Dr Daniel du Plooy

Associate Professor and Honours Coordinator, Psychological Science

Qualifications

PhD in Psychology (La Trobe)

MPhil in Intercultural Communication (Stellenbosch)

BA (hons) in Psychology (Stellenbosch) BA (hons) in Media Studies (UNISA)
BS in Psychology (Andrews)
BA in Communication Science (Andrews)

Overview

Daniel commenced at ACAP at the start of 2021 and brings more than 20 years' experience in higher education. He completed undergraduate and postgraduate studies in both psychology and communication science, and holds a PhD in Psychology from La Trobe University, where he also worked as a research officer at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS). Before moving to Australia, he spent about seven years as a lecturer and senior lecturer at Helderberg College in South Africa. He has also taught in the Professional Year Program at Monash College and worked as a design analyst at Statistics New Zealand.

At ACAP, Daniel is the Psychology Honours Course Coordinator, and in 2024 he received the ACAP Andrew Little Teaching Excellence Award. Alongside his academic work, he is an ICF registered Life and Leadership Coach.

Expert Comment Topics

Flourishing
Well-Being
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Positive Psychology

Publications

See: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1783-9158

Or https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=RY2NfjoAAAAJ&hl=en

Conferences and Other Presentations

Maunder, R., du Plooy, D.R., & Sipes, J. (2025, November 22). Improving Intergroup Contact Interventions for Reducing Mental Health Stigma [Conference presentation]. Society of Australasian Social Psychologists (SASP). Melbourne.
Correia, H., Chapman, A., Vicary, S., Abel S., Karakas, G., du Plooy, D.R. (2025). Beyond the fruit bowl: A socioecological approach to systems of care, well-being, and sustainability in psychology education. AusPLAT Conference. Perth. (Three hour round table).
du Plooy, D. R., (2025, March 19). More Than Content: Shifting Perspectives to Inspire Learning – Andrew Little Award Presenter. [Conference presentation]. ACAP Learning and Teaching Symposium.
Karakas, G., & du Plooy, D.R. (2025). ‘I Didn’t Want to Leave My Country’ – Mental Health Services as Experienced by Bosnian Refugees in Australia. ARC-UNHCR Conference on Refugee Studies and Forced Displacement 2025. Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia (Poster Presentation, 11 & 12 June 2025).
du Plooy, D.R. (2023). Decoding Decision Making: A Psychological Exploration of Choice and Influence. Mini Lecture Series Presentation. Discipline of Psychological Science at ACAP.
https://www.acap.edu.au/news-and-opinion/6-core-beliefs-and-their-impact-on-decisions/
Zygmont, C. S., Reinecke, C. R., & du Plooy, D. R. (2022). The Impact of Experiences of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) on Student Anxiety at South African Private Higher Education Institutions: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Related to COVID-19 and Religiosity/Spirituality. AHSRA-Africa Conference. (Online presentation, 7-9 April 2022).
Dowsett, G., Duncan, D., du Plooy, D. R., Waling, A., & Prestage, G. (2017). Gay men, sexuality and mental health after prostate cancer. Proceedings of the 23rd Congress of the World Association for Sexual Medicine. 14: e248.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.04.229.
du Plooy, D. R. (2016). Online recruitment methods and a case study. Presentation to ARCSHS.
du Plooy, D. R. (2015). Science fatigue keeps us clinging to bad health habits. Radio interview on 891 ABC Adelaide talking to Sonya Feldhoff. 3 November 2015.
du Plooy, D. R., Dowsett, G., Duncan, D., Prestage, G. (2015). Mental health, resilience and sexual recovery among gay men with prostate cancer. Health in Difference. 9th National LGBTI Conference. (Poster Presentation: Canberra, 13-15 August).
Pretorius, C., & du Plooy, D. R. (2013). The caregiver experience: A South African perspective on caring for people with Multiple Sclerosis. 13th European Congress of Psychology (Stockholm, 9-12 July).
du Plooy, D. R. (2007). Understanding cultural difference: Taxonomies that lead to competence. 1st Mission Congress. (South Africa, November).

Professional Affiliations and Fellowships

Affiliate Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Member of The Society of Australasian Social Psychologists
Member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Accredited Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Review Editor for the International Journal of Public Health since July 2020