Digital Commons Network^™

Digital Habits Of Gen Z: A Qualitative Study On Why And How College Students Use Instagram, Josie Rackley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper explores twelve Gen Z college students' usage of Instagram. Analyses of semi-structured and verbal think-aloud observations identified why and how participants use Instagram. Four quadrants of usage grew from participants’ data: Community-driven Creators, socially motivated Gardeners, Digital Scrapbookers, and enlightenment-seeking Observers. These usage quadrants structured the paper. Each quadrant had unique habits and motivations, yet, some themes spanned across all quadrants, such as the themes of mindless usage and The Boredom Paradox. Results have applications for social media marketing research as they relate to studying the nature of Gen Z Instagram usage for understanding young people’s lived experiences …

Optimal Ordering To Maximize Mev Arbitrage, Granton Michael White

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of cryptocurrencies has brought with it new math problems with new sets of constraints. The MEV problem entails solving for the ordering of pending trades that maximizes a block creator's profit. In decentralized finance, time is a big constraint, so an exhaustive search of all possible orderings is impossible. I propose a solution to the MEV problem that gives a near optimal result that can be solved in a reasonable amount of time. I layout the method and the formulas required for my solution. Additionally, I test my solution on synthesized data to show that it works as …

Know Better, Do Better?: Parental Financial Socialization's Indirect Association With Couple Financial Communication Through Financial Self-Efficacy, Rachel M. Okamoto

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adults find themselves in a time of great transition, especially related to finances and relationships. This study used a sample of 1,950 U.S. emerging adults currently in romantic relationships to investigate the role that parent financial socialization plays in the financial communication for emerging adult couples. This study also investigated if financial self-efficacy, in part, explained this association. Parent financial socialization was found to be positively associated with couple financial communication. In addition, financial self-efficacy was found to partially mediate this relationship. Individuals whose parents taught them effectively regarding finances had higher levels of self-efficacy regarding finances and had …

Semantic Memory And Decision-Making: An Fmri Study Regarding Covid-19 Vaccine Misinformation, Morgan Chase

Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the continued use and prevalence of social media, misinformation is likewise becoming more prevalent. Information about the COVID-19 pandemic was an example of the way misinformation spreads and presents challenges to society through polarization and discord. As people made decisions regarding whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, misinformation may have impacted their decision making. The goal of this study was to understand how misinformation and corrections to misinformation differentially activate the brain, in contrast to how correct information activates the brain, and how misinformation impacts decision making.

Interpreting Communally: How Service Learning Impacts Interpreting Proficiency, Breanna Michele Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Experiential learning programs, such as service learning, help students in Spanish medical interpreting classes to increase their interpreting proficiency, which includes their cultural understanding, linguistic performance, and professionalization (Rudvin & Tomassini, 2011). Currently, the Spanish Medical Interpretation class at Brigham Young University uses a community service-learning project in which students volunteer six hours of their time interpreting within the community. While largely beneficial, not all community partners offer the same learning opportunities. Some include training and shadowing programs, while others do not. This thesis seeks to determine the impact that shadowing opportunities and community partnerships have on interpreting proficiency and …

Behavioral And Physiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing, Attention, And Prediction In Autistic Children: An Eye Tracking Study, Courtney Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has risen to one out of every 36 children born in the United States being diagnosed. Many individuals diagnosed experience sensory processing difficulties that make life challenging for them and their caregivers. However, there is no clear consensus on why sensory processing issues occur. Previous research has linked attention function to atypical sensory processing. Our study aimed to understand potential underlying mechanisms and correlates of this relationship. We theorized that prediction is a key contributing factor to how attention and sensory processing interact. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sensory …

Hamiltonian Monte Carlo For Reconstructing Historical Earthquake-Induced Tsunamis, Jacob Paul Callahan

Theses and Dissertations

In many areas of the world, seismic hazards pose a great risk to both human and natural populations. In particular, earthquake-induced tsunamis are especially dangerous to many areas in the Pacific. The study and quantification of these seismic events can both help scientists better understand how these natural hazards occur and help at-risk populations make better preparations for these events. However, many events of interest occurred too long ago to be recorded by modern instruments, so data on these earthquakes are sparse and unreliable. To remedy this, a Bayesian method for reconstructing the source earthquakes for these historical tsunamis based …

A Structural Analysis Of The Simpson Mountains, Hyrum A. Briscoe

Theses and Dissertations

The Simpson Mountains have long been of economic interest and have renewed interest in their potential value. Field mapping of the project area redefined structural relationships between stratigraphic units. Geometric and kinematic analysis of structures in the Simpson Mountains show the range is deformed by the three most recent tectonic events: the Sevier Orogeny, the Laramide Orogeny, and Basin and Range Extension. Laramide structures define the range with a significant E-W normal fault and an E-W thrust fault, which are both likely related to Eocene-age igneous intrusions. Principal component analysis (PCA) of regional quartzite X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) data resulted in …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Motivational Speeches In Sports Films, Brenna Seeman

Theses and Dissertations

This paper applies Aristotle's historic modes of persuasion, namely ethos, logos, and pathos, to the motivational speeches found in 20 popular sports films. Through this analysis, major themes concerning how coaches utilized persuasive tactics were found and used to compile a list of important characteristics of motivational speeches. This initial analysis found pathos to be the most effective form of persuasion among motivational speeches in sports films. Because of this finding, a deeper analysis took place with five of the speeches, focusing specifically on how the visual, sound and other thematic elements contributed to the overall pathos of those rhetorical …

The Effects And Reversibility Of Combination Inhaled Corticosteroids On Phonation Threshold Pressure (Ptp) And Phonation Threshold Flow (Ptf) In Ex Vivo Rabbit Larynges, Melanie Elizabeth Blauer

Theses and Dissertations

Although combination inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) are known to cause voice disorders in otherwise vocally healthy individuals, it is unknown whether those adverse effects can be reversed by the cessation of treatment. Quantitative aerodynamic measures such as phonation threshold pressure (PTP) and phonation threshold flow (PTF) can be used to identify the development of, and recovery from, vocal pathologies. We examined the effects and reversibility of ICs on laryngeal aerodynamics. This study was a mid-project investigation as part of a larger ongoing project. The 18 larynges were from rabbits that received ICs, a control condition, or no treatment. Experimental group rabbits …

Emotion, Sensory Processing, And Prosody In Neurotypical And Autistic Young Adults, Annika Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

There is a paucity of research regarding autistic adults, yet as autistic individuals grow to adulthood, they are often met with several barriers because of their differences from the neurotypical (NT) population. Given the demands of adult social interaction, some of the social difficulties experienced by autistic adults are likely related to emotion processing and prosody function. With sensory processing differences added as a diagnostic criterion for autism within the last decade, an investigation into its relationship with emotional processing, another marked difficulty for this population, is warranted. There are logical connections between sensory processing, emotion, and prosody, such that …

Exploring Posttraumatic Growth In Aphasia: A Qualitative Investigation, Camille Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored posttraumatic growth (PTG) in people with aphasia and is the qualitative arm of a larger mixed-methods study. After an initial experimental session, 23 people with aphasia (PWA; 12 females and 11 males) completed a 60-minute semi-structured interview during which participants expanded on previously-given questionnaire responses and then answered five additional open-ended questions about communication in their daily life. Interviews were transcribed orthographically and coded using reflexive codebook analysis. A stakeholder with aphasia was consulted to gain insight from an insider's perspective about whether codes and themes captured the experiences of aphasia. Reflexive codebook analysis revealed two themes. …

Qosqo: A Documentary Approach To The Preservation Of Andean Culture, Emma Wheeler Volz

Student Works

This thesis and creative project aspire to follow the well-worn path of documentary filmmaking. The written portion of this thesis includes background information on Incan history and the Southern Andean language of Quechua that informed and developed into my film, Qosqo. The short documentary is a hybrid between traditional and experimental non-fiction filmmaking, exploring Cusco, Peru’s spirituality through the sage perspective of a native Cusqueñan woman, Norma Sanchez de Incaroca.

The film is a personal reflection of Norma’s experience with the Quechua language, a historically marginalized and currently endangered language. Her reflections are framed within the context of Cusco’s …

The Reversibility Of Effects Of Combination Inhaled Corticosteroids On Sustained Phonation Pressure And Flow In Ex Vivo Rabbit Larynges, Elisabeth Barlow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the reversibility of the adverse effects of combination inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) on vocal fold health as part of a five-year study. This pilot study tested the hypothesis that the adverse effects of ICs may be induced and then reversed, using a benchtop model and rabbit larynges measuring sustained subglottic pressure and airflow. Eighteen rabbits were assigned randomly to 5 subgroups, including baseline, induction experimental, induction control, reversibility experimental, and reversibility control. Baseline rabbits did not receive any treatment. Both experimental groups, induction and reversibility, were administered Advair until visual-perceptual ratings were noted. …

Design Of A Transparent Cryogenic Silicon Carbide Probe Card With Tungsten Probe Tips, Ryan Beazer

Theses and Dissertations

DoD EO/IR applications continue to push imaging technology. Next generation advances require new material systems, novel device structures, as well as the improvement and development of read out integrated circuits. The common methodology used to assess devices and materials is to process test chip structures and focal plane arrays. Test chips have advantages over focal plane arrays; such as, variable area and stand alone devices and can be measured as a function of bias and temperature; however, focal plane arrays are the heart of the imager, but are measured through the read out integrated circuits, which can add complexity to …

Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterium Correlation With Geochemical Characteristics Of Soil And Basalt In Hawaii, Leeza Marie Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) cause opportunistic lung disease though environmental exposure pathways. Among the United States, Hawaii has a significantly higher infection rate. Preliminary studies have shown certain environmental factors, such as phosphorus and other select soil geochemical characteristics, to be statistically significant to NTM occurrence. However, a model to predict NTM occurrence based on soil geochemistry had yet to be attempted. A selection of 40 NTM positive and 40 NTM negative soils from Oahu were selected for a geochemical analysis to search for possible correlations to mineralogy and elemental abundances that may promote, or inhibit, NTM growth in the environment. …

Microaggressions That Students From Underrepresented Groups Experience In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Samantha Berryhill

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored microaggressions that underrepresented students in Communication Sciences and Disorders experience. Phase I included a survey that was sent out to 276 undergraduate and graduate students at one university with 14 questions. Students were asked to identify with demographic variables, rate their sense of belonging, and discuss microaggressions they had experienced. Phase II comprised of individual interviews with six participants that further explored their experience as an underrepresented student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Interviews were transcribed and coded using a content analysis. Across the two phases, quantitative, mixed-method, and content analyses were completed. Interviews were transcribed and …

Sex-Specific Variation In Deep Brain Shape Is Attenuated In Schizophrenia - An Enigma Consortium Meta-Analysis, Delaina Brooke Cimmino

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is characterized by a disconnect from reality that manifests as various clinical and cognitive symptoms, as well as consistent neurobiological abnormalities. However, unique sex-related differences have been observed regarding clinical presentation that imply separate brain substrates. The present study characterized deep-brain morphology using shape features to understand whether the neurobiology of schizophrenia varies as a function of sex. This study analyzed multi-site archival data from 1,579 male (M) and 836 female (F) participants with SCZ, as well as 1,934 male and 1,828 female healthy controls (CON) from twenty-four cross-sectional study samples from the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Workgroup. Harmonized shape …

Can Community Resilience Be Achieved? An Investigation Of Subjective Household Resilience, Place Meanings, And Individual Perceived Preparedness To Respond To Environmental Threats, Anh Minh Ly

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of place meanings and perceived individual preparedness on subjective household resilience and socio-psychological community resilience. Earlier research has shown an active controversy of whether place meanings and individual preparedness could transform into the perception of household resilience and community resilience. Thus, while place meanings, in a transformative norm, perform like place attachment and may support adaptation to change and strengthen the perception of resilience, it can present in forms of place dependence or inflexibility which might be a barrier for household and community resilience. Similarly, individual preparedness is claimed to be essential but insufficient to …

Validating A Predictive Early Kindergarten Dynamic Assessment Of Word Level Reading And Language, Taylor Jordan Cena

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary psychometrics to revisions to the decoding subtest of the Predictive Early Assessment of Reading and Language (PEARL) dynamic assessment and to further examine the predictive validity of the language subtest of the PEARL. Specific aims were to (a) determine if kindergarten students made gains on the PEARL decoding subtest from pretest to a delayed standard posttest and to a delayed novel posttest, indicating that floor effects were mitigated, (b) to examine if there was variance in the delayed standard posttest and novel posttest scores, (c) to determine if there was …

Comparison Of The Unweighted Log-Rank And Weighted Prentice-Modified Wilcoxon Tests With Left-Truncated Data, Ellen Wight

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In survival analysis, there is a potential interaction between left-truncated data and rank test procedures for the difference between two groups that has not yet been investigated in depth. This study explores the effect of left truncation on the absolute and relative performance of the unweighted log-rank test and the weighted Prentice modification of the Gehan-Wilcoxon test. Resulting power from simulation study replications revealed that while left truncation does not affect which test performs better overall, it does affect the relative difference between the tests. It significantly worsens the individual performance of the Prentice-modified test, likely because of left truncation …

Examining The Validity Of The Cubed Narrative Language Measures Listening And Reading Subtests, Trevor David Read

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent and predictive validity of the CUBED Narrative Language Measures Listening and Reading subtests to evaluate their psychometric properties as defined by Deno (2003). Method: Evidence of concurrent validity for the NLM Listening and Reading subtests was examined using data from 1,146 preschool through third grade students. The NLM subtests were compared to similar subtests from other assessments administered at approximately the same time. Evidence of predictive validity was examined using data from these same NLM subtests from 1,512 kindergarten through third grade students, including 71 third grade students for …

Women, Divorce, Tobacco, And Outplacements Of Children: Uncovering Family Secrets In Switzerland, Tito Craige

Swiss American Historical Society Review

From early in the nineteenth century until the 1950s, tens of thousands of Swiss children were taken from their homes and placed with foster families or sold at auction. The mothers of the outplaced children were usually poor and divorced; some were alleged to be prostitutes. One of these mothers was the author’s great-grandmother, Dorothea Hürlimann. In 1895, because she was divorced and managed a tobacco store in Geneva’s red-light district, her three children were sent to live with foster families. The middle child, Dora, was four years old when she was placed with a family in Winterthur and began …

Full Issue

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Time Pressure On Speech Fluency In Aging Adults: Comparisons With Divided Attention, Caleb Henderson Sanford

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the impacts of dual task and time pressure conditions on the speech fluency of 60 neurotypical adults between the ages of 26 and 85. Participants retold short stories in baseline, time pressure, dual task, and combined dual task and time pressure conditions. Dependent variables included five measures of speech fluency: words per minute (WPM), fillers per verbalization, false starts and repetitions per verbalization, extended pauses per utterance, and speech naturalness. Each of these variables was compared between age groups of younger, older, and elderly adults and across conditions. Results reveal that time pressure causes speech rate to …

Mediators Of The Insomnia-Suicidality Association, Zach Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Rationale: The severity of insomnia symptoms, including difficulty falling asleep and returning to sleep when awakened in the night, are major risk factors for more severe suicidality including suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and death by suicide. As a modifiable risk factor, insomnia is a potential target for suicide prevention. There are several commonly observed gaps in the literature studying the association between insomnia and suicidality including little exploration of potential mediators, limited assessments of insomnia and suicidality, and a lack of sample diversity and representativeness. As such, the models that explain the association between insomnia and suicidality remain unclear and …

Group Therapeutic Relationships Codevelopment In Short-Term Therapy: A Conceptual Replication And Extension Of Lo Coco Et Al. (2019), Tate M. Paxton

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The empirical study of member-group mutual influence in group therapy is an emerging area of study. However, few replications have tried to generalize prior findings related to mutual influence. The aim of this study is to conceptually replicate the longitudinal group actor-partner interdependence models (LGAPIM) employed by Lo Coco et al. (2019) measuring how mutual influence and other factors affect the codevelopment of the group therapeutic relationships. Method: 343 clients were included in this archival analysis. Group Questionnaire (GQ) main subscales, positive bond (PB), positive work (PW), and negative relationship (NR), were gathered from early, middle, and late timepoints. …

Switzerland’S Banished Children, Una Suseli O'Connell

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Over a one hundred year period a practice known as verdingen (indentured servitude) operated in Switzerland. Children were removed from their families and sent to work on farms. It is estimated that between 1860 and 1960, one hundred thousand children were verdingt in this way, a quarter of them in the Canton of Bern. Local parishes paid farmers a monthly allowance to provide disadvantaged children with board and lodging. Although some treated their charges well, countless children suffered terrible hardship over many years. A veil of silence fell across entire communities as clergy, social workers and villagers chose to ignore …

Challenges To Swiss Democracy: Neutrality, Napoleon, & Nationalism, Thomas Quinn Marabello

Swiss American Historical Society Review

The year 1291 is considered the birth of Switzerland as we know it. Yet this is not entirely correct, since it was when the Swiss Confederacy was formed. This defensive alliance between some cantons that would expand over time did not mean Switzerland was a unified nation-state. Most of Europe in 1291 was stuck in the Middle Ages with few unified nations existing at the time. 1648 was an important year for Switzerland and the rest of Europe. The Treaty of Westphalia marked the end of the Thirty Years’ War that involved most of the continent over religion and politics. …

Russian L2 Learners' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Learning Affordances, Marina Tsylina, Jose Luis Garrido Rivera, Hadis Ghaedi

Russian Language Journal

The environment offers a variety of resources for language learning and teaching. However, students and teachers might not recognize the same affordances or may perceive them differently. The mismatch between instructors’ and learners’ perceived affordances may result in ineffective use of time for both students and teachers, lower student motivation, and retard the language learning process. The study draws on the ecological approach (van Lier, 2000) to second language acquisition to investigate L2 Russian learners’ and teachers’ perceptions of language learning affordances, i.e., any physical objects, online materials, humans, and other resources which are embedded in the environment, and emerge …