Associate Professor Lydia Woodyatt

Associate Professor

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

place Social Sciences North (384)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Dr Lydia Woodyatt researches at the intersection of social, clinical, and organisational psychology. She uses psychological science to increase engagement and motivation, positive relationships, and also to help people work through difficult emotions following failure and transgressions. Lydia is an award winning lecturer at Flinders University, and speaks regularly to students, leaders, schools, business and the media on the psychology of motivation, emotions, and justice. She is co-creator of the highly successful online course The Psychology of Surviving and Thriving which develops wellbeing and self-management. She is a published researcher and senior editor of the The Handbook of the Psychology of Self-forgiveness (Springer, 2017). She is a member of the Flinders University Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing

Qualifications

B. Min., Grad. Dip Psych., B.A (Hons), PhD

Honours, awards and grants

Australian Research Council Discovery Project (2019-2022). Dynamics of forgiveness and self-forgiveness. Wenzel, Okimoto, Woodyatt & Worthington. $240,000.

Westpac and Flinders DVC-R Collaborative Seed Funding (2019). Understanding and overcoming defensiveness. Woodyatt & Wenzel. $50,000.

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Award for Teaching Innovation and Excellence (2019).

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Award for Teaching Innovation and Excellence (2018).

Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (2014).

Social and Behavioural Science Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence (2013).

Key responsibilities

Teaching Program Director (Psychology)

Co-director of the PSYCJEM research lab (Psychology of Justice, Emotions, and Morality)

http://www.flinders.edu.au/sabs/psychology/research/labs/sociallab/sociallab_home.cfm

Teaching interests
  • Introduction to psychology
  • Personality and social psychology
  • Emotions (Hope, Shame, Guilt)
  • Wellbeing and mental health
  • Application of psychological science to the workforce
  • Psychology of reconciliation and justice (whistleblowing, apologies, defensiveness, needs of vicitms and offenders)
  • Self-condemnation and Self-forgiveness
Supervisory interests
Emotions
Justice
Motivation
Psychological wellbeing
Restorative justice
Self-forgiveness
Shame
Social psychology
Higher degree by research supervision
Current
Principal supervisor: Barriers to engaging in Early Intervention for Wellbeing and Mental Health (2), Reducing defensiveness and increasing solidarity-based action for gender equality (1), Cross cultural perspectives on self-forgiveness (1)
Associate supervisor: Persepctive taking and forgiveness/self-forgiveness in dyads (1), Authenticity (1), Online Shaming (1)
Completion
Principal supervisor: Divergent Narrative of Interpersonal Transgressions (1), Shame (1), Life Transitions (1), Relationship Resilience (1)
Associate supervisor: Whistleblowing (1), Self-punishment (1), Distinguishing Hope and Optimism (1), Vision thinking and social change (1), Truth and Justice (1)
Higher degree by research student achievements
Cara Rossi

APS Honours Prize - NOV 2015

Simon Bury

Outstanding Postgraduate Research Award from the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP) - APR 2017

Farid Anvari

Endeavor Research Fellowship - NOV 2017

Cara Rossi

Oustanding Postgraduate Research Awared from the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists - Runner up - APR 2019

Expert for media contact
Psychology
Psychological Wellbeing of University Students
Transition to University
hope
self-forgiveness
shame
Available for contact via
Or contact the media team
+61 8 82012092
0427 398 713
Media expertise
  • Psychology
Interests
  • Psychological Wellbeing of University Students
  • Transition to University
  • hope
  • self-forgiveness
  • shame