Ramaryllis Chesylia Monalu, a Psychology student from Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta (UMBY), has won the Best Paper Presentation Award at an international competition. Ramaryllis placed third in the paper presentation category in the Call for Papers for the 7th International Seminar on Psychology "Religiousness and Human Flourishing: Psychological and Humanistic Approaches to Well-Being." The international seminar was held by the Faculty of Psychology at Muhammadiyah University of Purwokerto (UMP) in collaboration with Sultan Idris Education University (Malaysia), Madras Christian College (India), and the Muhammadiyah Aisyiyah Psychology Association (APSY), on Thursday, May 28-29, 2025, as a hybrid session.

Ramaryllis presented a paper entitled "The Relationship Between Effective Communication and Marital Satisfaction in Wives in the First Ten Years of Marriage." She described marital satisfaction from the perspective of wives, particularly regarding communication in the first ten years of marriage. Communication is a crucial part of a marriage, and it can be a reason for divorce. Poor communication can lead to decreased marital satisfaction and ultimately divorce.

Ramaryllis's paper utilizes a developmental psychology approach, a field of psychology that studies human development, encompassing physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes. Ramaryllis chose this area of interest in the hope of contributing to academic literature in the field.

Ramaryllis added that this was her first time participating in an international seminar. She aspired to have a scientific paper published in an indexed journal.

"I feel proud and happy. This is my first time participating in a competition, and I was successful. This motivates me to be more enthusiastic about participating in other activities so I can further develop myself, both academically and non-academically," Ramaryllis said.

Ramaryllis continued, emphasizing that the Call for Papers focused not only on the paper's suitability to the chosen theme, but also encompassed several aspects, including mastery of the material, analysis of academic problems, appropriate use of research methodology, research urgency, and public speaking skills in a foreign language.

Malida Fatimah, S.Psi., M.Cons., as her supervisor, provided support by accompanying her throughout the paper preparation process and the competition.

"The results are a testament to the efforts made by Ramaryllis. Hopefully, through this paper, women, especially wives, will be aware of how to maintain good communication in marriage to achieve harmony in their households," said Maulida.

The Head of the Psychology Study Program, Santi Esterlita Purnamasari, M.Si., Psychologist, commended her students' achievements. She stated that students need to improve their soft and hard skills to enhance their capacity through various activities. Especially now, with the advancement of technology, they can develop themselves through virtual activities.