Date

5-20-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Kevin Ganey

Keywords

adolescent development, self-efficacy, integrated cybersecurity, virtual behavior

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

In this quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test study, the researcher examined adolescents’ vulnerability to cyber threats, a challenge exacerbated by the current compartmentalized approach to cybersecurity education. Grounded in psychological theory, biblical world views, and current cybersecurity best practices, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of integrating cybersecurity education into social science classes to enhance adolescents’ judgment and confidence in online environments. Approximately 45 adolescent students were recruited to participate. Participants completed a pre-test consisting of a Cybersecurity Judgment Questionnaire (CJQ) and a self-reported cybersecurity confidence survey (CCS), establishing a baseline of their judgment and confidence in virtual spaces. All participants then received an integrated social science and cybersecurity lesson. Immediately following the intervention, students completed the post-test to assess changes in comprehension and confidence. It was hypothesized that this intervention would result in a statistically significant increase in the participants' cybersecurity judgment and their cybersecurity confidence scores. Results indicated statistically significant improvements in adolescents’ cybersecurity judgment and confidence following the intervention, along with a positive relationship between judgment and confidence. These findings supported the use of interdisciplinary approaches to cybersecurity education and contributed to more comprehensive strategies for promoting adolescent online safety.

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