Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Dove's Advantage: Impact Of Gender And Conflict On Executive Approval, Micala H. Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Do citizens evaluate female vs. male leaders’ foreign policy decisions differently? The number of countries that have had female leaders continues to expand, but little is known about how domestic audiences reward or punish female (relative to male) leaders for foreign policy choices. This study examines how the gender of a national leader conditions the relationship between their hawkish/dovish ideology and public approval for rapprochement policies in militarized interstate conflicts. Results from time-series cross-sectional data using multiple regression models with fixed effects from 31 countries and 127 leaders show that public approval tends to be lower for women leaders and …

Attitudes And Behavioral Intentions Of Eighth-Grade Students Toward Figures Of Varying Body Weight, Erin L. Mcleary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study examined attitudes toward and willingness to interact of 8th grade students toward their peers based on peer weight status. One-hundred-seventy primarily Caucasian, eighth-grade students (72 male, 98 female) from a public elementary school viewed a picture of a potential peer who was either average weight, overweight, or obese. After viewing the figure, participants completed The Adjective Checklist and The Shared Activity Questionnaire-B (SAQ-B. The Adjective Checklist measured attitudes toward obesity and the SAQ-B measured how they would interact with the potential peer in general social, academic, and active recreational situations. It was hypothesized that girls would rate …

Attentional Factors In Temporal Distortion: The Effects Of Food Availability On Responses Within The Interval Bisection Task, Robert N. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Time estimation is a process that underlies many complex behaviors. Accurately timed performance depends upon some biological mechanism, which may be revealed by experimental methods. There have been several proposals on the subject of the function of the timing mechanism, some of which have revealed contradictory findings regarding the effect of distraction on timing. Whereas some studies have revealed underestimation (reports of time moving more slowly than it actually is) of the target interval following distracter presentation, others have revealed generalized disruption (no meaningful evidence of timing). The purpose of the present study was to determine whether food presentation for …

Perspective And Practices To Address Rough-And-Tumble Play In The School Setting: A Survey Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Teams In Utah, Jason C. Basinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior research of rough-and-tumble play (RTP) has shown mixed results—different definitions, varying functions, and positive and negative outcomes. Few researchers have studied interventions to address RTP in school settings. With unclear evidence of RTP outcomes and the extent school interventions are addressing RTP in school settings, this study explored the extent and effectiveness of intervention programs being implemented to prevent/reduce negative outcomes of RTP in elementary schools.

A survey was created and conducted with 30 school problem-solving teams in a western state to obtain information concerning RTP in elementary school settings. Teams provided estimated percentages of RTP leading to beneficial …

The Application Of Instructional Design Principles In The Development Of Sportsmanship Education Software And Its Impact On Children’S Acquisition Of Sportsmanlike Attitudes And Behaviors, Michael J. Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Millions of people participate in sporting events as either athletes or spectators, or both. The presence or absence of sportsmanship they experience can affect them in both negative and positive ways. The purpose of this study was to determine whether schoolchildren who use a computer-based sportsmanship education program would learn and exhibit more sportsmanship than those who did not use the software. It was determined that younger children were more affected by the software than the older children were.

A Comparative Study To Identify Factors Affecting Adoption Of Soil And Water Conservation Practices Among Smallhold Farmers In The Njoro River Watershed Of Kenya, Steven P. Huckett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural resource conservation is important for human well-being, especially in fragile environments of developing countries. This study occurred in 2006 among 6,500 smallhold farmers residing along a 25-km segment of a heavily utilized river. Research objectives were to determine use and adoption constraints for 14 soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs). Farms were reportedly contributing to a decline in river water quality via soil erosion. Recent occupation of the upper watershed by immigrants magnified concerns that resource degradation could escalate. A multi-method approach incorporating quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and participant observation was used to interpret constraining factors within the biophysical …

The Impact Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Peer Influence On Adolescent Energy Drink Consumption, Alyson C. Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescents are labeled as sensitive to caffeine, though despite this predisposition, consumption is high among this population. Energy drinks are a current trend in soft-drink-like beverages and are marketed to 11-35 year olds. However, unlike soft drinks, energy drinks are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and therefore do not have to limit their caffeine content.

This cross-sectional, correlational study sought to identify the role that knowledge, attitudes, and peers play in adolescent energy drink consumption. Adolescents (n = 199), ages 18 to 21, at a university in the west were surveyed. Descriptive statistics revealed that 25% …

Brief Application Of Contingent Reversals: Treatment Utility In Increasing Appropriate Classroom Behaviors, Jaclyn King Knapp

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Identifying positive behavioral interventions for students who display disruptive behavior in the classroom has become a critical issue for schools due to the high frequency of these behaviors and recent changes in legislative requirements. To address this issue, the present study investigated the utility of brief experimental analysis approach as a means to identify the most efficient and effective interventions for three students displaying problem behaviors in the classroom. By using a multi-element design, the brief experimental analysis was conducted by randomly applying interventions for three common functions of problem behavior in the classroom: teacher attention, peer attention, and escape …

Sleep Problems In Young Children With And Without Behavior Problems, Penny L. Sneddon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are numernus social, emotional, and behavioral problems toddlers and preschool children can exhibit. Some of the more common problems reported by parents of young children are daytime behavior problems and sleep disturbances. This study investigated sleep difficulties in toddler and preschool-age children with (n = 31) and without (n = 59) significant behavior problems. Furthermore, the current study investigated the relationship between sleep difficulties and other psychological constructs (i.e., maternal general stress, maternal depression, and parenting stress), which might be related to sleep and behavior problems. Mothers of clinically referred children with behavior problems and nonclinically referred …

Associations Between Parent-Daughter Relationships, Individual Adolescent Psychological Functioning, And Female Adolescent Self-Defeating Behaviors, Sara M. Hunt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study tested a mediation model by which daughters ' perceptions of poorer parent-adolescent relationship quality were expected to be directly associated with the individual psychological characteristics of low self-esteem and internalizing symptoms. In turn, individual psychological characteristics were hypothesized to predict self-defeating behavior, defined as deliberate self-harm and suicidal gestures, multiple sexual partners, and substance use. Additionally, the association between parent-adolescent relationship variables and self-defeating behaviors was posited to be largely indirect and mediated by symptoms of psychological distress. As predicted, perceived alienation from parents was directly associated with poor adolescent psychological functioning. Furthermore, individual psychological variables were found …

The Effects Of Morphine On The Discrimination Of Subject-Produced And Experimenter-Imposed Durations, Ryan D. Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Experiments on the effects of drugs on behavior maintained by temporal-discrimination procedures have led to discrepant results. Recent experiments suggest that the effects of drugs may differ depending on whether the subject is timing some aspect of its own behavior or some other stimulus. The present experiment used a multiple-schedule procedure composed of a subject-produced and experimenter-imposed component. In the subject-produced component, pigeons categorized the duration of their most recently emitted interresponse time. In the experimenter-imposed component, pigeons categorized the duration of a key light. Morphine generally produced underestimation of time during the subject-produced component, a result in agreement with …

The Effects Of Auditory Stimulation On Academic And Behavior Performance In Children With And Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Penny L. Sneddon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the relationship between noise and academic performance and behavior of children with ADHD (n = 15) and without ADHD (n = 18). Children completed math sheets under four noise conditions: no noise, standard classroom noise, classroom noise with verbalizations, and classroom noise with classical music. There were no differences in math performance between the two groups. Children with ADHD exhibited more problem behaviors than children without ADHD. Group-by-condition interactions were not significant. Significant effects were found for noise condition; children completed more math problems and had fewer inappropriate behaviors in the no-noise condition. However, there …

Community Factors That Correlate With Middle-Adolescent Antisocial Behavior, Olga Kamenchuk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many adolescents nowadays display antisocial behavior. A large number of theories explaining origin of antisocial behavior have been developed in the last several centuries. The current study utilizes the "ecological" theoretical framework that allows the researcher to consider multiple ecological systems in which individuals operate and to focus on the community factors influencing antisocial behavior.

The researcher used part of the Prevention Needs Assessment survey to identify which community risk and protective factors correlate with middle-adolescent antisocial behavior. Analysis included intercluster, cluster-item correlations, and partial correlations. Results indicated correlations between antisocial behavior and a number of community risk factors, and …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Adolescent Deviant Behavior, Jennifer R. Lance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis summarizes a study conducted to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and adolescent deviancy. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relation between 1) overall emotional intelligence plus its subscales and overall normative deviant behavior, and 2) emotional intelligence subscales and subscales of a deviancy measure. Tapia's Emotional Intelligence Inventory (EII) and Vazsonyi's Normative Deviancy Scale (NDS) were used to measure the two variables of this study. Subjects included 152 high school students, aged 14-18, from a small city in Northern Utah. One hundred seventeen students came from a local high school comprising grades 10-12 …

The Effects Of A School-Wide Peer-Administered Praise Intervention On Student Problem Behavior, Meredith L. Brent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the effects of a peer-administered positive behavioral support intervention on a school-wide problem behavior. Utilizing the differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors method (DRl), peer monitors praised incidences of walking in order to decrease incidences of running in the hallway. A multiple baseline design across two hallway settings was used to evaluate the effect of peer monitors administering verbal praise and praise notes to students who demonstrated the desired behavior, walking. A lottery drawing in which recipients of praise notes received small prizes was conducted at the end of each week during the treatment phase. Results indicated that …

Children's Stress Behaviors And Developmentally Appropriate Practice In Family Child Care Homes, Chih-Ying Chang

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated and qualitatively compared differences in children's stress reactions across two levels of developmentally appropriate practice in family child care homes. Data were collected through observations.

Six children, five boys and one girl from six different family child care homes, between the ages of 36 and 60 months, were observed for the type and frequency of stress behaviors. The six family child care homes were divided into two groups based on more or less use of appropriate practices, and they were observed for the use of appropriate practices. Three one-hour observations were held in each family child care …

Effect Of Land In Commons On The Decision-Making Behavior Of The Pastoralists In The Central Rangelands Of Somalia, Abdinasir Mohamed Abdulle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Degradations of the rangelands is very common around the permanent settlements of the central rangelands of Somalia. This degradation is attributed to overstocking resulting form the fact that the rangelands are communally owned and herders are ignoring the shadow value of the forage. Information about the optimal herd size would help halt the rangeland degradation.

In this study, two allocation mechanisms were compared. The first was the private ownership solution where someone owns the rangeland and decides how many animals should be grazed there. The second was the solution where the rangeland is owned in common by the dwellers of …

Interactions And Play Behavior Of Mothers Of Typically Developing Infants And Infants With Disabilities: A Vygotskian Approach, Lisa K. Boyce

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study follows a Vygotskian approach to investigate the influence and relatedness of several "scaffolding" behaviors for mother-infant dyads of both typically developing infants and infants with disabilities and how early intervention may influence the dyads through the home visiting process. For this primarily low-income sample, maternal participation during play did not enhance the infants' play. The relation of infant level of play with maternal education, income, and the maternal involvement variables of level of play and use of scaffolding varied with the disability status of the infant. Home visitor support of mother-infant interaction did not appear to influence maternal …

The Effects Of Gender And Behavior On Elementary Teachers' Attributional Assumptions About Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lisa Rollins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Questionnaires compromised of (a) a description of a child (either male or female) exhibiting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors (either predominately hyperactive/impulsive or predominately inattentive) and (b) 13 questions about the description were completed by 562 regular elementary education teachers in the state of Utah. The questions, which offered teachers a range of responses on a 5 point Likert scale, were designed to assess the extent to which the gender and behaviors of the child described affected the extent to which teachers were able to identify the child as being representative of a child with ADHD, teachers' attributional assumptions …

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 …

An Examination Of Cognitive And Behavioral Characteristics Of Kainaiwa Children Diagnosed With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Deborah Faith Pace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study examined the scores of 450 Kainaiwa children from Kindergarten to grade 3 on social, behavioral, cognitive and cultural measures. The subjects consisted of children in three different classification groups: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Special Education, and Regular Education. The purpose of the study was to examine group membership to determine whether or not children who were diagnosed as FAS presented unique intellectual, behavioral, social and cultural characteristics from those of their regular and special education peers.

These results support the conclusion of previous research that FAS children differ significantly from their special and regular education peers. No …

Cooperative Games: Promoting Prosocial Behaviors In Children, Abbie R. Finlinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Children who develop more prosocial behaviors tend to be more competent socially than those children who develop fewer prosocial behaviors. Group games are especially effective in the facilitation of prosocial behaviors. This study compared the number of prosocial or positive behaviors and negative behaviors displayed during cooperatively and competitively structured game treatments using the Observational Checklist and the Teacher Checklist. We controlled for possible differences in teacher nuturance through the Caregiver Interaction Scale. Participants included 20 boys and 19 girls (mean age = 4 years 7.3 months) enrolled in one of two classes at Utah State University s …

Infant Physical Attractiveness, Affect, Temperament, And Gender In Relation To Tester Behavior, Andrea D. Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Easily observable infant characteristics have been shown to influence others; perceptions of infant competence. This study examined the relation between infant characteristics and a tester's willingness to repeat opportunities for the infant to pass items during administration of a cognitive test. Results showed that infant physical attractiveness was related to lower elicited infant performance (the ratio of items initially failed). Positive affect was related to higher test scores. Because first impressions are likely to contribute to future relationships, it may be important to educate adults who interact with infants about the effects of stereotyping infants based on first impressions.

A Survey Of Perceived Control And Domestic Environment Aspects Of Early Adolescent Boys With And Without Identified Externalizing Behavior Problems, Gary W. Mauk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Two demographically congruous groups of early adolescent boys, one group with identified externalizing behavior problems (ESP) and one group enrolled in regular education (RED), were surveyed using anonymous self-report questionnaires that assessed academic, social, and general domains of perceived control and aspects of familial experiences. Data from EBP and RED boys' extant scholastic archival records were also collected. Also, using anonymous self-report questionnaires, the parents of EBP and RED boys were surveyed regarding their levels of satisfaction regarding aspects of parenting.

This study found that EBP boys had statistically significantly lower reading, math, and language achievement scores and grade point …

Cognitive Style As A Mediator Of Premarital Sexual Attitudes, Motivations, And Behavior, Susan Campbell Bowman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between adolescent premarital sexual attitudes, motivations, behavior, and cognitive style (style of decision-making process). A review of the literature indicated that deviant behaviors among youth are related to one another and that they are also related to ego identity and cognitive style. No previous study had specifically examined sexual behavior, attitudes, and motivations in relation to cognitive style.

A self-report questionnaire was employed to gather information about cognitive style and sexual behaviors, attitudes, and motivations. The sample was comprised of 579 university students ages 17 to 25 …

Pubertal Development, Parent-Teen Communication, And Sexual Values As Predictors Of Adolescent Sexual Intentions And Sexually Related Behaviors, Cynthia R. Christopherson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescent sexual intercourse can be viewed as a normal developmental experience, but intercourse also is linked to unplanned pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Consequently, there continues to be a high level of scientific interest in understanding antecedents of adolescent sexual behavior, especially early and more risky sexual intercourse. This study examined several key antecedents of adolescent sexual intentions and behavior, including pubertal development (pubertal status, change over time, and pubertal timing), parent/teen communication, and teen sexual values. Analyses were based on longitudinal data collected in 1991, 1992, and 1993 from parents and teens during …

The Effects Of An Attribution-Based Parenting Program On Perceptions Of Parenting Behavior, H. Wallace Goddard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Attribution theory has become increasingly prominent in social psychology in the last few decades. Insights from attribution theory were used to guide the development of a parenting program. The program was delivered to a group of mothers and fathers of middle-school children in a 5-week parenting program. Parents who volunteered for the program were randomly assigned to treatment and control (delayed treatment) conditions. The program emphasized the dangers of biases in perception and encouraged empathic communication. Parents were encouraged to discuss their own parenting dilemmas in the class. Handouts and reminders were used to help parents understand and remember the …

Socio-Behavioral Correlates Of 6- To 11-Year-Old Offspring Of Alcohol Consuming Parents, Jan Garver Bacon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There is a lack of simple random sample based research into whether there are social skill and behavior problem differences for six- to eleven-year-old boys and girls which correlate with rates of parental alcohol consumption, social sequelae of parental alcohol consumption, reported level of marital conflict, and extended family history of alcoholism.

This simple random sample study correlates the above variables with T scores on the behavior problem and social competence scales of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist and Child Behavior Checklist - Teacher's Report Form for six- to eleven-year-old children (N=100). Behavior problem scales include disorders of affect, thought, …

The Effects Of Teacher Training Vs. Teacher And Parent Training On The Aggressive Behavior Of Preschoolers, John J. Shamaly Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was conducted over a two-month period and used a three-group post-treatment quasi-experimental design to compare the relative effectiveness of teacher training only, to teacher training plus parent training, upon the aggressive and social competency behaviors of teacher-identified aggressive preschoolers. In addition to a non-intervention control group of teacher-identified aggressive preschoolers, children who teachers identified as being non-aggressive were also observed for comparison purposes. The training that both parents and teachers received was general and focused on providing an understanding of the techniques of social learning theory and child behavior management. Parents also implemented behavior programs to increase …

Investigation Of Patient Anxiety, Patient Satisfaction, And Dental Student Behaviors, Mary Kathryn Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study examined the effect of information about patient's dental anxiety on patient satisfaction, patient discomfort, and patients' perceptions of dental student behaviors. The validity of patients' perceptions was examined by independent observation of dental student behaviors on videotaped dental screening visits.

Thirty dental students each examined two dentally anxious female patients. Each student received information about one of the patient' s dental anxiety and no information about the other. The order of presentation of the conditions information and no information was counterbalanced. The dependent measures were the Dentist Behavior Checklist, the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale, the Patient Discomfort …