Appendix W: The Wallis Social Research Podcast

Wallis Social Research
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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.

  1. Jul 22

    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.

  2. Jun 4

    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. 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.

  3. 11/11/2025

    Longitudinally Yours: 30 Years of LSAY

    Anthony Frosh speaks with Ronnie Semo and Tasman Swanton from National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) as well as Julie Higgs (former Wallis data analyst) about all things LSAY (Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth). Some topics include: ·       The impetus for commencing LSAY o   How it was tied to the 1973 oil shock and subsequent economic crisis. ·       The evolution of survey methodology during the 1990s ·       How the LSAY team managed to stay in contact with participants over the ten-year longitudinal tracking period of age 15 to 25 years old. ·       Key findings and impacts of LSAY on society ·       Outcomes of VET education vs University education ·       Outcomes of independent vs government schools. ·       Reminisce of some favourite aspects of LSAY – we vote for the socks! This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy. For more information about LSAY, visit https://www.lsay.edu.au/

  4. 09/29/2025

    The Culture of Caution: Why young people are taking less risks than their parents

    Anthony Frosh speaks with Associate Professor Michael Livingston, one of the authors of  a recently released book "Young People, Alcohol, and Risk: A Culture of Caution". Some topics include: ·       The change in youth culture from daring to risk averse ·       Changes in alcohol use ·       The extent that there is an impact of delaying (or expediting) introduction to alcohol ·       Trends in other risk-taking behaviours with young people ·       The extent to which these trends in other behaviours might be influenced by the trend in alcohol consumption ·       The extent to which these changes in adolescence stick around in the mid-20s ·       The impact of digital and surveillance technology, as well as social media etc ·       The implications of these trends on our future ·       The next areas of focus for policy and reach ·       Potential unforeseen downsides of these otherwise positive developments This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy. Associate Professor Michael Livingston is a leading researcher at Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute, specialising in youth alcohol use, including long-term trends and policy impacts.  A list of his publications can be found here: https://staffportal.curtin.edu.au/staff/profile/view/michael-livingston-39280c06/ And, as mentioned, Michael is also one two contributors to very long running (and excellent) food blog focussing on reviews of vegetarian and veg-friendly establishments. The blog is called "Where's the Beef" and can be found at https://herestheveg.blogspot.com/

  5. 08/27/2025

    The Dating Game: Reducing consumer food waste

    Anthony Frosh speaks with Professor Lukas Parker about food waste and how date labels could be a key part of the puzzle. Some topics include: ·       The scale of the food waste problem in Australia and globally ·       The need to move beyond guilt as a focus of the problem ·       The food categories that are most problematic in terms of wastage ·       The inspiration for seeing packaging design and date labels as a key part of the puzzle ·       Key insights from the research To find out more about the research, visit: https://endfoodwaste.com.au/national-date-labelling-and-storage-advice-phase-1/ There you will be able to find a link to other documents, including the final report for Phase 1, including label designs on page 17-18.  https://endfoodwaste.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/2503_EFWCRC_124_Final-Report.pdf This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy. Associate Professor Lukas Parker is a leading social marketing and advertising scholar whose research sits at the nexus of behaviour change, communicating health and digital advertising. Leading teams of researchers, his research addresses pressing social problems related to health and sustainability. He has over fifty peer-reviewed publications including influential co-authored books Social Marketing and Advertising in the Age of Social Media (2020) and Social Marketing and Behaviour Change: Models, theory and applications (2014) which guide social marketing practitioners and scholars. Associate Professor Parker leads 3C (Communication and Change Co-lab) that undertakes projects that create change through communication - whether that be social, behavioural, or cultural. He also co-leads Co-Lab.

  6. 07/22/2025

    Alone Together: Unpacking the Loneliness Epidemic

    Anthony Frosh speaks with Professor Michelle Lim for Loneliness Awareness Week, #Momentsmatter. Some topics include: ·       How loneliness has always afflicted humanity, even in ancient times ·       The epiphany that led Michelle to focus on the loneliness epidemic ·       How researchers define loneliness and understanding the difference between transient and persistent or chronic loneliness. ·       Understanding that loneliness and social isolation aren't always existing in simple connection. ·       The stigma of loneliness ·       Common misperceptions about loneliness, especially in terms of who is most at risk ·       The scale of the loneliness problem in Australia and in other parts of the world ·       The impact of COVID-19 social distancing and working-from-home etc ·       Health consequences of loneliness ·       Economic consequences ·       How Ending Loneliness Together seeks to tackles the problem ·       Important role of awareness ·       Guide to action to help yourself of someone you know Tio find out more about the Loneliness Awareness Week, please visit https://lonelinessawarenessweek.com.au/ This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy. Dr Michelle Lim is the inaugural Chairperson and Scientific Chair of Ending Loneliness Together and CEO of Ending Loneliness Together.  https://endingloneliness.com.au/ Associate Professor Lim is also the Director of the Social Health and Wellbeing Group at the School of Public Health, the University of Sydney. Associate Professor Lim led the development of the National Strategy for Loneliness and Social Isolation in Australia and have written two government White Papers on this issue. She is also chief investigator of the Australian Loneliness Report (2018) and the Young Australian Loneliness Survey (2019). Her work informs the Australian government, not-for-profit, and corporate sector.  In 2020, Dr Lim also cofounded and was the inaugural co-director of the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection, an international coalition of organisations across 12 countries committed to ending the pressing global issue of loneliness and social isolation.

  7. 06/16/2025

    The Privacy Bargain – Exploring the trade-offs between privacy, protection, and policy in the digital age.

    Anthony Frosh speaks with Professor Chris Berg and ADIA CEO Sarah Campbell just in time for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's (OAIC) annual Privacy Awareness Week Some topics include: ·       Do people even care about privacy anymore? ·       Why so many of us give away our personal data ·       Privacy policy reform ·       Tensions in privacy policy ·       The measures legitimate research organisations take to protect privacy ·       Cyber security – the domain of the private sector or government? ·       The case example of Bunnings and facial recognition technology ·       The impact of AI technology ·       The potential impact of quantum computing To find out more about the OAIC's Privacy Awareness Week, please visit https://www.oaic.gov.au/engage-with-us/events/privacy-awareness-week/paw-2025 Professor Chris Berg is co-founder of RMIT's Blockchain Innovation Hub. Chris is a professor of Economics, one of Australia's  most prominent voices for free markets and individual liberty, and a leading global authority on the intersection of regulation, technological change, and civil liberties.  Visit https://chrisberg.org/ to get more of Chris, or follow him on LinkedIn. Sarah Campbell is CEO of the Australian Data and Insights Association (ADIA). ADIA is the peak industry body for data, insights and research organisations in Australia. ADIA represents close to 100 of Australia's leading companies in that industry.  Visit https://dataandinsights.com.au/ to find out more about Sarah and ADIA. This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy.

  8. 05/26/2025

    Listening First: Conducting respectful research with First Nations communities

    Anthony Frosh speaks with Carol Vale, CEO of Murawin, an Aboriginal-owned and led consultancy specialising in social research, evaluation, and engagement with First Nations communities.  Anthony and Carol discuss the importance of undertaking culturally responsive social research with First Nations peoples, and some of the sensitivities and considerations around that. Some topics include: ·       Carol's background – where she grew up, her education pathway, and how and why Carol got into social research ·       The origins of Murawin ·       The place of First Nations languages ·       The principles of ethical and culturally safe research ·       Common mistakes researchers make ·       Prof. Maggie Walter and Indigenous Data sovereignty ·       Future directions for  First Nations Research ·       Key take aways Tio find out more about Murawin, please visit https://murawin.com.au/ Carol Vale is a Dunghutti woman and CEO and cofounder of Murawin. She is a professional facilitator, social researcher, & policy analyst with expertise in Indigenous issues, public policy, & stakeholder engagement. This episode is edited by Shalini Sen. Marketing is the domain of Sarah Guy.

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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.

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