Digital Commons Network^™

Getting Noticed: Middle Childhood In Cross-Cultural Perspective, David F. Lancy, M. Annette Grove

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Although rarely named, the majority of societies in the ethnographic record demarcate a period between early childhood and adolescence. Prominent signs of demarcation are: for the first time, pronounced gender separation in fact and in role definition; increased freedom of movement for boys while girls may be bound more tightly to their mothers; and heightened expectations for socially responsible behavior. But, above all, middle childhood is about coming out of the shadows of community life and assuming a distinct, lifetime character. Naming and other rites of passage sometimes acknowledge this transition, but it is, reliably, marked by the assumption or …

Economic And Social Impacts Of Wildfires And Invasive Plants In American Deserts: Lessons From The Great Basin, Mark W. Brunson, John Tanaka

Articles

Research on the impacts of wildfire and invasive plants in rangelands has focused on biophysical rather than human dimensions of these environmental processes. We offer a synthetic perspective on economic and social aspects of wildfire and invasive plants in American deserts, focusing on the Great Basin because greater research attention has been given to the effects of cheatgrass expansion than to other desert wildfire/invasion cycles. We focus first on impacts at the level of the individual decision-maker, then on impacts experienced at the human community or larger socio-political scales. Economic impacts of wildfire differ from those of invasive grasses because …

Work-Life Issues And Strategies For Women Leaders Across The Globe, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Women and leadership has recently emerged as an important focus of researchers and practitioners in many countries across the globe. Public, private, and social sector organizations in various settings are now acknowledging the importance of preparing women for strong, competent leadership and also assisting current female leaders in maintaining and strengthening their positions of influence. Of course these efforts and strategies vary significantly among sectors, industries, cultures, countries, and even local communities for some. Yet, one topic that seems to continuously surface with current and emerging women leaders across the globe includes work-life issues—primarily that of balancing work and family …

A Plus: Utah State University, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

A Closer look at the Services and Departments of Utah State University. All Information in this package provided by the highlights departments.

Year Seven Annual Report: Activities, Findings And Evaluators' Reports, Ncete Faculty

Reports to NSF

The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) is a collaborative network of scholars with backgrounds in technology education, engineering, and related fields. Our mission is to build capacity in technology education and to improve the understanding of the learning and teaching of high school students and teachers as they apply engineering design processes to technological problems. This year’s accomplishments include: completion of doctoral dissertations and post-doctoral research; continuation of research program; exploration of a strategic alliance of engineering and technology education groups in major doctoral-degree-granting universities; development of a caucus on high school engineering design challenges; and ongoing …

Daybreak Community Landscape Performance Benefits Assessment, Bo Yang, Amanda Goodwin

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Faculty Publications

Daybreak is a 4,127-acre model mixed-use community for comprehensive sustainable design. The project was planned on surplus mining land and will accommodate over 20,000 residential units, approximately 9.1 million sf of commercial space, and 20,000 jobs at build-out. The extensive parks and open space integrates stormwater management, merges with natural systems, and is enlivened by social and recreational programming. The full range of sustainable features includes walkable streets, an extensive trail system, native and drought-tolerant plants, habitat conservation, recycled materials, and a vibrant mix of amenities and services. Landscape Performance Benefits • Retains 100% of storm water that falls on …

2011 Utah State University Student Orientation Guide, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

A special supplemental magazine provided by The Utah Statesman to take a closer look at some of the services and departments available at Utah State University.

Social Factors That Influence Religious Motivation Of College-Age Lds Young Adults To Read Religious Texts: A Qualitative Study, Dustin R. West

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative study investigated the religious motivation of college-age LDS young single adults. In particular, this study sought to answer the following question: “What are the contexts and social factors that influence religious motivation of college-age LDS young adults to study religious texts?” To examine this question, a phenomenological approach was used to explore what participants had in common with feeling motivated to read religious texts. The primary sources of data came from one-on-one interviews that describe the personal experiences and perspectives of 10 college-age LDS young single adults. Sociocultural theory guided the analysis and interpretation of data and findings. …

Testing Mediated Effects Of A Sex Education Program On Youth Sexual Activity, Paul James Birch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Empirical investigations have identified hundreds of factors that predict whether youth engage in sexual activity (YSA). To promote optimal health and the avoidance of unhealthy or problematic outcomes that can result from YSA, sex education programs have been extensively developed and evaluated. Many evaluations have identified the effect of the program on immediate outcomes such as attitudes and intentions, others have examined subsequent behavioral and health outcomes, and some have done both. The purpose of this study was to extend the evaluation literature by testing a mediated effects model. A sex education program was found to have significant immediate effects …

Reflective Redo Within A Three-Dimensional Simulation And Its Influence On Student Metacognition, Reflection, And Learning, Jon M. Scoresby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects on a student’s metacognition, reflection, and learning in a specifically designed educational simulation supported by unique technology. The simulation allows players’ actions to be recorded for the purpose of review to identify mistakes. The simulation also allows students to start at and redo actions while fixing previous mistakes instead of starting over at the beginning of a new scenario. When starting at the mistake or point of failure, as identified by a facilitator, during the redo of the initial saved scenario, students reflect on the actions performed during the initial …

"When They Called Us Jie Mei (Sister)" An Autoethnographic And Narrative Study Of Religious Development In Emerging Adulthood, Katie Nichole Ball

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The years from the late teens through the twenties increasingly have become an important area of study. The age range between 18 and 25 makes up a new, distinct developmental period that is referred to as “emerging adulthood.” Recent work has suggested that individuals engage in their most extensive identity exploration during emerging adulthood. This study uses autoethnography and narrative biographical material to study emerging adulthood in the contexts of spiritual and personal growth. The study explored adult development among young women serving abroad as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The sample consisted of …

The Impact Of Team-Based Learning’S Readiness Assurance Process On Virtually Isolated Adults, Matthew W. Barclay

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the readiness assurance process of team-based learning (TBL) in virtually isolated settings. Many Internet sites offer courses for adults to use on their own without access to mentors or other learners. However, educational theory suggests that people learn better with others than by themselves. The focus of this investigation was whether the inclusion of the readiness assurance process would increase participants’ levels of learning based on Bloom’s revised taxonomy within the limits of virtual isolation.

In this study an experimental pretest-posttest design was employed. Using a 2- day mini-course …

Using Graphic Organizers With Scriptural Text: Ninth-Grade Latter-Day Saint (Lds) Students’ Comprehension Of Doctrinal Readings And Concepts, Mark D. Potter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effect of instruction that included graphic organizers on LDS seminary students’ ability to understand scriptural text and their ability to identify doctrines in scriptural text, utilizing a repeated measures, quasi-experimental design involving 209 ninth-grade student participants. The participants were randomly assigned by class to one of two treatment groups. Participants in the treatment group received instruction using graphic organizers with the standard curriculum and participants in the comparison group received instruction using only the standard curriculum. Three different measures were employed to measure the effectiveness of the graphic organizers intervention: (a) a multiple-choice test of LDS …

A Functional Assessment Of The Use Of Virtual Simulations To Train Distance Preservice Special Education Teachers To Conduct Individualized Education Program Team Meetings, Lee Landrum Mason

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The individualized education program (IEP) is a critical component of providing special education services to children with disabilities, outlining the services and modifications that will be provided to help them make progress towards the general curriculum. While simulations have been shown to be an effective means of teaching special education policies and procedures, this can be challenging when working with distance students. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine how virtual simulations function to train preservice teachers learning to conduct IEP team meetings.

Seven preservice special education teachers enrolled in a mild/moderate distance degree and licensure program …

War, Gender, And The Polarization Process: Gender As An Intervening Variable In Attitude Formation Toward Outgroups, Kristen Kay Dawson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

War and the consequences of war have long been a subject of study in the field of political science. In addition, much debate and disagreement has centered around which factors are most important in determining the onset of war. Based on previous literature that has established fairly consistent gender differences with respect to the gendered role of warfare (Goldstein, 2001; Marini, 1990), I speculate that gender may also influence polarization attitudes, which are thought to act as precursors to war. Whenever the attitudes of ingroups rapidly polarize and their members become extremely fearful of an outgroup, begin to dehumanize outgroup …

An Exploration Of The Potential Benefits Of Healing Gardens On Veterans With Ptsd, Brock Justin Anderson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Healing gardens are places that facilitate in improving or restoring an individual’s mental or physical health. Today, therapeutic landscape design is a growing facet of landscape architecture. This study looks at the potential benefits of using healing gardens in addition to traditional methods of treatment for veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A reasonable amount of research has been done into the area of therapeutic landscapes and their influence on certain populations, but the potential positive effects these healing gardensmay hold for veterans suffering from PTSD seems to be unidentified. This study examines the history of healing gardens, problems …

Dietary Patterns And Cognitive Decline In Aged Populations, Austin J. Bowles

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In this paper, we discuss distinctive features of longitudinal studies, and illustrate two regression-based methods for the analysis of longitudinal data. A study of dietary patterns and cognitive decline (Cache County Memory Study) is used to motivate our discussion and analysis. Cognitive decline is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth leading cause of all deaths among Americans. The study attempted to identify dietary patterns associated with reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline in elderly populations. Higher levels of adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and/or Mediterranean diets were found to be associated with increased cognitive …

Best Practices In Counseling Native Americans, Timothy Thomason

Journal of Indigenous Research

This paper describes the results of a survey which was conducted to study the opinions of psychological service providers who work with Native American clients. An original survey containing 30 items was administered to 68 participants via the internet. A summary of the most significant results is provided.

Liberalis, Summer 2011, Utah State University

Liberalis

Freedom to Think, Discover, and Create. The alumni magazine for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah State University.

Looking Below The Surface Of Breast Tissue During Surgery, A Mahadevan-Jansen, Md Keller, Elizabeth Vargis, B Caldwell, T-Q Nguyen, Ndm Granja, M Sanders, Mc Kelley

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

In this article, we present a method that provides prompt detection of the presence of cancer cells inside the 2-mm margin of tissue surrounding the tumor after excision using spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS). SORS was developed to detect subtle changes in soft tissue spectra in the 100–2000 μm range and tested on excised breast tissues. The results display a very high specificity and sensitivity (100% and 95%, respectively) of classification between positive and negative tumor margins. SORS is a clinically feasible method, suitable for the real-time, intraoperative assessment of tumor margins at the micrometer level.

Testing Relevance And Efficacy In A Culturally Adapted Parenting Program, José Rubén Parra-Cardona, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Marion S. Forgatch, Cris M. Sullivan, Deborah Bybee, Brian Dates, Lisa Tams, Guillermo Bernal

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Major Factors Or Inputs Affecting Profitability Of Beef Cow Herds In The Western United States, J. Severe, D. R. Zobell

All Current Publications

This publication discusses issues and areas that affect profitability of beef cow herds in the western United States.

Recreation Participation And Conservation Attitudes: Differences Between Mail And Online Respondents In A Mixed-Mode Survey, Alan R. Graefe, Andrew J. Mowen, Elizabeth Covelli, Nate E. Trauntvein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study reports a comparison of demographics, outdoor recreation activity patterns, and attitudes toward conservation issues collected via mail and online survey methods within a mixed-mode survey. Pennsylvania residents, randomly sampled by Survey Sampling, Inc., were invited in a pre-survey letter to complete the survey online, or through a paper survey mailed to their homes. Differences in outdoor recreation participation were generally small for wildlife-related activities, and were greater among non-wildlife-related outdoor recreation activities, with the Internet respondents generally reporting higher rates of participation. Analyses controlling for demographic variables showed a confounding influence on the relationships examined. Internet respondents tended …

Transformation Process Of Criando Con Amor Promoviendo Armonía Y Superación (Capas) / Pmto Materials Into Capas Mexico, Nancy G. Amador Buenabad, S. Gaínza, F. García, M. A. Padriñán, G. Apipilhausco, D. Sánchez, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Ana A. L. Baumann

Psychology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cultural Adaptation Of Pmto For Ethnicity And Language, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, Nancy G. Amador Buenabad

Psychology Faculty Publications

Criando con Amor: Promoviendo Armonía y Superación is a culturally adapted PMTO manual. It was developed in Logan, UT and then further refined for use in Mexico City. A recent meta-analysis of culturally adapted treatments for US-based ethnic minorities showed a significant improvement in outcomes for adapted versus non-adapted interventions. The authors will present the systematic and theory-based cultural adaptation process utilized to tailor the manual for use with Spanish-speaking Latinos in the U.S. and in Mexico. Examples of specific cultural adaptations made will be shown. Evidence of treatment acceptability on the part of participating families at both sites will …

Community-Based Applied Research With Latino Immigrant Families: Informing Practice And Research According To Ethical And Social Justice Principles, Ana A. L. Baumann, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez, José Rubén Parra-Cardona

Psychology Faculty Publications

This manuscript describes the implementation of two community-based programs of research with Latino immigrant populations exposed to intense contextual challenges. We provide background on our program of research and specific implementation of an evidence-based parenting intervention. We also describe how our research efforts were seriously affected by immigration-related events such as the ICE raids in Utah and a history of discrimination and exclusion affecting Latino immigrants in Michigan. These external political and social challenges have affected the very core principles of our efforts to implement community-based approaches. The current manuscript describes key lessons that we have learned in this process. …

The Cpd Celebrates Graduation 2011, Center For Persons With Disabilities

Blog Posts

No abstract provided.

Morphological Awareness Dynamic Assessment Task In Third Grade Children: A Feasibility Study, Katherine Pike

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a) a morphological awareness dynamic assessment task is a sensitive instrument and reveals a range of performance in third grade children, and b) performance on a morphological awareness dynamic assessment task may be significantly improved with dynamic scaffolding.

Method: The participants included twenty-three typically developing third-grade children from an elementary school in the Intermountain West. The morphological awareness dynamic assessment task, adapted from Larsen and Nippold (2007), was administered to each child two times (Initial Trial 1 testing and a subsequent Trial 2 testing 3 days later). This task required …

Utah State University Commencement, 2011 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

124^th Annual Commencement of Utah State University.

Queering Gender: How Transgender College Student Navigate Gender, Rachel Jaggi

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In response to the “Doing Gender” theory as proposed by West and Zimmerman, some scholars have argued that the theory perpetuates gender inequality and leaves no room for social change. These scholars argue that research needs to be directed towards deconstructing the gender system, thereby “undoing gender.” Transgender individuals, who appear to be playing with the system of gender, provide an important conduit through which to examine the possibility of transcending the gender binary. I conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with transgender college students to examine the extent to which these individuals are able to overcome the dichotomous gender …