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An Adolescent Journey: Expressive Letter Writing Through A Wilderness Adventure Therapy Program, Ava M. Crump

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the key themes of an adolescent journey during a wilderness adventure therapy program through expressive letter writing to their parents. Ten complete sets of letters (five boys and five girls) totaling over 400 pages were analyzed by four independent coders until saturation of themes were reached. There were five overarching themes that emerged from the data: impact of wilderness experiences, desires for improved relationships, apology and accountability, negative emotions, and positive growth and coping. These themes were presented in the chronological pattern that they appeared in the letters. The findings represent the adolescents’ experiences written …

Expert Vs. Novice: Problem Decomposition/Recomposition In Engineering Design, Ting Song

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this research was to investigate the design behavior. A commonly used design strategy called “problem decomposition and recomposition” was the focus of the study. Dyads of engineering experts, dyads of engineering seniors, and dyads of engineering freshmen completed an engineering design challenge within an hour. The entire design process was video and audio recorded. After the design session, participants participated in a group interview.

The conversation and behavior from the design were transcribed, segmented, and coded. Two coding systems including the FBS ontology and “levels of the problem” were used in this study. A series of statistical …

Strong Marriages In The African American Community: How Religion Contributes To A Healthier Marriage, Lucy K. Shirisia

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined how religion contributes to or strengthens strong African American marriages. In order to understand how religion contributed to their marriages, five couples who talked extensively about religion in their marriage were selected out of the total sample of 39 couples and were presented as case studies. Six themes surfaced across all five case studies in answer to the research question: couples consistently practiced their religion, religion was the foundation of the marriage, religion strengthened personal growth, couples had exemplars for a strong marriage, couples turned to religion during difficult times, and religion transcends race. These findings indicate …

The Role Of Religious Affiliation And Attitudes In Marriage Maintenance Strategies, Chenika Fowler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to explore associations among marital maintenance strategies, religious experiences, and marital quality in a sample of 80 married college students. Maintenance strategies are tactics used by couple members to sustain healthy relationships/marriages, and include both cognitive (e.g., choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the partner) and behavioral (e.g., engaging in shared activites) strategies. Specific patterns of association among religious practices and beliefs, particular maintenance strategies, and marital-quality outcomes were assessed in order to better understand pathways to optimal marital functioning for religiously affiliated individuals.

Most participants were affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ …

The Mental Health Disparity Among Nonheterosexuals: Risk, Resiliency, And New Perspectives To Consider In The Context Of Mormonism, Katherine Ann Crowell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nonheterosexuals disproportionately experience mental illness when compared with heterosexuals. Although it has been well established that the apparent mental health disparity among sexually diverse populations is almost exclusively derived from minority stress (i.e., the excess stress associated with culturally maintained sexual stigma), our understanding of how specific aspects of minority stress lead to specific psychological syndromes (e.g., depression) remains limited. On the other hand, in attempts to destigmatize individuals who do not identify as heterosexual, researchers have increasingly begun to shift the focus of their work towards understanding the specific characteristics or experiences that facilitate individuals’ capacity to adapt and …

Understanding Experiences Of Female Survivors Of Domestic Violence: Stories Of Strength, Resilience, And Mechanisms That Assist In Leaving Violent Relationships, Annel Cordero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A qualitative study was conducted in order to better understand domestic violence (DV) survivors’ lived experiences and the mechanisms that assisted them in leaving violent relationships. This method of research enabled me to immerse myself within the work in order to better understand this issue from the perspective of the survivors. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups, women were given the space to have their voices heard. For this project, 13 women from two different states, of diverse ages, sexual orientations, and ethnicities who identified as survivors volunteered to tell their stories. To obtain a complete picture of their experiences, …

The Effects Of High-Tech Stimuli And Duration Of Access On Reinforcer Preference And Efficacy, Audrey N. Hoffmann

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Reinforcement is commonly used to increase individuals engaging in certain behaviors. We can alter the value of the reinforcers by manipulating how long they get access to the reinforcer (i.e., magnitude) or by varying the type of reinforcer we use. The use of high technology items (i.e., high-tech) as a reinforcer has not been examined. We examined the interaction between high- and no-tech items and duration of access and the effects of that interaction on reinforcer preference and efficacy (i.e., how effective the reinforcer is in increasing behavior) in three individuals with disabilities. We conducted two preference assessments to identify …

Doctoral Dissertation Research In Marriage And Family Therapy (Mft): A Content Analysis, Clinton L. Broadbent

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the past 60 years, the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has experienced tremendous growth due largely to many charismatic pioneers in the field. These pioneers performed various research studies but lacked a focus on quality empirical research. Over the past 20 years, many MFT researchers have started to perform these studies, which in turn, have pointed the field in a positive direction in terms of research excellence. Doctoral dissertations offer unique and valuable insights into the current state of research as a field as well as give us a better idea of how we are doing at …

Examining The Impact Of Different Virtual Manipulative Types On The Nature Of Students' Small-Group Discussions: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Case Study Of Techno-Mathematical Discourse, Katie L. Anderson-Pence

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the influence of different virtual manipulative types on the nature of students' techno-mathematical discourse (TMD) when working with a partner. The research used a concurrent mixed-methods design using identical samples to compare and synthesize the results. For this study, six fifth-grade students participated in nine sessions of mathematics instruction using virtual manipulatives. The study compared three virtual manipulative types: combined (multiple representations, open environment), pictorial (single visual representation, open environment), and tutorial (multiple representations, structured environment). Students' levels of discourse in generalization, justification, and collaboration were measured as well as students' use of physical and computer gestures …

Predictors Of Persistence And Resurgence: Evaluation Of A Behavioral Momentum-Based Approach, Mary M. Sweeney

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mary M. Sweeney, graduate student in the Experimental and Applied Psychological Sciences program at Utah State University, will complete this dissertation as part of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology.

One approach to reducing a behavior with a history of reward is to remove the reward for the target behavior to be reduced and introduce reward for an alternative behavior. When alternative reward is removed, though, relapse termed resurgence can occur. The broad purpose of this dissertation is to examine the variables that contribute to the persistence and resurgence of a behavior. The results of …

The Academic Preparation And Background Of Public Secondary Mathematics Teachers In Utah 1966-1967, Charles Martin Crittenden

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A random survey was conducted to determine the academic preparation and background of the public secondary mathematics teachers in the state of Utah.

The survey indicated that there is a wide variance in the teacher mathematics preparation between the three types of public secondary schools. The class B high schools have a smaller percentage of well prepared mathematics teachers than either the class A high schools or the junior high schools.

The following facts were discovered: (1) 22.03 percent of all the surveyed mathematics teachers had between 1 and 15 quarter hours of college mathematics preparation, (2) 5.22 percent had …

The Role Of Masculinity, Masculine Capital, And Spousal Social Control On Men's Health Behaviors, Melinda Gean Arnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous research has noted that married men tend to be healthier than single men. And that wives may exert influence on men’s health behaviors, both positively and negatively, through social control methods. However, little research has examined how men maintain masculine status when faced with spousal social control efforts. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the study sought to gain a greater understanding of how wives exert social control over spousal health behaviors. Second, the study sought to examine how men maintain masculinity, specifically masculine capital, when their wives desire to change the health behaviors of their husband’s. …

Exploring Extension Faculty Members' First-Time Experiences With Funded Couple Relationship Education, Jacquelyn M. Alderete

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension faculty members are increasingly involved in offering couple and relationship education (CRE), but some have limited background in this format of family life education. This study used a phenomological approach to examine the experiences of Extension faculty members who offered CRE in their respective counties for their first time. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. Four themes emerged from the interview data. First, considerations for offering this type of education included valuing CRE, having sufficient and specific knowledge about the needs of the county for CRE, and access to other forms of …

Old Roots: Place-Making And Hybrid Landscapes Of Refugee Urban Farmers, Missy Ward-Lambert

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research project was designed to analyze the relevance of place and the physical environment to the adjustment processes of refugees. This dissertation contains the results of qualitative research with a group of 30 refugee urban farmers living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Seventeen of these individuals—from Burundi, Sudan, Bhutan, the Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Cuba—participated in interviews and a photography project focused on their experiences with agriculture in their home countries and since their arrival in Utah. The results of the research show the connection between the refugees’ work as farmers and their …

The Forgotten Fruitway: Folk Perspectives On Fruit Farming On The Providence Bench, 1940-1980, Amy C. Maxwell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As a whole, Cache Valley, Utah, residents have experienced dramatic changes in population size and economy over the last century. Providence, Utah, was once characterized by the farmers that worked the land surrounding it. The importance of agriculture has especially declined due to expanding urbanization. Despite these changes, Providence residents are aware of and celebrate their history. The purpose of this thesis is to add to the official account of local history. I attempt to capture a segment of the agricultural economy that often goes uncelebrated in current histories—fruit farming. Alongside the oft-cited sugar beet and pea production was a …

Teacher Orientation To Social Studies: A Phenomenological Study, Jeffrey A. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of the dissertation is to research a practitioner-informed orientation model for social studies, utilizing the lived experiences of teachers including their connections to and with technology. The number of participants was bound to three secondary social studies teachers from an urban, suburban, and rural district respectively. Data collection was completed through a series of detailed interviews: three modified narrative identity protocols, one elicited response interview, and one observation interview. Phenomenology formed the epistemological lens and the method from a transcendental or psychological approach to phenomenology with a grounded theory approach to analyzing the data. There existed overlaps with …

Calculating Willingness-To-Pay As A Function Of Biophysical Water Quality And Water Quality Perceptions, Carlos G. Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When estimating economic value associated with changes in water quality, recreation demand models typically depend upon either (i) biophysical measures of water quality as collected by natural scientists or (ii) the perception of water quality by recreationists. Models based upon biophysical metrics (such as oxygen concentration, pollutant concentrations, Secchi depth measurements, etc.) operate on the assumption that people can perceive and respond to these metrics, or respond to factors that are, indeed, correlated with the biophysical measure. Economists have often estimated willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures associated with unit changes in biophysical measures without examining the degree to which the measures are …

Schools That Serve Military Children: A Comparison Of The Standardized Test Scores In The Dodea School System Versus The Civilian School System, Mary Eleanor Fugate

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are an estimated 1.2 million children with one or both parents enlisted in military service. These children are more geographically mobile than civilian children on average, and previous research suggests that mobility can have great effects on an individual's academic performance. This study seeks to answer the question: How does the standardized test performance of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools compare to those of public schools with high concentrations of military children (funded by Impact Aid). It is hypothesized that due to higher average levels of funding, a standard curriculum, and both embedded and intentional social support, …

Severed Hands As Symbols Of Humanity In Legend And Popular Narratives, Scott White

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Modern scholarly theories of oral folk narrative suggest that urban legends contain expressions of cultural beliefs that can be understood both through the contexts in which these stories are told and through the elements of the stories that remain constant across multiple tellings by various narrators. This study centers exclusively on stories and popular culture products that utilize missing or damaged fingers, hands, or arms, in order to identify the cultural values that are attached to hands in American culture. These stories in particular were chosen because the severed hand was perceived at the onset to be a common element …

The Triad Trial: Online Education For Coaches On The Prevention Of The Female Athlete Triad, Megan Jane Ostler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High school coaches play a huge role in establishing a healthy environment for their athletes and often students. The coach‐athlete relationship has proven to be a strong and useful bond in prevention of adverse behaviors of athletes or in prevention of health problems such as concussions. The female athlete triad (triad) is a common health problem among female athletes. Many high school coaches are unaware of the triad or the serious health and performance consequences for their athletes. The triad is a syndrome marked by 3 interrelated adverse effects: decreased energy availability, menstrual dysfunction, and decreased bone mineral density.

The …

Effects Of Digital Video Feedback Package With Elementary-Aged Males Identified With Behavior Problems, Jenifer Buist

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Classroom teachers are constantly trying to find the answer to those many behavior situations that arise on a daily basis in schools. In this study, we looked at the benefits of using a digital recorder in the classroom to help students become more “aware” of their behaviors. The study was done in a rural, public elementary school with three males that ranged from third grade to fifth grade. Each of these three boys has been identified as students with either specific learning disabilities or emotional disturbances. This program was run by the resource teacher and a trained paraprofessional.

The methods …

Training Staff Members To Conduct And Implement The Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (Mswo) Preference Assessment Using Video Modeling, Heather M. Merkley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For many educators, finding enough time to complete all that is require of them is a daily challenge. Those in special education have the added burden of making sure that their staff members are highly trained in the skills required to work effectively with students. There are many different ways to train staff members, one of which is using a video model. This study looked at the effects of video modeling alone on the training of staff members to use the multiple stimulus without replacement preference assessment. The participants in this study were paraprofessionals who work with preschool students who …

The Effects Of A Treatment Package Combining Contingency Contracts And Video Prompts On Social Skills In Students With Intellectual Disabilities And Autism, Breana Broadhead Fausett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many students with intellectual disabilities and autism struggle to have meaningful social interactions with their peers. Research shows that using video modeling can increase social skills in students with disabilities, but it has never been studied in comparison to or in combination with “IF….THEN…” behavior contracts. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of video prompts on elementary-aged students with disabilities to increase appropriate social interactions with their peers through filming the creation of an “IF….THEN…”contract. The participants are four elementary-aged students with intellectual disabilities and autism who have target social skills deficits. The targeted social skills …

Adolescent Self-Described Volume Of Texting: Discovering Relationships With Psychosocial Development And Interpersonal Relationships, Tessa Cutler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers explored the relationship among adolescent self-reported amounts of texting and self-esteem, self-construal, autonomy, and attachment. Data were collected from a high school in an urban area in the Mountain West. Participants included 180 students (53% female). Participants were asked to self-describe their volume of texting as high, medium, or low. Participants were also asked to complete the following scales: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Self-Construal Scale, the Case Inventory, The Adolescent Autonomy Questionnaire, and The Modified Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment.

It is suggested that text messaging is more strongly related to self-esteem when texting is placed as the …

The Role Of The Transcendent In Landscapes, Kathryn E. Sonntag

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

For as long as humans have designed spaces, they have done so not just to meet basic physical needs but in quest of higher aspirations, including those spiritual and intellectual. These were spaces of contemplation, conducive to the transcendent experience, found in abundance in premodern times, and generally communal in nature. They are less prevalent now, yet there is ample evidence that the need for spaces of contemplation as well as transcendent experiences is as real as ever, despite the current lack of spaces providing such a transcendent connection. Past communal landscape design that provides for the possibility of the …

Religious Educators' Experiences With Self-Directed Learning In Professional Development: A Qualitative Study, Brandon D. Porter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2012, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I), a division of The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, introduced a self-directed professional development program that allowed educators to obtain two certification credentials by completing 12 certification projects per credential. The purpose of this study was to obtain an understanding of the experiences of seven S&I educators with self-directed learning in doing certification projects.

Personal and contextual factors influenced how self-directed learning for purposes of professional development was experienced by the participants in this study. Understanding program requirements, expectations, and processes, and possessing sufficient motivation …

Conditioned Reinforcement And The Value Of Praise In Children With Autism, Ben Beus

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many efforts in teaching children with autism are focused on increasing the value of praise as a reward for work. Increasing the value of praise can help children with autism to work in a natural setting, without requiring constant rewards of food or toys for work. In this study, I analyzed a pairing method—a technique of providing verbal praise while simultaneously providing a food reward—to assess whether it would result in an increased value for praise for participants in the study. First, a baseline phase was conducted in which praise statements were provided as a reward for a certain task …

The One Man Crew: The Creating And Sustaining Of A Master Folk Artist, Heidi Jean Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Folk art is the art of everyday life. Framing homes can be artistic when done with a degree of exemplary expertise. Jerry Saville is a master folk artist because of his special skills and techniques exhibited in his trade of carpentry. This research provides a glimpse into a carpenter’s life to discover what creates and sustains a master carpenter. Through desire, drive, dedication (time/practice), life experience/opportunity (apprenticeship), purpose, and a community of support, Jerry Saville became a master folk artist.

A Case Study Of Preservice Teachers In An Associate Of Science Degree Early Childhood Teacher Education Program: Perceptions Of Professional Preparation, Tracy E. Sermon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of preservice students completing their associate’s degree (AS) in early childhood education (ECE). My intent was to discover, from the preservice teacher’s perspective, what skills and knowledge preservice students consider necessary to teach young children. I was also interested in how they viewed their professional preparation at the completion of their AS program.

The methods included participant interviews, documents and assignments completed by students, and program contextual data (faculty focus group and program documents). Seven themes were identified that represented the student’s perceptions of the skills and knowledge needed for …

Biopsychosocial Variables Predict Compensation And Medical Costs Of Radiofrequency Neurotomy In Utah Workers' Compensation Patients, Amie L. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Back pain is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat. There has been a great deal of research showing that back pain surgery is expensive, but less is known about the costs of less-invasive spine procedures such as radiofrequency neurotomy. Radiofrequency neurotomy is used to treat facet joint pain and typically offers temporary pain relief by coagulating the affected nerve with radiofrequency waves to block pain messages from reaching the brain. This study aimed to document the costs of radiofrequency neurotomy in a group of participants who received the procedure through the Workers’ Compensation Fund of Utah (WCFU). …