Digital Commons Network^™

Online Deception: The Impact Of Language In Text-Based Deception Detection, Stephanie Dayle Avila

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In today’s digital age, spreading false information online can have serious consequences, from affecting elections to undermining public health efforts. Despite the issue's importance, there’s been relatively little research into better understanding how people make decisions about lies and misinformation online. My project dives into this challenge by exploring how specific language cues, like grammar errors or unusual word choices, influence people’s perception of statements in terms of deceit online. I examined how people react to these cues through three separate but related studies when reading truthful and deceptive statements. The first two studies showed that true statements with grammatical …

Examining General Education Teacher Perceptions Of Individualized Education Program Accommodations, Riley Johnson

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

This study examines general education teacher perceptions of IEP accommodations and their suggestions for relevant training to support diverse learner needs. Accommodations have been defined as adaptations or changes to educational environments and practices designed to help students overcome challenges presented by their disabilities. An electronic survey was sent to general education teachers across the four high schools in Cache County School District. The survey included a variety of questions regarding teachers’ perceptions of accommodations and their involvement in the IEP process. The results showed a variety of explanations and expand the knowledge base of various perceptions of this important …

Preventing, Perceiving, And Post-Venting Suicide: A Guide For Teachers, For Their Students, Justin Vance

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

To aid teachers with intense time constraints, the following summary includes the bolded, most important points in the paper:

• Thank you for caring about your students; by doing more than just teaching your content, you will change lives ... and may save some.

• Teachers are not responsible for student suicide; we carry enough responsibility already.

• Genuine, assertive communication of confidence and support fosters the safe environment needed.

• Improvements to how we view and speak about suicide can help reshape how young people think about it.

• As young men lose what they care about in pursuit …

“Are You A Good Witch Or A Bad Witch?”: An Exercise In Suspending Judgment When Interacting With “Difficult” People, John S. Seiter, Christian R. Seiter

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Courses:

Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication

Objectives:

In this single-class activity, students gain awareness and practice in suspending judgments about “difficult” people in order to understand the reasoning behind certain objectionable behavior.

Efficacy Of Translocation As A Management Tool For Urban Mule Deer In Utah, Channing R. Howard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An increase in urbanization in the United States has led to an increase in human-wildlife interactions with deer (Odocoileus spp.) which have been able to adapt and thrive in these urban environments. In Utah, urbanization has occurred along the Wasatch Front which was once traditional mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) winter range habitat. This urban expansion coupled with an increasing use of these urban areas by mule deer, have led to increasing conflicts with deer. Overabundant urban deer have led to increased concerns over safety from deer-vehicle collisions, and damage to personal property including gardens and landscaping. …

Beauty, Vanity, And Perception In The Sonnets Of Shakespeare, Jessica Krebs, Westin Smith, Alesha Hurst, Christopher Nicholson

ENGL 3315 – Early Modern British Literary History

No abstract provided.

The Perception Of Utah Division Of Wildlife Resource’S Law Enforcement By Local, County And Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies, Wyatt Bubak

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

Like most states throughout the nation, Utah’s population has continually grown since settlement. In 2014 Utah’s population was estimated at 2.95 million and between 2015-2016 Utah had the highest percentage growth rate of any state in the nation. This profound amount of growth can be attributed to many factors that are unique to Utah; two of which are the aesthetic and recreational opportunities available to Utah residents.

Due to population growth and urban sprawl, areas commonly patrolled by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) conservation officers are now located closer to urban populations. Previously rural or backcountry areas are seeing …

Assessing Variation In Air Quality Perception: A Case Study In Utah, Karen Jayne Mendenhall

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

In recent years, Utah has experienced poor air quality due to pollution-trapping winter inversions and summer ozone pollution. The resulting impacts of poor air quality include health issues, reduced visibility, economic impacts and ecological impacts. Utah’s topography and exploding urban population are factors which increase human exposure to these adverse impacts of air pollution. It is important for State and local governments to understand how people perceive air quality so that clean air campaigns target those who are most likely to foster pro-environmental behaviors. An analysis was conducted using data from a state-wide survey conducted in July 2017. The survey …

Initiating Cultural Shifts In Perceptions Of Cataloging Units Through Interaction Assessment, Andrea Payant, Becky Skeen, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Points of contact formulate the culture of any organization and shape the perceptions of decision makers and colleagues alike. This research project investigated the interactions between Cataloging and Metadata Services staff and other library employees by analyzing interactions. This article summarizes the results of data gathered from interaction assessments and compares them with surveys about the current perceptions of the cataloging unit at the Utah State University Libraries. It discusses the ways these results have influenced existing unit workflows to enhance awareness of cataloging and metadata contributions to the library and posits possible ways to continue such initiatives moving forward.

Age Perception And The Peer-Tutor Relationship, Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq

Writing Center Analysis Papers

As a non-traditional graduate student and peer writing tutor, Itchuaqiaq explores the challenges she and other older students encounter connecting with their much-younger undergraduate tutees. Itchuaquiq includes several reflections from other non-traditional graduate peer tutors that explain the struggles they face establishing an appropriate peer power balance. Additionally, Itchuaquiq calls for more writing center research on how age affects tutees' writing center perceptions and experiences.

Under Cover: An Exploration Of Book Cover Design And Reader Perception Of The Text, Maria Williams

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

I am double majoring in graphic design and English and in doing so, am interested in studying the view of book cover design in both disciplines. This is partly a continuation of an Honors contract I did with Bob Winward in Fall 2015 when I designed multiple book covers. In this contract, a major aspect that determined whether a cover design was successful or not was whether the design was "true" to the text in the book. A literary critic, as opposed to a graphic designer who creates the cover, is given a book (and therefore a cover) and thus …

I Know You Are But What Am I?, David Kern Cahoon

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

David Cahoon MFA Creative Project

Teacher Perception Of Social/Emotional Skills Of Preschool Children And The Relationship To Common Core Standards, A. Mi'kel Price

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

Sampson is a 4-year-old preschooler. It is difficult for him to make friends, understand simple social settings, and interact with peers. He struggles to interpret incoming contextual information (such as talking to a peer about the blocks they are playing with), has difficulty comprehending non-literal/figurative expressions (such as jokes and irony), and implicit messages (such as when a child does not want to play with him). Sampson’s difficulties increase his risk of social isolation and lower self-esteem.

This vignette offers a glimpse into the challenges faced by children with low social/emotional skills. The social use of language, often referred to …

Farmers’ Perceptions Of The Impacts Of Human– Wildlife Conflict On Their Livelihood And Natural Resource Management Efforts In Cheha Woreda Of Guraghe Zone, Ethiopia, Dagne Mojo, Jessica Rothschuh, Mehari Alebachew

Human–Wildlife Interactions

There are several livelihood improvement and natural resource management campaigns being undertaken in Ethiopia. In Cheha Woreda District of Guraghe Zone, a research team from the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta Research Center, is undertaking a watershed-level intervention to improve sustainable land management practices among resident agrarian families. In 2011, a household survey was conducted to assess farmers’ perceptions of human–wildlife conflicts (HWC) and the effects of these conflicts on land management in Cheha Woreda. One-hundred randomly selected households in the Cheha Woreda were asked to identify any wild or domestic animals that cause damage to their crops. Additionally, …

Assessing Attitudes Towards Global Climate Change Among Utah State University Faculty, Amy C. Rohman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Climate change is a polarizing issue in which there are significant differences in perception between the scientific community and the general public. The intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has formally acknowledged an increasing body of evidence that supports primarily human-caused climate change. No scientific organization has dissented, and over thirty national academies of the sciences have issued joint declarations confirming the evidence of anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, polarization is not caused by a lack of available scientific information. This study surveys Utah State University faculty to solicit their knowledge of and attitudes towards global climate change. Responses are assessed …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Educational Pursuit And Perception Among College Students At Utah State University, Randy A. Larose

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of religiosity on the pursuit of education and the perceptions towards education among college students at Utah State University (USU). The study focused on what religious variables were useful in predicting postsecondary educational pursuit and either positive or negative educational perceptions among students at USU. From a systematic random sample of 1,460 USU students, a correlational research design was used for this study. Multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques were used to determine which of the various measures of religiosity provided the greatest degree of predictive value for ascertaining educational pursuit …

The Relationship Between Weather And Children's Behavior: A Study Of Teacher Perceptions, Carrie Dabb

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The weather is an ever present and uncontrollable element in our lives. Only a handful of studies has addressed the relationship between weather and the behavior of children, although anecdotal and intuitive evidence of this relationship abounds. The purpose of this study was to observe the behavior of groups of elementary school-aged children in their classroom ecology during different phases of the weather cycle as observed by their teachers, observe any behavioral differences between girls and boys, and observe if any weather -related differences exist between the behavior of younger and older children. A model of the direct and indirect …

Frequency And Perception Of Mathematics Activities In Family Child Care And Parent-Child Routines, Annette Kari Eddy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study examined the frequency of preschool mathematics activities at home and in the family child care setting. Provider perception and parent perception of the activities were also surveyed. Twenty-one family child care providers, 38 parents, and 42 preschool children participated in the study. Providers and parents participated in a telephone interview in which they completed either the Day Care Activities Checklist (DAC) or the Parent/Child Activities Checklist (PCAC). Research assistants administered the TEMA-2, a mathematical assessment suitable for preschool children, to the children in the study.

Family child care providers in this study reported engaging in mathematics activities statistically …

Adolescents' Attitudes And Perceptions Towards Their Grandparents, Dennis P. Barrett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of youth toward each of their individual grandparents. The subjects were students ranging in age from 12-19 years with the majority being between 14-17 years of age. These students were enrolled in a release time religious class that allowed them one hour a day off campus to take a seminary course.

The sample of data consisted of 148 girls and 108 boys, which was approximately 25% of the high school population. The youth were from a small northern Utah community. The average age of the youth respondents was 16.2 years. …

Preschool Children's Perceptions Of Their Parents: A Comparison Of Children From Married And Divorced Homes, Sondra Moe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young children's perceptions of their parents have been shown to affect responses to parents, and to be relevant in personality development and self-esteem. Typically, research examining children's perceptions of their parents focused on children from intact families. Yet, with the frequent occurrence of divorce in our society, and the trauma and lifestyle changes often associated with marital dissolution, it is possible that children's perceptions of their parents may also change.

This study compared two groups of preschool children's perceptions of their parents. Forty - two children (23 males, 19 females) came from two parent, first marriage families. Thirty-two children (16 …

Brown Trout Perception Of Ultraviolet Radiation And Possible Influence On Distribution, Terrence H. Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Brown trout (Salmo trutta), demonstrated an avoidance response to a range of intensities of artificial ultraviolet radiation in a laboratory setting. UV field measurements were made under a variety of riparian canopies in a mountain river system. UV values at various depth regimes were compared with laboratory response values. Results suggested that ultraviolet light could be a factor in the absence of brown trout in particular habitat types at various times during the daylight hours. Visible light intensity response values were also obtained under the same experimental and field conditions. These data suggested that visible light also could …

Children's Perceptions Of Parental Responses To Boys' And Girls' Aggressive Behavior, K. B. Rohrbach

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in children's perceptions of mothers' and fathers' to aggressing girls and boys. A picture test of children aggressing was devised and administered to 52 fourth grade children from upper middle socioeconomic backgrounds attending school in an Idaho community.

Sex of aggressor, type of aggression (verbal or physical), and sex of parent were investigated as factors possibly related to children's perceptions. None of these variables were found to be significant in this sample. However, boys' perceptions of how parents respond to children aggressing were significantly different from girls' perceptions. Girls perceived parents …

Visual Perception In Pre-School Children, Howard Mark Bardwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was undertaken to determine if sessions in discrimination tasks with the aid of instructional cues would influence the visual perceptual abilities of pre-school children. The research was conducted in the Child Development Laboratories at Utah State University. Twenty children were used--ten in the experimental group and ten in the control group. The ten children in the experimental group were given training in performing tasks that required ability in visual perception. The ten children in the control group received no such training.

It was found that the ten children who received the individualized instruction scored significantly higher on post-test …

The Self-Concept And Self-Actualization Of University Faculty In Relation To Student Perceptions Of Effective Teaching, A. Paul King

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between student ratings of university instructors and instructors' self-concept and self-actualization. During the academic year 1970-71, students rated faculty members teaching undergraduate courses from the "Illinois Course Evaluation Questionnaire", Instructors rated high or in the top three deciles were defined in this study as "good" or "effective" teachers, and those rated low or in the lower three deciles were defined as "poor" or "ineffective" instructors. Sixty-eight percent or 118 of the instructors in these categories submitted to two psychological tests--the "Index of Adjustment and Values" and the …

The Influence Of Social Environment On Children's Perception Of Policemen, Sarah C. Klingel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis was to examine children's perceptions of policemen as these are related to the social environment in which he lives; and to investigate the social class, sex, and racial influences upon their perceptions.

An oral picture test, consisting of 12 pictures, was administered to 39 fourth-grade children in two Ogden, Utah, public schools.

The findings of this study is that there is mixed support for the hypothesis that significant differences exist between middle- and lower-class children in their perceptions of policemen. Support was approached for the second hypothesis: there exist significant differences between males and females …

Visual Perception In Pre-School Children, Candace Savage

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The efforts of practice sessions in discrimination tasks with the aid of instructional cues were studied to determine their influence on the visual perceptual abilities of pre-school children. The research was conducted at the Utah State University Child Development Laboratories with twenty children. Ten of these children were three years of age and ten were four years of age at the time of the study. Of the twenty children, five boys and five girls, were given training in performing tasks requiring ability in visual perception. The remaining ten children, five boys and five girls, were not given any visual perceptual …