Digital Commons Network^™

Attitudes, Behavioral Intentions, And Migration: Resident Response To Amenity Growth-Related Change In The Rural Rocky Mountain West, Susan Reid Wilmot

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper explores the demographic, economic, political, and environmental characteristics that have helped define the “New West,” reviews studies on individual attitudes and participation in response to these changes, and presents findings and conclusions from an analysis of two study areas: Bear Lake and Star Valley. Results suggest that residency status is generally not a significant predictor of resident attitudes towards aspects of community change. Non-residency status factors, such as high levels of place attachment, knowledge about community affairs, values for property ownership, and community satisfaction, were generally more influential upon residents’ attitudes. Significant predictors of resident involvement in community …

Making Healthy Choices: Adolescent Preference Ratings Of School-Based Health Interventions, Nicholas Glover Baird

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the effect of a Making Healthy Choices lesson on junior high school students' preference rankings of items used to motivate students to increase academic performance. Results indicated that the lesson resulted in increased ranking scores on healthy items. This study used an assessment procedure that may be used to identify healthy rewards that may motivate students to increase academic performance as well as practice healthy decision making to prevent obesity.

Evaluating The Relationship Between Women's Sexual Desire And Satisfaction From A Biopsychosocial Perspective, Katherine J. Chartier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between women's sexual desire and their reported level of sexual satisfaction. This study evaluated biological, psychological, and social factors of desire that might influence satisfaction. The sample for this study consisted of 77 Caucasian individuals, 45 women and 32 men, in their first marriage, who had been married on average 2 years. Results indicated that sexual desire was positively and significantly correlated with sexual satisfaction and that psychological and social factors most strongly explain women's sexual satisfaction. Further, women's perceptions of their own sexual desire, psychological and social, were more …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Educational Pursuit And Perception Among College Students At Utah State University, Randy A. Larose

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of religiosity on the pursuit of education and the perceptions towards education among college students at Utah State University (USU). The study focused on what religious variables were useful in predicting postsecondary educational pursuit and either positive or negative educational perceptions among students at USU. From a systematic random sample of 1,460 USU students, a correlational research design was used for this study. Multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques were used to determine which of the various measures of religiosity provided the greatest degree of predictive value for ascertaining educational pursuit …

The Religious Experience Of Sexual Minority Youth: Identity, Integration And Minority Stress, Angie L. Dahl

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent researchers have highlighted the need to consider the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individual's experience in various social contexts. Only a few studies have examined LGBTQ adolescent and young adult religious experiences. In the current study, 106 LGBTQ adolescent and young adults (18-24 years) were surveyed to gain a better understanding of LGBTQ religious experience, identity integration and the relationship between LGBTQ religiosity and psychosocial outcomes. A multidimensional understanding of LGBTQ religious experiences is presented; participants exhibited a propensity to disidentify with religion and reported religious and sexual identity conflict. While participants did not report a high …

The Perceptions Of Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints Full-Time Seminary Teachers Regarding The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Reginald S. Slocombe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Efforts to formally educate students with special needs have been ongoing for over 50 years in the United States. Teachers are on the front line of the work to include students with disabilities. Previous research indicates a correlation between the attitudes of teachers and successful inclusion of students with disabilities. Two-hundred and fifty-one full-time released-time seminary teachers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I, formerly the Church Education System or CES) in Utah responded to a questionnaire regarding their attitudes toward including students with disabilities in their classrooms. Selected personal and professional …

Macromorality And Mormons: A Psychometric Investigation And Qualitative Evaluation Of The Defining Issues Test-2, Daniel R. Winder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 1988, P. Scott Richard's dissertation research at the University of Minnesota asserted that the Defining Issues Test (DIT), a widely accepted paper-and-pencil test of moral reasoning, exhibited item bias against religiously orthodox persons. Since 1988 (when Richard's data were reported), new methods of differential-item functioning (DIF) have developed, a new DIT has emerged (the DIT-2), as well as a Neo-Kohlbergian framework based upon moral schemas derived from Kohlberg's Piagetian-like six stages. With new methods, new tests, and unanswered questions, this study's results imply: (1) that DIT-2 items exhibit differential item functioning for religiously orthodox persons in statistically significant but …

Boldfaced Terms And Their Effects On Student Learning, Michael J. Drysdale

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Every published introductory psychology textbook includes boldfaced terms throughout the chapters. These boldfaced terms are theoretically included to help students learn the material. Are they really beneficial for student learning? An experimental/control group designed study was conducted to answer this question. Volunteers were provided with a chapter excerpt. The experimental group received the excerpt with no boldfaced terms included (the bold type had been removed), whereas the control group received the excerpt as it normally appeared in the textbook, boldfaced terms included. Both groups were quizzed using a 10-item multiple-choice quiz. Statistical analyses showed that those who studied the excerpt …

The Effectiveness Of The Teens Reaching Youth 4-H Model In A Childhood Nutrition And Physical Activity Education Program, Kristen Rae Stokes Strong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood obesity rates are on the rise. There are detrimental physical and psychological health effects associated with childhood obesity. Society needs proven methods of delivering nutrition and physical activity education to children. The Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) 4-H model has been shown to be effective at delivering curriculum in a variety of topics. To assess the effectiveness of the TRY 4-H model at delivering nutrition and physical activity education to youth, grades third through sixth. The program's objectives were to increase youth participants' nutritional knowledge, improve youth participants' eating and fitness habits, and improve leadership and life skills of the …

Combining Comprehension Reading Instruction With Video Anchors With Middle-Level Learners, Heidi Andreasen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reading comprehension is a multidimensional process and a key component of this process is the activation of prior knowledge in the comprehension of text. This study utilized video clips as a means to anchor instruction and assist struggling middle-level readers in comprehending text. Participants in this study were 17 seventh- and eighth-grade students from a rural middle school. The study used a single-subject reversal design.

During the baseline phase of the study, students read four different titles before a stable baseline could be established. The data collected were the combined mean scores of the teacher-created comprehension assessments and commercially produced …

Effectiveness Of Graduate Teaching Assistants, Sarah S. Tulane

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to identify in which areas of teaching assistant responsibilities graduate teaching assistants, professors, and students viewed TAs as knowledgeable, and in which areas of teaching assistant responsibilities graduate teaching assistants, professors, and students viewed TAs as utilized. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to determine whether teaching assistants were utilized or perceived as knowledgeable in curriculum development, course maintenance, teaching responsibilities, and mentoring. Teaching assistants, students, and instructors (N = 233) were administered a survey purposed to measure TAs' effectiveness based on their utility and knowledge in four areas of TA responsibilities: …

Status And Slaughter: The Psycho-Social Factors That Influence Public Mass Murder, Stephen G. Van Geem

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Even though public mass shootings are relatively rare, they represent an atypical form of violence that is both sudden and yields an unprecedented amount of carnage; for these reasons, an inordinate amount of scholarship has been produced in order to isolate both the causes and effects of these rampages. As there is no clear cut and universal cause, over the past forty years numerous factors have been offered to account for these types of shootings, including bullying, peer relations, family problems, cultural conflict, demographic change, mental illness, gun culture, copycatting, and the media. While there appears to be an element …

Greater Sage-Grouse And Energy Development In Northeastern Utah: Implications For Management, Leah Suzanne Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Concern regarding the effect of energy development on greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is increasing as the search for fossil fuel intensifies. Sage-grouse may be especially sensitive to energy development because they require large, diverse areas of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat to complete their life cycle. Additionally, the network of pipelines, roads, and wells required by energy development may fragment sagebrush habitat isolating populations and contributing to genetic drift, inbreeding, local extinction, or rapid divergence.

Seep Ridge, located in northeastern Utah, is one area where sage-grouse habitat and energy development plans overlap. Approved leases call for the construction …

A Longitudinal Exploration Of Factors That Influence Acculturation And Enculturation Patterns Of First-Generation Mexican Immigrant Women, Dennis Aaron Ahern

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Biculturalism in the Latino population in U.S. has been found to relate to positive outcomes in the literature. However, little is known about the development of bicultural adaptation. The constituent parts of biculturalism, acculturation, and enculturation were measured over several years as part of an existing longitudinal study along with several variables that held promise as predictors of acculturation and enculturation change. An additional data point for acculturation and enculturation was gathered along with other important demographic information. Change in both acculturation and enculturation was modeled revealing that acculturation and enculturation increase and decrease linearly. The trajectory for acculturation is …

Exploring The Use Of The Student Readiness Inventory™ To Develop A Retention Plan For Incoming Freshmen In The College Of Agriculture At Utah State University, Lisa B. Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to utilize the Student Readiness Inventory^TM to profile retention and academic success rates for College of Agriculture freshmen. The Student Readiness Inventory (SRI) has been developed to help measure psychosocial issues related to academic achievement and college student retention. This information, combined with high school grade point average and admission test scores from American College Testing (ACT, Inc.), will help advisors and administrators in the College of Agriculture identify potential at-risk students during their first year of college. From SRI test results, a model for intervention will be built to meet the students' …

The Development Of Context-Specific Operant Sensitization To D-Amphetamine, Wesley Paul Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Animal models have previously been used to study tolerance and sensitization using two different procedures that are difficult to compare. Tolerance has been studied by administering a drug to a subject that is engaged in an operant behavior, and sensitization by administering a drug to a subject that is not engaged in an operant behavior. Previous research has shown that sensitization can occur when d-amphetamine is administered to rats emitting an operant behavior for a food presentation. The first goal of the experiment was to show operant sensitization using dose response curves. The second goal of the present experiment was …

A Synthesis Of Empirically Supported Classwide Interventions: Matching Interventions To Common Functions Of Classroom Behavior Problems, Bethanie Monsen-Ford

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

The most common forms of intervention for behavioral concerns of students in the school setting are schoolwide positive behavior support (PBS) systems and individualized interventions based upon functional behavior assessment (FBA). Research has shown positive outcomes for both schoolwide PBS systems and individual interventions utilizing FBA. However, less research has been done with classwide behavior interventions. A review of the literature was conducted to indentify classwide behavior interventions conducted in a regular education classroom with primarily regular education students. Studies identified to meet inclusion criteria were assessed to determine the possible function or combination of functions served. Twenty-one studies were …

Peer Observation Methods To Estimate Classroom Behavior, John Hughes

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

School behavior observations are a data collection tool that allows systematic observation and coding of a student's behavior. They are typically used to determine the degree that behavior affects academic learning. Behavior observations are a widely used and important part of a school evaluation. Observations are required by law for some special education evaluations (IDEIA , 2004) and are a common form of assessment tool used by school psychologists (Shapiro ~ Heick , 2004; Wilson & Reschly, 1996)

Teacher Treatment Integrity In School Based Interventions, Gregory A. Simpson

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

Identifying effective treatments to address undesirable behaviors is one major goal of research in changing human behavior. Researchers want to demonstrate that it is indeed the treatment that is effecting a change in the target behavior and not some extraneous influence. When researchers examine the effectiveness of an intervention the treatment is implemented with the attempt to decrease the influence of other factors that may explain behavior change that occurs in hopes to see the desired effect of the independent variable (treatment) on the dependent variable (behavior). For this type of research, it is important to keep all variables except …

A Model For Doctoral Students' Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Written Feedback For Academic Writing, Gulfidan Can

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate social science doctoral students' perceptions and attitudes toward different characteristics of written feedback and written feedback providers for their academic writing. Moreover, it aimed to provide an explanatory model to describe the relationships between these perceptions and attitudes, students' revision decisions, and other potentially relevant factors in their written feedback practices. The investigation was informed by two theoretical frameworks: principles of instructional design and conditions of learning, and situated learning and communities of practice.

The study used a mixed methods approach in which qualitative data collection and analysis was followed by quantitative …

Synthetic Studies Of Laulimalide Analogues, Ian Addison Mcalexander

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chapter 1 provides some background information on the disease area of cancer and current modes of treatment. Chemotherapy treatment is discussed with a focus on the major cellular targets for these drugs: DNA and microtubules. For each target, classes of active compounds are described along with their mode of action. The microtubule stabilizing agent laulimalide is introduced and a case is made for analogue synthesis.

Chapter 2 describes our first generation efforts toward synthesis of des-methyl laulimalide. The target compound is divided into a northern and southern fragment with the synthesis of each fragment described. The preparation of landmark intermediates …

The Effect Of An Ambient Olfactory Intervention On Time-On-Task And Performance During Participant Interaction With An Electronic Flashcard System, Aaron J. Loewer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of an ambient peppermint aroma on participants' time-on-task and performance while using FACTOR, an open-source e-Learning application. I proposed time-on-task was moderating between olfactory stimulation and performance.

A 2x2 research design measured interaction of group (nonscented, scented) and gender of participants (N = 65). The learning content consisted of 28 African countries. Two methods for measuring time-on-task were employed: participant self-report at six learning intervals, and second, video recordings captured by, and stored on each participant's computer.

Independent samples t tests were used to measure group and gender differences …

The Correlation Between A Pre-Engineering Student's Spatial Ability And Achievement In An Electronics Fundamentals Course, Mark E. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Though there is ample evidence showing a positive relationship between a student's spatial ability and achievement in many fields of science, technology, and engineering, this study was seeking evidence that a relationship exists between a pre-engineering student's spatial ability and achievement in an electronics fundamentals course.

The importance of spatial ability to mentally design, develop, and manipulate images has been linked to measures of practical and mechanical abilities that are quite useful in technical occupations. Spatial abilities are frequently attributed to creative and higher order thinking skills in science and mathematics. Spatial imagery is tremendously important in art and creative …

Taste Sensitivity To 6-N-Propylthiouracil (Prop) As A Biological Marker For Vulnerability To Stress In Mothers And Children, Deann Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Some people are genetically more vulnerable to stress than others, leading them towards poorer outcomes following stressful events. Mothers' vulnerability to stress may, in turn, influence their children, leading their children towards poor outcomes as well. A biological marker of vulnerability to stress may indicate mothers who are at greater risk for experiencing parenting stress, depression, and less support of the infant's emotional development, and infants who are at greater risk for development of poor emotion regulation and behavior problems. Taste sensitivity to propylthiouracil (PROP) is proposed as a biological marker of stress vulnerability in mothers and children. This research …

Development Of A Survey Measuring Visitor Satisfaction And Service Quality Of Cultural And Natural Sites In Belize, Dustin S. Wiberg

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The literature suggests that a correlation exists between visitor satisfaction and a visitor's choice to re-experience a product. The higher one's satisfaction level, the more likely he/she is to experience the product again and/or provide positive word-of-mouth advertising to friends and family. The Tian-Cole and Crompton model was chosen because of its acknowledgment and explanation of the differences between Visitor Satisfaction (VS) and Service Quality (SQ) and how their relationship influences satisfaction and contributes to Future Destination Selection.

In addition to identifying a theoretical framework that explains why visitors return, it was necessary to identify a survey methodology to be …

Perceptions Of Agriculture Teachers Toward Including Students With Disabilities, Monica D. Giffing

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The inclusion of students with special needs in regular education classrooms has been required by federal law for more than three decades. However, much of the responsibility for successful accommodation of students with disabilities rests upon the shoulders of teachers. Previous research has indicated that successful inclusion of students with special needs is strongly influenced by the attitude of teachers involved. In this study, all secondary agriculture teachers in Utah were surveyed to determine their attitudes and perceptions related to their willingness and ability to include students with special needs in their classrooms and laboratories. Selected personal and professional characteristics …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 6, 2009, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• PRPC Annual Report
• Policy Changes associated with USU’s Human Research Protection Program
• EPC Items
• Honorary Degrees and Awards
• Commencement
• Nominations for Faculty Senate President Elect

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, April 2, 2009, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Department of Applied Economics

• University Studies Designation Request

Department of Plants, Soils and Climate

• New Course

School of Teacher Education and Leadership

• Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education

• New Course
• Credit Hour Change

Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation

• Title Change, Course Description Change
• Title Change, Course Description Change, Prerequisite Change
• Course Description Change

Department of Psychology

• New Course
• Title Change, Course Description Change

Interior Design Program

• Credit Hour Change, Course Description Change
• Credit Hour Change

Department of Political Science

• Inactivate Course

Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology

• University Studies Designation Request …

Assessing The Quality Of Doctoral Dissertation Literature Reviews In Instructional Technology, Melynda Harrison Fitt, Andrew Walker, Heather Leary

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Assessment of the doctoral dissertation literature review provides insight into a student’s preparation for future work as a researcher. In 2004, efforts to assess the quality of literature reviews in doctoral dissertations were pioneered by Boote & Beile. Their work represents an important response to the call for improved research skills among emerging scholars. The purpose of this study is to replicate their work in a focused area of educational research, specifically Instructional Technology, and to examine the inter-rater reliability of the rubric. The findings suggest that dissertation literature reviews in Instructional Technology show the same need for improvement as …

Water-Conserving Landscapes: An Evaluation Of Homeowner Preference, Tony A. Mccammon, Sandra T. Marquardt-Pyatt, Kelly L. Kopp

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Landscape preferences were assessed for three identically designed Xeriscapes™, differing only in the plant material, under both well-watered and drought conditions. The classes of plant material included traditional (high water use), intermediate (moderate water use), and native/adapted plant species of the Intermountain West (low water use). Landscapes were subjected to a 5-week dry-down period. Under drought conditions, respondents preferred drought/adapted and intermediate landscapes to traditional landscapes. A focus on Xeriscape™ education, practices, and visual exposure may result in greater adoption of Xeriscape™ practices by homeowners and may also result in significant residential water savings.