Digital Commons Network^™

The Identification And Measurement Of Conditional And Unconditional Self-Liking, Alan Splendlove

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The concept of unconditional self-love is fundamental to many theoretical perspectives in social science and is referred to periodically in the literature. This study addressed the problem that scientific literature refers to unconditional self-love, but does not clearly define it, differentiate it from other types of feelings that comprise self-esteem, measure it, or even attempt to substantiate its existence. The purpose of this study was to define, describe, and measure unconditional self-love so that it may be used in the treatment of problems caused by low self-esteem.

To achieve this purpose, the concept of self-love was defined in relation to …

The Impact Of The Ideal Thin Body Image On Women, Nicole Hawkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers and clinicians have postulated that the thin-ideal image portrayed in the media leads to body dissatisfaction and negative self-appraisals among women; however, there is little research that has directly examined the effects of these images on women. The purpose of this research investigation was to experimentally examine the effects of exposure to the thin-ideal on women's affect, self-esteem, body satisfaction, and level of internalization of the thin body image. This study also assessed how the thin-ideal image differentially impacted women with a diagnosed eating disorder. College women (N = 145) were randomly exposed to photographs from popular magazines …

A Model Of Freshman Use Of Microcomputers Related To Intellectual And Social Development, Daniel R. Judd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between freshmen's use of microcomputers and their social and intellectual development in a university environment. A review of related literature describes the theoretical foundation of this research and identifies questionnaire items for measuring the critical variables of microcomputer use and student development. To conduct the study, data obtained from 400 freshman students prior to entering Utah State University (USU) in the fall of 1996 were compared to data collected from the same students during Spring Quarter of 1997. Correlational analysis was used to study changes in freshman students' use of …

Navajo Adolescent Pregnancy: Identifying Ecocultural Factors Among Adolescent Mothers And Their Infants, Jessiline Anderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the adaptational responses and ecocultural niche of the Navajo adolescent mother from her perspective provides a richness of information about a little-studied population. The overall purpose of this study was to explore the ecocultural factors determined to be significant in the decision of a Navajo adolescent mother to remain in high school or drop out of high school. Thirty Navajo adolescent mothers recruited from two small reservation towns in eastern Arizona participated in the study. Navajo adolescent mothers in the study participated in a one and one half hour semistructured accommodations interview, and completed a Family Resource Scale and …

The Relationship Between Parental Employment Stability And Child Outcome Measures, Thomas Michael Wolfe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study investigated the relationship between mothers', fathers', and parents' employment stability and five child cognitive and social outcome measures. A total of 179 children who attended Head Start between 1991 and 1995 participated in the study with their parents. Child outcomes were examined to determine if they varied as a function of employment stability categories. Children of parents possessing stable employment histories had significantly higher Woodcock-Johnson broad knowledge cluster scores than children of parents possessing unstable employment histories. Child outcomes generally did not vary as a function of employment stability categories. Number of employment changes was used to …

Effects Of Perceived Sugar Or Chocolate Intake On Self-Reported Food Cravings, Mood States, And Food Intake: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study, Lara J. Schultz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many dieters and compulsive overeaters report that sugar and chocolate are the most commonly craved foods. Further, many individuals have proclaimed themselves to be "addicted" to sugar or chocolate. It remains unclear, however, what factors lead to report of specific food addictions. A number of researchers have suggested that highly repetitive consumption of sugar and chocolate may result from various physiological processes (e.g., neurochemical imbalances, glucose/insulin malfunctioning). However, there is also considerable evidence that psychosocial factors (i.e., expectancies, classical, and operant conditioning) play the major role in the development and maintenance of excessive sugar/chocolate intake. Empirical studies examining factors that …

The Perception And Analysis Of Authentic Graphical Elements : An Empirical Study Of Perceptual Skills And Analytical Tasks That Affect Graphicacy, Derek G. Borman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this study, the idea that authenticity should be integral to graphicacy research was advanced. That is, graphicacy researchers should use graphical stimuli that most closely approximate graphs as they might be encountered in the real world (i.e., in text books, newspapers, journals, etc.). It was contended that because of the lack of task authenticity and experimental control inherent in past studies of the analytical tasks and perceptual skills underlying graph reading, there was a need for further study of these issues. To this end, a 24-item graphicacy test was devised, such that key graphical elements and specifiers were more …

Interpersonal Aspects Of Attribution And Emotion, Chris L. Treadwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In Weiner's attributional perspective on emotion, recipients appraise outcomes in terms of three attributional dimensions--locus, controllability, and stability. The specific pattern of inferred attributions determines the nature of the resulting emotional experience. Weiner further claims that a sender's own emotion may serve as a precipitating event for a receiver's resulting attributions and emotions. Parkinson critiques the notion that there are inflexible or unique links among senders' emotions, the attributions conveyed by senders' emotions, and the resulting attributions or emotions aroused in recipients. Parkinson implies instead that the nature of the interpersonal relationship between senders and receivers, independent of attributional inferences, …

The Effects Of Gender And Behavior On Elementary Teachers' Attributional Assumptions About Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Lisa Rollins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Questionnaires compromised of (a) a description of a child (either male or female) exhibiting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaviors (either predominately hyperactive/impulsive or predominately inattentive) and (b) 13 questions about the description were completed by 562 regular elementary education teachers in the state of Utah. The questions, which offered teachers a range of responses on a 5 point Likert scale, were designed to assess the extent to which the gender and behaviors of the child described affected the extent to which teachers were able to identify the child as being representative of a child with ADHD, teachers' attributional assumptions …

The Efficacy Of Treatments For Childhood Depression: An Integrative Review, Kurt David Michael

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prevalence estimates of child depression are substantial and morbidity leads to an increased risk of recurrence during adolescence and adulthood. Further, early-onset depression is associated with a number of negative outcomes including: poor physical health, social and interpersonal impairments, academic problems, substance abuse, future maladjustment, and suicidal behavior. In light of the prevalence, persistence, and negative outcomes associated with depression in children and adolescents, several treatments ranging from psychosocial to pharmacological interventions have been developed and evaluated. However, the overall efficacy of treatments remains equivocal because the majority of existing reviews of the child and adolescent depression treatment literature are …

Promoting Life Management Skills To Enhance Employment Among Women Receiving Services From The Division Of Workforce Services, Cheryl Cheek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Erikson's theory of identity development and Marcia's model of identity statuses serve as a framework for this examination of the relationship between women's identity status and employment. The hypotheses of the study were that women with an achieved identity status would be more likely to obtain and retain employment and that interventions would increase their scores on identity-related subscales.

Phase I of this study examined the relationship between identity development and employment among 203 women receiving public assistance. Subjects provided employment and public assistance histories and were categorized into three preferred cognitive styles according to responses to the Berzonsky Cognitive …

The Influence Of Video And Peer Tutoring On Attitudes Of High School Students Towards Peers With Disabilities, Marilyn Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study measured the effectiveness of watching a motivational videotape and completing one semester of peer tutoring on changing high school students' attitudes towards their peers with disabilities. Attitudes were measured with the Scale of Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (SADP), administered to classrooms in two randomly selected high schools before and after viewing the video. The SADP was administered to a different sample of students before and after completing one semester of tutoring peers with disabilities. Peer tutors also completed one-page weekly journals. Responses from all participating students were compared between the pre- and postassessments using paired t tests.

Seven …

The Relationship Between Mandatory Divorce Education In Utah And The Level Of Postdivorce Parental Conflict, Monte N. Criddle

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was an association between current level of conflict between divorced parents and their attendance or nonattendance at the divorce education pilot program. A telephone interview was used to examine current level of postdivorce conflict. The first portion of the telephone interview used questions that were taken from the Family of Origin Scale (FOS). Questions were selected as they related to various stages of divorce. The second portion of the questionnaire obtained sociodemographic data. as well as information regarding relitigation. The telephone interview was administered to 160 individuals who participated in …

Conceptual Education Master Plan For The Utah Botanical Center: Part One: Natural Resources, Gregory J. Wright

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

The purpose of this study was to assess the needs of four potential target audiences that would be using the Utah Botanical Center (UBC) for educational purposes. The target audiences included school children, college students, nursery and landscape industry, and the general public. The UBC is relocating to a larger site that has wetlands and ponds. The UBC has taken this opportunity to define its mission and goals. Part of its mission is to broaden its educational programming from horticulture based to programming including natural resource conservation topics. This study provides recommendations regarding what educational topics should be covered at …

Pyramid Schemes, Barbara Rowe

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Deposit Rate Premiums And The Demand For Funds By Thrifts, David M. Aadland, Drew Dahl, Alan Stephens

Economic Research Institute Study Papers

We empirically examine interest rates established on the national market for insured thrift deposits during a period spanning passage of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enhancement Act of 1989. Our analysis indicates that changes in the demand for funds by thrifts in periods of financial stress exerted a pronounced influence on the deposit rate premiums paid by thrifts over comparable Treasuries. This contrasts with the conventional wisdom that default risk is the primary systematic determinant of rate premiums.

New Evidence On Household Valuation Of Curbside Recycling, David M. Aadland, Arthur J. Caplan

Economic Research Institute Study Papers

This paper looks at the willingness to pay for and participate in a curbside recycling program based on a survey of 401 residents in Ogden, Utah. Modifying the Cameron and James ("Efficient Estimation Methods for 'Close-Ended' Contingent Valuation Surveys," The Review a/Economics and Statistics 69(1987):269-76) econometric model to fit ordered-interval data, we estimate that the mean willingness to pay for curbside recycling is $2.05 per month, and that 72% of the residents would willingly participate in such a program. Furthermore, females, young people, college-educated, those currently recycling without monetary reward, those regarding recycling as beneficial to the community and nation, …

Conditioned Food Aversions: Principles And Practices, With Special Reference To Social Facilitation, Michael H. Ralphs, Frederick D. Provenza

Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation, and Ecosystem Management (BEHAVE)

Conditioned food aversion is a powerful experimental tool to modify animal diets. We have also investigated it as a potential management tool to prevent livestock from grazing poisonous plants such as tall larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi), white locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) on western US rangelands. The following principles pertain to increasing the strength and longevity of aversions: mature animals retain aversions better than young animals; novelty of the plant is important, although aversions can be created to familiar plants; LiCl is the most effective emetic, and the optimum dose for cattle …

Qualitative Research Methods For Studying Creativity, K. Meador, Scott L. Hunsaker, K. Kearney

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Alas, Poor Ghost!, Gillian Bennett

All USU Press Publications

In the rational modern world, belief in the supernatural seemingly has been consigned to the worlds of entertainment and fantasy. Yet belief in other worldly phenomena, from poltergeists to telepathy, remains strong, as Gillian Bennett's research shows. Especially common is belief in continuing contact with, or the continuing presence of, dead family members. Bennett interviewed women in Manchester, England, asking them questions about ghosts and other aspects of the supernatural. (Her discussion of how her research methods and interview techniques evolved is in itself valuable.) She first published the results of the study in the well-received Traditions of Belief: Women …

The Effect Of Mechanical Noise And Natural Sound On Visitor Experiences In Units Of The National Park System, Dr. James Gramann, National Park Service, U.S. Department Of The Interior

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

This paper reviews research on the effects of mechanical noise and natural sound on visitor experiences in national parks. Three approaches to studying noise impacts are described. Most noise research to date has addressed the impact of air-tour overflights on visitor experiences. these impacts are localized with significant percentages of visitors in some parks reporting interference with natural sounds from aircraft noise. Research also shows that unthreatening natural environments can have significant stress-reducing effects for many people. However, it is unclear if these effects are due to hearing the sounds of nature or to a combination of hearing and seeing …

Children's Folklore, Brian Sutton-Smith, Jay Mechling, Thomas W. Johnson, Felicia R. Mcmahon

All USU Press Publications

A collection of original essays by scholars from a variety of fields—including American studies, folklore, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and education—Children's Folklore: A Source Book moves beyond traditional social-science views of child development. It reveals the complexity and artistry of interactions among children, challenging stereotypes of simple childhood innocence and conventional explanations of development that privilege sober and sensible adult outcomes. Instead, the play and lore of children is shown to be often disruptive, wayward, and irrational. The contributors variably con-sider and demonstrate "contextual" and "textual" ways of studying the folklore of children. Avoiding a narrow definition of the subject, they …

Passions, Pedagogies, And 21st Century Technologies, Gail E. Hawisher, Cynthia L. Selfe

All USU Press Publications

Once again, Gail Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe offer a volume that will set the agenda in the field of computers and composition scholarship for a decade. The technology changes that scholars of composition studies face as the next century opens couldn't be more dramatic or deserving of passionate study. While we have always used technologies (e.g., the pencil) to communicate with each other, the electronic technologies we now use have changed the world in ways that we have yet to identify or appreciate fully. Likewise, the study of language and literate exchange, even our understanding of terms like literacy, text, …

Perspectives In Studying Creativity And Cultural Diversity, Scott L. Hunsaker, M. M. Frasier

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Coyote And The Strawberries: Cultural Drama And Intercultural Collaboration, Barre Toelken, Gorge Wasson

English Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Alcohol And Drug Consumption Among Students From Pachuca, Hidalgo, E. Guiot Rojas, C. Fleiz Bautista, M. E. Medina-Mora, M. A. Morón, Melanie M. Domenech-Rodriguez

Psychology Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE. To determine the prevalence of alcohol and drug consumption and its relationship to sociodemographic variables, leisure activities, antisocial behavior, family norms and conflicts, among others. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Data derive from a representative survey of 1 929 students of junior high and high school, conducted in 1996 in the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. Of these, 44.9% were boys and 52.5% were girls; mean age was 14. A self-applied questionnaire, prepared by the WHO together with some countries, among them Mexico, was completed by the studied subjects, and included indicators of alcohol and drug consumption. RESULTS. Of the total …

Insights, Fall, 1998, Utah State University

Discovery Magazine

Bi-annual alumni newsletter for the College of Science of Utah State University in Logan.

The Internet: Emergent Technologies In Two West African Countries, Jim Rogers

English Faculty Publications

Being connected for most Africans means something completely different from most of us in more (technologically) "developed" countries. Compared to those who have virtually unlimited and relatively cheap access to e-mail and the World Wide Web (WWW), most Africans have limited access to e-mail only. Outside of South Africa, which hosts 70 full Internet Service Providers (ISPs); Egypt, which hosts 25; and Morocco, which hosts 15, most African countries have well under 10 ISPs, the average being loser to 1 or 2 (Jensen, 1998). This example demonstrates the diversity of the African continent; one cannot simply typify the African example. …

The Effect Of Biofeedback Training On Marital Communication And Physiological Arousal, Kent E. Nabers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is well documented that the communication patterns of distressed couples are characterized by more negative and fewer positive behaviors. It has also been postulated that there is an association between physiological arousal and negative behaviors. According to this theory, as individuals become increasingly aroused, the number of negative behaviors also increases. This study explored the relationship between physiological arousal and marital communication. The three couples participating in the study received intensive biofeedback training with the hypothesis that an ability to control physiological arousal would result in improved marital communications. The Rapid Couples Interaction Scoring System was employed as a …

Perceptions And Use: A Survey Of Visitors In The Lakes Management Area, Kamas Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah, Ronald E. Vance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

New planning and management paradigms for the USDA Forest Service suggest that future Forest Plans incorporate the best available science and the public's values into Forest Plan revisions. Revised plans should focus on the ecological capabilities of the land and how to sustain them. The means to manage the land for these outcomes should be developed with considerable and ongoing public involvement. One outcome of this public involvement can be the development of a "desired future condition" for the area being managed and the needed regulations to maintain and monitor the desired conditions.

In order to provide preliminary information on …