Meet the 2020 Interest Group Award Winners

Thesis title: The implications of psychological inflexibility on difficulty discarding in hoarding disorder: A structural equation modelling approach.

Dr Eppingstall developed a novel acceptance-based emotion regulation psychological model for hoarding disorder and tests the central process of difficulty discarding using structural equation modelling. Findings contribute to the understanding of the difficulty discarding process from a psychological inflexibility perspective and offers new strategies to improve treatment outcomes. She has published her proposed treatment protocol in the Australian Psychologist and continues to research, treat, educate, and train those on the clutter spectrum.

Erin recently completed her Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology at Monash University and works as a school psychologist. Erin’s background as a secondary teacher for 15 years provided her with an interest in student wellbeing and belonging. Inevitably, when students were required to learn online during the COVID-19 pandemic, Erin was curious about how social connection and a sense of learning community would impact their experience.

The results of Erin’s research indicated that online learning environments which facilitated the development of social relationships and harmonious, inclusive learning environments were vital to meeting the needs of university students and providing satisfying learning experiences. Erin is hopeful that this research will encourage universities to create strong learning communities and facilitate opportunities for social connection for their online students. Erin is grateful for this award and is looking forward to contribute as a new member of the Psychologists for Peace Interest Group.

Suzanne Cory High School:

Yuvani Thanawala

Jenny Tran

Charlie Vu

Esha Bhatia

Shimara Jayasinghe

Lakshani Obesekera Herathge

Jyotsna Ganesan

The Youth for Peace Project Award encourages and recognises innovative group projects that address current social issues around peace and conflict using psychological knowledge or strategies. 

The 2020 Award focus was ‘The Climate Crisis’.

The winning team of seven 16–17 year old students from Suzanne Cory High School’s Environmental Group, Ecocore, developed a campaign directed at a target audience of children and youth aged 10–18 years. They researched the topics of the climate crisis and social media messaging.

The team created a YouTube video, a familiar and widely used platform for their chosen demographic. In the video, they used several specific techniques directly targeted to teenagers to influence them to become more engaged with the award focus: the climate crisis. Their pitch directly acknowledges the reality of climate anxiety, and how teenagers often distract themselves from thinking about it by immersing themselves in social media, but provides a strong message to encourage young people to take action and take control, for the sake of humanity. It achieves this in part through discussing cognitive dissonance, and also through effective use of humour.