Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hazard Perception And Preparation By Cross-Country Skiers In Utah, Kevin J. Kobe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis examined how cross-country skiers perceive and prepare for winter hazards. A self-completion questionnaire was administered to cross-country skiers in northern Utah. The questions on the questionnaire were designed to explore the relationships that affect how skiers perceive and prepare for winter hazards. Additionally, the situation where skiers put themselves at risk due to lack of information as opposed to skiers placing themselves at risk through the desire to confront nature's dangers was explored. Variables that were contained in these relationships were correlated and the degree of correlation was measured.

Those that sought information on the day surveyed were …

A Simulation Of The Economic Effects Of Alternative Soil Types And Nitrogen Sources On Nitrate Leaching On Irrigated Agriculture In Utah, Gilbert D. Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The economic impact of reducing the amount of nitrate leached out of the root zone under irrigation in the arid West was examined. A general introduction into the nature of the problem and a review of the literature was provided in chapter I. In chapter ll the economic incentives of irrigation management were evaluated under the assumptions of both profit-maximizing and utility-maximizing (in reducing cost and effort expended in irrigation) decision-making criteria. The results indicate that there is a coincidence of interests of the farmer and the environment. Both behaviors result in less nitrate leaching than less profitable or less …

Intergenerational Transmission Of Family Strengths, John R. Bee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to study several dimensions of family strengths in family systems and to determine to what degree these strengths are passed from one generation to the next.

The sample consisted of 23 couples, constituting the married child generation, and each husband's father and each wife's mother, constituting the parent generation, for a total of 23 family systems and a total N of 92 . Each person involved in the study had to be in their first marriage and have at least one child.

A significant (alpha .05) difference was found between the father and son …

Agency Policies And Personnel Attitudes Toward Adolescent Fathers, Sandra Gunderson Warner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescent parenting research has typically focused on the mother and ignored the father. Researchers have suggested that adolescent fathers are disregarded as the child's other parent because their parenting role is devalued. An emerging body of literature indicates that adolescent fathers are excluded from the pregnancy and parenting services provided to adolescent mothers because they are viewed as unnecessary to the parenting process and unimportant to the child's development. Moreover, researchers have alleged that service providers treat adolescent fathers as outcasts based on stereotypical beliefs that they are uncaring, irresponsible victimizers who disappear at the first mention of pregnancy. However, …

Late-Life Mate Selection: Dating Patterns In An Older Age Group, Kristine Udell Evans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This exploratory study is a description of the older dater and his/her attitudes and perceptions about dating, a comparison within the same cohort of youthful and late-life dating and mate selection, and a description of the patterns of dating in the elder years. It is a non-random collection of interviews with 38 single men and women over the age of 59 in two counties in Utah.

Older daters were found to have been married for much of their lives previous to dating. They perceived themselves to be in good health and financial condition and were fairly well-educated. They lived independently …

A Descriptive Study Of The Use Of An Education-Sponsored Suicide Riskline, R. Kelly Haws

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to provide a descriptive evaluation of Jordan School District's riskline as a step toward assessing the effectiveness of education - sponsored suicide risklines. The riskline received over 1000 calls from mid 1988 to mid 1989 for a variety of problem areas. Demographics and risk assessment for the calls relating to suicide are presented and evaluated. The findings indicate that risk assessment is independent of all variables considered except the age of the counselor and the grade of the caller. The number of calls is independent of every variable considered except the grade level of …

Family Naming Practices And Intergenerational Kinship Affiliations, Nancy Immel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study of naming practices has captured the interest of researchers in a variety of related disciplines. Studies of names and naming have led to a body of literature suggesting that naming practices are infused with meaning and reflect emotional ties between family members.

This study examined four research hypotheses related to family naming practices in an intergenerational sample of Mormon women. Ninety women from three generations of 30 families participated in the study. Through telephone interviews, each woman completed a survey designed to gather information about sources of children's names, kinship affiliations, and religiosity.

The information gathered from the …

Predictors Of Change For Parents Who Perceive Improvement In Their Family Functioning Following A Parent-Training Program, Linda Gayle Moore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the present study was to determine if perceptions of improved family functioning following a behavioral parenting program could be predicted by educational background, income, and pretest knowledge of behavioral principles. Subjects for the study were parents of elementary-school-aged children who volunteered for the parenting classes. Parents who perceived their families as dysfunctional, as measured by the pretest FACES II, were selected as subjects for the study. Parents whose perceptions of their families improved after the parenting class were then compared with parents who did not perceive improvement in their families on the predictor variables.

The results demonstrated …

Assessment-Based Treatment For Physically Abusive Parents: An Exploratory Study, Scott E. Blickenstaff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Literature on child abuse supports the conception that physical abuse is a multidetermined behavior. Multifaceted treatment programs have shown some promise in dealing with the heterogeneity of abusive parents. Most of the reported comprehensive intervention programs have provided predetermined doses of a variety of treatment components to each subject. The intent of this study was two-fold: (a) to provide treatment components based on assessment of the parent and (b) to train the parent to a specified level of competency. A multiple baseline design was used in this clinical study of six agency-referred, physically abusive parents. Based on initial assessment and …

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder And Undifferentiated-Attention Deficit Disorder: Differences In Cognitive And Affective Characteristics And Responses To Stimulant Medication, Richard Alan Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The cognitive and affective characteristics and responses to stimulant medication of children who were diagnosed as having attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (AD-HD) or undifferentiated-attention deficit disorder (UADD) were investigated using a pretest-posttest experimental design. Nineteen AD-HD and 17 UADD children were compared using unpaired t-tests, prior to initiation of stimulant medication, on measures of intellectual functioning, impulsivity, problem behavior, and self-reported depression and self-esteem. Children from both the AD-HD (n = 12) and UADD (n = 12) groups were then compared before and after a 3-month trial of stimulant medication on measures of impulsivity, problem behavior, and self-reported depression …

Utah School Counselors: Present Status, Linda J. Kuwana

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study presented data gathered from Utah school counselors about demographic information, counseling and guidance programs in Utah, certification requirements, future personnel needs, quality and appropriateness of training programs, philosophy of public schools, and needs and/or concerns. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 450 school counselors employed in the State of Utah. Utah school counselors were found to be primarily Caucasians over the age of 36 years. The majority of counselors in Utah were employed in secondary schools. Caseloads for secondary school counselors ranged from 300 to 600 students per counselor, and caseloads for elementary school counselors ranged …

Ethical Beliefs And Practices: Do Psychologists Differ From Other Health-Care Professionals, Gary Percival

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ethical codes and principles, and laws govern the behavior of health-care professionals. Yet, the impact that ethical codes and laws have on the actual moral behaviors of health-care professionals is relatively unknown. A survey on the ethical beliefs and practices of health-care professionals was sent to the United States membership of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. AAPB's heterogeneous membership offers a unique opportunity to compare the ethical beliefs and behaviors of professionals across various health-care professions, educational levels, licensure and certification statuses, age, years in practice, and gender. The survey examined the respondents' ethical beliefs and practices in …

Children's Determination Of Gender Appropriateness Of Clothing, Malihe Attaran

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate gender distinctions made by children based on clothing styles in order to better understand gender-role development. Four objectives were addressed: (a) Do children, regardless of sex, differ in their determination of the gender appropriateness of clothing options? (b) Are there gender differences between children in determining the gender appropriateness of these clothing options? (c) In what ways does children's awareness of gender stereotypes relate to their determination of the gender appropriateness of clothing? and (d) How do children's sex and their determination of the gender appropriateness of clothing interact with their awareness …

Comparing The Perceptions Of Family And Parenting Between Juvenile Sexual Offenders And Juveniles With No History Of Sexual Offending, Iva W. Trottier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Juvenile sexual offenders and a matched sample of nonoffending youth were compared on the Family Environment Scale (FES), the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES ill), the Adult Adolescent Parent Inventory (AAPI), and a biographical inventory. The purpose was to determine whether or not juvenile sexual offenders and nonoffenders would prove to have different perceptions of family characteristics and whether the biographical inventory could distinguish between the two groups. "The sample consisted of 95 participants (46 offenders, 49 nonoffenders) in the northern Utah area. The offending population were in outpatient treatment for their sexual offending.

When the participants were …

The Play Of Visually Impaired Preschoolers With Their Mothers, Claudia Weber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis answers the following questions: (a) Is the Play Assessment Scale a true measure of development? (b) Does the mother have a significant, positive influence on the child's level of development? (c) Does the mother's interactional style influence the child's development as measured by the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory? The subjects were 13 visually impaired preschoolers. Development was measured with the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Maternal interactional style was assessed with the Parent/Caregiver Involvement Scale. The study indicated that the Play Assessment Scale is a valid, reliable measure of development in …

Time Allocations Of Children In Single-Parent Urban Utah Families To Selected Household Tasks, Susan Wilde Kingsford

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate how selected factors are related to the time children in single parent families spend in the household tasks of meal preparation; dishwashing; shopping; housecleaning; maintenance of home, yard, car and pets and nonphysical care of family members.

The data for this study were collected from 89 female headed single-parent/ two-child households in the greater metropolitan Salt Lake City Utah area. Time use data were collected for mothers and their children between the ages of 6 and 17. There were 178 children in the 89 families, of which 150 were in the specified …

Child Support Awards In Utah: The Effect Of Legislative Child Support Guideline Adoption On Child Support Orders In Three Utah Counties, Kay W. Hansen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate child support orders made after legislative adoption of child support guidelines by comparing them to child support orders made prior to uniform guideline adoption to determine if child support orders had increased, decreased, or remained the same; to determine if child support orders were adequately covering the cost of raising children; to determine if child support guidelines had resulted in similar treatment of comparable cases; to determine if judges/hearing officers were deviating from the guidelines; and to determine the reasons for deviation.

There was no statistically significant difference found between the mean …

Immunophenotyping Of Lymphoid Cells In Autism, L. Jeanne Yonk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Research into the cause of autism continues without any clear-cut answers. However, recent studies suggest that abnormalities of the immune system are associated with this disorder and autism results from failure of the immune system to regulate itself. Proper immune regulation requires that the host have the appropriate number and percentage of each population of lymphocytes and monocytes. These populations can be distinguished from one another with monoclonal antibodies that react with unique protein structures on the cell surface designated as the "cluster of differentiation" (CD) antigens.

This investigation studied the possibility that the immune abnormalities seen in autism are …

The Development Of An Instrument For The Assessment Of Obesity-Related Cognitions, David E. Christian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation involved the design and validation of the Obesity Cognitions Inventory (OCI) which was intended to quantify cognitions associated with obesity. An initial pool of 117 items was refined through expert ratings, a pilot test involving 59 subjects, and a major test and validation using 217 subjects.

The resulting 56-item instrument contains scales measuring five types of cognitions: Personal Control, Dietary Restraint, Cost-Benefit Beliefs, Health Knowledge, and Self-Concept. Test-retest reliabilities for these scales range from .69 to .83 and Cronbach alphas range from .57 to .82. Concurrent criterion validity of the OCI was assessed through two methods (a) correlations …

The Effects Of Parental Involvement With Preschoolers At Risk For Developmental And Behavioral Problems, Robin Skoien-Bradley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parental involvement 1n early childhood intervention with children at risk has been reported as an effective variable in treatment both in popular literature and research reviews. However, the results of meta-analyses of early intervention literature have concluded that research evidence is not currently available to support this notion. Therefore, research which employs strong methodology to study the efficacy of parental involvement in early interventions with children at risk is needed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in a sample of preschoolers exhibiting developmental and behavioral risk, there are posttreatment differences between different levels of parent-involved groups in …

Using Direct Instruction To Teach Compliance To Seriously Noncompliant Students, Hans M. Michielsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research study investigated the effectiveness of a direct instruction program (Treatment 2) for increasing compliance with teachers' instructions in students for whom manipulation of conventional antecedent stimuli and consequences (Treatment 1) had not resulted in adequate compliance. Five students participated in this study. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Introduction of Treatment 2 was followed by an increase in compliance by all five participants. The relationship between compliance and other appropriate classroom behaviors, as well as the relationship between compliance and qualitatively good and qualitatively poor instructions, was also investigated. Those relationships were …

Knowledge Of Infant/Toddler Development Among Low-Income Families, Ann B. Parkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pretest data from a two-year project entitled "An Early Intervention Program for Parents of Young Children at-Risk" were collected and analyzed, in a sample of 2,191 low-income parents, for Head Start participation and baseline information. Respondents participating in the sample were from the states of California, Delaware, Nevada, South Carolina, and Utah. For their participation in the study, respondents received a free subscription to age-paced newsletters, which contained information about appropriate growth expectancies, nutrition, and guidance for their child of 36 months or younger. Newsletters were mailed monthly to parents who had children 12 months and younger and every other …

A Multivariate Study Of Marital Quality, David W. Bradley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Marital quality has been defined as the subjective feelings of happiness and satisfaction that a spouse experiences when considering all current aspects of his/her marriage. This study examined five dependent variables regressed on ten independent variables. The sample for this study came from the National Survey of Families and Households. Five hypotheses were found to be supported , with at least three of the five dependent variables showing statistical significance. Age at the time of marriage, education, health and well-being, and couples ' satisfaction in the parenting role were positively related to marital quality. The length of the marriage was …