Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Perceptions Of Disabilities Among Native Americans Within The State Of Utah, Erica Ficklin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Native Americans are diagnosed with disabilities at a significantly higher rate than the general American population. Due to cultural differences, other factors are likely impacting this difference in diagnosis rates. One possible factor is that Native Americans may have a different definition for ‘disability’ than the general American population. This study aimed to identify whether there is a difference in the definition for ‘disability’ and to learn about the current services available and what changes should be made to better serve Native Americans with disabilities. Native American participants were asked to share their experiences and thoughts about disabilities in sharing …

Humans As Sensors: The Influence Of Extreme Heat Vulnerability Factors On Risk Perceptions Across The Contiguous United States, Forrest Scott Schoessow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extreme heat events are the deadliest natural hazard in the United States and will continue to get worse in the coming years due to the effects of climate change. As a result, more people will experience deadly heat conditions. This highlights the need for decision-makers to develop better strategies for preventing future losses. How badly individuals are affected by extreme heat depends on many circumstances, such as how high temperatures actually are, weather conditions, and location. For example, a dry 90 °F day in Phoenix is probably more tolerable than a humid 90 °F day in New Orleans for most …

Rancher Perceptions Of Ecosystem Services From Rangelands Of The Intermountain West, Elisabeth C. York

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rangelands within the Great Basin are responsible for the provision of multiple resources that humans depend on for a variety of reasons. Ranchers in this region are dependent on public lands to remain economically viable in their cattle operations. As a majority of land in this region is publically owned, there are varying interests at play in what should and could be the focus of management. Ranchers are charged with implementing strategies aimed at conserving these landscapes and their motivations for what to manage may significantly influence resource provision from Intermountain West ecosystem.

In this study, I sought to understand …

The Effect Of Weight On The Perceptions Of And Attitudes Toward Individuals With Anorexia Nervosa, Allison E. White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A large body of research has shown that stigmatizing attitudes toward individuals with mental illness are widespread and prevalent. Fewer studies have focused on stigma toward eating disorders, in general, and even less have focused on the stigma of anorexia nervosa (AN), specifically. Preliminary research indicates that AN may be both stigmatizing and admired, but the factors contributing to the perception of AN has not been adequately studied. To date, researchers have yet to examine the role of body size in the perception of and attitudes toward individuals with AN. By showing participants one of three female figures varying only …

Beginning Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Novice Year Of Teaching, Rebecca Bingham Rees

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to understand the perceptions of beginning teachers concerning the training they received in their teacher preparation program helped them with the successes and challenges they faced during their novice year of teaching. Comprehending novice teachers' perceptions of their successes and challenges is important as a method to help beginning teachers avoid feelings of burnout.

A survey was sent to graduates of a teacher preparation program at a large, land-grant university, who were embarking on their novice year of teaching. Responses were received from 16 teachers. In the survey, teachers were asked to answer demographic questions regarding …

Chinese People's Perceptions Of And Preparedness For Democracy, Xiangyun Lan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Democratization in China has been receiving attention from all over the world. In the US, a large percentage of media reports about China contribute to report democratization related political issues. And as a mainland Chinese citizen living under an undemocratic regime, I have always felt compelled to do research on democratization in China society. This thesis describes a research study conducted to understand how Chinese people understand the notion of democracy, and with this notion how they perceive to democratize their society. The result of this research's analysis shows that Chinese people view democracy similar to a western notion; and …

A Study Of Mothers’ Perceptions And Practices Of Kindergarten Readiness, Kirsten Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to understand what mothers with children enrolled in a developmentally appropriate preschool program believe and are actually doing to help prepare their children for kindergarten, something of key importance, as kindergarten success is a foundation for later school success. There is very little research on the topic of parental perceptions and practices in kindergarten readiness and the transition into kindergarten.

A survey was sent home to 60 families who had their child enrolled in the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory at Utah State University during the 2010-2011 school year. In the survey, parents were …

Employers' Perceptions Of Utah State University's Marriage And Family Therapy Program Requirements, Blake D. Altom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of program requirements on employability of Utah State University's (USU) marriage and family therapy (MFT) program graduates, the training and employability of USU MFT graduates, and whether or not there is anything that sets these graduates apart from graduates of other MFT programs. Nineteen employers participated in this study. Twelve of these employers were known to have hired USU MFT graduates as the graduates' first employment post-graduation, and seven of the participants were considered potential employers: those who could hire MFTs in the future. Questions were asked to these participants …

Student Teachers' Explicit And Implicit Perceptions Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Hollie K. Berglof

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined student teachers' explicit and implicit perceptions of ADHD and the relationship between perceptions of ADHD and social desirability. In addition, the relationship between a current measure of implicit perceptions of ADHD and one that was adapted for this study was also investigated. Findings indicate that student teachers view a student portrayed as exhibiting symptoms consistent with ADHD more negatively than a "normal" child in terms of their self-reported first impressions of the child as well as their predictions for the child's future success. Participants' perceptions, as measured by two implicit measures, however, were mixed, with results from …

Maternal And Paternal Attributions And Perceptions Related To Parent-Child Interactions, Angela L. W. Ehrlick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Parent cognitions, including parent attributions for and perceptions of children's behaviors , are related to negative parent-child interactions and have been hypothesized to negatively affect treatment outcome in parent training studies. Specifically, parents who attribute children's disruptive behaviors to internal, stable, uncontrollable, and global causes and believe that they are not personally responsible for their children's behavior are less likely to engage in positive interactions with their children and successfully manage child behavior. Additionally, parents who expect their children to demonstrate aversive behavior and perceive their children's neutral behaviors as aversive are less likely to engage in positive interactions with …

Adolescent Peer Perceptions Reflected In The Yearbooks Of Mormon Homosexual And Heterosexual Men, David C. Pruden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the peer perceptions of adolescent heterosexual males and their homosexual counterparts who had not disclosed their feelings of erotic same-sex attraction to their classmates. The study focused on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a conservative Christian denomination with clear doctrinal prohibitions against homosexual behavior. The handwritten messages from peers found in the senior high school yearbooks of 30 heterosexual and 30 same-sex attracted adolescent men were content analyzed to examine similarities and differences in the themes that emerged from the data.

The results indicated that there is a difference in the kind …

Responding To Crises In The Public Schools: A Survey Of School Psychologists' Experiences And Perceptions, Austin Douglas Adamson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A survey was created and mailed to 500 school psychologists randomly selected from the National Association of School Psychologists' membership lists. The final sample consisted of 228 school psychologists working at least half-time in a school setting. The survey's purpose was to gather information from school psychologists on their perspectives on crisis training and on crises experienced by public schools, as well as what schools have for crisis plans/teams, and what they do for crisis response.

Nearly all of the participants (98.2%) reported that they had some type of crisis intervention training. The majority of respondents indicated that their schools …

Latin American Immigrants' Perceptions Of Discrimination And Acquisition Of English As A Second Language As A Result Of Using A Community Social Support Center, Holly Mcfarland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The associations between Latin American immigrants' use of a community social support center and perceived discrimination and language acquisition were investigated. All variables were measured by respondents' self-reports on a questionnaire designed to obtain demographic data as well as describe the needs of the Latin American community in rural Northern Utah. Chi-square analyses indicated a statistically significant association between use of the center and acquisition of English as a second language. No relationship was found between use of the center and perceived discrimination. The results of this study provide valuable demographic data as well as describe some of the experiences …

Clinician Perceptions Of Media Use By Male Sex-Offending, Conduct-Disordered, And Normal Youth, Melissa A. Vogel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sexual offenses by youth have been increasing. The literature recognizes media as a socializer, yet few studies examine nonpornographic media and youthful sex-offending. The purpose of this research was to survey the perceptions of clinicians as to the use of media type and content for male sex-offending, conduct-disordered, and normal youth. The questionnaire was completed by 78 American clinicians from 30 states specializing in the treatment of youthful sex offenders.

Means, standard deviations, and percentages were calculated, which provided descriptive data. Male sex-offending and conduct-disordered youth are believed by clinicians to be more frequent consumers of aggressive, explicit, and sexually …

Preschoolers' Perceptions Of Their Alternative Care Environments, Michael K. Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine children's perceptions of their alternative child care environment without constraining thought processes or suggesting appropriate answers. The Child Care Game Assessment (CCGA) was developed to meet these goals. The CCGA is a role-plating, game-like assessment for preschool children. It uses a model of the child's alternative care environment and allows children to act out portions of a typical day.

The CCGA was administered to 57 four- and five-year-old children attending non-parental child care. Twenty-one children (11 boys and 10 girls) attended Utah State University's Child Development Laboratory, a 10-hour-per-week preschool. Twenty-one children …

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 …

Perceptions Of Menstruation As An Indicator Of Stereotypic Beliefs Within Marriage, Debra L. Caswell-Madsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research examined husband and wife attitudes toward menstruation and how these attitudes related to certain behaviors within marriage. The sample consisted of 48 Married couples, some living in Davis, California and some living in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Specifically, four objectives were pursued:

1. Assess husbands' and wives' perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
2. Assess husbands' and wives' attitudes toward menstruation.
3. Examine how husband's and wives' attitudes toward menstruation might be associated with perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
4. Examine how wives' perceptions of differences in behavior over …

Husbands' And Wives' Perceptions Of Their In-Law Parents, Carlos F. Watkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The critical lack of research in the area of in-law relationships leaves interested persons wondering about the nature of such relationships.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain how the independent variables of sex, number of children, education and age of the sons or daughters-in-law effected the relationship with the mothers and fathers-in-law. The four directional hypotheses tested were: (1) as the age of the son or daughter-in-law increases, the chances for a more positive relationship with mothers and fathers-in-law and their sons and daughters, increases significantly; (2) females feel significantly closer to their parents-in-law than males; (3) as …

Children's Perceptions Of The Nurse, Nancy Adams Coulter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to assess children's perceptions of the nurse as they are related to children's age, the amount of contact children have had with nurses and children's sex.

An oral picture test, consisting of 10 photographs, was administered to 45 children in the Edith Bowen Elementary School at Utah State University. The children were interviewed about their perceptions of the nurses in each photograph and their responses were rated as being positive, negative or neutral.

The findings of this study indicate that although significant differences exist in children's perceptions of the nurse in terms of positive, …

The Unwed Father As Perceived By Himself, Daryl E. Ellis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to reveal the self perception of unwed fathers. Ten men participated in the project; nine of them were 25 years of age or younger. To measure self perception an instrument was constructed in the form of a questionnaire. Each unwed father was then interviewed to discover his perceptions, particularly as they relate to their common plight of unwed fatherhood.

The men perceived themselves as normal young Americans, and felt their conduct and intentions were in compliance with peer expectations. Some of the subjects responded to the interview with descriptive and detailed accounts while others were either …

Influence Of Social Class On Children's Perception Of Teachers, Kathleen Thomas Mcdonald

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis was to examine children's perceptions toward teachers, as related to the child's social class background, and to investigate the influence of social class upon their perceptions.

A projective pictorial test, which consisted of nine pictures concerning teachers and children, was administered individually to forth fourth grade school children in two Ogden, Utah, public schools.

The findings of this study were that there are differences between middle and lower-class children in their perceptions toward teachers. Children of middle-class backgrounds showed more positive perceptions toward teachers, and lower-class children were found to have a more negative perception …