Digital Commons Network^™

Physical Activity In Play Environments Inclusively Designed For Children With And Without Disabilities, Mckall E. Vigil

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study examines physical activity within inclusively designed play environments for children with and without disabilities. The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent children in the third grade with and without disabilities differ in physical activity across various behavior settings of an inclusively designed play environment. Of the 50 third-grade students, 34 participated in eight weeks of observations conducted during lunch recess. Accelerometers and GPS units were utilized to collect data during the observations. The majority of settings on this playground were identified as inclusive. Children with disabilities didn’t engage in organized games as often as …

Understanding And Influencing Public Concerns About Prescribed Fire Use In Utah, Brooke Richards

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Prescribed fire is beneficial for improving forest health and reducing wildfire risk, which is especially important for residents who live near forested areas. To expand the use of prescribed fire, Utah land managers must first ensure there is public support. Therefore, better understanding public concerns and what shapes their beliefs about prescribed fire can help managers improve outreach and education methods. Through interviews with south-central Utah land managers, private landowners, and Health departments employees, a focus group discussion with Park City natural resource managers, and observation of Summit County public commentary, two outreach messages were suggested to address the five …

Are Universities Adequately Preparing Undergraduate Students For Careers As Professional Wildlife Biologists?, Trevon D. Strange

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The demands for diversely skilled wildlife biologists and scientific researchers in the wildlife profession are projected to increase. Increasing urbanization has affected wildlife management, and the recruitment of future wildlife professionals. Thus, state and federal supervisors in agencies that hire wildlife professionals are concerned that recent graduates of university wildlife programs lack the necessary skill-sets to address these complex contemporary wildlife management issues. My research sought to identify where the educational performance gaps may exist between university wildlife programs, wildlife agencies, and student expectations. To conduct my research, I evaluated undergraduate wildlife curricula offered by 42 accredited universities listed on …

Adolescent Mental Health And Social Media: The Roles Of Psychosocial Development And Online Interaction, Mark L. Ferguson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Social media has become an integral part of adolescent life, and its effects on adolescents’ mental health has been studied for over twenty years. However, the research approaches used to discover connections between adolescent social media use and their mental health have been diverse, and findings have varied over time. This study sought to explore the potential relationships between adolescent social media use and mental health by including several different variables that aren’t typically accounted for in the same study, such as attachment to parents and peers, internal psychological development, emotional intensity towards social media use, and how adolescents feel …

An Analysis Of Psychological Concepts In Interactive Media, Kieryn Funk

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

An analysis of how video games display psychological concepts and facilitate psychological experiences. Video games are an extremely competent medium for experiences and learning psychology due to the manner in which they elicit emotions and teach procedurally. Psychological concepts are explained in a brief way, then specific examples are brought up from video games connecting the concept to an element in the game, specifically in gameplay mechanics, narrative story, or aesthetics and elements in the game world. Behavioral science is examined both on a conceptual level and on a technical level showing how video games, in general, display the theories …

A Review Of Research On Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Anxiety And Obsessive Compulsive And Related Disorders, Michael P. Twohig, Leila K. Capel, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper reviews acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, hoarding, and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Measurement of psychological inflexibility and its relationship to pathology is reviewed. Outcome work in all disorders listed is reviewed with results supporting ACT for anxiety disorders, OCD, and trichotillomania, but there is limited evidence for excoriation disorder, hoarding, and BDD. Future research should focus on processes of change in addition to outcomes.

The Utah Statesman, November 25, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Understanding The Teen Brain And Building Strong Relationships: A Foundation For Supporting Healthy Decisions, Josie Hatch, Ashley Yaugher, Christina Pay, Cris Meier

All Current Publications

This fact sheet overviews the importance of strong caregiver relationships with youth to support healthy decision-making.

Revisiting Charles Perrault’S Iconic “Bluebeard” Serial Killer In Modern French Variants, Christa Catherine Jones

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

“Bluebeard” (ATU 321: Maiden-Killer), a fairy tale about a wealthy noble man and serial killer, is the most gruesome of Charles Perrault’s fairy tales. Bluebeard epitomizes evil and horror. In Perrault’s tale, Bluebeard’s evilness is linked to patriarchy and power, as symbolized by the villain’s iconic blue beard. Historically linked to Henry VIII (1491–1547), King of England, Bluebeard has also been associated with Breton commander Gilles de Rais who was hanged for sorcery and satanic abuse. This article examines how contemporary francophone “Bluebeard” variants refashion and redefine evil and whether they contain any new morals linked to evilness. Do …

Fact Sheet For Parents: What You Need To Know About Adderall, Aaron Hunt, Gabriela Murza, Alyssa Ferrin

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about what Adderall is used for, how it can be misused, and what parents can do to talk to their kids about appropriate use.

The Utah Statesman, November 18, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Hacker, Their Actions, And Fear Appeal: A First Look Through The Lens Of Children, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the increasing use of computers and smartphones by children, their online safety has become a major concern due to the lack of security awareness. Prior studies pointed to children's poor password habit and vague perceptions on the significance of passwords. While users must be sufficiently motivated to perform a target behavior, a little study to date, focused on understanding how we can encourage children towards strong password creation. As we begin to address this gap, we examined children's perceptions of adversary's actions that instill fear in the context of password compromise. Our semi-structured interviews with 20 children (aged between …

The Effects Of Intersectional Identity Affirmation On The Relationship Between Racist Or Heterosexist Microaggressions And Mental Health For Lgbtq+ People Of Color, Kevin J. Chi, Joshua G. Parmenter, Renee V. Galliher

Psychology Student Research

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people of colour (POC) live at the intersection of multiple marginalised statuses. While previous literature has linked positive, affirmed identity with better mental health for LGBTQ+ individuals, identity affirmation may be compromised by intersecting systems of oppression. This study 1) investigated how multiple intersecting forms of oppression (i.e. racism within LGBTQ+ communities and heterosexism within ethnoracial communities) relate to anxiety and depression for LGBTQ+ POC, and 2) examined the indirect effects of intersectional microaggressions on mental health through identity cohesion. A subsample of participants who identified as both a member of the LGBTQ+ …

Relationships Matter: Unpacking Personal And Professional Grief In Archival Labor, Caroline Kinsley, Molly Stothert-Maurer

Journal of Western Archives

Archival donations are often triggered by critical transitions in donors' lives, like the end of a career, the selling of a family home, or the death of a loved one. Because donors approach archives during these transitions, archivists often find themselves in the middle of emotionally charged relationships with donors working through feelings of grief and loss. However, archivists are often unprepared and untrained for this emotionally demanding labor. A literature review reveals that while this is a common experience among archivists, there is very little guidance on how to approach this aspect of donor relations. Other fields that provide …

Leveraging The Power Of Storytelling To Encourage And Empower Children Towards Strong Passwords, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the increasing use of computer and smartphones by children, their online safety has been of major concern due to their limited security knowledge and skills. User authentication is pivotal for their security protection, where a body of work focused on children’s password practices. The insights from these studies highlight children’s lack of awareness and skills in creating a strong password. However, there is a dearth in existing literature to understand the scopes of designs for encouraging and empowering children towards strong passwords. As we begin to address this gap, we leveraged the power of storytelling to foster user attachment, …

The Utah Statesman, November 4, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

When Connecting With Lgbtq+ Communities Helps And Why It Does: A Meta-Analysis Of The Relationship Between Connectedness And Health-Related Outcomes, G. Tyler Lefevor, Sydney A. Sorrell, Samuel J. Skidmore, Kiet D. Huynh, Rachel M, Golightly, Elanor Standifird, Kyrstin Searle, Madelyn Call

Psychology Faculty Publications

We conducted a multilevel meta-analysis of 390 effect sizes from 167 studies with 157,923 participants examining the relationship between connectedness with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) communities and health-related outcomes, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We conducted our initial search in January 2023 in APA PsycInfo, ERIC, Medline, and Open Dissertations, selecting studies that (a) measured LGBTQ+ community connectedness, (b) measured health, and (c) provided an estimate of the relationship between LGBTQ+ community connectedness and health. We found that connectedness with LGBTQ+ communities promotes mental health (r = .11), well-being (r …

Zoographics In The Journal Of The Experimental Analysis Of Behavior: Increasing Inclusion Of Female Animals, Amy L. Odum, Kiernan T. Callister, Mariah E. Willis-Moore, Daniel S. Da Silva, David N. Legaspi, Lucy N. Scribner, Josephine N. Hannah

Psychology Faculty Publications

We examined the zoographics, or the characteristics of nonhuman animal subjects, reported for the entirety of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) through the most recent complete year (1958–2023). Animal sex in particular was evaluated to determine whether the lack of inclusion of female subjects in other disciplines extends to JEAB. Through systematic coding of all nonhuman empirical articles, we found consistent underreporting of most zoographics and a disproportionate use of male subjects relative to female subjects. Additionally, animal sex was commonly unreported and the inclusion of both male and female subjects was sparse. …

The Utah Statesman, October 28, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Designing A Human-Centred Learning Analytics Dashboard In-Use, Riordan Alfredo, Vanessa Echeverria, Linxuan Zhao, Luettamae Lawrence, Jie Xiang Fan, Lixiang Yan, Xinyu Li, Zachari Swiecki, Dragan Gašević, Roberto Martinez-Maldonado

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Despite growing interest in applying human-centred design methods to create learning analytics (LA) systems, most efforts have concentrated on initial design phases, with limited exploration of how LA tools and practices can coevolve during the actual learning and teaching activities. This paper examines how a human-centred LA dashboard can be further refined and adapted by teachers while actively using it in a real-world scenario (i.e., design-in-use), beyond its intended design (i.e., design-for-use). We use instrumental genesis as a theoretical lens to analyze the temporary and permanent instrumentalization of design features and individual and collective instrumentation of the LA …

The Utah Statesman, October 21, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Critical Comparison Of Potential Machine Learning Methods For Lightning Thermal Damage Assessment Of Composite Laminates, Juhyeong Lee, Scott L.J. Millen, Xiaodong Xu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

The present study assesses the potential of using machine learning (ML) methods to predict the extent of lightning thermal damage in fiber-reinforced composite laminates using three supervised machine learning (SML) algorithms: (1) linear regression (LR), (2) decision tree (DT)-based, and (3) MLP models. These models were based on the 10 most significant factors that influence the severity of lightning damage, including three current waveform parameters, four material configurations, and three orthogonal electrical conductivities of each composite. All models demonstrated good performance with coefficient of determination (R²) values between 0.84 ~ 0.96. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) regression model trained …

The Utah Statesman, October 7, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Mental Model-Based Designs: The Study In Privacy Policy Landscape, Hanieh Atashpanjeh, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Users' mental models influence secure and privacy-preserving behavior in a computing environment. Prior studies on users' mental models of Internet, security tools, and digital privacy show that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to security and privacy design. However, little study to date has explored the ways to translate users' mental models into interactive security and privacy designs. As we begin to address this gap, we focus on privacy policy in this paper. The typical text-based privacy policy suffers from poor readability and usability. A recent study proposed a Visual Interactive Privacy Policy (VIPP), showing promise to offer …

The Intersection Of Place And Game Design: The Case Of Two Classic African Board Games, Rebecca Y. Bayeck, Joseph M. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The concept of game design is often associated with a computational creative task or a creation with technology. Automatically linking game design to computational activity or technology may have contributed to the scarce research on the interaction between place and game design. The focus on technology may have excluded indigenous games from game design conversation in the game design literature. This article explores design in the context of two classic African board games. We examine the influence of place on the design of these games. Building on game design and place literature, the article shows the situatedness of game design …

Rethinking Behavior - Fall 2024, Midwest Symposium For Leadership In Behavior Disorders

ReThinking Behavior Magazine

A magazine for professionals serving children and youth with behavioral needs.

Fall 2024, Volume 8, Issue 1

Assessing Factors Of Adherence And Efficacy: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Fully Automated Self-Help A-Ebt Website, Leila K. Capel, Emily M. Bowers, Mckenzie R. Becker, Marisa P. Davis, Michael E. Levin, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Faculty Publications

Treatment for trichotillomania is notably limited, preventing suffering individuals from having access to treatment. To address this need, researchers have developed and tested asynchronous online interventions for adults with trichotillomania. A factor that may impact the efficacy of these programs is the use of phone check-ins (or similar coaching support) to improve treatment adherence in website treatment delivery. In the current study we evaluated the role of check-ins on treatment adherence and efficacy of a website delivering acceptance and commitment therapy-enhanced behavior therapy (A-EBT). A sample of 101 adults with trichotillomania were randomly assigned to an A-EBT web-based intervention with …

Caregiver Perceptions On Telehealth-Based Audiological Services Offered Within A Mobile-Health Clinic For Infants, Divhanani Sithi, Samantha Marlanie Govender Dr

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Purpose: Telehealth audiological services offered within a mobile clinic can expand the range of hearing healthcare services to rural and remote areas where many patients, in particular infants with hearing loss, go undetected due to limited access to specialist care. This study describes caregiver perceptions on the use of synchronous telehealth-based Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) services offered for their infants.

Method: A self-administered questionnaire comprising a total of 15 questions was issued to forty (n = 40) caregivers to rate their perceptions of the service.

Results: Caregivers were satisfied (76.8%) with mobile telehealth-based services on aspects of access, satisfaction …

Diagnostic Overshadowing: A Delayed Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In A Deaf Child, Quynh-Chi Dang, Michael Hoffman, Rachel St. John

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Diagnostic overshadowing occurs when a patient with a pre-existing diagnosis presents with symptoms that are attributed to the diagnosis, but actually reflect a separate issue. This diagnostic overshadowing can lead to delays in diagnosis, as well as disparities in health care and outcomes. The following case will provide an example in which diagnostic overshadowing contributed to the delay of an autism diagnosis in a child who is deaf. With at least 40 to 50% of children who are deaf or hard of hearing having at least one co-existing medical/developmental condition, and the current prevalence of autism at 1 in 36 …

Understanding Barriers To Timely Enrollment Of Early Intervention Services For Children Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Krystal L. Werfel, Eddie Okosi, Brittany Grey, Cora Swindale, Emily Lund

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Although the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing guidelines recommend that children who are deaf and hard of hearing should begin early intervention by six months of age, prior work has revealed a substantial percentage of children who receive a diagnosis of hearing loss by three months of age but do not enroll in early intervention by six months of age (Grey et al., 2022). To further understand barriers to enrollment in early intervention for these families, we completed qualitative semi-structured interviews with 10 caregivers of children who were diagnosed with hearing loss by three months of age but did not …