Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Librarian Leaves Behind A Lasting Impact, Jennifer Hoyt

Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

A retirement party to recognize Stuart Frazer, Administrative Services Librarian & Assistant Dean of Libraries, brought dozens of colleagues, friends, and family to Perry Library’s Gallery space, along with dozens of freshly-baked brownies. A must on the party menu, guests prepared their own special batches with full knowledge that the retiree prefers the signature dessert. When asked what ingredients helped define Frazer’s longtime career, guests listed a unique mix of expertise, knowledge, and creativity.

Phishing Restraint: University Simulated Phishing Campaigns, Alexander M. Abou Khir

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

Universities face heightened vulnerability to phishing attacks due to their open information-sharing culture and diverse user populations. This study examines how phishing exploits human factors within campus environments and evaluates three major training strategies: embedded phishing, microlearning, and role-based instruction to understand their individual and combined effectiveness. I explored studies that implement these strategies in pairs and use the strategies alone, identified trends in susceptibility reduction, behavioral reinforcement, and contextual relevance. I suggest that, while each method independently improves user awareness, multiple approaches offer stronger, more adaptable protection by addressing both psychological triggers and role-specific risks. The paper contributes a …

Ai's Double Edged Sword: Fighting Against Synthetic Csam, Shekhinah Adra Green

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence has introduced new challenges in the production and distribution of synthetic child sexual abuse material (CSAM). AI has the capabilities of creating highly realistic imagery and videos, which  raises serious legal and ethical concerns, increasing the risk of harm, exploitation, and revictimization.

This paper discusses the legal improvements needed in order to lower the change of legal loopholes, how digital forensic analyst use advanced tools to identify and investigate synthetic material, and different methods to start the reduction of synthetic CSAM.

Spring 2026 Odu Libraries Newsletter, Alex Aycock, Alisa Faumore, Jennifer Hoyt, William Shingler

Libraries Newsletters

Spring 2026 ODU Libraries Newsletter.

The Psychology Behind Ai-Generated Phishing And Social Engineering Attacks, A’Shya Reynolds

School of Cybersecurity Master's Level Projects and Papers

Cybercrime has evolved significantly with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), transforming traditional phishing and social engineering attacks into highly sophisticated and personalized threats. While early phishing attempts relied on generic messaging and low success rates, modern AI-driven attacks leverage advanced data analytics, natural language processing, and behavioral prediction to manipulate victims more effectively.

This research examines how cybercriminals utilize AI to enhance psychological manipulation techniques in phishing and social engineering attacks, increasing victim susceptibility. Drawing from interdisciplinary literature in cybersecurity and psychology, this study explores key psychological mechanisms, including cognitive biases, emotional triggers, and decision-making processes that influence victim …

Delenda Est Norfolk: The Tidewater Revolts!, Kiera Dillman, Alise Dunham, Kristen Gary, Olivia M. Haris, Nelliel A. Herrera, Logan Holzgrefe, R. J. Lynch, Adam M. Manis, David Mogan, Luke Pickard, Shayla M. Shaw, Landon Swain, Kenny Wilcox, Bailey M. Wimberly, Tracy L. Barnett

Student Projects

Introduction to the Exhibit:

Today—exactly 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence—many Americans trace the origins of the nation’s revolutionary sentiment to Boston, Massachusetts or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We remember the violence of March 1770, when red-coated British soldiers fired into a crowded Boston street, massacring innocent colonists and igniting outrage. We recall the patriotic defiance of the Sons of Liberty, who boarded three East India Company ships and dumped chests of imported British tea into the Boston Harbor in December 1773. We can still hear, too, the reverberations of the “shot heard ’round the world,” when British …

Does Short-Termism Pay? National Short-Termism, Investment, Innovation, And Equity Returns, Andrew H. Cohen

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

We examine whether national short-termism, inferred from corporate language, predicts future real activity, equity returns, risk, and risk-adjusted performance. Using large-scale textual analysis of issuer-linked disclosures and earnings transcripts from the largest firms in twenty major equity markets, we construct country-quarter and annual Short-Termism Scores (STS) capturing the relative emphasis on short- versus long-horizon language.

Higher short-termism predicts lower subsequent gross fixed capital formation, lower research and development intensity, and lower multi-year equity index returns across horizons of up to sixteen quarters. In addition, higher short-termism is associated with greater future market volatility and lower Sharpe ratios, indicating a deterioration …

Cultural Memory And Colonial Legacies: The Pandemic Era In France, Kathryn (Kate) R. Cross

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In the twenty-first century, how are former colonial powers addressing colonial legacies? Amidst the massive social movements of the pandemic years and greater representations of a new generation of politicians in major elections, the global zeitgeist was increasingly characterized by representation of disenfranchised and previously silenced memories and narratives. These shifts, especially in France, are a sharp contrast to the unofficial historic policy of amnesia maintained regarding traumatic legacies and build on movements that began at the turn of the century. The environment has facilitated an increased ability for cultural products to create, shape, and sustain cultural memories of colonial …

An Analysis Of The United States Hegemony In Latin America Considering The Current Advancement Of China In The Region, Hernan Mauricio Fajardo Gonzalez

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The recent advancement of China in Latin America suggests that the traditional hegemony of the United States could be declining. The purpose of this research is to assess the degree in which the American hegemonic position in this region has diminished and what implications this likely phenomenon could eventually bring. Several dimensions of the notion of Hegemony are evaluated such as economic, military, cultural, political, and technological. The concepts of hard power and soft power are considered in order to evaluate the external influences over Latin America. The features of the IR school known as Neorealism are utilized in order …

Bug-In-Ear ECoaching To Enhance Parents' Use Of Embedded Learning Opportunities With Preschool-Age Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Aeshah Alturki

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has heightened the need for effective communication interventions. Parents are key partners in intervention and, with appropriate support, can serve as effective intervention agents. However, parents often require ongoing support to implement evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study was to experimentally evaluate the effects of online Bug-in-Ear (BIE) eCoaching on parents’ fidelity of embedded choice-making during family routines with their preschool-aged children with ASD. This study also examined the generalization and maintenance, children’s communicative responses, and parents’ perceptions of the intervention. A single-subject nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across two parent–child dyads …

Personality Predictors Of Cybersecurity Vulnerability: Insights From Self-Reports And Stimulated Threat Scenarios, Saroja Roy Grandhi

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In this cyber dependent and enabled era, understanding the role of human factors in digital security is essential. This study investigates the relationship between Big-Five personality traits and cybersecurity behaviors by examining both self-reported and stimulated behaviors in security threat scenarios. Participants completed validated questionnaires to report their personality traits, cybersecurity practices and engage in task-based stimulations to capture behaviors such as phishing detection, password creation, and response to security alerts. The study tested whether higher conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness would be associated with stronger cybersecurity practices and smaller discrepancies between self-reported and observed behaviors. And, whether greater extraversion and …

Exploring System Wide Trust And Dependency Behavior Within An Aviation Environment, Austin Jackson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The present study examined the theory of system-wide trust within the context of a multi-tasking aviation environment. Previous research suggested that unreliable automation can negatively affect a human operator’s trust in reliable automation within the same system (Rice & Geels-Blair, 2010). However, previous studies have not looked at how trust develops in the context of a multi-tasking environment, nor how different types of errors may affect trust in and the use behavior of automation. The current study employed a 2 x 2 mixed design with drone reliability (60% reliable vs 90% reliable) and error bias (false alarm vs. miss errors) …

Perceptions Of The Community Eligibility Provision (Cep) Program, Angela H. Napier

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how educators and families perceive and experience the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) and its influence on student attendance, engagement, well-being, and school climate within one public school division. While prior research has established quantitative links between universal meal programs and academic outcomes, limited research has explored how stakeholders interpret and experience these effects in practice. Addressing this gap, this study employed a convergent mixed-methods design, integrating archival attendance data, surveys, and semi-structured interviews with principals, assistant principals, teachers and families. Quantitative findings revealed modest but inconsistent changes in absenteeism following the CEP implementation, while qualitative findings provided …

"On The Same Rope": An Exploratory Study Of Staff Experiences At The Mountain Seed Foundation's Healing Base Camp Program, Jill C. Kivikoski

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Since the escalation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ukrainians have faced significant social and public health challenges, particularly among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF), including disability, traumatic stress, and barriers to mental health care (Kostenko et al., 2024; Krasnodemska et al., 2023; O’Grady & Galouchka, 2023). Retreat based programs grounded in shared military identity may offer an accessible form of support (Barrett & Currin, 2024). Mountain Seed Foundation’s (MSF) Healing Base Camp (HBC) was developed to promote healing and resilience among Ukrainian SMVF (Mountain Seed Foundation, n.d.).

This qualitative dissertation used a single-case study design (Yin, …

Behavioral, System, And Informational Cyberattacks: A Human-In-The-Loop Driving Simulator Experiment, Samuel Petkac

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Advanced technologies such as sensors and AI/ML algorithms have enabled increasing levels of automated driving system that detects, responds, and even predicts changes in a driving environment supported by wireless connectivity to nearby vehicles and infrastructure. Such connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) can be particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks targeting not only infotainment systems but also firmware and other applications, critically compromising driver safety. As we anticipate a “mixed” traffic where vehicles with various levels of automated technologies share the road for the foreseeable future, it is urgent to systematically examine types of possible cyberattacks and control human behaviors in such …

Assessing Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of Organizational Effectiveness Through A Multidimensional Theoretical Model: An Interpretive Phenomenological Qualitative Case Study, Andrea M. Paul

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations play a fundamental role in meeting community needs when government resources are limited or nonexistent. For decades, scholars and practitioners have recognized the importance of nonprofit-government partnerships for effective public service delivery. This study examines faith-based organizations as a specific type of hybrid nonprofit organization. As social, economic, and environmental challenges intensify, the need for community-based programs led by faith-based organizations also increases. These organizations are working to combat several of society's wicked problems, including but not limited to homelessness, food insecurity, drug addiction, youth and family services, and climate change. Nonprofit sector performance measurement is often recognized …

Extending The Job Demands-Resource Model In Classified Work Environments: A Longitudinal Analysis Of Job Demands, Resources, Job Satisfaction, And Retention Among Engineers, Gregory Gooden

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model is a widely used framework for understanding how work conditions influence employee attitudes and retention-related outcomes. However, empirical evidence testing JD-R dynamics in classified technical work environments remains limited, particularly using longitudinal designs that account for structural constraints, nonrandom participation, and outcome-specific measurement challenges. Classified work is characterized by persistent demands, restricted flexibility, and security-driven limitations on available resources, raising questions about whether and how JD-R processes generalize to this context.

This study examines whether job demands and job resources predict subsequent job satisfaction and retention intent in a classified technical workforce using multi-wave longitudinal …

Herding Cats: The Behavioral Foundations Of Successful Multi-Sector Partnerships, Paul B. Olsen

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Multi-sector partnerships (MSPs) are problem-solving groups composed of government agencies, nonprofit organizations, private firms, community groups, and individuals. These partnerships have often struggled to achieve consistent success, with performance rates estimated at 30%–50%, largely because MSPs are tailored to the specific interests, resources, and implementation contexts of the constellation of stakeholders involved in each project. This situation raised important questions regarding how MSP performance can be predicted and whether the likelihood of success can be enhanced during the early planning stages of partnership formation.

Social value orientation (SVO) is a behavioral public administration theory that may help explain variation in …

Objectification And Discrimination Among Bi+ Women: Body Image Outcomes And The Moderating Role Of Relationship Type And Partner Gender, Kaitlyn E. Ryan

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Objectification theory posits that being sexually objectified by others leads to a greater likelihood of engaging in body surveillance behaviors, which in turn is associated with higher body shame (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). Prior research has identified both objectification and anti-bisexual discrimination as significant predictors of body surveillance and body shame among bi+ women (i.e., bisexual, pansexual, queer) (Brewster et al., 2014; Salim et al., 2024). No studies, however, have considered the unique experiences of romantically partnered bi+ women, including the potential moderating effects of partner gender and relationship type. The present study examined whether romantic relationships are protective for …

Effects Of Cross-Language Instructional Design On Foreign Language Learners' Cognitive Load: Approaching The Redundancy Principle Of Multimedia Learning, Leonor Mendiola Adams

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

Because conceptualizations of cognitive resources play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of instructional design (Greeno, 2011; Greeno et al., 1996; Mayer, 2011, 2019), this study explores the effects of cross-language instructional design on learners’ perceived intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load content corresponding to content complexity, instructional presentation demands, and depth of understanding and schema construction, respectively.

Grounded in the redundancy principle of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, this research further investigates whether the principle operates differently when learners’ native language is strategically incorporated into foreign language learning contexts. According to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, …

Ptsd Symptoms And Cannabis Use Among College Students: Examining The Role Of Trauma-Related Cannabis Use To Cope, Christopher T. Latourrette

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more than four times as likely to develop cannabis use disorder (CUD) as those without PTSD. This common co-occurrence is often interpreted through a self-medication framework in which cannabis is used to manage PTSD symptoms. Prior work has relied heavily on veteran samples, includes measures of cannabis coping that are not specific to PTSD, and has most commonly examined total PTSD symptom severity, limiting precision in understanding how discrete symptom clusters relate to cannabis outcomes. The present study sought to examine associations between individual PTSD symptom clusters and cannabis use severity and to …

Bioengineering The Future Of The Human Species: H+’S Ideological Iterations Of Trans-/Posthumanity As Exemplified By Futurist Literary Texts = (Bio)Technological Solutions For (And/Or) Reification Of Systemic Inequities?, Marjorie E. Bomhower

English Theses & Dissertations

While humanity has, throughout our species’ history, endeavored to dream and create astonishing, and ever-evolving, (bio)technologies with the utopian ideals of bettering our day-to day lives and achieving greater longevity, our endeavors have (thus far) not only produced remarkable, beneficial advances in longevity and quality of life, but have also yielded devastating and dire outcomes; often at the cost and victimization of marginalized communities. This dissertation focuses on select (bio)technologies – particularly, those promoted by H+ (the most current and popular technoutopianist non-profit, “educational,” organization) – with an investigation of current and nascent (bio)technological evolutions, futurist literary texts, and critical/digital …

Early Parenting Stress And Later Abuse Risk: Dyadic Mediation By Maternal And Paternal Negative Attributions, Jewelian N. Fairchild

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Parenting stress and negative parental attributions are key contributors to child abuse risk. Early parenting stress may increase a parent’s risk of negatively appraising their child’s behaviors, which, in turn, may influence their likelihood of harsh or abusive parenting. Grounded in Social Information Processing (SIP) Theory, the present study explored how these processes evolve over time and differ between mothers and fathers. Specifically, this study investigated whether parental negative attributions mediated the relationship between early parenting stress and later abuse risk. A sample of 203 first-time mothers and 151 of their male partners were recruited prenatally as part of a …

The Effects Of Covid 19 Job Demands On Public Sector Employees’ Organizational Commitment: The Mediating Roles Of Work Engagement And Job Burnout, And The Moderating Role Of Supervisor Support, Benjamin R. Kaufman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

United States citizens rely on state government employees to provide essential public services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these employees responded by administering both routine and novel procedures to protect public health, often placing them on the frontlines and at increased risk of contagion. Concurrently, the pandemic-driven economic downturn created budget shortfalls that threatened the job and financial security of the state workforce. Together, these conditions substantially increased job demands for state government employees.

Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JDR) Model, this study examined how COVID‑19-related job demands influenced state employees’ work engagement, job burnout, and organizational commitment, and whether supervisor …

Social Capital As An Intervening Explanatory Mechanism Linking Socioeconomic Status And Deliberative Decision-Making In Citizen Advisory Boards In California Municipalities, Christopher Gerry

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Citizen advisory boards (CABs) are widely used in local government as institutional mechanisms for participatory governance and public input. While these bodies are intended to promote inclusive and deliberative decision-making, persistent socioeconomic inequalities raise concerns about whether CABs mitigate or reproduce disparities in participation and influence. This dissertation examines how socioeconomic status (SES) shapes deliberative decision-making within CABs and whether this relationship operates indirectly through board-level social capital.

Integrating perspectives from participatory governance, deliberative democracy, and social capital theory, the study conceptualizes deliberative decision-making as a collective, board-level process shaped by relational and institutional dynamics rather than individual attributes alone. …

Empowering Change: Building Environmental Sustainability Initiatives And Becoming A Sustainability Champion, Amanda C. Karls

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

In an era marked by escalating environmental challenges and an urgent need for sustainable development, higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly positioned as critical actors in advancing sustainability within the communities they serve. Regional comprehensive universities (RCUs), in particular, occupy a distinctive position as access‑oriented, community‑embedded public institutions; yet sustainability efforts at these institutions often unfold under conditions of limited resources, diffuse responsibility, and informal governance. This dissertation examines how individual actors at RCUs effectively advance environmental sustainability initiatives in the absence of centralized infrastructure or formal authority.

Guided by the overarching research question—How can individual actors at regional comprehensive …

The Lived Experiences Of Master's Level Counselors In Professional Counseling Association Leadership, Catalina R. Kraft

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Leadership and advocacy are essential for all counselors (Lewis, 2022; McKibben, 2016; Paradise et al., 2010; Sweeney, 2022). However, within research and professional counseling associations, there appears to be a bias in which counselor educators are the expected, default leaders within the counseling profession (Burns, 2015; Kleist, 2018; Speciale & Goodrich, 2020). While counselor educators may have experience as counselors, they primarily work in academia, so their experiences do not authentically represent the needs of professional counselors. Counseling leaders need to represent and understand the people they serve: counselors. Therefore, this study sought to understand the lived experiences of master’s …

An Examination Of Resilience And Food And Alcohol Disturbance: How Black & White Women Measure Up, Jaye I. Brayboy, Alicia M. Moulder, Audrey L. Bell, Melissa N. Manning, Cathy L. Lau-Barraco

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Food and alcohol disturbance (FAD) combines dieting behaviors and alcohol use for alcohol enhancement (AE-FAD) or calorie compensation (CC-FAD). Though unclear whether racial differences exist in FAD engagement, research suggests strong ethnic identity protects Black Americans from FAD while strengthening risk in White Americans. Resilience (i.e., the ability to recover from adversity) is positively associated with body image amongst Black women; however, resilience has not been examined in relation to FAD. This study evaluated whether associations between resilience and FAD differed by race amongst college women, hypothesizing that resilience would be negatively associated with AE-FAD and CC-FAD for Black and …

Pong Revised: Network-Based Competitions Through Secure Socket Services, Noah T. Jennings, Destiny D. Hale, Jared D. Williams, Michael J. Lively-Scholz

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

We aim to provide a safe, thrilling, locally hosted, and educational multiplayer experience that can be quickly replicated in modern Capture The Flag (CTF) events.

Existential Isolation As A Barrier To Veteran Employment Satisfaction: Implications For Workplace Reintegration, Caleb Blanchard

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Veterans’ reintegration into civilian society often involves recurring problems, particularly within workplaces. More specifically, 40% of veterans report that transitioning into civilian life is much harder than expected, and 80% report that other non-veterans do not understand their problems. Recent work also finds that veterans report feeling more existentially isolated (i.e., the perception that other people do not understand their experiences or worldview) than non-veterans, which may underly these issues with effective reintegration. In this longitudinal study, we examine whether reducing these feelings of existential isolation through “I-sharing” (i.e., the perception of sharing a subjective experience with another person) in …