Digital Commons Network^™

Tools For Evaluating And Monitoring The Effectiveness Of Urban Landscape Water Conservation Interventions And Programs, Diana T. Glenn, Joanna Endter-Wada, Roger Kjelgren

Diana T. Glenn

We investigated ways to evaluate landscape water use to help cities more effectively direct water conservation programs to locations with capacity to conserve. Research was conducted in connection with a landscape irrigation evaluation delivered through a city-sponsored Water Check Program. Research efforts led to development of several assessment and monitoring tools including: Landscape Irrigation Ratio (LIR), Participant Outcome Evaluation Tool, and Program Evaluation Tool. We utilized these tools to identify locations with capacity to conserve water applied to landscapes, compare water use before and after the water check, and evaluate Water Check Program effectiveness. We found the LIR approach successfully …

Influencing Acceptability Of Parent Training Interventions Through Treatment Rationales, Trisha Chase

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parent training is an effective intervention for parents of children with a variety of childhood disorders, and parents often view behavioral parent training as acceptable. Explanations and rationales for parent training are commonly provided at the beginning of treatment. However, there is little research regarding how rationales may influence acceptability. There is also limited information on whether fathers and mothers judge the acceptability of parent training differently. The purpose of this study was to determine whether changing the description of a behavioral parenting intervention influenced parents’ acceptability ratings and whether mothers and fathers differed in their ratings.

Participants viewed one …

Lifestyle Intervention In Emerging Adulthood: A Brief Acceptance-Based Behavioral Intervention With Young Adults, Spencer M. Richards

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Across the U.S., obesity and overweight represent a rapidly growing public health concern that have been associated with expensive and debilitating outcomes such as depression, cancers, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and significant disruption in quality of life, in addition to the tremendous public health costs. The current study examined a brief, randomized-controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with overweight and obese young adults.

Study participants were randomly assigned to a 4-week experimental ACT group or an information control group, which received psychoeducational materials regarding lifestyle behaviors recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

The Role Of Element Type And Crossed Relation In Restructuring Difficulty, Zhonglu Zhang, Ke Yang, Christopher M. Warren, Guang Zhao, Peng Li, Yi Lei, Hong Li

Psychology Faculty Publications

Chunk decomposition is an aspect of problem solving that involves decomposing a pattern into its component parts in order to regroup them into a new pattern. Previous work suggests that the primary source of difficulty in chunk decomposition is whether a problem’s solution requires removing a part that is a meaningful perceptual pattern (termed a chunk) or not (a non-chunk). However, the role of spatial overlap (crossed relation or not) has been ignored in this line of research. Here, we dissociated the role of element type and crossed relation in chunk decomposition problems by employing a Chinese character transformation task. …

An Evaluation Of Demand Functions For Attention And Food In Children With Autism, Bistra K. Bogoev

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The dominant approach to treating social dysfunction in individuals with autism views that dysfunction as a skill deficit. However, another plausible interpretation is that social dysfunction in some individuals arises from motivational deficits. The proposed study presents a method to assess motivational deficits for social attention in individuals with autism. By borrowing methods from behavioral economics, we assessed the essential value for social attention and compared it to the essential value for food.

Five individuals diagnosed with autism were included in the project. First, we assessed preference for food by using paired-preference assessment. To identify preference hierarchy for attention, we …

The Impact Of Academic And Teaching Self-Efficacy On Student Engagement And Academic Outcomes, Lesther A. Papa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As college classrooms increase in size, the challenge of keeping students engaged in the course becomes a greater challenge. Instructors are burdened with the task of managing larger classrooms while maintaining high levels of student participation. Research has shown that students tend to hide and are less likely to participate in larger classrooms. Research has also shown that student participation is affected by fear of judgment from their peers and the instructor. However it is unclear whether this fear is tied to students’ perceived ability or self-efficacy. In addition, it may be that students’ perception of the instructor may affect …

Participation In Dual Language Immersion Programs: Using Theory Of Planned Behavior To Explore Enrollment Factors, Andrea Call

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The theory of planned behavior is used to explain and predict human behavior in a variety of situations. The theory proposes that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence behavioral intention, which then influences behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Research has found that this model is useful in education for predicting teacher behavior in instruction, student participation in coursework, and parental involvement in education (Bracke & Corts, 2012; Campbell, 2010; Cheng & Chu, 2014; Lee et al., 2010). Dual Language Immersion consists of two languages being used for instruction in the same classroom (Alanis & Rodriguez, 2008). The goals of such …

Sexual Orientation Change Efforts, Identity Conflict, And Psychosocial Health Amongst Same-Sex Attracted Mormons, John P. Dehlin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Both religiosity and sexuality are acknowledged by the American Psychological Association as important considerations for overall psychosocial well-being. Consequently, the denunciation of same-sex sexuality as sinful by many religious organizations leads many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals to experience significant identity conflict. Historically, conservative religious institutions such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have offered
developmental (i.e., nonbiological) explanations as to the origins of same sexuality, along with various nonaffirming approaches including: (a) sexual orientation change efforts, (b) increased religious devotion, (c) celibacy, and (d) mixed-orientation (heterosexual) marriage. However, relatively little research has been conducted …

Relations Among Teachers' Implicit Theories Of Intelligence, Standardized Achievement Testing, And Classroom Goals, Sydnie W. Ringle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An achievement gap between ethnic minorities and White Americans continues to exist within the U.S., as well as between the U.S. and varying countries. Research has identified several factors that contribute to this gap, such as differences in curricula across countries, teacher quality, and school funding. In addition to these factors, teachers’ implicit theories of intelligence may also contribute to the achievement gap. Whether teachers view intelligence as fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) can impact instructional practices, specifically the use of performance and learning goals. Performance goals focus on evaluation, ability, and performance rather than mastery of material, …

Teaching Bystander Skills Through Fluency Training, Emilee Hagloch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention that adds a fluency component to teaching bystanders how to defend other students during a bullying situation. Bystander skills were taught to fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms and fluency training was added to several of these classrooms as an experimental group. Students also filled out rating scales to find out what their participant role in bullying situations was (defender of the victim, outsider, bully, victim of the bully, assistant to the bully). Results showed that there was more growth on the fluency scores for those who participated in the fluency training as opposed …

Dementia Caregiver Personality Traits And Coping Strategies: Association With Care Recipient Outcomes, Christine M. Snyder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the potential impact of dementia caregivers’ personality traits and utilization of coping strategies on care recipients’ development of severe dementia, institutionalization, and mortality. Generally, the personality traits and coping strategies were not predictive of care recipient outcomes, especially related to the institutionalization of care recipients. However, increased caregiver use of Avoidance predicted time to care recipient development of severe dementia, while increased use of Counting Blessings reduced risk of mortality.

This research was conducted using extant data from a community-wide study examining factors that affect dementia progression. All data were collected by a research nurse and a …

Romantic Relationship Quality And Technological Communication: Examining The Roles Of Attachment Representations And Rejection Sensitivity, Ron C. Bean

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is important to understand normal developmental patterns in romantic relationships, which develop within historical and cultural contexts and are influenced by social and technological advancement. One of the core features of developing attachment in romantic relationships is proximity to the attachment figure, for which technology may be a substitute. This study described patterns of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in young adult relationships. We hypothesized that core relational and personality features were linked to participants’ interpretations of CMC.

For this study, 97 college students provided overall scores for rejection sensitivity, insecure attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and data about CMC with their …

The Effect Of A Class-Wide Training On Prosocial Bystander Behaviors, Charity Deanne Barnes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to decrease school bullying by teaching defending steps and increasing incentives for bystanders, students who witness bullying but who are not necessarily involved in the violence. An established bullying prevention program was modified to increase the likelihood that bystanders would defend victims of bullying behaviors. The findings of the study suggested that bullying behavior decreased and defending increased. Further, acceptability of the intervention and the skills taught to children were rated as moderately high across all classrooms.

Relationship Of Nutritional Factors To Cognitive Decline In The Progression Of Dementia: The Cache County Dementia Progression Study, Chelsea Sanders

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Memory Study at Utah State University studied longitudinal changes in memory and aging in a population-based sample of 5,092 older adults in semirural Cache County, UT. Three hundred twenty-eight participants with dementia were identified through a multi-staged screening and assessment protocol and visited semiannually for up to 8 years in the Dementia Progression Study (DPS). The current project reviews data from the first 6 years due to attrition in later years. Researchers collected information regarding the participants’ demographics, health, lifestyle (nutrition and physical activity), cognitive abilities and neuropsychiatric symptoms as well as their caregivers’ demographics, health, and …

School-Based Mental Health Practices In Utah: A Descriptive Study, Dina Hargrave

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As psychological well-being, or mental health, is a key factor to academic performance, schools are in a pivotal position to provide needed services to improve the well-being of individual students, parents, and teachers, as well as school-wide wellness. This study explored the current and possible types of school-based and community services within a multi-tier service system approach at each tier level (universal, at-risk, and intensive) delivered to elementary and secondary students, the outcomes expected to be impacted by these partnerships, and the barriers and key factors associated with effective program implementation. Results revealed that 18 of the 21 districts are …

The Relationship Of Trait Mindfulness And Positive Mental And Physical Health Among College Students, Sarah A. Potts

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mindfulness interventions have become an increasingly popular psychological intervention for mental health providers, especially in Westernized countries. Mindfulness interventions are promising in terms of possibly reducing physical and mental health symptoms among a wide variety of clients (including college students) presenting diverse diagnoses. While a number of studies suggest that mindfulness interventions increase mindfulness ability, as demonstrated by an increase in awareness, attention to the present moment, or other components of mindfulness, this assertion has not been validated because many researchers utilizing a mindfulness intervention fail to include measures assessing change in trait mindfulness ability. The present study examined mindfulness …

Monitering And Addressing Light Pollution At Utah State University, Rachel Kim Nydegger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many outdoor light fixtures illuminate in all directions, meaning that a large portion of light is emitted upwards. This excess light - light pollution - represents wasted energy and money, decreases public safety, is a health hazard for humans as well as wildlife, and inhibits the view of the night sky. In order to quantify the anthropogenic contribution of local light pollution, I studied detection methods at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory though a summer REU in 2013. Upon my return to USU, I monitored the night sky brightness from September 2013 to April 2015 at Utah State University. Due …

Unwanted Sexual Experiences: Exploring Conservative Socialization As An Important Contextual Factor, Analise Barker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This mixed methods study examined sexual assault experiences and interpretations within a conservative religious context. In study one, male and female undergraduates (n=234) responded to survey questions assessing religious dogmatism, sexist ideology, traditional gender roles, and rape myth acceptance. Religious fundamentalism was related to rape myth acceptance for women, but not men, and both benevolent sexism (e.g., chivalry) and traditional gender role adherence fully mediated the relationship between religious fundamentalism and rape myth acceptance for women. In study two, 14 women were interviewed about their unwanted sexual assault experiences (USE) and were asked to evaluate their experiences with reference to …

Language Use In Consultation: Can “We” Help Teachers And Students?, Daniel S. Newman, Meaghan C. Guiney, Courteney A. Barrett

Psychology Faculty Publications

Analyzing the use of function words such as pronouns in conversation is an increasingly popular approach in social psychology, but has not yet been applied to the study of school-based consultation. The two central purposes of this study were to: (1) examine how language is used by consultants-in-training (CITs) and consultees within a collaborative model of consultation, and (2) to explore the relation between language use and the collaborative relationship, consultee outcomes, and client outcomes. Analyses focused on CITs’ (n = 18) and consultees’ (n = 18) use of pronouns in a problem identification and analysis (PID/PA) …

Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Parent Involvement In Young Adults' Intercollegiate Athletic Careers: Policy, Education, And Desired Student-Athlete Outcomes, Analise Barker

Research on Capitol Hill

No abstract provided.

Ethnic Minority High School Students: Academic Self-Efficacy And College Preparedness, Melanie Ann Faustino Hansen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In an effort to better understand high school student's academic self-efficacy and college preparedness, 165 students were surveyed at the Utah State University event Diversity Day held on November 21st, 2014. As such, we collaborated with the Utah State University Admissions office so that all evaluation materials and results could be used for future recruitment purposes. Students were asked questions designated to gain insight into the factors they determined to be important when choosing to attend college, selecting a college to attend, and how prepared they viewed themselves to succeed in college. In addition, basic measures were also taken that …