Psychology Honours students turn research into impactful stories

Gabriel Cleur

Thesis title: Athletic Identity and Thriving in Professional Football: An Australian Perspective

“As a former professional footballer, my lived experience was a key motivation for this project. I was particularly interested in athletic identity and thriving because I could recognise aspects of both in my own experience of professional football,” said Gabriel who used to play for Western Sydney Wanderers.

“I wanted to explore these constructs more deeply through research, with the hope that the findings could have practical applications for supporting players’ wellbeing and performance.”

With the assistance of the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), the representative body for professional footballers in Australia, Gabriel distributed a quantitative survey to eligible male and female players.

He said the findings brought up mixed emotions for him.

“I wasn’t surprised that negative affectivity (the tendency to respond more negatively when performance or the athlete role is threatened) was associated with lower thriving, but I was surprised that it was the only significant finding. This suggests that how athletes experience their identity may matter more than simply how strongly they identify as an athlete.”

Gabriel has been studying online with Southern Cross University since 2019 when he started a Bachelor of Psychology Science.

“For my Honours project, having supervisors across both psychology and sport and exercise science was especially valuable which was a unique opportunity Southern Cross University provided,” he said.

Gabriel’s career goal is to become a registered psychologist, with the longer-term aspiration of gaining clinical endorsement.

Hannah Campbell 

Thesis title: Meaning in the Middle: Controlling for climate concern, does meaning mediate the relationship between climate action and wellbeing?

Hannah’s brother started the charity organisation Footy For Climate after the 2020 Black Summer fires impacted the playing season. This experience caused her to reflect on how deeply both of them were affected by a fear for the climate.

“In the face of impending environmental collapse, everyone responds differently,” said Hannah who attends the University’s Gold Coast campus.

“I am very drawn to existential problems and concepts, and climate change is the existential problem of our age – literally and also philosophically. Meaning and purpose are existential ideas that force us to ask, ‘What is this all for?’ and ‘What can I do about it?’”

The results of an anonymous online survey revealed that being a member of a climate action organisation delivered both benefits and costs to mental wellbeing.

“On one hand, if you’re into climate action, you’ll be more likely to experience climate worry, which can impact your wellbeing in a negative way,” said Hannah.

“On the other hand and interestingly, you’re also more likely to have higher meaning in life, which has a stronger positive impact on your wellbeing. Meaning in life can help to counter the effects of climate concern, and guess what? Climate action is a meaningful way to cope!”

Hannah ultimately wants to become a professional psychologist.

“I also would love to do a PhD and further my knowledge of the application of existential psychology in practice.”

Jodie Griffiths

Thesis title: Dips Before Dawn: The Lived Experience of a Shared Ocean Dipping Ritual and its Meaning for Wellbeing

Jodie lives in Perth where, until recently, she was an active member of an ocean plunge group called the Shadow Dippers.

“The experience profoundly supported my own mental wellbeing,” said Jodie who is studying online. “This personal connection sparked my interest in understanding the practice of more deeply and motivated me to explore how others experienced and made meaning of this shared ritual.”

She conducted in-depth, one-on-one interviews with Shadow Dippers members about their experience of the ritual and what it meant to them.

“I discovered that ocean dipping was far more than cold water. Participants described deep connection, shared ritual, challenge, belonging and meaningful change. Over time, dipping reshaped how they saw themselves and how their days unfolded, becoming a valued practice that supported wellbeing and personal transformation.”

Jodie said she wasn’t surprised by the strong themes of belonging and transformation.

“However, I expected more emphasis on how difficult the cold water was, but participants rarely framed it as hardship. Instead, the challenge became part of the reward, something they actively embraced rather than endured.”

Jodie intends to continue pursuing qualifications.

“Having worked in the WA justice system for 30 years, my goal is to become a registered psychologist and continue working in forensic and justice‑focused practice,” she said.

“I want to build on my experience delivering trauma‑informed, culturally safe therapeutic support to offenders, and contribute to rehabilitation, wellbeing and reduced recidivism within the criminal justice system.”

Laura Millhouse

Thesis title: Abracadabra! I Create as I Speak: A Phenomenological Exploration of Humans in Companion Relationships with AI

Laura is clear on her career path.

“My goal is to become a leader in the cyberpsychology space in Australia, contributing at multiple levels of industry and supporting people as technology becomes an increasingly intimate part of how we live and relate to each other.”

She is fascinated by how humans live in a digital world.

“I believe it's our responsibility as psychologists, students and researchers to engage with emerging phenomena that are shaping people's day-to-day lives, and I can't think of a subject more urgent, or more rapidly evolving, than AI right now.”

Laura conducted an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, engaging with a small number of people to understand their experiences using an in-depth interview.

Five experiential themes emerged, she said.

“Together these themes trace an experience that moves from relief, a break from the pressures of human social interaction, the AI being experienced as a distinct 'other,' then toward a real sense of responsibility, ethical power navigation and ultimately a reorganising of what participants understood a mind, a human, or an artificial being to be.”

Laura said participants reflected genuinely “on themselves, on society and on what we as humans owe to each other and to another intelligence, artificial or not. We should never settle for simply having an open mind. We should all stay available to having our own beliefs and assumptions examined, and even changed, by other people's experiences and perspectives. I hope this research plays some part in that.”

She praised the Southern Cross University’s psychology lecturers for emboldening her.

“The lecturers and staff genuinely treat you as a capable student and give you the autonomy to explore the topics that interest you,” Laura said.

“That trust has allowed me to dream bigger and pushed me to go further than I thought I could at this stage of my journey.”