attrition Among Staff Nurses In Public Hhospitals: A Longitudinal Study: A Final Report Prepared For The Department Of Health, Wellington December 1988. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Health, 1988.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng, Fiona Cram and Lesley Jenkins. The authors present a detailed report of their study of job satisfaction and job attrition of 1249 staff nurses working in New Zealand public hospitals in 1988.
  • Job Satisfaction and Job Withdrawal among Staff Nurses in Public Hospitals: A Longitudinal Study. An Interim Report Presented to the Department of Health. Dept. of Health, Wellington, N.Z., 1988.
  • Co-authors S. H. Ng, F. Cram and L. Jenkins.
  • "Children’s Endorsement of Ownership Attributes." Journal of Economic Psychology 10 (1989): 63-75.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and S. H. Ng.
  • "Bicultural Initiatives within the Department of Psychology." Developing department structures to better reflect the needs of Māori students.A report arising out of a HERO workshop, 25 May 1990, Waipapa Marae, University of Auckland, N.Z., 1990. No details.
  • "A Proportional Hazards Regression Analysis of Employee Turnover Among Nurses in New Zealand." Human Relations 44.12 (1991): 1313-1330.
  • Co-authors Sik Hung Ng, Fiona Cram and Lesley Jenkins. The writers discuss their research on employee turnover amongst staff nurses at nineteen New Zealand hospital/area health boards. While acknowledging previous research on employee turnover which has focused on predictor-driven research, the authors argue that job survival duration is also an important component in the criteria variable, and they demonstrate why they favour the proportional hazards regression in favour of multiple regression procedure.
  • "Personal Possession and Environmental Control: The Experiences of Elderly Women in Three Residential Settings." Journal of Woman and Aging 4.2 (1992): 61-78.
  • Co-authors Helen Paton and Fiona Cram.
  • "Economic Socialization: Cognitive-Developmental and Cross-Cultural Perspectives." Proceedings of 22nd International Congress of Applied Psychology, Volume 1: Organizational and Work Psychology. Ed. J. Misumi, B. Wilpert & H. Motoaki. Hove, U.K.: Lawrence Erlbaums, 1992. 239-244.
  • Co-authors S. H. Ng, A. S. Bombi, A. Cacciamani, F. Cram, S. Lau, A. Pieramico, S. Roker, G. Sevon and P. Webley.
  • Nurses and Their Work. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Health, 1992.
  • Co-authors S. H. Ng, L. Jenkins and A. Dixon and F. Cram.
  • "Personal Possession and Self-Identity: The Experiences of Elderly Women in Three Residential Settings." Australian Journal of Ageing 12.1 (1993): 19-24.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and H. Paton. Cram and Paton provide the results of a study they conducted on the relationship between personal possessions and the self-identity of elderly women in three different living situations: their own homes, residential units and nursing homes. In their interviews with 30 elderly Pakeha women, the writers discovered five themes emerging from the women’s responses to treasured possessions: possessions triggered memories of people, memories as gifts, memories of time or place, memories of creator, and possessions perceived as part of self. The writers conclude that with the decline of physical abilities and social network changes accompanying old age, possessions have an important role to play in focusing on the past and validating a sense of self.
  • "Towards a Psychology for Aotearoa." New Zealand Psychological Society Bulletin. Ed. F. Cram and R. Nairn. 1993. No details.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and T. McCreanor. Special Issue of the Treaty of Waitangi and Bicultural Issues for Psychologists.
  • "Giving and Receiving." New Zealand Herald 15 Dec. 1993: 8.
  • "Consumer Socialisation." Applied Psychology.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and S. H. Ng. In press.
  • New Zealand Psychological Society Bulletin, March. Special Issue on the Treaty of Waitangi and Bicultural Issues for Psychologists. 1993. No details.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and R Nairn,
  • "Towards a Psychology for Aotearoa." New Zealand Psychological Society Bulletin. Special Issue on the Treaty of Waitangi and Bicultural Issues for Psychologists. March 1993. No details.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and T. McCreanor.
  • "Children’s Understanding of Public Ownership." European Journal of Social Psychology 24 (1994): 469-480.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and S. H. Ng.
  • "On Knowing." Te Pua 3.1 (1994): 21-24.
  • Cram writes of her journey of emerging identity as a Māori woman who was "raised as a white", "proudly" accepting the truth of being a "born-again" Māori, and grateful that her rebirth was assisted by "caring people".
  • "On Knowing." Mana: The Māori magazine for all New Zealanders 5 (1994): 82-83. Rpt. in Te Pua: Māori Women Writer’s Journal 1994. No details.
  • "Ethics in Māori Research. Proceedings of the Bicultural Issues Symposium at the 1993 New Zealand Psychological Society Conference". Doing Gender. Vol. 1. Ed. F. Cram. Auckland, N.Z.: Department of Psychology, U of Auckland, N.Z., 1994.
  • "Marine Reserves in New Zealand: A Survey of Community Reactions." Ocean & Coastal Management 25 (1995): 31-51.
  • Co-authors J. Wolfenden, F. Cram and B. Kirkwood.
  • Bullying at School: A Manukau North Special Education Service Survey of School Students. Wellington, N.Z.: Special Education Services, 1995.
  • Co-authors F. Cram, L. Doherty and T. Pocock.
  • "Child Witnesses to Violence: Risks Associated with Exposure to Violence and Implications for Supervised Access." Waikato Law Review 4 (Special Edition 1996). No further details. Rpt. as "Children of Battered Women." www2.waikato.ac.nz/law/wlr/special_1996/ 10 April 2008
  • Co-authors T. Pocock and F. Cram.
  • "Young People’s Understanding of Private and Public Ownership: Descriptive and Experimental Studies." Economic Socialisation: The Economic Beliefs and Behaviours of Young People. Eds. A. Furnham & R. Lunt. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 1996. 110-129.
  • Co-authors F. Cram, S.H. Ng and N. Jhaveri.
  • "Foetus and Embryo Research." Bioethics Research Centre Summer Seminar 1966 . Ed. J. McMillan & K. Hall. Dunedin, N.Z.: U of Otago P, 1996. 43-45.
  • "Born Again Māori a Sign that Some Light Begins to Shine in Dull Pakeha Closets." New Zealand Herald 13 Dec. 1996: A13.
  • "Memorywork and Māori Health Research: Discussion of a Qualitative Method." He Pukenga Kōrero 3 (1997): 37-45.
  • Co-authors F. Cram, V. Keefe, C. Ormsby and W. Ormsby.
  • "Developing Partnerships in Research: Māori Research and Pākehā Researchers." Sites 35 (1997): 44-63.
  • "Children: Hidden Victims of Violence Against Women." Psychology And Family Law. Ed. F. Seymour and M. E. Pipe. Dunedin, N.Z.: U of Otago P, 1997: 67-82.
  • Co-authors T. Pocock and F. Cram.
  • "Destigmatisation Project: Community Attitudes Towards People with Mental Illness. Stage 1: Pre-research with Māori." Ministry of Health, Wellington, N.Z.: Eru Pōmare Māori Health Research Centre, 1997.
  • Co-authors P. Reid, F. Cram and A. Panapa. Prepared for John Boyd, Ministry of Health.
  • "Destigmatisation Project: Community Attitudes Towards People with Mental Illness. Stage 2: Pre-testing with Māori." Ministry of Health, Wellington, N.Z.: Eru Pōmare Māori Health Research Centre, 1997.
  • Co-authors F. Cram, P. Reid and V. Keefe. Prepared for John Boyd, Ministry of Health
  • An Evaluation of Māori Family Violence Programmes. Commissioned by Te Puni Kōkiri, Wellington, N.Z. Prepared in conjunction with the James Henare Māori Research Centre, U of Auckland, N.Z., 1997.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and S. Pitama.
  • An Evaluation of the Community Panel Diversion Pilot Project. Commissioned by the Crime Prevention Unit, Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Wellington, N.Z., 1997.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and L. T. Smith.
  • "Ko Tōku Whānau, Ko Tōku Mana." The Family In Aotearoa New Zealand. Ed. V. Adair and R. Dixon. Auckland, N.Z.: Addison Wesley Longman, 1998: 130-157.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and S. Pitman.
  • Social, Cultural and Economic Determinants of Health. Paper prepared for the National Health and Disability Services Committee, March, 1998.
  • Co-authors P. Howden-Chapman and F. Cram.
  • He Oranga Poutama. Second Year Evaluation Report. Commissioned by Te Puni Kokiri, 1998.
  • Co-authors F. Cram and S. Pitama