Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Caboose By A Longshot: Impact Of Large Age Gaps On Youngest Siblings, Kelly Clark Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Siblings play a large role in developmental experiences and views of oneself. However, most research addressing siblings looks at individuals who grow up close in age with their siblings. What is currently known about sibling relationships does not seem to fit for those who have siblings but are not close in age to them, referred to in this study as a sibling age gap.

To learn more about what it was like to grow up with siblings who are much older, I interviewed 11 individuals who were the youngest siblings in their family and five or more years younger than …

The Journey Back To Wholeness That Already Is, Jenna Dishy Wes

Journal of Conscious Evolution

If we are born into this world with in an already heightened state of consciousness, at what point in human development do we begin to disconnect? Is the human experience innately traumatic? Through the exploration of Piaget’s stages of development, and in coherence with the concept of transgenerational trauma, I explore moments and modes of intervention, with the intention of building on what is already whole instead of waiting until it is broken. Rather than spending another generation spending our lives trying to heal, reaching for enlightenment and soul connection, what if our end point was actually our beginning one?

Ethnic-Racial Socialization In Early Childhood: The Implications Of Color-Consciousness And Colorblindness For Prejudice Development, Flora Farago, Kimberly Leah Davidson, Christy M. Byrd

Faculty Publications

This chapter outlines how early childhood teachers can bring children into conversations surrounding race and racism by drawing on literature on how parents of color discuss these topics. Although educators’ practices surrounding race and racism remain largely unexplored, decades of developmental psychological research indicate that parents of color engage in ethnic-racial socialization practices that are beneficial for children (Hughes et al., 2006). The established dimensions of parental ethnic-racial socialization include (1) cultural socialization, or teaching children about their ethnic heritage and instilling ethnic pride; (2) preparation for bias, or teaching children about racism and preparing them to face discrimination; (3) …

The Contributing Factors To Adolescent Depression, Josie H. Lee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: This paper reviews individual, familial, peer, and societal factors influencing adolescent depression in developed countries. Background: Depression usually onsets at adolescence and contributes to high DALYs. Since depression is treatable, efforts should be made to reduce its prevalence and effect. Methods: The research consisted of looking at literature relevant to the topic and age group and conducting interviews with experts who know about and have worked with adolescent depression. Discussion: Adolescents begins at the onset of puberty, allowing different biological factors such as genetics, stress of puberty, and cognitive changes to increase vulnerability to depression. Adolescents who had substance …

The Impact Of Parent Education On Parental Feeding Practices, Larra Kolby Brawley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research looked at the potential impact that parent education may have on the feeding practices of parents of young children. Since eating behaviors are a national concern for both children and adults, it's important to examine how we can create not just healthier children but, as a result, healthier adults. This study utilized an intervention that was an adapted version of a healthy eating curriculum created by Sesame Workshop and the California WIC association with the intention of improving parental feeding practices through a behavior-based approach. Previous research with this curriculum has addressed only low-income populations, with a relatively …

Premarital Preparation And Marital Satisfaction: What Utah Individuals Are Doing To Prepare For Marriage And How Premarital Preparation Can Enhance Marital Satisfaction, Fay L. Belnap Foster

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a systematic representative sample study of newlyweds designed to investigate aspects of participation in marriage preparation activities as well as determine what effect participation in activities had on marital satisfaction. A retrospective survey instrument was utilized which included the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale.

Statistical analysis revealed that the majority of individuals in Utah prepare for marriage by visiting with parents or relatives, visiting with other married couples, and talking with religious leaders, and considered these activities to be helpful in their preparation. The smaller percentage of individuals who participated in more formal preparation activities also considered these activities …

Examining The Relationship Between Connection Rituals And Marital Satisfaction: A Correlational Study, Heather Holmgren Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the types, frequency, and meaningfulness of connection rituals and the relationship between these items and marital satisfaction. Past research has shown that rituals correlate with marital satisfaction. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What connection rituals do couples participate in and with what frequency? (2) How meaningful are the connection rituals to the husband or wife? and (3) Are some connection rituals more strongly associated to marital satisfaction?

The research questions were tested with data from eighty couples who completed a survey designed specifically for this study. The top three reported …

Welfare Status, Gender, And The Utilization Of Marital Counseling Services, Courtney A. Wyatt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine how welfare status, gender, and the interaction between welfare status and gender relate to the utilization of counseling services related to marriage (i.e., "marital help-seeking"). This study was a secondary analysis of the Utah Marriage Survey data set from 2003. Two samples were utilized in this study, and generated a total sample of I ,316 participants. The first sample was made up of I, 173 randomly selected Utah households, identified through a random-digit dialing sampling technique. The second sample was obtained from a random selection of current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families …

Couples In Great Marriages With A Traditional Structure And Egalitarian Relationship, Pamela Kandior Morrill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study researched the possibility of an egalitarian relationship coexisting with a traditional role-structured marriage. Qualitative methods were used to gather data from a national sample using a 31-page questionnaire. Out of the larger Great Marriage Research Study of 130 respondents (65 couples), 14 couples fit the criteria for this study in that they had a traditional structure to their marriage and both felt their was a balance of power between them. Their stories were analyzed to discover what their marriages were like and how they talked about and operationalized an egalitarian relationship. Findings from this research indicated that it …

Building A Bridge Between Graduation And Marriage And Family Therapy Core Competency, Todd Graves

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most mental health professional organizations are establishing core competencies standards, which are the basic skills that practitioners are expected to possess. The core competency movement originated from concerns about the abilities of clinicians to provide competent service to clients. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) recently established the core competencies that each marriage and family therapist 's skill s should be measured by and that may lead to changes in education and training.

This research examined the perspectives of AAMFT-approved supervisors to determine how they see their trainees' performances compared to the core competency standards. Comparisons were …

Adoptees' Knowledge About And Contact With Birth Parents And Their Adjustment In Adolescence And Young Adulthood, Kyung-Eun Park

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study described adoptees' knowledge of and contact with birth parents in adolescence and young adulthood, and analyzed the relationship between adoptees' knowledge of and contact with birth parents and the adoptees' adjustment in young adulthood. Data for the current study came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). In total, 487 adoptees were identified for this study in Wave I (1995) and Wave Ill (2 002). Descriptive and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were conducted.

Adoptees were more likely to be aware of their birth mothers than of their birth fathers and the percentage differences between …

Marital Commitment And Religiosity In A Sample Of Adults In Utah, Sharon S. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the relationship of three types of martial commitment and religiosity factors in a random sample of I ,316 Utah adults. Participants were surveyed to assess attitudes of marriage, divorce, and marriage education. A lack of commitment was cited by 83% of divorced adults as a major factor for their divorce. The level of commitment to spouse, commitment to marriage, and constraint commitment was determined by extrapolating items from the 2003 Utah Marriage Movement Statewide Baseline Survey. Religiosity included measures of the frequency of church attendance, church affiliation, and religious values. Regression analyses that included socio-demographics showed the …

The Relationship Between Parental Attitudes And Behaviors And Their Adult Children's Attitudes Toward Marriage, Divorce, And Marital Counseling, Shawnery L. Mathis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research study consisted of eighty-six pairs (young adult and his or her parent) of participants recruited from freshman and sophomore classes in two Northern Utah Universities. The parents ages ranged from 36-80 and the young adult children's ages ranged from 16-25. This research project examined the participants' demographics, marital satisfaction (of the parents), attitudes toward marriage, attitudes toward divorce, and attitudes toward marital counseling.

Three paired t tests were used to determine whether attitudes toward marriage, divorce, and marital counseling were the same for young adult children and their parents. Multiple regression equations were used to determine what effects …

A Profile And Analysis Of Repeat Bankruptcy Petitioners In The District Of Utah 1984-2004, Bonny C. Llewellyn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to describe the incidence of repeat filers in Utah and estimate the extent that repeat filers may be abusing the bankruptcy system. This study sought to develop a profile of repeat filers. Demographic and financial variables were examined to determine their association with abuser/nonabuser status. In this study, abuse of bankruptcy was characterized only by the timing and number of filings over 20 years. Debtors with three filings in a 2-year period or less and debtors with four or more total filings were classified as abusers. Nonabusers were defined as debtors who filed only …

The Relationship Between Attachment, Love Styles, And Marital Quality In A Sample Of Married Members Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Jeannine D. Nielson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research on attachment suggests that attachment styles do exist in adulthood and appear to be an evolutionary product of infancy. This research was particularly focused on examining the relationship between attachment styles at various stages of the marital life cycle and the relationship of these styles of attachment to styles of love and marital quality among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).

Ethnic Identity And Migrant Youth, Amanda K. Morgan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study sought to examine the relationship between ethnic identity and the grade and gender of the subjects. Changes in ethnic identity over time were also analyzed. Students attending grades four through eight of the Nyssa Migrant School summer program participated in this study. One hundred twenty-four participants completed the pretest, eighty-nine completed the posttest, with a total of seventy-nine completing both the pretest and posttest. Students responded to the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, which examined the subcategories of belonging and exploration to comprise the overall ethnic identity level.

Scores were compared by grade and by gender at pretest and …

Relationship Between Infant Reactivity And Maternal Emotional Well-Being During The Early Postpartum Period At Two Points In Time, Karen Udy Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the relationship between infants' reactivity and mothers' emotionality during the early postpartum period, specifically during the first days of life and again by three months of age. The Clinical Neonatal Behavioral Scale (CLNBAS) was used to evaluate the infants. The mothers were evaluated at the same time by responding to questions on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

Forty-six mother-infant dyads were recruited from the Logan Regional Hospital childbirth classes for first-time parents. Minimum criteria for participation were that the mother must be married, be at least 18 years of age, have at least a high school …

Borrower- And Mortgage-Related Factors Associated With Foreclosure, Amber C. Gallagher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model that could be used to aid in identifying which household factors contribute to an increased likelihood of foreclosure. More specifically, what borrower-related and mortgage-related factors are correlated with home foreclosure? This was achieved by studying a sample from an inventory of active and foreclosed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) homes in the state of Utah. The sample consisted of 179 cases. Characteristics of interest were extracted from data and divided into two categories: borrower-related factors and mortgage-related factors.

Bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted with the borrower- and mortgage-related factors. …

Parents' Knowledge And Attitudes About Immunization In India, Anne George

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood immunization is acknowledged as being a crucial health intervention for children. Immunization rates of children may vary depending on their parents' knowledge and attitudes about the issue. The focus of this study is on parents' knowledge and attitudes about immunization, and employs Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. A questionnaire was administered to 233 parents in India to explore the issues of parental immunization knowledge and attitudes. Correlates of parental knowledge and attitudes that were explored included gender, education, respondents' immunization status, and children's immunization status. Sources of parental knowledge about immunization were also examined. Overall, parents in this sample …

The Role Of Deception In Mediating Relationship Involvement Of Couples Interacting On The Internet: Stages Of Intimate Formation, Dustin W. Edgerton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A vast majority of individuals involve themselves in an intimate relationship at one time or another. This study looks at a new, but increasing, forum of relationship development, that of the Internet. More specifically, this study addresses various stages of Internet relationship development, and deception individual 's use during the process of forming and maintaining these relationships.

This research gathered quantitative and qualitative information from 134 individuals involved in online relationships. The quantitative analyses provided only a few significant findings and it is suggested that the current methods of measuring deception are inadequate and do not appear to represent the …

The Ability To Taste 6-N-Propylthiouracil (Prop) And Its Relation To A Parent's Emotional Investment In The Infant, Deann Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research on parenting is increasingly being studied from a biological perspective. An understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to individual differences in maternal behaviors can help direct research toward more focused intervention resulting in closer mother-infant attachment relationships, and therefore, positive child outcomes. This research was a preliminary study that tested mothers' ability to taste a harmless chemical, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), in relation to their responses to a questionnaire about the emotional investment they experience towards their infant. Although research attempting to relate these two variables together has not been carried out before, individual studies show potential links between these two. …

Predictors Of 1997 Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Completion And Dismissal Rates In Utah, David A. Evans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first intention was to identify a group of debtor characteristics that predicted discharge among Chapter 13 bankruptcy filers in the district of Utah from 1997. The second objective was to use that same set of characteristics to predict the likelihood of dismissal at three critical stages of the bankruptcy process. Those stages were identified, first, as the period before the 341 hearing or meeting of creditors (n = 115 or 12.7%), second, before confirmation of the debtor's repayment plan (n = 267 or 29.4%), third, the period after confirmation of …

Intermediate Trainee Perspectives Of Family Therapy Skills, Margo Benson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Marriage and family therapy training involves the development of therapy skills that lead to effective treatment, and the family therapy literature recognizes the importance of skill development in training. The training literature dealing with specific skills most often refers to beginning-level skills and obtains data largely from supervisors and trainers. Intermediate-level skills appear to be overlooked and no apparent attention is given from the perspective of trainees.

This research examined the perspectives of trainees concerning family therapy skills at the intermediate level. Intermediate trainee perspectives were compared with the perspectives of their supervisors. Comparisons were also made with perspectives of …

Maternal Involvement In Preschoolers' Sexuality Education: A Comparison Of Single And Married Mothers, Ginger S. Sandweg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the responses to a sexuality education questionnaire completed by 30 single mothers and 43 married mothers with preschool-aged children. Chi-square analyses were used to examine differences between married mothers and single mothers; mothers of males and mothers of females; and married mothers of males, married mothers of females, single mothers of males and single mothers of females. Age at which their preschool children first exhibited behaviors, frequency of that behavior, and comfort level of mothers' responses to those behaviors were addressed for each topic: male-female differences, reproduction and birth, privacy or modesty, taboo or obscene words, genital …

An Assessment Of Marital Satisfaction, Marital Adjustment, And Problematic Areas During The First Few Months Of Marriage Among A Sample Of Newlyweds In Utah, David G. Schramm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A self-selected sample of 232 newlywed husbands and wives in Utah was surveyed to assess marital satisfaction, marital adjustment, and problematic areas during the first few months of marriage. The study utilized the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), in addition to a list of30 potential problematic areas created by Creighton University to measure these constructs.

Although the majority of the newlyweds in this sample were fairly satisfied and well adjusted, 11% of both husbands and wives scored in the distressed range on the RDAS, signaling that the first few months of marriage can …

Premarital Education: Participation, Attitudes, And Relation To Marital Adjustment In A Sample From Northern Utah, Bryan D. Ramboz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes, participation in, and potential effectiveness of premarital education as a vehicle to promote more satisfying marriages. A retrospective survey instrument, including existing measures of religious values, willingness to invest in marriage, and marital satisfaction, was used to gather data to answer research questions related to couples' participation in, and attitudes about premarital education, and their influence on marital adjustment and satisfaction. Information about the amount of Time spent in premarital education, breadth of Topics covered, Training of the provider, and whether or not Testing was performed also was gathered and …

Fear Of Crime And Perceptions Of Law Enforcement Among American Youth, Bruce K. Bayley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fear of crime and the public's satisfaction with police has been a focus of criminologists for a number of years. Most studies, however, have focused on the general population as a whole. What is not known is how fearful American youth are of the crime in their neighborhoods and how they perceive those in law enforcement. The purpose of this study was to explore this subgroup of the population and to begin the investigation of youths' fear of crime and their perceptions of law enforcement.

Using a national sample of 1,897 youth ages 16-25 collected from 12 cities throughout the …

Predicting Marital Discord And Depression In Early Head Start Mothers: A Step Toward Marriage And Family Therapy Collaboration, Wade Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) recently sponsored Head Start-Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) program partnerships. MFT programs can begin building similarly successful collaborative partnerships with Early Head Start (EHS) programs through using all or portions of this research study. This study has been dedicated to describing the occurrence, co-occurrence, and predictive characteristics of marital discord and depression in families served by EHS programs. This identification of at-risk families can then be used to bolster existing treatment efforts, develop new maritally based interventions, and facilitate increased referrals.

Marital discord and depression are two often interrelated problems EHS …

Therapeutic Benefits Of A Wilderness Therapy Program And A Therapeutic Community Program For Troubled Adolescents, Kreg J. Edgmon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wilderness therapy is increasingly seen as a viable treatment alternative for troubled youth, yet there is a noticeable dearth of research comparing the effectiveness of wilderness therapy with more traditional treatment programs. To help address this research need, this study conducted an exploratory analysis of the therapeutic benefits of a wilderness therapy program, Wilderness Quest (WQ), compared to a therapeutic community program, Life-Line (LL). The WQ and LL programs both are based on a 12- step recovery philosophy and emphasize the integral role of the family in adolescent treatment.

The study employed a qualitative methodology, beginning with an extended period …

Religious Activity And Mortality In The Elderly: The Cache County Study, Andrea D. Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

No study, to date, has systematically examined the interplay of social contact, depression, functional disability, and cardiovascular health when examining the relation between religious activity and all -cause mortality. This study used Cox regression models as well as a series of structural equation models to elucidate these relations and resultant mortality over a 5-year period. This sample included 3,607 persons, age 65 and older, who participated in the Cache County Study on Memory in Aging, and who were not demented. Results indicate that when using Cox regression modeling, after controlling for other variables related to mortality, both religious activity and …