Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
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Item Masquerade Attacks Against Security Software Exclusion Lists(AJIIPS, 2019) McIntosh T; Jang-Jaccard J; Watters P; Susnjak TSecurity software, commonly known as Antivirus, has evolved from simple virus scanners to become multi-functional security suites. To combat ever-growing malware threats, modern security software utilizes both static and dynamic analysis to assess malware threats, inevitably leading to occasional false positive and false negative reports. To mitigate this, existing state-of-the-art security software offers the feature of Exclusion Lists to allow users to exclude specified files and folders from being scanned or monitored. Through rigorous evaluation, however, we found that some of such products stored their Exclusion Lists as unencrypted cleartexts either in known or predictable locations. In this paper we empirically demonstrate how easy it is to exploit the Exclusion Lists by launching masquerade attacks. We argue that the Exclusion Lists should be better implemented such as using application whitelisting, the contents of the lists to be better safeguarded, and only be readable by authorized entities within a strong access control scheme.Item Online proctored exams and digital inequalities during the pandemic.(Wiley, 13/04/2023) Hartnett M; Butler P; Rawlins PThe emergence of the COVID-19 and the resulting global pandemic has ushered in far-reaching changes for countries across the world, not least of which are changes to their education systems. With traditional location-based exams no longer possible at universities, the uptake of online proctored exams (OPE) has occurred at a pace not seen prior to the pandemic. Students' experiences of online proctored exams during the pandemic are reasonably well-understood in terms of digital access and ease of use of the technology. However, less is known about students' perceptions of digital confidence and competence to complete an online exam, both of which are important digital equity considerations.Item Social psychology for social change: Foundations for and introduction to a program of action-oriented research(Cambridge University Press, 12/12/2014) Liu JH; Bernardo ABICopyright © The Author(s) 2014.The Special Issues series on social psychology of social change will provide a forum for research on the science and practice of interventions for social change that benefit individuals, organisations and society. This effort takes up Lewin's call for scientific research aimed towards solving social problems and generating new knowledge, but with a theory and practice of culture and cultural change at its centre. The effort elevates the dominant research approach in developing countries in Asia where there is more concern about opportunities for training and engaging in and publishing more applied work. The emphasis both on research excellence and on a holistic concern for society as central components for theorising about effective modes of realising social change in Asia and the Pacific is a long-term project that begins with the seven diverse articles in the special issue, which span different stages in the project - from clarifying its Asian philosophical basis, to empirical analysis of the problem and levers of change, to evaluation of the outcomes of action research.Item Constructing the drinker in talk about alcoholics(New Zealand Psychological Society, 2010) Macfarlane AD; Tuffin KAttitudes are one of the most commonly researched topics in social psychology, and attitudes toward alcoholics have been a popular interest area. The present study investigated such attitudes from within a social constructionist paradigm. Participants were interviewed about their views toward alcoholics and the transcribed recordings were analysed discursively to examine common constructions and evaluative practices. Three central discourses are discussed: a functional drinking discourse, where drinking was cast as normal social practice for functional drinkers; a dysfunctional people discourse, where alcoholics were formulated as qualitatively different from other drinkers; and a discourse of two dichotomous categories, in which alcoholics were concurrently constructed in terms of their heterogeneity. These discourses are discussed in terms of their construction and the tasks they performed, which include justifying intolerance and emphasising social differences. Particular attention is paid to how these practices were presented as 'fact' through the process of discursive construction.Item What does attachment have to do with out-of-control sexual behaviour?(New Zealand Psychological Society, 2012) Faisandier KM; Taylor JE; Salisbury RMOut-of-control sexual behaviour (OCSB) involves a continuum of sexual behaviour that results in distress or functional impairment. Several factors have been considered relevant to the etiology of OCSB, including attachment style, or the experience of intimacy-related anxiety and/or avoidance (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973, 1980). The present study explored OCSB and adult attachment amongst 621 New Zealanders using an online questionnaire. Using the SAST-R (Carnes, Green, & Carnes, 2010) to form groups, the OCSB group (n = 407) reported lower secure and higher insecure adult attachment than the non-OCSB group (n = 214), and this finding was strongest for women. This supports the notion that OCSB is associated with intimacy-related anxiety or avoidance, but further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms of this relationship in terms of whether attachment problems are a cause, consequence, or complex mixture of both in the development and maintenance of OCSB. Such knowledge would contribute to the development of etiological understandings of OCSB and inform future intervention approaches.Item The meaning of significance in data testing.(FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2015) Perezgonzalez JDItem Economic hardship among older people in New Zealand: The effects of low living standards on social support loneliness and mental health(New Zealand Psychological Society, 2010) Stephens C; Alpass F; Towers ABy 2026 people aged 65 and over are projected to make up approximately 20% of the population of New Zealand. A focus on the positive aspects of ageing includes consideration of the factors that promote good mental health in the population. In the present study of early old age (65-70 years) we highlight factors that are amenable to social and structural change in order to support positive ageing as people move into retirement. Analysis of cross-sectional survey data from 1761 people aged 65-70 was used to test the prediction that economic living standards are related to social support and loneliness (taking into account gender and ethnicity differences) and these factors in turn will affect mental health. Multiple regression analysis showed that lower living standards are both independently related to mental health and also contribute to diminished opportunities for social support. Social support and loneliness in turn, are related to mental health. Such observations suggest the importance of changes in social attitudes and social policy to build societies in which older people are valued and supported both economically and socially.Item Wanna drive? driving anxiety and fear in a New Zealand community sample(New Zealand Psychology Society, 2008) Taylor JE; Paki DDriving anxiety can impact everyday functioning and is common following motor vehicle crashes. However, no research has investigated its general community prevalence, despite the consistent finding that driving anxiety is not always a function of a vehicle crash. The present study explored the frequency and characteristics of driving anxiety and fear in a general community convenience sample of 100 participants who completed a questionnaire about driving anxiety, avoidance behaviour, and types of driving-related cognitions. Most of the sample described no anxiety, fear, or avoidance in relation to driving. However, 8% reported moderate to extreme anxiety about driving, and 7% described moderate to extreme driving fear. Women reported more driving anxiety, fear, and avoidance than men. These results indicate the need for more formal methods of establishing prevalence to clearly ascertain the extent of population-based driving anxiety and fear and its effects, so that research can begin to focus on developing effective treatment approaches for those whose anxiety has a psychological and functional impact.Item Gambling behaviour and motivation in an urban sample of older adult gamblers(NEW ZEALAND PSYCHOL SOC, 1/03/2008) Clarke D; Clarkson JDue to low rates of gambling participation among older adults (65+ years), little is known about gender differences in their gambling behaviour and reasons for gambling. Also, little is known about differences in their motives for different forms of gambling. Following motivational theory, the present study compared the behaviour and motivation of 41 male and 63 female gamblers in Hamilton, New Zealand where a casino was recently opened. Ages ranged from 66 to 87 years. Gambing for rewards was the strongest motivation for both sexes, followed by boredom. There were no significant gender differences, nor interactions between gender and skill/chance preferences on motivation. Regular continuous gamblers had stronger preferences for horse/dog races, scratch tickets or non-casino gaming machines, and had a higher expenditure rate than regular non-continuous gamblers who more strongly preferred Lotto. They also had significantly higher scores on curiosity, stimulation, escape and apathy. Longitudinal and observational studies were suggested to examine the impact of new casinos in towns with large numbers of older adults, and to monitor potential symptoms of problem gambling.Item Sharpening our understanding of social problems in Asian societies: The roles of culture and theory in socially engaged social psychology(Cambridge University Press, 8/10/2015) Bernardo ABI; Liu JH© Copyright 2015 The Author(s) .This thematic Special Issue is the second in a five-year series on social psychology of social change that aims to feature the science and practice of interventions for social change. But, current work in the social psychology of social change still focuses on theoretical analysis of social problems; the action-oriented approach to social psychology research is not yet a strong movement in social psychology in the region. This is reflected in the research features in the Special Issue, where only one exemplifies the action research approach. Nevertheless, there is progress towards applying the theoretical lenses and methodological tools of social psychology to develop sharper understanding of particular social problems and the theoretical analysis that draws from close social contextual analysis and from indigenous concepts plays an important role in this progress. Even as we reflect on the challenges for moving towards action-oriented social psychology research, we note how social psychologists in the Asian and Pacific region are focusing their attention on local social concerns.