Digital Commons Network^™

Lived Experience Of Young Widowed Individuals, Eunicia Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Young widowhood is a unique experience that has received little in-depth attention in research and clinical settings. Their experiences may differ from other types of losses, particularly from losses that are typically expected to happen later in life. The present study treated the lived experiences of young men and women who have experiences the loss of a spouse. Eleven men and women between the ages of 18 and 49 were interviewed about their experiences post-loss using phenomenological methods. After coding for similarities and differences between the experiences, five themes emerged in all eleven interviews: (1) relationship, (2) first reactions, (3) …

The Ideal Educator: Investigating Teaching Culture And Teaching Styles Through Teacher Self-Efficacy And Social Acceptance, Jared R. Glenn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previously collected data from the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS 2013) is utilized to examine two hypotheses. First, I investigated whether teachers who perform well in their jobs also tend to be popular friend choices among colleagues and administrators. Second, if there were evidence to support the first hypothesis, I examined whether these popular teachers also had a particular style of managing their classrooms.

While popular opinion often suggests that education is a one-size-fits-all method of sharing knowledge, actual educational methods actually change from place to place and country to country (Ho and Hau, 2004; Malinen et al, 2013). …

Perceived Alzheimer's Disease Threat As A Predictor Of Behavior Change To Lower Disease Risk: The Gray Matters Study, Christine Clark

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health concern with an estimated five million Americans currently afflicted. That number is projected to triple by 2050 as the baby boomer generation approaches age 65, the most common age where people begin to show symptoms of cognitive decline stemming from changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s. Since there is currently no cure or preventive pharmacological treatment, AD prevention research is now recognized as an important enterprise. Modifiable lifestyle factors that can reduce AD risk or delay its onset have been identified as reasonable targets for behavioral intervention, including increased physical activity, healthier …

Staff Interactions And Affect In Persons With Dementia: An Observational Study Of A Memory Care Unit, Keirstin V. Meyer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is estimated that the number of people in the United States living with dementia in 2015 will nearly triple by the year 2050. With no cure for dementia, we are faced with providing care in a way that maximizes well-being. The majority of prior research focused on the best ways to reduce behavioral problems and mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The objective of this study was to increase knowledge about the social influences on well-being in persons with dementia, particularly from staff in residential memory care units. This study found that the most common interaction type from …

A Study Of The Pedagogical And Structural Elements Being Incorporated Into The Design Of Hybrid Courses For Higher Education, Deborah Kezerian Baird

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined a new course design for teaching adults in higher education. Increasingly referred to as the hybrid course format, it entails purposefully dividing a course into face-to-face class sessions and online class sessions in separately calendared periods. Hybrid courses are a specific iteration of a broader category of courses that utilize technology in many configurations. Research into the potential for the hybrid format to be a highly effective way of teaching adults was found to be new and fragmented.

Adult education theories, including the andragogy model, the self-directed learning model, the transformative learning model and the experiential learning …

Interpreting Risk: Variations And Explanations Of Resident Perceptions Of Hydraulic Fracturing Impacts, Adrian B. Uzunian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hydraulic fracturing has increasingly become a global phenomenon that has induced the public to be suspicious of the impacts of this process. As this new process has been fraught with controversy, it is important to gain further understanding of how different people perceive the risks associated with oil and gas development. Focusing on the Eagle Ford Shale region, located in South Texas, I examine how social position and source of information is related to perception of environmental and health risks. I do this by conducting a qualitative analysis of interviews from two counties experiencing hydraulic fracturing development, examining the most …

Incorporating A Training Construct Into The Unified Theory Of Acceptance And Use Of Technology, Matthew E. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if a prominent theoretical model, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), which is used to predict the likelihood that users would adopt a given technology, could be improved by adding a training reactions component as outlined in prominent training theory.

Online pre- and post-training surveys were received from 111 students who participated in face-to-face training on Structured Query Language (SQL) during spring 2014 and 2015 semesters. Survey questions were created from previously validated technology acceptance and training studies. From these responses, the basic structure of the original UTAUT …

A Light In The Dark: Luminescence Dating Intermountain Ware Ceramics From Four Archaeological Sites In Northwestern Wyoming, Carlie J. Ideker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The chronology of high-altitude archaeological sites in northwestern Wyoming is poorly understood due to limited reliable age constraints. While temporally diagnostic artifacts provide relative age control, fluctuations in atmospheric radiocarbon produce radiocarbon age results with multiple calibrated age-range intercepts that prove difficult to interpret. Age overestimates associated with the 'old wood' problem can be especially prominent at high-altitude sites where cold and semi-arid environments promote the presence of long-living trees and prolong the preservation of organic material. Moreover, regional droughts coupled with a pine beetle epidemic have resulted in increasing wildfire frequency and intensities that serve both as a benefit …

"Reasonably Bright Girls": Theorizing Women's Agency In Technological Systems Of Power, Emily January Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A woman’s experience in the workplace is an inductive process into a technological, hierarchical, and often male-dominated system. This study examines how female practitioners in technical and professional communication confront the technological system of the workplace. I trace the forces that contribute to the hierarchy and power struggles women face, I present how they claim authority and agency within such hierarchical and technological systems, and I show how these experiences can lead to activism and advocacy. In addition, my findings suggest that some women leave the workplace altogether in favor of less structured and more innovative ways of communicating about …

Bringing The States Back In: Institutional Determinants Of State Level Immigration Policies, Paul D. Jacobs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For the record 42 million immigrants residing in the U.S., the ease with which they can integrate into society is heavily determined by what state they reside in. While immigration policy formation at the state level is new due to the historical supremacy that the federal government has had on this issue, the federal stalemate at the federal level has led the states to pass more than 1,500 immigration laws since 2005. How states come to enact inclusive or exclusionary immigration policies is not well understood. Previous scholarship has examined many important predictors of these inclusive or exclusionary laws, but …

Refugee And Employer Perceptions Of The Effects Of Capital On Refugee Employability In Utah, Christian L. Fritz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Sociology, Social Work, and Anthropology Department at Utah State University conducted a state-wide needs assessment of refugees in Utah for the Utah
Department of Workforce Services. Using the data collected for this project, I analyzed the interview transcripts of twenty-four participants in the study including eight employers of refugees, eight Iraqi refugees, and eight Burmese refugees. I looked at the skills, education, finances, personal connections, personal attitudes, and cultural knowledge of the refugees and compared those to the desires of the employers of
refugees.

I found that the employers favored refugee employees because they work hard and do not …

Masculinities And Christian Metal: A Critical Analysis Of August Burns Red Lyrics, Brian W. Bowler

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

The purpose of this thesis is to examine and analyze the lyrics of a Christian metal band through the lens of men and masculinities. Heavy metal music is known for its controversial and transgressive elements in its music, lyrics, and image. Through their transgressive performances, metal musicians challenge power structures informed by hegemonic masculinity. Christian metal musicians perform what Moberg calls a "double-controversy" or a double-challenge to hegemonic masculinity, as they transgress the traditions and hegemonic masculinity of the metal scene.

While many metal bands write lyrics about social issues, it is not typical for a Christian metal band to …

Cleaning Up Nasty Nac: Vice, Race, And Social Reform In Nacogdoches, Texas, 1870 To 1915, Kayla L. Fox

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

In 1910, Della Sutphen, an African American widow and single mother, was indicted in Nacogdoches, Texas, for running a “house of ill repute.” Della and her young son shared a home with another single black woman, Rena Hooper. However, Nacogdoches County officials did not seem to be all that worried about prostitution; Della was one of several African Americans repeatedly arrested for selling liquor.1 Della’s prostitution charge went hand in hand with a charge of selling liquor illegally, and this was one of three instances in which she suffered arrest for this crime.

Nacogdoches had a long history of liquor …

The Utah Statesman, April 28, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

A Population-Based Analysis Of Increasing Rates Of Suicide Mortality In Japan And South Korea, 1985–2010, Eric N. Reither, Sun Jeon, Ryan K. Masters

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Background: In the past two decades, rates of suicide mortality have declined among most OECD member states. Two notable exceptions are Japan and South Korea, where suicide mortality has increased by 20 % and 280 %, respectively.

Methods: Population and suicide mortality data were collected through national statistics organizations in Japan and South Korea for the period 1985 to 2010. Age, period of observation, and birth cohort membership were divided into five-year increments. We fitted a series of intrinsic estimator age-period-cohort models to estimate the effects of age-related processes, secular changes, and birth cohort dynamics on the rising …

Rethinking Stormwater: Usu Researchers Receive Major Grant To Study Aquifer Recharge | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

April 20, 2016 – Researchers at Utah State University are taking a fresh look at stormwater management as part of a federally-funded study to improve water reuse in the western U.S.

The team of engineers, scientists and sociologists are among a growing group of water quality experts who say it’s time for new ideas in stormwater management. Their research proposal was chosen among five nationwide to receive part of an Environmental Protection Agency grant totaling $3.3 million. USU will receive $774,283.

Ideal Elves? Expressing A 3-Dimensional Personality In A 2-Dimensional Space, David Tauber, Joshua Wanner

Student Research Symposium

Published in 2007, the Ideal Elf is a classic article studying character creation in Online Games. It used quantitative methods to address the difference between the idealize self of individuals surveyed, and the online characters they create. In their survey they found the difference between an individuals ideal self and the traits of the character they created was considerably smaller than the difference between the difference between the individual’s ideal self and their actual self. From this they suggested the creation of characters in game is partially a way for individuals to express their ideal selves. Our research attempted to …

Faculty Senate Agenda, April 4, 2016, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Items for March 2016
• Honorary Degrees and Awards
• Budget and Faculty Welfare Committee Report
• Professional Responsibilities and Procedures Committee
• 402.10.1 Reapportionment fix for missed section (Second Reading)
• 405.6.2(2) and 405.8.2 PAC (First Reading)
• PTR Edits Remaining Sections 405.12.3

Liberalis, Spring 2016, 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.

Educational Policies Committee Program Proposal, College Of Natural Resources, April 1, 2016 - B.S. In Geography Teaching, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Request that the B.S. in Geography Teaching be discontinued.

The Utah Statesman, March 14, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Utah State Magazine, Spring 2016, Utah State University

Utah State Magazine

The quarterly magazine for friends and alumni of Utah State University.

A Systematic Review Of Empathy Development In Medical Education, Sandra H. Sulzer, Claire Wendland, Noah Feinstein

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Context Empathy in doctor–patient relationships is a familiar topic for medical scholars and a crucial goal for medical educators. Nonetheless, there are persistent disagreements in the research literature concerning how best to evaluate empathy among physicians, and whether empathy declines or increases across medical education. Some researchers have argued that the instruments used to study ‘empathy’ may not measure anything meaningful to clinical practice or patient satisfaction. Methods We performed a systematic review to learn how empathy is conceptualised in medical education research. We examined how researchers define the central construct of empathy and what they choose to measure, and …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda, February 16, 2016, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• EPC Items for February
• Budget and Faculty Welfare Committee
• Faculty Diversity, Development and Equity Committee
• 405.12.3 CFAC Policy (Second Reading)
• 405.6.2 (2) and 405.8.2 PAC (First Reading)

The Utah Statesman, February 11, 2016, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Logan River Restoration Draft Conservation Action Plan, Logan River Task Force

All In-stream Flows Material

The Logan River, an integral part of the greater Bear River ecosystem, originates within the Bear River Mountains in the headwaters of Logan Canyon and terminates at its confluence with the Little Bear River in Cutler Reservoir. The river is an asset to residents of Logan City and Cache County and has historically supported many beneficial uses. The Logan River was an important resource for Native Americans and pioneers, and it remains valuable today. Cache Valley citizens are attracted to the river and enjoy the aesthetics, recreational values, and wildlife resources associated with this high-quality river, which supports fish, wildlife, …

Community Planners’ Perceptions On Balancing Wellbeing And Development In Wasatch Mountain Communities, Kent Taylor Dean

Research on Capitol Hill

The Wasatch Mountains are home to 80% of Utah's population. As part of a larger study of the Wasatch Mountains for a growing Global Network of Mountain Observatories (GNOMO), this research was conducted to assess perceptions of city planners in Wasatch Mountain communities using qualitative interviews. Questions focused on perceived values or benefits and vulnerabilities or threats associated with living in or near the Wasatch Mountains as well as key issues for sustainability.

Utah’S Oldest Show The Most Concern For Future Water Shortages, Viviane Baji

Research on Capitol Hill

Utah is set to double in population by 2050. It is unclear whether current water supplies will be able to accommodate the needs of the future growth. Young people will be in their prime when water shortage predictions come to fruition, so it is important to know how concerned they are about the water issues that will affect them. An understanding of the relationship between age and water shortage concern may also contribute to the development of social science theories relating age and environmental attitudes and behavior.

Research Question: "Are young people more concerned about water shortages?" to understand how …

The Urban Prison: Socioeconomic Vortexes In Latino Neighborhoods, Armando Porras, Aaron Wyatt

Research on Capitol Hill

This research shows how metropolitan cities throughout the United States are continuously impacting the lives of ethnic minorities.

In the United States, Latina/o individuals have been born into socioeconomic vortexes. In other words, they have grown up in areas where secure jobs have disappeared and a variety of other factors force them to live in damaged communities that do not foster economic and social progression.

By analyzing several works of literature written by Latina/o authors who lived in barrios that faced these challenges, as well as research addressing crime and the lack of law enforcement in marginalized neighborhoods, we have …

Links Between Outdoor Recreation And Environmental Concern Among Utahns, Matthew J. Barnett

Research on Capitol Hill

• Research has shown that the processes which drive the way that people experience and perceive the environment around them are complex and dynamic. This extends to the perceptions that people have regarding environmental and natural resource concerns.
• Outdoor recreational activity allows for people to have varying types of tactile experience with bodies of water, as well as providing a social space in which distinct subcultures may develop. This study explores the possibility that recreation specialization, or type and frequency of water-based activities may influence the perceptions of Utahns regarding water quality.
• Investigating the ways in which social processes intersect and …