Digital Commons Network^™

Adoptees' Knowledge About And Contact With Birth Parents And Their Adjustment In Adolescence And Young Adulthood, Kyung-Eun Park

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study described adoptees' knowledge of and contact with birth parents in adolescence and young adulthood, and analyzed the relationship between adoptees' knowledge of and contact with birth parents and the adoptees' adjustment in young adulthood. Data for the current study came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). In total, 487 adoptees were identified for this study in Wave I (1995) and Wave Ill (2 002). Descriptive and multivariate analyses using logistic regression were conducted.

Adoptees were more likely to be aware of their birth mothers than of their birth fathers and the percentage differences between …

The Relationship Between Parental Attitudes And Behaviors And Their Adult Children's Attitudes Toward Marriage, Divorce, And Marital Counseling, Shawnery L. Mathis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research study consisted of eighty-six pairs (young adult and his or her parent) of participants recruited from freshman and sophomore classes in two Northern Utah Universities. The parents ages ranged from 36-80 and the young adult children's ages ranged from 16-25. This research project examined the participants' demographics, marital satisfaction (of the parents), attitudes toward marriage, attitudes toward divorce, and attitudes toward marital counseling.

Three paired t tests were used to determine whether attitudes toward marriage, divorce, and marital counseling were the same for young adult children and their parents. Multiple regression equations were used to determine what effects …

Marital Commitment And Religiosity In A Sample Of Adults In Utah, Sharon S. Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the relationship of three types of martial commitment and religiosity factors in a random sample of I ,316 Utah adults. Participants were surveyed to assess attitudes of marriage, divorce, and marriage education. A lack of commitment was cited by 83% of divorced adults as a major factor for their divorce. The level of commitment to spouse, commitment to marriage, and constraint commitment was determined by extrapolating items from the 2003 Utah Marriage Movement Statewide Baseline Survey. Religiosity included measures of the frequency of church attendance, church affiliation, and religious values. Regression analyses that included socio-demographics showed the …

Constructing A Risk Controversy: The Case Of A Proposed High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository On The Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation, Taunya J. Jones

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is a qualitative case study of a risk controversy generated by a proposal to construct a high-level nuclear waste repository on the Goshute Indian reservation in rural, northwestern Utah. Using data taken from local newspapers and public hearings, I examine and compare the claims-making activity of project opponents and project proponents. I explore and analyze variability in claims making along four specific dimensions: risk communication, trust and distrust in science and technology, environmental equity, and tribal sovereignty. My analysis is intended to illuminate the sources of contention between opponent and proponent claims-making groups in this case.

Information Sources, Willingness To Volunteer, And Attitudes Towards Invasive Plants In The Southwestern United States, Leith Seeley Tidwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis examines results of a survey conducted in the Southwestern United States focusing on attitudes towards invasive plants, public preferences for information sources and willingness to volunteer in invasive plant management. This research demonstrates that the public is interested in the problem and control of invasive plants. In a broad context there is agreement among respondents that invasive plants pose a threat to the environment and control efforts, including the use of herbicides, should be allowed to occur. Given the differences between general and specific attitudes towards invasive plants, it is suggested education and awareness programs be designed to …

Appalachian High School Students' Possible Selves As A Mediator Of Continuing Their Education, Erica Chenoweth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Appalachian region has long been regarded as an economically disadvantaged area, with a lower percentage of individuals pursuing higher education than in the nation as a whole. Improving the educational status of residents of Appalachia may foster some economic transition in the region, shifting the employment focus from an unskilled labor emphasis to more professional and career opportunities. Better understanding of the influences in the decision processes of Appalachian students is needed in order to design and implement intervention programs to increase enrollment in higher education. The concept of possible selves is introduced as a way to examine individuals' …

Assessing The Health-Related Service Needs Of People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Review Of Ryan White Title Ii Needs Assessments, Ryan K. Loo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) allocated $940 million in 2002, through Title II of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, to help states improve the quality and availability of health-related services for people living with HIV/AIDS. These resources are allocated based upon recommendations made by community planning committees, which in turn base their recommendations on HIV/AIDS needs assessments. A methodologically sound, comprehensive needs assessment is a critical component of effective resource allocation decisions. Poor needs assessments might lead to poor resource allocation decisions, which might have life-threatening consequences for people living with HIV/AIDS. Little is …

Parent And Child Characteristics Associated With Comorbidity Differences In Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Julie A. Pelletier

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed disorder that is associated with many negative outcomes. For many children, the disorder is comorbid with externalizing and/or internalizing problems. Understanding the correlates of comorbid problems in children with ADHD could be important for better treatment and/or prevention strategies. The purposes of this study were (a) to determine what parent-related and child-related characteristics are associated with externalizing or internalizing problems in children with ADHD, and (b) to determine if there are differences in these characteristics between a group of children with ADHD and externalizing problems, and a group of children with ADHD and …

The Effects Of Morphine On The Discrimination Of Subject-Produced And Experimenter-Imposed Durations, Ryan D. Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Experiments on the effects of drugs on behavior maintained by temporal-discrimination procedures have led to discrepant results. Recent experiments suggest that the effects of drugs may differ depending on whether the subject is timing some aspect of its own behavior or some other stimulus. The present experiment used a multiple-schedule procedure composed of a subject-produced and experimenter-imposed component. In the subject-produced component, pigeons categorized the duration of their most recently emitted interresponse time. In the experimenter-imposed component, pigeons categorized the duration of a key light. Morphine generally produced underestimation of time during the subject-produced component, a result in agreement with …

Brief Experimental Analysis Of Reading Intervention Components For English-Language Learners, Kimberly J. Malloy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Identifying effective instructional modifications for English-language learners (ELL) experiencing reading problems is a difficult task given the vast individual differences in language proficiency, motivation, and school experience. To address this issue, this study investigated the utility of brief experimental analysis as a means to quickly identify the most effective instructional components to increase reading performance for five ELL. Using a multielement design, five treatments were administered one by one with increasing language support. There were individual differences in response and effective treatments were identified for all participants. Further, an extended analysis of alternating baseline conditions with the hypothesized effective treatment …

Weight Maintenance: Determinants Of Success, Cynthia Mitchell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This literature review was a selective examination of current obesity and physical activity research and opinions. Its purpose was more to evoke thought and discussion regarding the United States' obesity epidemic, rather than serve as an exhaustive account of prospective causes and solutions. Obesity and physical inactivity are major preventable health problems in the United States, but despite overwhelming evidence regarding the benefits of a healthy weight and regular physical activity, adult, childhood and adolescent obesity rates continue to escalate, creating significant health, medical and economic consequences.

While obesity rates soar, a small population percentage has proven successful in long-term …

Prevention Of Childhood Obesity Among Low-Income Preschool-Aged Children, Ann Romero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To determine the effects of a targeted curriculum and dual program involvement on childhood overweight status among low-income preschool children, a nutrition curriculum was developed. Three Special Supplemental Food Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) clinics participated in the study: the control clinic, a clinic which received the targeted curriculum, and a third clinic which received the targeted curriculum and referred participant families to the Expanded Food and Nutrition lll Education Program (EFNEP). Participants were followed for six months. Data collected included anthropometrics, dietary intake, and parental behaviors.

Results showed a decrease in body-mass index percentile, slight improvements in …

Effect Of Non-Metabolized Sweeteners On Health Parameters In Humans, Matthew Alan Leonhardt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The demand for functional foods is on the rise. These are food products that, besides providing energy and nutrients for life, provide additional health benefits. Xylitol, a five-carbon sugar alcohol, is a possible functional food, as well as a sugar replacement. The cost of xylitol has led manufacturers to add inulin, a nondigestible oligosaccharide, as an extender. Both xylitol and inulin have been suggested to provide added health benefits beyond being a reduced calorie replacement for sugar. We tested their impact on several human health parameters (fecal weight, fecal pH, fecal % moisture, blood lipids, blood glucose, and fecal micro …

Nutrition Education For Parents Of Children With Cystic Fibrosis : Assessment Of Needs And Strategies For Improved Knowledge And Confidence In Self Care, Catherine M. Mcdonald

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Suboptimal growth and nutritional status are problematic for children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Optimal nutrition predicts better lung function and longevity. Daily nutrition therapy for children with CF requires adequate food resources, knowledge of appropriate nutrition and behavior management skills, and confidence in one's ability to correctly apply the necessary skills. The Mountain West Cystic Fibrosis Consortium Questionnaire (MWCFC-Q) was designed as an educational needs assessment for parents of children with CF. The goal was to identify areas of concern that could be targeted for educational intervention to ultimately improve children's growth and nutritional status.

Data analyzed from 305 returned …

Conceptualization And Development Of A Dam Break Life-Loss Estimation Model, Maged A. Aboelata

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Catastrophic events such as dam failures or severe floods are considered to be of low probability, although their consequences can be extremely high and might include loss of life. Earlier studies have linked circumstances surrounding historical darn failure events to actual loss of life and produced formulations using statistical analysis of these events. Shortcomings of these methods include the inability to adjust life-loss estimates based on the type of dam failure, global averaging of population at risk, and ignoring the dynamics of the evacuation process.

The main objective of this research is to develop a practical and improved life-loss estimation …

Occupational Aspirations And Migration: A Comparison Of Rural Youth With High, Medium, And Low Occupational Aspirations And Their Chances For Migration, W. Trevor Brooks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

By using a social psychological approach, this research investigated whether occupational aspirations lead to migration. From the literature, we know that rural youth have lower occupational aspirations than their urban counterparts. We also know that rural youth often lower their occupational aspirations because of the confusion created between the benefits of moving for school and the attachment felt for home. We do not know, however the connection between occupational aspirations and migration. Are young to middle-aged adults in rural areas with higher occupational aspirations more likely to migrate out of rural areas than young to middle-aged adults with lower aspirations? …

Victimization During The Middle School Years: Exploring The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation And Emotional/Behavioral Outcomes, Jason E. Harlacher

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present thesis examined emotion regulation differences among victims and non victims of bullying and its role as a mediator in the link between victimization and internalizing or externalizing outcomes. Participants from Grades 6 to 8 (n = 240) completed measures that assessed level of victimization, emotions felt relative to emotions expressed during bullying situations, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Weak victim-related differences revealed that boy victims reported feeling more shame and expressing more fear than nonvictims, whereas girl victims reported expressing more shame and feeling and expressing more anger and sadness. A new measure of emotional regulation did …

Resistance To Change Of Ethanol Self-Administration: Effects Of Naltrexone And Extinction, Corina Jimenez-Gomez

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Drug self-administration has proven to be an adequate model for assessing variables that contribute to the maintenance of drug taking. The present experiment was concerned with the persistence of drug self-administration, a defining characteristic of drug dependence and abuse. Findings from studies of the resistance to change of food-maintained responding may contribute to a better understanding of the persistence of drug abuse and dependence. Using an animal model of alcohol self-administration, this study evaluated the effects of rate of reinforcement on the persistence of ethanol self-administration in rats in the face of behavioral (i.e., extinction) and pharmacological (i.e., naltrexone) disruptors. …

Associations Between Parent-Daughter Relationships, Individual Adolescent Psychological Functioning, And Female Adolescent Self-Defeating Behaviors, Sara M. Hunt

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study tested a mediation model by which daughters ' perceptions of poorer parent-adolescent relationship quality were expected to be directly associated with the individual psychological characteristics of low self-esteem and internalizing symptoms. In turn, individual psychological characteristics were hypothesized to predict self-defeating behavior, defined as deliberate self-harm and suicidal gestures, multiple sexual partners, and substance use. Additionally, the association between parent-adolescent relationship variables and self-defeating behaviors was posited to be largely indirect and mediated by symptoms of psychological distress. As predicted, perceived alienation from parents was directly associated with poor adolescent psychological functioning. Furthermore, individual psychological variables were found …

The Impact Of Extracurricular Activities On Children's School Performance And Mental Health, Amber L. Crews

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between the amount of extracurricular activities and the school performance and mental health of children and adolescents was examined. One hundred thirty-three parents completed measures on extracurricular activity participation, academic performance, and mental health for their children in Grades 3-12. Results indicated one significant linear and one significant curvilinear relationship between extracurricular activity participation and school performance of adolescents. As adolescents were involved in additional extracurricular activities, their school performance improved (in a linear relationship), while median amounts of activity were related to the best grades (in a curvilinear relationship). Although these results were significant, their practical meaningfulness …

Working Memory Capacity, Temporal Discounting, And Exercise Rates, Kathleen Lambourne

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During decision-making, an individual must weigh the value of the outcomes involved while also considering the amount of time until the outcomes will occur. Discounting occurs when a smaller, immediately available reward is chosen over a larger, more delayed reward. Discounting rates are likely related to working memory capacity, because working memory stores and processes the value of the outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between working memory, temporal discounting, and the decision to engage in physical activity.

The results showed that working memory capacity was related to the physical activity rates. Discounting rates from …

Occupational And Biopsychosocial Risk Factors For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Case-Control Study, Jason Talley Goodson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The present study was designed to assess the risk factors associated with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Toward this end, a wide range of putative occupational, biological, and psychosocial correlates of CTS was investigated using a case-control methodology. Cases were 87 patients from an orthopedic clinic with clinical symptoms and electrodiagnostic testing results suggestive of CTS. Controls were 74 gender-matched patients from the same orthopedic clinic, without clinical symptoms of CTS and normal electrodiagnostic testing results. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire that included eight potential occupational correlates (i.e., repetition, force, vibration, typing, lifting heavy loads, and standing on feet), 10 potential …

The Effects Of Added Reinforcers On Resistance To Change, Christopher A. Podlesnik

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The fundamental unit of behavior, defined by the discriminated operant, can be reduced to the three-term contingency, which includes an antecedent stimulus, a response, and a reinforcing consequence. Behavioral momentum theory suggests that resistance to disruption (i.e., resistance to change) of operant behavior is governed by the relation between the antecedent stimulus context and the rate of reinforcement within that context (i.e., Pavlovian stimulus-reinforcer relation). Further, behavior momentum theory suggests that resistance to change is independent of the contingency between the response and the reinforcer (i.e., operant response-reinforcer relation). Thus, although additional response-independent food decreases response rates by greatly degrading …

The Effect Of Anger Management And Communication Training On Functional And Quality-Of-Life Status In Fibromyalgia Patients, Alexandra Michele Stillman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a debilitating condition that affects millions of individuals throughout the world. As of yet the specific etiology of this condition remains unknown and successful treatments remain in their infancy. Although several studies have focused on the emotional components of fibromyalgia, none have specifically addressed the issues of communication and anger that appear to be important among this patient population. The objectives of this study were to design a 4-week experimental group therapy treatment based on successful cognitive behavioral components and add anger management and communication components in an attempt to increase benefits to the overall well-being …

Correlates Of Marital Stability In Utah, Amy Lynn Andersen Harman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the relationship between marital stability and social support and negative interactions in Utah. Past research indicates that negative behavioral interactions have a negative correlation with marital stability. Past research also indicates that support of one's marriage positively correlates with marital stability. The data were taken from the Utah Marriage Movement Statewide Baseline survey. The total sample for this study included 886 married men and women over the age of 18. Spearman's rho correlation and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Results of the study show that negative interactions had a negative correlation with marital stability. …

Learning And Application Of Range Management Innovations Among Ranchers In West-Central Colorado, Caroline A. Kennedy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Like many ranchers in the West, ranchers in West-Central Colorado are reevaluating their management strategies in the face of forces like drought, rising land prices, and encroaching development. While ranchers seek answers on alternative management strategies, research and Extension personnel search for adequate means of diffusing needed information. Relative to many rural western communities, ranchers in West-Central Colorado show high interest in alternative range management ideas, and many implement changes to their ranch management based on these ideas. This can partially be attributed to a unique support system of Extension and agency personnel with effective, untraditional outreach and land-management approaches. …

"The Darkness Is The Whole Thing": Environment, Belief, And Community In The Wampus Legend Of The Retsof Salt Mine, Ashley Gorrell Purser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

"The Darkness is the Whole Thing" is an examination of a legendary animal known as the wampus that makes its home in the Retsof salt mine. Various forms of wampus creatures found in other settings are introduced, followed by discussion of the ways in which environment influences the adaptation of occupational legend. The article considers how belief in the wampus facilitates the expression of fear, an increased sense of awareness, and the development of community in a unique and dangerous work environment. The telling of the wampus legend is considered a narrative tool for solidifying and preserving occupational identity.

An Investigation Of The Impact Of Chld Care Quality On Child Outcomes Using Structural Equation Modeling, Jared Cutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The quality of a child care setting is believed by many child care researchers to have an impact on the development of children in child care. While a considerable amount of research has been done regarding the impact of child care quality on child outcomes, an examination of literature reviews on the topic reveals that there is a lack of consensus in the field on the question of whether child care quality has a substantial impact on children's development.

The present study assessed the impact child care quality has on child outcomes. A dataset from the NICHD Early Child Care …

The Effects Of Mortgage Debt On Assets And Total Resources Among Near-Retirement Households, Lance Palmer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term relation between household leverage through the use of mortgages, and changes in household wealth using the theoretical framework of the life cycle income hypothesis. The results of this study are relevant to current positions regarding household leverage via mortgages. This study used the 1992 through 2002 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. The characteristics of leveraged and unleveraged households were compared in 1992 and 2002 as were changes during that period. The relation between household leverage and changes in assets and total resources over the period was modeled using …

The Socialization Of Home-Schooled Children In Rural Utah, Neil A. Mecham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Concern over the social development of children who are home schooled has caused parents and educators to question the wisdom of this practice. A review of home-schooling research has not revealed whether a difference exists between the social skills of homeschooled children and children who attend public schools. This study explored the socialization of home-schooled children by comparing Social Skills Rating System scores of home-schooled children with the scores of their mothers and a comparison sample of publicly-schooled children. Forty-six home-schooled children (23 boys and 23 girls), their mothers, and 39 publicly-schooled children (16 boys and 23 girls) participated in …