About Appendix W: The Wallis Social Research Podcast
Appendix W is the podcast where we dive deep into the science of society.
Brought to you by Wallis Social Research, each episode we will explore the ideas, data, and/or people shaping our understanding of human behaviour, policy, and culture.
Join us as we unpack the stories behind the studies, challenge assumptions, and uncover what makes our world tick.
Stacking the Deck: Gambling Harm and the Politics of Reform
Anthony Frosh speaks with Martin Thomas, CEO, Alliance for Gambling Reform. The Alliance is best known for campaigning to reduce gambling harm through policy reform. Alongside advocacy, the organisation has commissioned and promoted research into gambling participation, particularly among young Australians.
Some of the main topics discussed in the episode include:
· How gambling has become a public health issue
· How the gambling landscape has changed over the last 10-20 years.
· Young people and gambling
· Evidence for gambling harm
· Recent policy and regulatory reforms, and Martin's critique of those reforms
· Policy considerations and recommendations
· What the landscape might look like 10 years from now
To find more information about the research discussed, as well as other adjacent research, visit the AGR website: https://www.agr.org.au
For the specific research about young people, see https://www.agr.org.au/young-people-gambling-and-harm1
Martin Thomas is the CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform.
The Alliance for Gambling Reform is a national advocacy organisation working to reduce gambling harm in Australia. They partner with other organisations and with local councils with the aim of reducing the level of gambling harm in Australia, working to change the laws and rules governing the gambling industry. They do not seek to ban gambling but rather to influence government to minimise the harmful behaviours of the gambling industry.
4 Jun 2026
Setting the Price: Understanding Who or What Really Drives Home Rental Prices
Anthony Frosh speaks with Sarah Panckridge who heads up research at the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC), about the housing rental market. The CPRC is an independent, not-for-profit consumer think-tank. Sarah and her colleagues at the CPRC have recently published several reports on the housing rental market.
Some of the main topics discussed in the episode include:
· Key features that define the housing rental market
· The key drivers of rent increases
· The impact of the media on the market
· Types of landlords and the associated experience of renters
· The role of real estate agents
· Policy considerations and recommendations
To find more information about the research discussed, as well as other adjacent research, visit the CPRC website: https://cprc.org.au/research/reports/
Sarah Panckridge is the Senior Research and Engagement Advisor at the CPRC. (https://cprc.org.au/)
In this role, Sarah designs and undertakes comprehensive consumer research to inform and underpin policy recommendations that will protect and advocate for consumers.
Sarah brings social research experience from the justice and union sectors, specialising in qualitative research, policy analysis and advocacy. This experience has included writing submissions to Royal Commissions and inquiries, as well as sitting on ethics and legislative reform committees.
This episode is edited and marketed by Sarah Guy.
11 Nov 2025
Longitudinally Yours: 30 Years of LSAY
Host Anthony Frosh interviews Ronnie Semo, Tasman Swanton, and Julie Higgs about the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth, exploring its origins, methodology, key findings, and societal impacts over three decades.
29 Sept 2025
The Culture of Caution: Why young people are taking less risks than their parents
Host Anthony Frosh interviews Associate Professor Michael Livingston about the increasing culture of caution among young people, exploring trends in risk-taking behaviors and the influence of technology.
27 Aug 2025
The Dating Game: Reducing consumer food waste
Anthony Frosh interviews Associate Professor Lukas Parker about how date labels can reduce consumer food waste, offering insights into the scale of the problem and effective communication strategies.
22 Jul 2025
Alone Together: Unpacking the Loneliness Epidemic
Anthony Frosh interviews Professor Michelle Lim about the pervasive issue of loneliness, exploring its historical context, definitions, impact, and strategies for addressing it through awareness and action.
16 Jun 2025
The Privacy Bargain – Exploring the trade-offs between privacy, protection, and policy in the digital age.
Host Anthony Frosh interviews Professor Chris Berg and ADIA CEO Sarah Campbell about the privacy bargain, exploring trade-offs between privacy, protection, and policy in the digital age.
26 May 2025
Listening First: Conducting respectful research with First Nations communities
Anthony Frosh interviews Carol Vale, CEO of Murawin, about conducting respectful and culturally responsive social research with First Nations communities, emphasizing ethical principles and Indigenous data sovereignty.
14 May 2025
Opening up the Man Box
Anthony Frosh speaks with Matt Tyler, Executive Director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services, about a fascinating study called “The Man Box”. The term “The Man Box” refers to a set of rigid social norms that shape masculinity and impact men's well-being, relationships, and behaviours.
Some topics include:
· Understanding what the Man Box is and it relationship with toxic masculinity as well as positive expressions of masculinity.
· How the Man Box concept was developed
· Impact of the Man Box mentality on men’s mental health and relationships
· Scope of any possible cultural or socio-economic differences, and why these differences are not so apparent
· Some changes from 2018 to 2024 iterations.
o Differences in perceptions of societal norms vs differences in personal attitudes
· Challenging harmful stereotypes and promoting more positive expressions of masculinity (rather than erasing masculinity)
· What age to introduce education re expressions of masculinity
· The future for Man Box Research
To find out more about the Man Box 2024 research, a comprehensive study that focuses on the attitudes to manhood and the behaviours of Australian men aged 18 to 45, visit the website at: https://jss.org.au/programs/research/the-man-box/
To find out more about the Men’s Project, developing “Good men. Respectful relationships. Safe Communities”, visit the website at:
https://jss.org.au/programs/the-mens-project/
Matt Tyler is the Executive Director of The Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services where for the last six years he has led a team committed to reducing men’s violence and promoting flourishing amongst men and boys themselves. Prior to working at Jesuit Social Services, Matt has had several interesting roles with a focus on translating research into practice, including working as a Fellow for Harvard’s Government Performance Lab, with a focus on child protection.
This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy.
27 Mar 2025
The Digital Lives of Young Australians
Anthony Frosh speaks with Jackie Coates, the CEO of the Telstra Foundation, about the Australian Youth Digital Index (2024)— which could be described as a comprehensive look at how young Australians engage with the digital world.
Topics include
What the Telstra Foundation is and why they supported this research
An understanding of what the Australian Youth Digital Index (AYDI) is
How the digital landscape has evolved for young people
Some interesting findings from the AYDI research
Digital inclusion among young people in Australia
Online safety and wellbeing
Potential overuse of digital technology
The recommendations of American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and whether there is a moral panic about
AI and digital literacy, and the impact on preparedness for the workplace
Current and future research being supported by the Telstra Foundation
Some online mental health resources for young people
Key takeaway message from Jackie
To find out more about the Australian Youth Digital Index, visit the website at: https://australianyouthdigitalindex.com/
Unwind your mind with Mello, the free mental health app designed by Orygen Digital to give you effective relief from stuck thinking - the root cause of anxiety and depression. More information about the Mello mental health app can be found at: https://www.mello.org.au/
PROJECT ROCKIT and Telstra Foundation are partnering to deliver youth-focused digital wellbeing programs to 30,000 young people across Australia over the next three years. Nominate your school: https://www.projectrockit.com.au/
Visit ReachOut: https://au.reachout.com/
Follow Telstra Foundation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/telstra-foundation/
See what Telstra Foundatin is up to online: https://telstrafoundation.com/
This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy.
2 Mar 2025
Our Energy Futures – The experience of seniors with the energy transition
Anthony Frosh speaks with Marshida Kolthoff, from the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria, about the experiences of the energy transition for those in an older age bracket. Some of the main topics discussed include:
Understanding what the energy transition is
The cost-of-living challenges many older people face, especially around energy use
The conduct of the research, and the most interesting and/or surprising findings from the research
Challenges and opportunities of the energy transition for older people
Types of support needed and available to older people to help navigate the energy transition
Broader implications of the research
What action can be taken by various stakeholders to facilitate positive outcomes
The full published report can be found at: https://cotavic.org.au/policy/publication/our-energy-futures/
Marshida Kolthoff is the Policy & Advocacy Manager at COTA Victoria. In this role, Marshida leads policy initiatives and advocacy efforts to drive meaningful outcomes for older members of the community.
This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy.
11 Feb 2025
The Greenwash Cycle
Anthony Frosh speaks with Marianne Campbell, who heads up research at the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC), about consumer confusion regarding environmental product claims, such those often seen in the media, advertising, and on product packaging or labels, especially on large appliances.
Some of the main topics discussed include
· Emergence of green marketing / green claims on consumer products
· Defining ‘greenwashing’ and gauging how widespread it is
· What consumers want from environmental information/labels
· Some examples of misleading information that the CPRC has found
· The impact of greenwashing on consumer trust
· Systems of regulation in Australia and Europe
· The challenges of repairing products
· Repairability and durability ratings
· What consumers can do to protect themselves
Marianne Campbell is the Senior Research and Engagement Advisor at the CPRC.
In this role, Marianne designs and undertakes comprehensive consumer research to inform and underpin policy recommendations that will protect and advocate for consumers.
Marianne has worked in consumer and social sciences for close to two decades, having worked for the Cancer Council South Australia, Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and a leading national market research agency.
8 Dec 2024
On the Road to Safety - A conversation with the TAC
Anthony Frosh speaks with Samantha Cockfield, the Head of Road Safety at the Transport Accident Commission, about developments in road safety and the research behind those developments. On this episode, Anthony is also joined by Ben Bishop. Ben heads up Road Safety research at Wallis Social Research and has done so for well over a decade.
Some of the main topics discussed include
Historical overview of road safety
The importance of gauging and understanding community attitudes in order to educate people to be safer on our roads
The role of enforcement vs attitude change in improving road safety in a liberal open society
Influencing the individual vs improving the wider road safety system
The impact of technological changes on road safety
Future directions in road safety
Samantha Cockfield is Executive General Manager of Road Safety at the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).
Samantha is responsible for the development and delivery of the TAC’s road safety strategy which spans road infrastructure, vehicle safety initiatives and a range of programs designed to improve road user behaviours.
Sam has led the development and delivery of numerous behavioural programs including many of the TAC’s iconic public education campaigns.
Sam has dedicated her career to the elimination of death and serious injury on the road - advocating for road safety both regionally and internationally. She has considerable experience in strategy development and is considered an international expert
Sam was awarded the 2017 Australasian College of Road Safety Fellowship in 2017 and in 2020 was a member of the Academic Expert Group providing recommendations to the United Nations for global road safety collaboration to 2030.
Who has been a guest on Appendix W: The Wallis Social Research Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Ronnie Semo
Tasman Swanton
Julie Higgs
Michael Livingston
Associate Professor Lukas Parker
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
29
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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