I grew up steeped in Korean Confucian ideals that view education as a noble path to a better future and the greatest gift one can pass on to their family. My grandparents, having toiled in post-war Korea, sold all their livestock and land to move their children to the capital for a better education. My parents, both college-educated thanks to my grandparents’ sacrifices and thrust into the workforce amid Korea’s rapid industrialization, carried this legacy forward, sacrificing to send me to good schools to provide me with ‘even better’ opportunities they had never known.

During the most challenging moments of my PhD journey, I often thought of this enduring family commitment, reminding myself of the extraordinary privilege I had to stand on the shoulders of my family’s generational endeavors and freely pursue my long years of study to become a behavioral science scholar. This journey has been nothing short of a privilege, for which I am deeply grateful.

I am most thankful to my parents, Soo Young and Nam Soo, who, despite my rebellious teenage threats to quit school and work in a wig factory if they didn’t let me study in America, have supported all my life decisions and morale from continents away. This dissertation is dedicated to my father, Nam Soo, who is a loving parent and best friend to me, and a kind professor and mentor to many. Appa and Umma, I love you so much; having you as my parents is my greatest blessing. I should also send my love to my baby brother, Sangjin, who I would bet anything will become a great mathematician one day.

My gratitude extends to my committee, for their pedagogical guidance and for setting the constellations of a good scholar’s life by which I sail. To Suzanne Shu, for instilling in me a sense of ownership—both in my life and in my research; her Zen smile and kind words always got me back on my feet when I felt lost. To Kaitlin Woolley, for guiding me every step of the way; from dipping my toes to outright swimming, she gave me all the necessary pushes into the water. Special thanks to Dave Pizarro—I always wanted to become a professor like him long before I even joined Cornell. He turned out to be even cooler than I had imagined, effortlessly whipping out a deck of cards from his Adidas tracksuit to show tricks, while dispensing insightful research feedback. He is, indubitably, the very baddest wizard of this world.

I would also like to acknowledge the unique community that embraced me during my time at Cornell. Ithaca is a town that is frozen in its muted upstate hues and endless winters, coming alive only for its fleeting yet glorious warm months. It is home to a rotating cast of smart, interesting people who don’t quite know how they stumbled into this small corner of the world. It is difficult to imagine how I would have survived here were it not for my friends, who endured my melancholic ukulele songs by bonfires, sneaked into Ezra’s Tunnel to catch sunsets over the gorge, and chased after imaginary ghosts at night guided by a ghost-hunting app. Here’s to the radiant band of souls that will forever be part of my upstate New York memories: Jinsook (Jennie), R. Elmkies, Yanã, Karo, Nikita, Begum, Mahshid, Xuan, Joe, Miju, Evan and Carlton, B. Bookout, Bob R., and saving the best for the last, Jacob L.C.

Finally, my heartfelt thanks to the subjects who have participated in my studies over the past six years. This dissertation stands on the foundation of your time and engagement.