Today the 5th Annual Jersey Psychology Essay competition award winners have been announced. This competition is run for all students in post-16 education following a Psychology course and has drawn entrants from across the Island’s schools.
The winning essay by Hautlieu student Ellesha O’ Malley, titled ‘Does Oxytocin affect trust?’ drew high praise from the judges and earned her the £150 first Prize. Rachel Baxter, chair of the Judges and Senior Adviser – Learning and Teaching at CYPES, described the essay as “exceptional, due to the clear focus, range of academic research and fluency of writing style which led to an essay that had momentum and impact”.
Adrian Moss, the Head of Psychology at Hautlieu school and founder of the competition, said “I am delighted that, in this the 5th year of the competition, we continue to see an increase in the quality of the essays that are being written. The competition provides a platform for the students to demonstrate their knowledge and research skills beyond that of the curricula, and I am so pleased to see students engaging with this opportunity to showcase their skills”.
This year’s competition drew essays from a wide and diverse range of topics. Some examples of titles included: animal therapy for mental health, vaccination hesitancy, effect of remote learning in the pandemic, work and prison and the effects of solitary confinement.
Judge Carli Garraghan Chartered Forensic Psychologist said, “it was a pleasure to be involved in the competition and see how the students develop their Psychological interests and knowledge beyond their studies.”
The second prize of £100 went this year to Melanie Camacho for her essay, “Is cognitive behavioural therapy effective at managing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms.”
Third Prize of £50 went to Arielle Gee with her essay, “A discussion on the factors affecting someone’s free will on vaccination choices.”
