Digital Commons Network^™

Bear River Heritage Area: A Study Of Recreation Specialization And Importance-Performance, Tyler A. Baird

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Heritage tourism is a fast growing sector in the recreation arena. Research into multiple aspects of heritage tourism has increased during the last few decades as it has been recognized as a distinct form of tourism and promoted around the globe. This study was conducted in an effort to better understand multiple aspects of heritage tourism in the Bear River Heritage Area of northern Utah and southeastern Idaho. The following aims to provide Bear River Heritage Area leadership with baseline data on their visitors and build upon the base of literature in the areas of recreation specialization, and importance-performance analysis. …

Increasing Psychological Flexibility Regarding Interpersonal Conflict Between Religious Beliefs And Attitudes Towards Sexual Minorities: An Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) Intervention, Cory John Myler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to facilitate the development and assessment of a group therapeutic intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning individuals. Previous research has established that this population is particularly vulnerable to psychological distress and that religiosity contributes to this vulnerability, but there have been no interventions established specifically for the population of sexual minorities who are experiencing religious conflict. The components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy were used to inform the development of a group intervention, which was then carried out. An assessment battery of numerous quantitative measures was given to participants before and after the intervention to …

Communities Of Memory: The Utah History Fair And The Utilization Of History And Memory, Nicholas Andrew Demas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Utah's students, grades 4-12, create projects for the Utah History Fair, Utah's National History Day affiliate program. As far as the rigors of youth academic prowess are concerned, National History Day and the Utah History Fair are amongst the top in the nation. Within the myriad of projects created by Utah's participating students is important information about what aspects of the past captures students' attention and why they choose to research their selected topics. Through a careful examination of student topics from 1981-1984 and 2009-2012, this project taps into what students comprehend about the past. Further inspection into why students …

Development Of The Parental Acceptance Questionnaire (6-Paq), Ryan L. Greene

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For over 10 years, mental health professionals have used acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help parents in the therapy context. However, to date the field lacks a psychometrically sound measurement tool to assess ACT-pertinent factors within parenting or frameworks. Such a limitation indicates that investigation into the development of an alternative measure is warranted.

In collaboration with Utah State University (USU), Dr. Clint Field, a psychology professor, and Ryan Greene, a USU school psychology student, sought to develop a reliable and valid measure for use with parents that is rooted in the six primary processes theorized to contribute to …

Delay And Probability Discounting Functions Of Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Gretchen Scheidel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors, concerns that are common for individuals with ADHD, can be measured using computerized tasks called delay and probability discounting measures. These measures can look at differences between individuals with ADHD and peers who do not have ADHD to determine how similar or different they are regarding these concerns. Individuals with ADHD often take stimulant medications, such as Ritalin or Adderall, to help reduce their impulsivity, hyperactivity, and risk-taking behaviors. The present study examined impulsivity and risk-taking for adults with ADHD while taking their stimulant medication and while not taking it, as well as comparing them to …

A Descriptive Analysis Of The Effectiveness Of Faculty Inservice In Latter-Day Saint (Lds) Seminaries, Mark A. Mathews

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of professional development in the Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) through a descriptive analysis of the processes and outcomes of faculty inservice. To accomplish this purpose, 140 randomly selected LDS seminary teachers completed a survey measuring the processes and outcomes of faculty inservice training. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the frequency and variation that teachers reported five features of effective professional development (content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation) as being part of seminary faculty inservice …

Perspective And Practices To Address Rough-And-Tumble Play In The School Setting: A Survey Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Teams In Utah, Jason C. Basinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Prior research of rough-and-tumble play (RTP) has shown mixed results—different definitions, varying functions, and positive and negative outcomes. Few researchers have studied interventions to address RTP in school settings. With unclear evidence of RTP outcomes and the extent school interventions are addressing RTP in school settings, this study explored the extent and effectiveness of intervention programs being implemented to prevent/reduce negative outcomes of RTP in elementary schools.

A survey was created and conducted with 30 school problem-solving teams in a western state to obtain information concerning RTP in elementary school settings. Teams provided estimated percentages of RTP leading to beneficial …

Utah Angler Specialization And Its Relationship To Environmental Attitudes And Angler Motivations, Joseph W. Unger Iii

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For this research, I sampled 10,000 anglers who purchased a Utah fishing or fishing/hunting combination license from January through November, 2011. An online survey link was provided to the potential participants during November-December, 2011, to determine levels of specialization, motivations for fishing, and environmental awareness/concern. Anglers were also compared to a sample from the general public to compare the two groups’ feelings toward several practices taking place on public lands. Finally, anglers were divided into consumptive and nonconsumptive subgroups to compare the environmental attitudes of these two groups.

Three angler specialization groups were identified from the sample of respondents. Anglers …

Transportation Network Resiliency: A Study Of Self-Annealing, Sunil Babu Pant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Disasters have the potential to hit any geographical location with or without warning. As such, it is desirable that transportation networks are able to withstand the adverse effect of disasters and maintain the normal functioning of all sectors of society. Resilient transportation networks are least affected by disruptions created by natural and manmade disasters and are still able function with an acceptable level of service. Such networks also have ability to return earlier from disrupted state to the normal functioning state. Resilience possessed by a transportation network measures the ability of networks to maintain functionality despite adverse conditions posed by …

Marital Quality, Acculturation, And Communication In Mexican American Couples, Audrey Lyn Schwartz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Marital quality is a broad measurement of perceptions of satisfaction, happiness, and stability by partners in an established relationship. Marital quality has been relatively understudied among Mexican Americans, a population that warrants the inclusion of cultural constructs in any model concerning relationship outcomes. Therefore, acculturation differences between Mexican American couples were conceptualized as a distal context for understanding marital quality. Traditional gender role values and communication style (warmth and hostility) were included as proximal contexts. Data from Conger’s California Families Project were utilized; results indicated that while most measures of acculturation did not impact marital quality, language use interacted with …

The Use Of Life History Collage To Explore Learning Related To The Enactment Of Social Consciousness In Female Nonprofit Leaders, Susan R. Seymour

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper advances a novel qualitative research approach using life history collage. Rather that utilizing an interview protocol to enter into a participant’s story, life history collage invites participants to create a longitudinal collage of significant life events around a theme such as learning, relationships, or identity. The longitudinal nature of the collage situates and prioritizes significant life events with images, words, and elements chosen to represent events and circumstances. Each image within the collage contains rich and nuanced storylines that invite exploration by both researcher and participant. Meanings and subtexts are revealed as participants describe their collage and the …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Among Connectedness To Nature, Quality Of Life, And Mental Health, Peter G. Tauber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In recent decades, a new branch of psychology has emerged—ecopsychology. This field looks at the complex relationship between human beings and the natural world. Previous research has shown the importance of direct experiences in nature for the promotion of human health and well-being. However, it is still not understood why these experiences in nature carry so much importance.

It is possible that the concept of connectedness to nature (CTN) plays a role in this relationship between nature and wellness. CTN is defined as feelings of close affiliation with the natural world in a physical, cognitive, and emotional manner. Previous research …

Reinforcer Magnitude And Resistance To Change Of Forgetting Functions And Response Rates, Meredith Steele Berry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Enhanced memory that is less susceptible to disruption has been demonstrated previously, by presenting more reinforcement for correct responses (e.g., a higher probability of reinforcement) in a conditional discrimination task. The purpose of the present experiment was to extend our current understanding of this phenomenon to a different dimension of reinforcement (i.e., magnitude). This would offer additional techniques for delivery of reinforcement within applied settings (e.g., a classroom) that could promote accurate and persistent memory. The present experiment, therefore, was conducted to investigate the effects of reinforcer magnitude on resistance to disruption of remembering and response rates. Pigeons were exposed …

"Super Salesmen" For The Toughest Sales Job: The Utah Nippo, Salt Lake City's Japanese Americans, And Proving Group Loyalty, 1941-1946, Sarah L. B. Fassmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In this thesis, I examine the Utah Nippo, a newspaper that published in Salt Lake City, Utah, in Japanese and English during World War II. People of Japanese descent are called Nikkei. The immigrant parents are termed Issei and their U.S. citizen children are Nisei. I look specifically at the Utah Nippo English section editors' messages to Salt Lake City's Nikkei population and draw out the paper's editorial themes intended for resident Utah Nikkei—and for the larger Euro-American population.

After the 7 December 1941 Japanese military attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States government ordered that Nikkei on the …

Juvenile Drug Court: Predictors Of Graduation And Non-Graduation Status, Joshua D. Hoyt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Joshua Hoyt and Dr. David Stein at Utah State University evaluated the differences between juvenile drug court participants who graduate and don’t graduate from the juvenile drug court program in Idaho. Joshua Hoyt and Dr. David Stein coordinated this project with Scott Ronan, Idaho Supreme Court felony sentencing alternative specialist. Dr. David Stein has significant experience in conducting research projects centering on drug courts and will be assisting Joshua Hoyt in the implementation of this thesis project. Further, Scott Ronan has significant experience in working with the juvenile drug court program and has access to data that were used in …

Agreement Of Peer Comparison Data Between Direct Behavior Rating Scales And Systematic Direct Observation Methods, Elizabeth Ashley Popescue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Elizabeth Popescue, M.A. and Donna Gilbertson, Ph.D. at Utah State University (USU) propose to evaluate how a new type of tool to measure classwide behavior in a
school classroom compares to the current gold-standard tool. They will coordinate with undergraduate professors teaching psychology classes to be able to videotape classrooms of students to use as subjects to observe behavior with the different types of tools. The advantage of the new tool is the reduced amount of effort and time it takes to collect the behaviors observed. This could lead to a more efficient way for school personnel to collect data …

Late Adolescents’ Perceptions Of A Digital Generation Gap And Perceived Parent-Child Relations, J. Mitch Vaterlaus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this study was to determine if late adolescents (18-25 year olds) perceived differences between their own knowledge about interactive technology and what they thought their parents knew about the same technology. Secondly, the study sought to understand how differences in these perceived technology were related to adolescent perceptions about their interactions with their parents. The parent-child relationship characteristics of interest in this study were parent-child quality time, parent-child conflict, and parents’ knowledge of their childrens’ behaviors.

Late adolescents did perceive generational differences in technology knowledge in the areas of video chat, cell phones, general social networking, …

Asian College Students’ Perceived Peer Group Cohesion, Cultural Identity, And College Adjustment, Xin Zhao

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although there has been an increased focus on multicultural research of college adjustment, Asian students’ adjustment is still a major concern that is under studied. Asian students, like other minority students, may be experiencing difficulties such as changes in family expectations and support, acculturation, ethnic identity issues, intergenerational conflict, immigration status, and racism and discriminatory treatment. Successfully adjusting to changes encountered during college requires the use of effective coping techniques, such as social support, to help relieve the stress. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived cohesion and university-based peer group’s college adjustment of Asian …

Young Children‘S Mathematics References During Free Play In Family Child Care Settings, Shawnee M. Hendershot

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was undertaken to determine how children use math in their everyday activities, which includes caregiving environments outside of their home. Audio recordings were taken of children while they played. The researcher typed transcripts of the audio recordings in order to search for references to math. The different types of math that the children used were: (a) classification, (b) magnitude, (c) enumeration, (d) patterns and shapes, (e) spatial reasons, and (f) part/whole. An example of classification would be a child sorting blocks into groups based on shape. Magnitude is used when a child uses phrases to compare two or …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Response Elimination And Resurgence Using Rich, Lean, And Thinning Schedules Of Alternative Reinforcement, Mary M. Sweeney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mary M. Sweeney, graduate student in the Experimental and Applied Psychological Science graduate program, proposed and completed this thesis in partial fulfillment for the requirements of the degree of Master of Science of Psychology. This project was supported in part by the American Psychological Society of Graduate Students (APAGS) Basic Psychological Science Fall2010 Research Grant awarded by the members of the APAGS Science Committee.

Many problem behaviors, such as aggression or self-injury in persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) or drug abuse can be maintained by the consequences of those behaviors. For example, many instances of aggression in individuals …

Undergraduate Information Systems (Is) Curriculum And Career Track Development In United States Colleges And Universities: Assessment Of Adherence To Is 2010 Curriculum Guidelines, Corbin Christopher Bell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this study was to survey IS curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States, to evaluate current adherence to the IS 2010 Curriculum Guidelines, and to assess the number and type of career track developments initiated as a result of less stringent requirements in the new curriculum guidelines. In addition, an analysis was conducted to see if curriculum in AACSB-accredited Information Systems programs across the United States changed significantly since other similar evaluations reported in 1996, and 2006, and whether it is closer in adherence to the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines.

The findings of this …

Behavioral Mechanisms Of Pramipexole-Induced Impulsivity: Discrimination Processes Underlying Decision-Making, Patrick S. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Impulsivity represents a substantial and devastating cost to our economic, cultural, and physical prosperity. Using quantitative models of choice behavior, researchers are able to identify environmental conditions likely to promote impulsive decision-making. Such an approach is especially valuable in experimental efforts to better understand how drugs negatively affect choice in humans and nonhumans alike. For instance, pramipexole, a dopamine agonist medication prescribed for Parkinson’s disease, has been associated with reports of increased rates of impulsive behavior. By which behavioral mechanisms pramipexole achieves these effects is unknown and requires further investigation.

The research reported herein sought to clarify pramipexole’s effects on …

Exitus: An Agent-Based Evacuation Simulation Model For Heterogeneous Populations, Matthew T. Manley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Evacuation planning is important for businesses given the continuing occurrence of both natural and human-caused disasters throughout the world. Unfortunately, the traditional fire-drill approach is impractical for many large organizations but especially those responsible for airports and sports arenas. The purpose of this research was to develop a new computer program capable of simulating large scale evacuations in such buildings. The program, called Exitus, is different from other evacuation simulators in the way it considers the physical, psychological, and social characteristics of individuals with disabilities during emergency situations.

In this research, Exitus was used to simulate evacuations of three buildings …

Evaluating Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) Utilization In A College Sample: A Multisite Application Of The Sociobehavioral Model Of Healthcare Utilization, Kimberly M. Pratt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among U.S. college students and the general public is substantial and growing; however, research on the characteristics of college students who use CAM and the factors that influence their decision to use CAM is scarce. Even fewer studies have explored such factors within the framework of an empirically supported theory. The college years are seen as an important time for developing long-lasting health behaviors and in many ways college students play an important role in setting the foundation for future healthcare. Thus, it is important for healthcare practitioners to have a clear …

This Was The Place: Apostasy From The Lds Church, Traci K. Burnett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As with every religion, the LDS (Mormon) Church suffers from attrition of membership. This study looks at the experiences of 21 individuals who have left the LDS church, asking about the reasons for leaving the church and about the consequences of making such a decision.

Unlike many other studies concerning religious apostasy, this research takes a strictly qualitative approach to examining the causes and consequences for leaving the LDS Church. Instead of focusing on demographic characteristics such as race, class, or gender as indicators for apostasy, this research asks a small group of individuals in-depth questions to gain a deeper …

The Effects Of Video Modeling On Staff Implementation Of The Picture Exchange Communication System In A Group Home For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Shawnee Dee Collins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As more individuals with intellectual disabilities live in integrated, community group home settings, it is increasingly important that direct support staff are well trained to implement behavioral interventions. However, there are often barriers to providing staff members with sufficient training. For example, there is typically a low supervisor-staff ratio. These studies evaluated the effects of watching a video model and completing a brief quiz on staff’s ability to implement Phases I (study 1) and II (study 2) of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in group homes for adults with intellectual disabilities. Moreover, the effects of this staff training on …

Latent Classes Of Self-Reported Adolescent Depression In A Clinical In-Patient Population, Jonathan F. Doti

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The depressive disorders are among the most common mental health problems with substantial financial and quality-of-life costs. Depression has generated considerable debate as to the underlying structure/taxonomy and continues to be frequently debated. Adolescents who meet diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder often experience anxiety (and vice versa). Therefore, understanding the underlying structure of depression as well as the co-occurrence of anxiety in a population of adolescents adds to our conceptual understanding of these disorders and facilitates treatment clarity.

This investigation sought to investigate the following research questions for adolescents’ self-reported symptoms of depression, and self-reported symptoms of depression and …

Relationship Between First-Year Student Retention, Noncognitive Risk Factors, And Student Advising, R. David Roos

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was undertaken by David Roos, a USU doctoral student and an employee at Dixie State College, in fall semester 2009. The purpose of the study was to measure the possible impact that nonacademic student information would have on retention when used by advisors and shared in an advising session with students. This information was gathered using an in-class survey that identified nonacademic or "noncognitive" risk factors not apparent by looking at a high school transcript or reviewing a student's demographic background. Such factors as college commitment, self-efficacy, and resiliency were measured using a survey instrument called the Student …

Self-Directed Learning In Problem-Based Learning Versus Traditional Lecture-Based Learning: A Meta-Analysis, Heather M. Leary

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Problem-based learning is an approach to education and learning that focuses on students investigating problems, rather than being directly instructed by teachers. Reviews, also called meta-analyses, comparing traditional lecture-based learning to problem-based learning report modest positive learning gains in student cognitive outcomes. Many meta-analyses have been conducted to analyze the effectiveness of problem-based learning, but none examine the extent of self-directed learning in problem-based learning. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis across all disciplines (medicine, education, business, history, etc.) while examining self-directed learning in problem-based learning.

This study used a random effects model meta-analysis using 75 …

Outcomes And Presurgical Correlates Of Lumbar Fusion In Utah Workers' Compensation Patients: A Replication Study, Jessica M. Gundy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past 2 decades, lumbar fusion surgeries performed in the United States have increased dramatically, particularly for compensated workers. Costs for these procedures have also risen substantially in the past decade, primarily due to the use of more sophisticated surgical devices such as interbody fusion cages. While surgical instrumentation and technology may improve the rates of solid bony vertebral fusion, overall improvements in quality of life and pain outcomes related to this new technology are still inconclusive.

In collaboration with the Workers Compensation Fund of Utah (WCFU) and Utah State University (USU), a psychology professor, Dr. M. Scott DeBerard, …