Digital Commons Network^™

Neurotrophic Factor Genetics Of Cognitive Progression And Neuropsychiatric Symptom Presentation In Alzheimer's Disease And Related Disorders, Joshua Matthew Matyi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) and subsequent Dementia Progression Study (DPS) were two research studies that took place in Cache County, Utah. These studies followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older for approximately 12 years and looked at risk and protective factors for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. One of the factors investigated was genes that are known to influence brain health, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein found in the brain that helps with the survival of brain cells.

BDNF genes have been shown to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) …

Alienation, Modernization, And Animal Welfare: Human-Animal Relationships At The Farm, State, And Country Levels, Michael D. Briscoe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Our relationships with animals are important for us as humans, for the environment, and for the animals themselves. In this dissertation I look at the relationships between humans and animals at three scales: farm, U.S. state, and country. Specifically, I address how factors like economic growth, technological innovation, and globalization affect human relationships with animals. Understanding how these factors influence human-animal relationships is important for improving these relationships and deciding which directions will most contribute to sustainable outcomes. I address the social factors that influence human-animal relationships in three studies.

In the first study I surveyed and interviewed dairy farmers …

Testing An Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Website For Hoarding: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial, Jennifer Krafft

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hoarding disorder is relatively common and seriously affects those who experience it. However, it is difficult to access hoarding treatment, due to barriers such as availability and stigma. Moreover, only one treatment is well-established for hoarding (CBT), and it does not directly address important processes such as mindfulness and acceptance. Therefore, in order to make treatment more useful and easy to access, this study tested a self-help program that focused on teaching mindfulness and acceptance as related to hoarding. The self-help program was compared to a waitlist condition; participants were randomly assigned to use the website or wait 12 weeks. …

International Threats And United States Congressional Behavior From 1981 – 2013, Elizabeth Randall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper explores the relationship between a foreign threat and the behavior of members of Congress. Understanding how members of Congress respond to potentially threatening international situations can provide important insight into foreign policy and future responses to new threats. I use information about how legislators vote, their ideology and party, and the topic of legislation to measure how liberal or conservative members of Congress are on foreign policy legislation. This allows me to analyze both how members of Congress behave inside their parties and how they interact with the other party, or in other words, intraparty cohesion and interparty …

Extended Maternal And Paternal Hereditary Risk For Alzheimer’S Disease Examined By Sex In A Sample Of Community Dwelling Older Adults In Cache County, Utah, Elizabeth K. Vernon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and this number is expected to rise and surpass 12.7million individuals by the year 2050. Currently there is no cure for the disease and prior research has focused on prevention by identifying risk factors. Known risk factors associated with AD include older age, female sex, genetics, family history of AD, genotype of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, and vascular risk factors (e.g., cholesterol, hypertension) and conditions or events (e.g., CHF, stroke). The effects of many of the above risk factors have differed in men and women, but few studies …

Risk Factors For Early And Late Onset Depression And Subsequent Risk For Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias In An Older Adult Population, Jordan Kugler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Cache County Study on Memory in Aging (CCSMA) was a research study that followed 5092 participants aged 65 or older over the course of 12 years, examining risk and protective factors for dementia. One of these factors was depression history, which has evidence for a connection with dementia, such that those with a history of depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life. However, the existing literature has yet to examine sex differences, genetic and psychosocial factors that contribute to earlier or later onset of depression and how these factors in turn might later increase risk for …

A Program Evaluation Of Competency Training Within A College Student Health Center, Kala E. Randazzo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Integrated primary care (IPC) is a method for providing medical and psychotherapy services within a single primary care setting. Doctoral psychology students pursuing a career in psychotherapy may receive training in IPC as doctoral students. However, the field of IPC has a limited understanding of the current quality of IPC training for doctoral psychology students. The current study utilized professional competency guidelines for practicing psychology in IPC settings to evaluate doctoral training provided at the Utah State University Student Health Center. Doctoral psychology training at the Student Health Center was evaluated for how well it provides training in IPC competencies …

The Influence Of Culture On Behavior-Based Tasks Of Impulsivity, Byron H. Garcia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Background: Among Latinx youth residing in the United States (U.S), the adoption of U.S cultural behaviors, values, and identity has been proposed to increase risk for negative outcomes, such as substance use. Research also suggests that the maintenance of Latinx cultural behaviors, values, and identity may be protective. Although there is an established link between impulsivity and substance use outcomes, very little research has sought to explore factors that influence impulsivity among Latinx groups. Furthermore, behavioral tasks have made substantial contributions as measures of impulsivity, yet few studies have examined cultural identity domains in relation to these behavioral tasks.

Objective: …

Social Media Usage And Psychological Well-Being In Adolescents: A Comparison Among Demographics, Heather A. Mccall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine social media use of adolescents in the U.S. and their psychological well-being to expand the research of this quickly changing topic. The researcher collected online responses from 409 adolescents between the ages of 13-17 years old concerning their social media use and psychological well-being.

Variables in the research included time spent on social media, number of platforms used, active use, parental mediation, and emotional connection. The two variables that had a statistically significant relationship with psychological well-being included parental mediation and emotional connection to social media.

Recommendations for continued research could include …

Digital Scripture: An Investigation Of The Design And Use Of A Mobile Application For Reading Sacred Text, Neil Carpenter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Digital sacred text reading is rapidly growing as digital devices such as mobile smartphones are becoming more common across the globe. Although sacred text can have strong influence on identify and behavior, the effects of a digital revolution on scripture reading practices are not well understood. In particular, current research literature indicates that more information is needed about the design and use of digital sacred text applications (apps) such as mobile Bibles across different religious groups or cultures. Therefore, this study builds upon and extends previous work to analyze a religious text app, Gospel Library, which is designed and largely …

Snake Mind, Wolf Body, Panther Courage: Jojo Rabbit As A Critique Of Hegemonic Masculinity, Christian W. Lippert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2019, the movie Jojo Rabbit (Waititi, 2019) was released to theaters. Because the film uses comedy and satire to tell a story about Jojo, a young Nazi who has Hitler as an imaginary friend, it received mix reviews. This analysis focuses on how the movie sheds light on the negative influence of hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity refers to the messages and actions that place men above women or types of masculinity above femininity and other masculinities. Jojo’s desire to be a Nazi is deeply connected to his desire to be man. This analysis examines how hegemonic masculinity a) can …

Data-Driven Recommendation Of Academic Options Based On Personality Traits, Aashish Ghimire

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The choice of academic major and, subsequently, an academic institution has a massive effect on a person’s career. It not only determines their career path but their earning potential, professional happiness, etc. [1] About 40% of people who are admitted to a college do not graduate within six years. Yet, very limited resources are available for students to help make those decisions, and each guidance counselor is responsible for roughly 400 to 900 students across the United States. A tool to help these decisions would benefit students, parents, and guidance counselors.

Various research studies have shown that personality traits affect …

Minoritized Student Experiences With Psychoeducational Service Provision For Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Megan E. Golson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Due to the impact of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on students' academic, social, and behavioral outcomes, it is important students receive supportive interventions. Federal regulation requires schools identify students with disabilities like ADHD and provide them with accommodations and supports as needed. Unfortunately, the research that supports these interventions does not adequately include students from racially/ethnically minoritized groups. Due to factors like discrimination and stereotyping, racially/ethnically minoritized students may experience ADHD and ADHD services differently. This study included 35 minoritized adolescent students who receive ADHD services. Through an online survey, students reported their symptom experiences, the academic and social effects of ADHD, …

Perceived Barriers To Implementation Of The Good Behavior Game: An Exploratory Investigation, Nicole Lovell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Typical teacher professional development for Tier 1 behavior support often involves a “sit and get” training approach. Here, teachers are provided with a brief presentation that outlines the strategy to be implemented then dismissed from the training with the encouragement to implement the strategy in their classroom. This approach often does not result in teacher usage of the strategies, such as behavior supports, presented during the training session. A common challenge to teacher usage of behavior support is the match between the critical components of the strategy and the values, skills, and available resources of those who are implementing, or …

Fatty Acid Composition Of Forages And Their Effect On The Fatty Acid Composition In Beef Cattle, Britney G. Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study focused on how diet changes the rumen microbiome in the cattle and the effects of that on the long chain fatty acids (LCFA) by microbes in the rumen, and on the short chain fatty acids (SCFA) these microbes produce from feed carbohydrates like fiber and starch. The abundance of bacteria belonging to the phyla Tenericutes and Proteobacteria increased in response to high-fiber or high-starch diets, respectively. The production of two SCFA was positively correlated with the presence of increased Tenericutes (acetate) and Proteobacteria (propionate). A greater acetate to propionate ratio is associated with elevated production of enteric methane …

Substance Misuse Transitions Between Adolescence And Young Adulthood: Impacts On Young Adult Self-Sufficiency, Amanda M. Hagman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Substance misuse during the transition to adulthood can be problematic, but it is also socially celebrated. There can be negative short-term impacts associated with intoxication, but are there negative long-term impacts of substance misuse on the transition into adulthood?

Let us pause for a moment. Many individuals may have just glazed over thinking, “Adulthood? I’m not doing that any time soon.” But when you consider what qualifies individuals as adults, this research may seem more pertinent. Adults make their own choices. Adults take responsibility for those choices. Adults are financially independent. So, while the notion of adulthood may conjure images …

The Effects Of Ethnic Identity And Family Obligations On Somatic Symptoms Among Latinx Emerging Adults, Jazmin Lara

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Somatic symptoms have been associated with psychological distress across different cultures and are used to diagnose depressive and anxiety disorders in the U.S. Across cultures, individuals with internalizing disorders may present with somatic symptoms outside of the diagnostic criteria, emphasizing the importance of these physical concerns. For example, Latinxs tend to endorse more somatic symptoms than White Americans, suggesting that different cultural aspects may contribute to the higher endorsement of somatic symptoms among Latinxs. However, not many studies have examined specific sociocultural factors that may be influencing somatic symptom report. This is especially true among emerging adults who are in …

Moderating Effects Of School Ethnic Composition On The Associations Between Cultural Variables And Academic Outcomes Among Latinx Youth, Juan Estrada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cultural factors such as acculturative stress, discrimination and ethnic identity have been shown to relate to Latinx students’ academic outcomes, with the first two being risk factors, while the last one primarily plays a protective role. Factors that modify or change these relationships have been studied by both psychological and educational researchers, in efforts to inform interventions. One area of interest is school ethnic contexts, specifically school ethnic representation (number of same-ethnic peers) and school ethnic diversity (proportion of different ethnic groups in student body). This study investigated whether these two school ethnic variables changed or influenced the relationship between …

Effects Of Appetitive, Pre-Exposed, And Novel Distracters On Interval Timing Behavior: Role Of Nomifensine Within The Prelimbic Cortex, Alexander R. Matthews

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Poor attentional focus harms the estimation of time within the seconds-to-minutes range, i.e. interval timing. Interval timing behavior is related to several cognitive functions including perception of the passage of time, decision making, and to memory processes. Harmful delays in timing are caused by distractions of attention, within the timing task in the form of novel, or familiar distracters, which may or may not have been previously conditioned. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore how attention to novel or familiar distractions within the timing task can be altered using catecholamine reuptake blocker nomifensine. The experiment in Chapter 3, …

Visitor Perceptions And Resource Conditions Of Campsites In Two Coastal Alaskan National Parks, Shannon T. Wesstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Increasing visitation in parks and protected areas presents managers with the challenge of providing quality visitor experiences while mitigating ecological impacts from recreation. Successful management strategies often suggest determining desired conditions for visitor experiences and ecological conditions to establish thresholds. These thresholds can then be compared to existing conditions in order to determine if changes in management strategies should be made. By integrating visitor survey results with ecological assessments, this research is a unique coastal Alaskan regional analysis of the three components of a management framework: 1. Establishes visitor determined thresholds of acceptability for crowding and coastal resource conditions in …

Factors Explaining Remote Work Adoption In The United States, Paul A. Hill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Rural Online Initiative program at Utah State University Extension supported this quantitative study investigating the factors explaining the process of remote work adoption by organizations in the U.S. Given the potential for remote work with respect to technological advances, shifts in traditional work arrangements, and its impact on organizational/operational efficiency, there was a need to investigate how organizational characteristics and leaders’ perceptions of remote work relate to its adoption. This study was guided by Rogers’ theory of diffusion of innovations where research objectives were to (1) determine where organizations range in the innovation-decision process of remote work adoption, (2) …

Bibliotherapy For Depression: Evaluating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Approaches And Examining The Role Of Client Choice, Carter H. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An alarming number of college students suffer from depression, which is often accompanied by struggles with anxiety and feeling inadequate compared to others (i.e., stigma). Seeing a counselor in person is challenging for many students due to wait times or feeling embarrassed or shameful. Using self-help books may be a helpful alternative for depressed students, but these books are not often tested in formal studies, and getting students to use self-help books over time is also difficult. Therefore, this study examined whether self-help books accessed online could help students with depression. We tested two books which use different approaches to …

An Analysis Of Racial Disparities Affecting College Of Business Degree Completion At A University's Satellite Campuses, John S. Jaggi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research study provides campus-type specific insight into the graduation rates of students of color at a departmental (i.e., School of Business) level. With underrepresented student populations comprising up to a third of business school enrollment, there is institutional and departmental value in understanding how, and at what levels, undergraduate business students of color persist and graduate at satellite campuses.

Findings from this study could be used to inform institutional and departmental administrators and program managers on different strategies to foster not only a more diverse matriculation, but also to improve graduation outcomes for underrepresented student populations. Study results could …

Investigating Heat Risk Messaging Using Social Media Studies And A Survey Experiment, Yajie Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Extreme heat causes hundreds of deaths each year in the United States even though cost-effective protective measures are available. Heat warning messages sent by government agencies have the potential to reduce the negative impacts by motivating people to take protective actions. To help reach the potential, this dissertation examined the content of warning messages and public responses to warning messages in the US. This research analyzed three kinds of data: 1) heat warning messages posted on Twitter, 2) public comments on heat warning messages posted on Facebook, and 3) experimental results collected using an online survey.

Results show that, for …

Achieving Hate Speech Detection In A Low Resource Setting, Peiyu Li

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Online social networks provide people with convenient platforms to communicate and share life moments. However, because of the anonymous property of these social media platforms, the cases of online hate speeches are increasing. Hate speech is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation”. Online hate speech has caused serious negative effects to legitimate users, including mental or emotional stress, reputational damage, and fear for one’s safety. To protect legitimate online users, automatically hate speech detection techniques are …

The Effects Of Cannabinoids On Stress-Coping Behaviors And Neuroendocrinological Measures In Chronic Unpredictable Stress: A Preclinical Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Noa Reuveni

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is unclear if cannabis helps individuals cope with life’s stressors or increases the likelihood of developing stress-related disorders such as depression. Chronic unpredictable stress is a validated model of depression that exposes rodents to a series of frequently-occurring, intermittent stressors over the course of a few weeks. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes existing research using rodents on the effects of cannabinoids on stress-coping behaviors and neuroendocrinological measurements in chronic unpredictable stress. Databases were systematically searched for articles that met inclusion criteria, and effect sizes between control chronic unpredictable stress groups and cannabinoid-treated chronic unpredictable stress groups were calculated. …

The Relationship Between Social Skills And Coping Drinking Motives: A Test Of The Social Skills Deficit Vulnerability Model, Jaimee A. Smart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because drinking alcohol to cope has many negative outcomes (e.g., alcohol use disorder, problematic drinking patterns, etc.), it is vital to understand what contributes to drinking to cope. Having adequate social skills and social support has been found to help overall mental health. As such, it was logical to reason that social skills and social support could also impact physical health. Specifically, social skills and social support were examined as potential ways to buffer coping drinking development. This study utilized information from 176 adults living in the United States to understand the role social skills and social support play in …

"You Can Tell They Care": A Phenomenographic Study Of Student Experiences With Empathic Concern Expressed By Professors In Engineering, Kate Youmans

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to address the increasingly complex challenges of the 21st century, there is a need to continue to grow the technical workforce by improving graduation rates of engineering students. To accomplish this, the culture of engineering programs must shift from demanding or intimidating to more inclusive and supportive. Professors can play a critical role in creating these cultures by building relationships with students. Empathic concern is essential in building relationships that can encourage student growth and development. This form of empathy, sometimes referred to as care or concern, is expressed through actions of understanding, compassion, and non-judgement. While research …

Hitting The Trail: An Exploration Of An Outdoor Educational Experience At Intermountain West Junior High School, David N. Joy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Outdoor educational experiences are one of the ways that young people learn about and experience the benefits that are found in the outdoors. However, despite the benefits that outdoor educational experiences have to offer, many young people do not participate for one reason or another. These reasons are often rooted in issues of social injustice. This study adds to about how outdoor educational experiences effect the perceptions of and attitudes toward the outdoors and learning in the outdoors, as well as what may be keeping so many people from participating in these experiences. One junior high school in the intermountain …

Nicotine And Alcohol Interactions, Charles C. J. Frye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Charles C.J. Frye, a graduate student in the Behavior Analysis program at Utah State University, completed this dissertation as part of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology.

Alcohol and Nicotine are the two most commonly abused drugs in the United States, often used at the same time. The goal of the dissertation was to more fully understand how exposure to one drug alters motivation for the other. In Chapter I, we investigated how exposure to nicotine affects relapse for alcohol in rats. Nicotine did not affect relapse for alcohol, possibly due to the method of …