Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of User Experience In Virtual Reality Flight Training: A Comparison With Pc-Based Simulation, Tianxin Zhang, Christina M. Frederick, Barbara Chaparro

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The current project explores how user experience (UX) in virtual reality (VR) flight simulation influences both cognitive learning outcomes and procedural skill acquisition when compared to traditional desktop-based simulation.. Using a quasi-transfer of training design, 48 student pilots were randomly assigned to VR, Desktop, or Control groups and trained on the Chandelle maneuver. UX was measured with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), while training effectiveness was evaluated through a post-training knowledge test and recorded maneuver performance on a high-fidelity flight training device. Results indicated that the VR group reported significantly higher UX scores in Attractiveness, Stimulation, and Novelty, and showed …

Plastic Waste Imports & Coastal Litter: Evidence From Citizen Science Data, Rebecca L.C. Taylor, Hebe Williams, Shan Zhang

Economics Faculty Publications

Plastic waste is an internationally traded commodity, where importing countries recycle plastic waste into usable materials. However, there are concerns that the importation process creates plastic litter - a negative externality - in importing countries. While this concern has received much media and policy attention, quantifying the magnitude of this externality has been hindered by a lack of data on plastic litter across countries and over time. To this end, we use unconventional citizen science data on litter from Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup, together with the United Nations Comtrade Database, to estimate the correlation between traded plastic waste and …

Nbc Peacock North Winter 2026 Newsletter, Peacock North Staff

NBC Peacock North Newsletter

Highlights include: Al Roker is our Guest Speaker, NBC Turns 100! --Tom Wolzien interviewed by Karen Curry and Marilyn Altman -- When Vinnie Novak Met Fidel Castro -- Silent Microphones -- The Oscars will be Streamed in 2029

Localized Air Pollution Impacts From Data Centers In Northern Virginia, Damian Pitt, Ivan Suen, Ellie Plisko

Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment Publications and Presentations

This report examins the extent of air pollution emissions resulting from the use of backup generators at data centers in Northern Virginia, including both actual current emissions and potential future emissions, and how those emissions totals compare to other sources of air pollution in the Northern Virginia region. It also examines how exposure to data center emissions correlates with demographic characteristics such as race, income, and education.

We while the air pollution emissions from individual data centers is minor, the collective impact from the 100+ such facilities in the Northern Virginia region is significant. Notably, the cumulative emissions exposure in …

Social Exclusion, Social Support, And Trauma, Eric D. Wesselmann

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Humans have an inherent need to forge stable and quality social connections. One key benefit of having social connections is obtaining social support for navigating traumatic or otherwise stressful events. Ostracism (i.e. being both ignored and excluded, Williams, 2009) and other forms of social exclusion rob individuals of the opportunity to receive social support and likely contribute to stress-related mental health concerns. My colleagues and I tested this premise in different stress-related contexts, ranging from college students struggling with potentially stigmatizing secrets to community members who have experienced various types of traumatic incidents (e.g., miscarriage, military combat). We examined the …

“I’M Throwing The Red Flag”: Online Peer Responses To Teen Descriptions Of Abusive Relationship Behaviors Posted On Reddit, Kyla M. Cary, Morgan E. Pettyjohn, Erin Nolen

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Adolescents in the United States experience abusive relationship behaviors at alarming rates; yet formal education on navigating harmful relationship dynamics is lacking. Thus, many teens use the internet to disclose abuse experiences and seek information or advice from their online peers. To better understand the types of responses, advice, and information teens receive from their online peers, we analyzed peer-to-peer discussions about abusive relationship behaviors from teens in the Reddit community r/teenrelationships. Using qualitative content analysis, we analyzed comment responses (n = 154) to Reddit posts (n = 56) in which teen users discussed experiences of interpersonal harm …

“I Know How To Identify And Communicate My Needs”: A Qualitative Study Of The Self-Perceived Strengths Of People In Polyamorous Relationships, Alexander K. Tatum, Sharon M. Flicker, Nawar Albarak, Jessi M. Schroeder, Ash Moomaw, Idil Ugurluoglu, Alex Whitman, Alysse Wiggins, Danielle Davis, Robyn Fisher

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Little empirical research has adopted a strength-based approach to examine strategies that help offset challenges (e.g., discrimination, internalized stigma) faced by people in polyamorous relationships. The current qualitative study assessed the self-perceived strengths of 63 US-based, adult participants who reported present or former engagement in at least one polyamorous relationship. Participants' responded to the open-ended question, “What particular characteristics do you have that help you navigate the challenges of polyamory?” A thematic analysis identified strengths across eight broad themes: personality traits, a willingness to challenge mononormative socialization, ability to manage difficult emotions, experiencing compersion and/or low levels of/well-managed jealousy, strong …

Belongingness And Motivation Among College Students, Noah Seiter

2026 Honors Symposium

Background/Introduction: Student motivation is influenced by a plethora of variables and factors in educational settings which include the student’s sense of belongingness; however, belonging is often treated as a single construct rather than a dimensional idea. This study addresses the need to differentiate student belongingness into its distinct components of peer belonging and institutional belongingness and examine their unique contributions to levels of student motivation in the collegiate level. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine this distinction between levels of institutional belongingness and peer belongingness as well as their independent and collective influences on motivation among college …

An Autoethnographic Study Of A Technical Services Librarian’S Teaching Journey During The Tenure Track: “Define Myself For Myself To Both Survive And Thrive”, Junli Diao

Publications and Research

This autoethnographic study explores the disorienting dilemma that a technical services librarian experienced while alternating between working behind the scenes to fulfill professional responsibilities and teaching in the library to meet organizational expectations as a faculty member. The analysis of personal data accumulated during the tenure track period reveals three themes: teaching as learning to become, teaching as learning to challenge the system, and teaching as learning to research. Reflection focuses on three themes interconnected by the concept and practice of mindful learning. With the acknowledgement of limitations, this autoethnography concludes it was the self-reflective lifelong learning mindset that helped …

Image Repair Differences Between Human And Ai-Generated Messaging: The Case Of The Chicago White Sox, Joseph R. Blaney, Kevin R. Meyer, Peter M. Smudde, Stephen K. Hunt, Lance R. Lippert, K. Megan Hopper, Roy D. Magnuson

Faculty Publications - Communications

With 121 losses in 2024, the Chicago White Sox set an unwanted record for the most losses in a single Major League Baseball season. Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf wrote a letter apologizing to fans following the season, including additional attempts at image repair. The increasing availability of artificial intelligence (AI) raises unique questions concerning how apology messages ought to be generated and how effective such messages are with disgruntled fans. To determine if the real message from Reinsdorf was effective, we generated a similar apology using AI. Fans were randomly assigned to read the real message from Reinsdorf, one generated …

A Meaningful Theory: 25 Years Of Relational Dialectics Theory In The Journal Of Family Communication, Lindsey J. Thomas, Kristina M. Scharp

Faculty Publications - Communications

In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Journal of Family Communication (JFC), the present essay celebrates two and a half decades of relational dialectics theory (RDT) in JFC, highlighting the reciprocal relationship between theory and journal. The authors, both of whom have a breadth of experience in conducting RDT research, first provide a history of RDT and an overview of key terms and assumptions. The essay then traces the history of RDT through the first 25 volumes of JFC. A review of the RDT-based original research articles in JFC turns an eye toward the family …

Bodies, Bottles, And Emotions: Emotional–Material Tensions In Exclusive Pumping, Jessica M. Rick

Faculty Publications - Communications

Exclusive pumping (i.e., providing breast milk solely via pumping) is increasingly common in the United States, yet remains largely invisible in public discourse. This study uses photo-elicitation interviews to examine how exclusive pumping mothers narrate the emotional and material tensions of their feeding journeys. Participants’ photographs revealed profound pride in sustaining breast milk for their children, alongside frustration at not nursing “naturally.” Participants also documented the substantial responsibilities, financial costs, and emotional labor inherent in exclusive pumping. Despite these challenges, mothers framed their experiences through cultural narratives of intensive and total motherhood, positioning exclusive pumping as a morally and socially …

From Anxiety To Stewardship: An Autoethnographic Study Of Therapist Development, Christie Ellis

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is recognized as an evidence-informed practice for supporting psychotherapy outcomes, yet limited research has examined how therapists-in-training experience integrating ROM into their clinical development. This autoethnographic study investigated the role of ROM in shaping therapist identity development within a university-based marriage and family therapy training clinic. Qualitative data included 34 reflective journal entries analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, and quantitative data included multiple client outcome trajectories across several clinical measures compared descriptively with prototypical change trajectories derived from MFT-PRN datasets. Qualitative findings reflected a developmental progression from initial anxiety and performance concerns toward increased confidence, attunement, …

Analyzing Educators’ Roles In Preparing Students For Civic Engagement In Arkansas Communities, Mia L. Hastings

2026 Honors Symposium

Young adults ages eighteen to twenty-nine make up a large portion of the voting age population but historically participate in elections at lower rates. Although most students take at least one high school civics course, civic education often emphasizes the memorization of governmental facts rather than preparing students with the skills needed for active civic participation. This gap highlights the need to examine how educators can better prepare students for meaningful civic engagement. The purpose of this study is to examine how educators prepare students for civic engagement in Arkansas communities. The study defines practical strategies educators can implement in …

Exploring The Role Of Satisfaction With Love, Education, Work, And Leisure In Flourishing During Emerging Adulthood And Early Established Adulthood, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer, Tyler B. Jamison, Cindy L. Hartman

Faculty Publications - Family and Consumer Sciences

Using data from 857 young adults (18 to 35 years-old), we explored how satisfaction with education, work, romantic, and leisure experiences were associated with flourishing. We found associations between satisfaction and flourishing, even when accounting for having completed salient developmental tasks related to education, work, romantic relationships, and leisure. Although we did not find that gender (cisgender women compared to cisgender men) or developmental stage (emerging adult compared to early established adult) moderated associations between developmental domain satisfaction and flourishing, we did find gender and developmental stage differences in education, work, and leisure satisfaction as well as developmental task completion …

Championing Weight-Neutral Healthcare: A Review Of Resources From Medical Students For Size Inclusivity, Samantha Guss

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Medical Students for Size Inclusivity (MSSI) is a volunteer-led organization of medical students across the United States challenging weight bias in healthcare and advocating for equitable, weight-inclusive care (https://sizeinclusivemedicine.org). Recently MSSI has developed three “informed consent resources” about intentional weight loss interventions, focusing on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications (such as Ozempic©), bariatric surgery, and pediatric weight management. The three resources are grounded in weight-neutral care and are designed to supplement information from healthcare providers by sharing more nuanced information about the research on the interventions, potential alternatives, and approaches to health that are not focused on body weight. …

Community Narratives On Addressing Gender And Power-Based Violence: Asian/Pacific Islander Voices From Dc, Maryland, And Virginia; An Oral History Of The Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (Dvrp), Linda Kuo

Social Work Theses - Archive

Between 16% and 55% of A/PI women and 8.4% of men report experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime (API GBV, 2020). The DC, Maryland, and Virginia tri-state region is home to a growing Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) population and calls for further learning about their culturally relevant social services. The Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) is the only pan-A/PI specific anti-violence organization in this area. Grounded in intersectionality and collective memory theory, the current study employs oral history methodology to interview 14 individuals involved in supporting A/PI survivors, who are and have been part of the DVRP community. …

Advancing Research Appointments: Enhancing Patron Satisfaction Through Assessment, Kytt Everdeen Moore, Tera A. Ray, Laura B. Wright

The Southeastern Librarian

As research appointments continue to be a service offered across reference departments, it is important to regularly assess their effectiveness at meeting patrons’ needs and to seek improvement. To do this, patrons were surveyed after scheduling a research appointment to understand their reasons for scheduling an appointment, preferred formats, expectations, knowledge gained, and overall satisfaction. The findings revealed that most patrons were students, and the most common way to learn about appointments was from instructors. Patrons primarily scheduled appointments online, citing convenience and location as main reasons for their choice. Their main expectation was to learn effective search strategies. Recommendations …

Does The Use Of Protective Behavioral Strategies Moderate The Relationship Between Perceived Peer Cannabis Use And Personal Use?, Mia Forsythe, Erica E. Mcdonald, Melissa N. Manning, Audrey L. Bell, Alicia Moulder, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

The perception that close friends frequently use substances (i.e., descriptive norms) has been shown to increase personal use frequency and subsequent negative consequences. Within alcohol literature, protective behavioral strategies (PBS), actions aimed at reducing negative consequences of substance use (e.g., avoiding use before work), have been shown to moderate the effect of this relationship. However, this relationship in cannabis use remains unexplored. Thus, the current study examines PBS use as a moderator between descriptive norms and cannabis use frequency. We hypothesize that a positive association between descriptive norms and cannabis frequency will be weakened by greater PBS use. Undergraduate past-month …

Under Pressure: Associations Between Discrimination, Expressive Suppression, And Coping Drinking Motives Among Sexual Minority Women, Erica E. Mcdonald, Mia Forsythe, Audrey L. Bell, Melissa N. Manning, Alicia Moulder, Cathy Lau-Barraco

Knowledge and Creativity Expo

Within Minority Stress Theory, heterosexist discrimination has been linked to drinking to cope (DTC) motives, or drinking as a way to manage negative emotions. DTC motives are associated with heightened negative consequences from drinking. Prior research has found that high levels of expressive suppression (i.e., inhibition of ongoing emotion-expressive behavior) confer risk for coping motivated drinking. Given sexual minority women’s (SMW) elevated risk for DTC motives, examining expressive suppression and discrimination as correlates may address an important gap in literature. Thus, the current study examined expressive suppression as a factor impacting the relationship between external discrimination and coping motives among …

Period Poverty, Gabriel Degraeve, Monica Bennett

SPARK Symposium Presentations

In the United States, 25% of adolescent females lack access to adequate period products (Period., 2025). Limited access to period products disproportionately affects women of color, women from low-income areas, and rural communities (Kuhlmann & Obionu, 2024). One in six women and girls in Tennessee lives under the federal poverty line (Alliance for Period Supplies, 2025) and likely lacks adequate access to these products. This limited access forces women to use alternatives, such as toilet paper or paper towels, or to use period products longer than recommended. This can lead to serious health issues, including toxic shock syndrome, and make …

Risk Factors And Prevention Of Alzheimer's Disease: How To Beat The Odds, Luke Magro

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Dementia affects over 55 million people worldwide. That number is expected to rise to 150 million patients worldwide, with the overwhelming majority of cases being Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is no cure or medicine that can cure Alzheimer’s disease; we can only try to prevent it. To prevent the rise in cases of Alzheimer's disease, we must learn what causes AD, what we can control, and how we can control it. What is known is that age, genetics, and family history are the main risk factors in 60% of AD cases. The other 40% are lifestyle factors such as diet, …

Ransomware As Organization: A Comparative Analysis Of Corporate And Criminal Structures In Conti, George Urling

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cybercriminal groups continue to pose major threats to global cybersecurity. One of the most common types of cybercriminal groups are, “Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)" groups, who create and sell ransomware. While research is conducted into the development of ransomware, there is limited reporting on the organizational structure and habits of RaaS groups. In 2022, prominent RaaS group Conti had their chat logs leaked, with the logs ranging from 2020 to 2022. This study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of RaaS group structures by utilizing the Conti leaked logs as a case study. The study, entitled “Ransomware as Organization: A Comparative Analysis …

Choco Pies, Economic Gains, And The Opening Of North Korea:, Quinci Rasband

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Since the armistice was signed putting a hold on the Korean War (July 27, 1953) and officially created two separate entities, has there ever been a time when North Korea and South Korea—two diametrically opposed countries— worked together towards a common goal? If there really was such a time when North Korea and South Korea collaborated, one can wonder how this was received in the minds of North Koreans and South Koreans. While it is challenging to understand North Korean citizens’ perceptions of events, delving into accessible sources can shed light onto South Korea’s viewpoint of inter-Korean relations. One such …

Memories Of The Low-Income Elderly Of South Korea, Jacob Gilbert

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Rain pattered against my umbrella as I walked down the small alleyway near Tapgol Park. An elderly man carrying a black umbrella hobbled past me. Rain dripping from the gutters made puddles at my feet. I carefully avoided several puddles in the pavement making my way to the end of the alleyway. As I drew closer to the end, loud voices echoed down the alley. Around the corner a crowd of elderly people huddled underneath the roof of the front gate to the park. Some stood, while others sat on the ground leaning their backs against the walls of the …

The Hallyu Hexagon:, Katherine Linton

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

From the opening credits, Crash Landing On You1 captured the attention and adoration of millions. The show follows a South Korean chaebol heiress, Yoon Se-ri, who crash lands into the North Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone. She is discovered by North Korean soldier, Ri Jeong Hyeok, who mercifully decides not to kill her on the spot. Over the course of 16 episodes and 23 hours, as Ri Jeong Hyeok betrays loyalty lines by evading the North Korean Military Police and helping Yoon Se-ri return to the south, the two’s fateful meeting evolves into a cross-border romance.

Korean dramas are …

Silencing The Party, Amplifying The Music:, Brian Lewis

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

The 2024 dissolution of the MFP marked a turning point in Thai electoral politics, catalyzing a cultural contest over political expression through music. The court’s decision to dissolve the MFP was perceived as a direct attack on free political discourse, intensifying state-led censorship efforts against musicians who critiqued the establishment. In response, political music became not only a means of protest, but a crucial space for youth to form their political identities and express dissent. This escalation in censorship and the concurrent surge in musical activism cannot be directly attributed to long-standing political trends; rather, they were significantly increased by …

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BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

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Colonial Legacy And National Identity:, Nina Harris

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

The island of Taiwan occupies an unusual political position in the world today. Taiwan is viewed primarily in relation to its complicated relationship with the People’s Republic of China. While Taiwan considers itself distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically elected leaders, China’s government claims the island is an inalienable part of China and has been for centuries. Taiwan’s history, however, is more complicated and diverse than China allows. Unbeknownst to many, Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895 to 1945, and it was an era of highly significant change for Taiwan. The Japanese occupation was …

Connecting To The Motherland:, Grace Truett

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

India was the crown jewel of the British Empire and, despite the oppressive colonialism between 1857 and 1947, it produced citizens who cared for the future of their nation. Jamini Roy is one such citizen who envisioned his rich cultural Motherland untouched by Western forces. Although India had been dominated by Britain economically, socially, and even artistically, Roy was an anti-capitalist artist who used materials native to India to perpetuate Bengali artistic traditions and reinvent Christian folklore; his work aims towards unification of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian Indian viewers through nationalism and connection of Indian citizens to their land, as …