APS Member Groups
Psychologists for Peace
Peace Project Award
Winner of the 2023 Peace Project Award announced
Congratulations to Freya Wrigley for her Honours thesis Racial Microaggressions Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Mental Health Workers in Australia: A Qualitative Study. Freya completed their thesis at Cairnmillar Institute supervised by Dr Joanne Brooker.
Thesis abstract:
Understanding mental health workers’ experiences of subtle racism in the workplace is critical for improving racial and cultural inclusivity. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of racial microaggressions among racial and ethnic minority mental health workers in the Australian workplace. The ten participants included six psychologists, three mental health support workers, and one social worker. Participants’ racial and ethnic background were East Asian, South Asian, South-East Asian, Central American, or South American. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: (1) the mental and emotional labour of racial microaggressions, (2) prioritising the therapeutic alliance following a racial microaggression, (3) navigating culturally White work contexts with limited support, and (4) processing workplace racial microaggressions in safer spaces. The cumulative effect of racial microaggressions within and outside the work context contributed to participants’ fatigue and desensitisation to racial microaggressions. Participants expended cognitive and emotional resources when navigating culturally White workplaces and racial microaggressions from clients, colleagues, and supervisors. Generally, workplaces were unsupportive of participants, with limited conversations or training on managing discrimination from clients. These findings highlight that workplaces need to provide training, allyship, and support processes to reduce the burden of dealing with microaggressions experienced by racial and ethnic minority workers. Greater representation of racial and ethnic minorities within the workplace, particularly in leadership positions, may promote greater workplace safety and inclusion. Future research could validate interventions for addressing microaggressions in therapy and mental health workplaces in the Australian context.
The APS Psychologists for Peace "Peace Project Award" is for students in Honours and Masters level psychology degrees who may soon be completing their thesis research which could qualify for the award. Submissions are due on 29th November via this link.
Eligibility
The Award is made annually to a student enrolled in an accredited fourth year psychology program or Masters by coursework psychology program who has conducted a research project on a peace-related topic.
Value
The Award is typically for $500 in recognition of high calibre research and to encourage dissemination of the research findings. If there are projects of sufficient merit, more than one award may be made depending on yearly funding. If no entry is worthy of the Award, no winner shall be chosen.
Criteria for the award
Projects will be judged on their scientific merit and their potential contribution to theory or practice in:
- the peaceful resolution of conflict;
- understanding and preventing aggressive behaviour
- the fostering of harmonious relationships whether at global, inter-group or interpersonal levels.
For more details on the award, including applications, click here.
Previous Peace Project Award Winners
2022
Emily Haines
“Their Win Is Our Loss”: Examining Whether Framing Utopian Thinking and Collective Narcissism Influence Support for Racial Equality
Honours thesis - Flinders University (supervisors Professor Emma Thomas and Dr Morgana Lizzio-Wilson)
Emily’s honours thesis researched how imagining an ideal, positive future world (i.e., utopian thinking) may bring about racial equality between People of Colour and White people. Emily’s thesis offers a novel paradigm (utopian thinking) and adopts experimental methods to explore framing utopian thinking as a possible strategy to increase White people’s willingness to advocate for racial justice and reduce their support for movements and ideologies which reinforce inequality (e.g., support for White rights). Of course, one barrier for acting in solidarity with People of Colour is White people’s experience of threat in anticipation of changes to their power and privilege within society. Therefore, Emily’s research considers the role of a positive, imagined future (i.e., a utopian society) in which equality is achieved but without White people 'giving up' their privilege, as a means of engaging advantaged group members without eliciting threat. Indeed, the findings supported that framing an imagined future in terms of gains for People of Colour not being contingent on losses to White people, increased White people’s willingness to engage in collective action in support of racial equality. The results indicated that framing imagined future worlds in terms of achieving equality for People of Colour without any losses to White people’s privilege, and utopian thinking as a method, may assist us to move towards racial equality.
Emily is currently preparing a paper for publication as a means of disseminating the findings of her thesis, including seeking to replicate and extend these findings. Emily also aims to apply for a PhD and continue this line of research on promoting harmonious relationships at the intergroup level.
2021
Kimberley Bates
Immigrants' Willingness to Report Victimisation to Police: The Importance of Procedural Justice, Police Effectiveness and Trust in Police
Honours thesis - Griffith University (supervisor Professor Kristina Murphy)
Kimberley’s Honours thesis title was: ‘Immigrants’ willingness to report victimisation to police’. Her project was ambitious and involved two studies: Study 1 used survey data collected from ethnic minority immigrants who had experienced criminal victimisation in Australia. The study explored the link between how police were perceived to treat immigrant victims in Australia and victims’ subsequent willingness to trust and report their victimisation to police. Findings showed that when police were perceived as more respectful, displayed empathy, and were neutral in their dealings with victims this had a strong positive effect on victims’ willingness to trust police and report their victimisation. Study 2 involved interviewing victim support workers about how they believed police could work more harmoniously with immigrants who had experienced victimisation. Again, relationship-building and respect were highlighted as crucial to this goal.
2020
Erin Geary
Online Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Does Social Connectedness and Learning Community Predict Self-Determined Needs and Course Satisfaction?
Masters thesis - Monash University (supervisor Dr Kelly-Ann Allen)
2019
Ariane Virgona
A comparison of the impacts of cultural ideologies on personal wellbeing: An Australian study of polyculturalism
Honours thesis - La Trobe University (supervisor Professor Emiko Kashima)
In contrast to a multicultural conceptualisation of cultural groups as separate and independent entities having fixed attributes, polyculturalism assumes cultural groups to have flexible boundaries and shared attributes as they interact and influence each other over time.
Ariane's study looked at how the cultural ideologies of multiculturalism, colourblindness and polyculturalism impacted psychological wellbeing in an Australian sample. Results found that polyculturalism was the only ideology to be significantly associated with wellbeing outcomes through increased empathy for other cultural groups and increased quality of contact. Additionally, polyculturalism was associated with decreased clarity in one’s cultural identity. These findings indicate that polyculturalism potentially has both positive and negative implications for endorsers' psychological wellbeing and this warrants further investigation. Ariane is continuing this research currently in a PhD at La Trobe University.
For further elaboration on these concepts, please see Ariane's interview on SBS Filipino Radio: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/an-inclusive-australia-looking-into-polyculturalism
2018
Michael Dare
Social Groups and Superordinate Identification: Preserving Pro-sociality in the Face of Inequality
Honours thesis - University of Queensland (supervisor Professor Jolanda Jetten)
2017
Award rested
2016
Maddison Norton
Community Understandings of humanitarian entrants: An investigation of Coffs Harbour
Honours thesis - Southern Cross University (supervisor Dr Gail Moloney)
2015
Emma Mabin
The Effects of Mitigating Information and Ruminative versus Empathic Group Discussions of Aggression
Honours thesis - University of New South Wales (supervisor Professor Tom Denson)
Fatima Azam
Predictors of Approach/Avoidance of Diversity in Non-Muslims: A Hijab Stall Field Test
Honours thesis - University of Newcastle (supervisor Dr Stefania Paolini)
2014
Alison Clarke
Sacred Devotion through Social Interaction: Group-based Values and Psychological Pathways to Political Activism and Radicalism
Honours thesis - Murdoch University (supervisor Dr Emma Thomas)
Benjamin Low
Being ‘Here First” Determines “What’s Fair” for Immigrants
Honours thesis - University of Queensland (supervisor Professor Matthew Hornsey)
2013
Alissa Badcock
The Role of Rumination in the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Forgiveness: A Trait and State-Level Investigation
Honours thesis - La Trobe University (supervisor Professor Eleanor Wertheim)
2012
Alexia Naef
Visual Markers and Social perceptions of religious groups
Postgraduate Diploma thesis - Southern Cross University (supervisor Dr Gail Moloney)
2011
Lisa Yu
The Dark Side of Self-control: Can Self-control Training Decrease and Increase Aggressive Behaviour?Honours thesis - University of New South Wales (supervisor Dr Tom Denson)
2010
Miriam Capper
Practicing Self-Control Decreases Reactive Aggression in Aggressive Individuals
Honours thesis - University of New South Wales (supervisor Dr Tom Denson)
Rishani Panawennage
Intergroup Forgiveness after the Prolonged Conflict in a Sri Lankan Sample
Honours thesis - La Trobe University (supervisor Professor Eleanor Wertheim)
2009
Joanne Frare
Patriotism or Nationalism: Investigating Australian National Identity and Flag Display Behaviour
Honours thesis - Southern Cross University (supervisor Dr Gail Moloney)
Tim Howle
The Differential Impact of Ethnic Threat and Ecological Threat on Ethnocentrism and Prejudice
Honours thesis - Australia National University (supervisor Dr. Boris Bizumic)
2008
Irene Giaprakis
The contribution of emotional intelligence and its components in the prediction of forgiveness
Honours thesis - La Trobe University (supervisor Professor Eleanor Wertheim)
2007
Award rested
2006
Peggy Koutsos
Paths to interpersonal forgiveness: The role of personality, dispositional forgiveness and situational forgiveness
Postgraduate Diploma thesis - La Trobe University (supervisor Professor Eleanor Wertheim)
2005
Luisa Rossi
The Relationship between Language Skills and Outcomes of the PATHS Curriculum
University of Western Australia
2004
Award rested
2003
Andreia Azevedo
Adolescents’ value orientations and preferred strategies for resolving disagreements involving different student groups
Honours thesis - La Trobe University
2002
Helena Culbertson
Ashley Carl
2001
Jackie Bornstein
University of Melbourne
Anne Matuszek
University of Tasmania
2000
Elizabeth Le Clercq
1999
Andrew Hamilton
University of Melbourne
Albert Dinelli
1998
Michelle Fleming
Michael Virgen
1997
Adina Kotler
Tamara Noy
Heather Siddons
Brianna Harrison
Janet Ruffles
1996
Therese Meallin
Michelle Versluys
1995
Tony Pastore
Lana Strogonow
Kimberley’s Honours thesis title was: ‘Immigrants’ willingness to report victimisation to police’. Her project was ambitious and involved two studies: Study 1 used survey data collected from ethnic minority immigrants who had experienced criminal victimisation in Australia. The study explored the link between how police were perceived to treat immigrant victims in Australia and victims’ subsequent willingness to trust and report their victimisation to police. Findings showed that when police were perceived as more respectful, displayed empathy, and were neutral in their dealings with victims this had a strong positive effect on victims’ willingness to trust police and report their victimisation. Study 2 involved interviewing victim support workers about how they believed police could work more harmoniously with immigrants who had experienced victimisation. Again, relationship-building and respect were highlighted as crucial to this goal.
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