Digital Commons Network^™

Mother-Child Attachment And Preschool Behavior Problems In Children With Developmental Delays, Mary S. Lamont

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Secure mother-child attachment has been found to be an important factor in the healthy emotional development of children and has been shown to have effects on child, adolescent, and adult behavior. Previous research has primarily focused on attachment in children who are typically developing. However, little research has been conducted in populations of children with developmental delays. The research thus far has suggested that medical situations, child disabilities and maternal emotions may affect interaction patterns between the mother and the child which may in turn influence the security of the mother-child attachment in children with developmental delays. This study contributes …

The Effects Of Implementation Intentions On Volunteer Firefighter Exercise Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Study, Rodney L. Hammer

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study used a randomized control design to determine if an implementation intention intervention based on the Health Action Process Approach would increase exercise behavior in volunteer firefighters. One hundred forty-seven male and female volunteer firefighters from nine fire departments participated. The treatment group received a survey that prompted them to create exercise implementation intentions by describing "where," "when," and "how" they will exercise, while the control group survey included a general exercise message.

We hypothesized that the implementation intervention would increase exercise behavior while the general exercise message would have no effects on exercise, that earlier stage-of-change exercisers …

Outcomes And Predictive Correlates Of Injured Workers Who Have Undergone Percutaneous Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy Of The Spine, Tyler J. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Radiofrequency neurotomy is a pain intervention procedure designed to coagulate nerves that innervate a specific area of spinal vertebrae known as the facet joint. Despite moderate to strong research support for the efficacy of radiofrequency neurotomy to improve short-term subjective pain levels, much of the literature to date has used strict selection criteria and has not focused on functional and quality of life outcomes. Moreover, few studies have examined outcomes in worker's compensation patients or considered biopsychosocial predictive variables for the procedure. The current study aimed to characterize injured workers who have undergone radiofrequency neurotomy across a number of pre …

The Role Of Dopamine In Resistance To Change Of Operant Behavior, Stacey L. Quick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Psychological disorders such as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder involve atypically persistent behavior and atypical activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Behavioral momentum theory states that the persistence of behavior in a context is determined by the reinforcement received previously in that context. Contexts previously associated with higher rates of reinforcement yield greater persistence of behavior than contexts previously associated with lower rates of reinforcement. According to a prominent hypothesis in behavioral neuroscience, dopamine mediates the incentive salience of a stimulus. A synthesis of behavioral momentum theory and the incentive salience hypothesis proposes similar roles for dopamine activity …

Body Image Education As A Preventive Measure For Eating Disorders And Obesity In Ninth-Grade Students, Diana K. Keith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Obesity and eating disorders are major public health problems in the U.S. Prevention of these problems in childhood and adolescence is crucial to avoid medical complications and costs associated with these conditions. A growing body of research supports designing and implementing interventions to prevent obesity and eating disorders simultaneously by targeting common risk factors such as poor body image. This study explored the use of a body image education unit as a preventive measure for obesity and eating disorders. Ninth-grade students attending health class in a public school in Northern Utah (n = 117) were assigned to either an intervention …

Clarifying The Relationship Between Emotion Regulation, Gender, And Depression, Emi Sumida

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigates the relation between emotion regulation problems and clinical depression. One goal of the present study was to bring increased clarity and parsimony to how emotion regulation is presently measured by consolidating three widely used instruments. In addition, of interest was an investigation of whether particular emotion regulation problems and management strategies interact with gender to predict either severity of overall depression symptoms or the presence of a formal mood disorder diagnosis. The results clearly showed that irrespective of a person's gender, particular emotion regulation indicators, both singly, and in combination, are, indeed, more strongly related to the …

The Effects Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia On Social Competence: An Investigation Into The First Three Months Of Treatment, Rachel L. Duchoslav

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under 15 years of age. Despite a growing survival rate for childhood cancer, psychological research of this population has lagged behind medical advances in treatment. The research that does exist in the psycho-oncology literature is plagued with inconsistency in conclusions and methodological limitations. Focus has been given to measuring maladaptive symptoms with few firm conclusions. Conclusions in the area of social competence of children with cancer have been considerably more reliable than in other domains. Previous research suggests that children with cancer exhibit significant difficulties in the areas …

Detecting Malingering In Compensated Low Back Pain Patients: An Analog Study, Jennifer R. Grewe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Given the prevalence and cost of low back pain, particularly among workers' compensation patients, it is advantageous to understand how various psychological constructs may be related to prolonged disability and failure to return to work. Malingering is a psychological construct that is clearly relevant for worker compensation populations and is a construct that is well suited for experimental control within an analog study. Malingering is the intentional exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms that are motivated by external incentives such as time away from work. The ability to detect malingering in such a population with psychological assessments is unclear. An …

Latter-Day Saint Religiosity And Attitudes Towards Sexual Minorities, Cory John Myler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Existing research has revealed a robust relationship between high religiosity and negative attitudes towards sexual minorities. To date, however, there have been few studies investigating this relationship within the membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church). The unique history, doctrine, and organization of this religion, along with its large size, rapid growth, and sizable influence, indicate that a study of homophobia among church members will provide additional information about the relationship between religiosity and negative attitudes. These data will shed additional light on the make-up and nature of homophobia, offer insight into the relationship …

Finding, Nurturing, And Instilling Hope In Family Therapy, Joseph Daniel Tschudy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The development of a personal theory of therapy and change is an integral part of the training and educational philosophies of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Utah State University. This personal theory attempts to identify and explain each student's beliefs regarding the specific mechanisms by which change occurs, thus providing a therapeutic backbone from which one may integrate various interventions, ideas, concepts, and approaches to therapy. As one engages in the process of integration, it becomes critical for students to evaluate their performances. A thorough self-evaluation that includes the utilization of scientific methods leads to the development of …

What Impact Do Culturally Competent Teachers Have On The Social Inclusiveness Of Their Students?, Jacqueline Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study explored the social inclusiveness of classrooms with culturally competent teachers who were identified both by their participation in in-service diversity training and by principal nomination. The design of this study was primarily quantitative using a one-way ANOVA to analyze whether fourth and fifth grade students (N = 125) in classrooms with teachers identified as culturally competent are more inclusive in their mutual friendships than students (N = 117) in classrooms with not trained teachers at the same schools. Sociometric questionnaires were used to collect data on mutual friendships. Observations of students in lunchroom settings were also …

Relationship Between Cognitive Reserve And Rate Of Decline In Alzheimer’S Disease: A Population Study, Katherine Treiber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

According to the theory of cognitive reserve, cognitively enriching aspects of life experience (e.g., education, occupation, and leisure activity) foster the development of more efficient neural networks and cognitive strategies, enabling individuals to cope more effectively with the pathology of dementia. Using extant data from a population-based study, we examined: (1) the effect of reserve accrued through middle life on course of neuropsychological decline; and (2) the role of ongoing engagement in mentally stimulating leisure activities in rate of general cognitive and functional deterioration.

In linear mixed models, level of occupational attainment did not affect rate of cognitive or functional …

Students' Perceptions Of Coercion In Research, Azure L. Midzinski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine how students perceive the most common methods of recruitment for research participation, and whether these recruitment strategies are perceived by the participants to be coercive. Ethical research guidelines prohibit the use of coercion in recruiting participants. Previous studies in this area have either focused on the perceptions of the researchers, or have approached the concept of coercion in a limited way. This study treated coercion as a multidimensional construct and examined student perceptions. Additionally, participant responses indicated which recruitment practices resulted in a decision to participate in the research. Findings indicate that …

An Evaluation Of A Physical Activity-Based Residential Treatment Program, Eric Alan Mikkelsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated a physical activity-based residential treatment program. It explored the current literature on adolescent treatment implementing physical exercise with parental participation, specifically at residential treatment centers. While the current literature strongly supports physical exercise and family involvement in adolescent treatment, research on combining physical exercise with family involvement is insufficient at best.

The data were obtained from Telos Residential Treatment Center, an all-boys treatment program that incorporates a triathlon into their treatment curriculum and keeps pre- and posttest scores of the Youth Outcome Questionnaire for their students as well as completed questionnaires from students' parents. Research questions addressed …

Taiwanese Adolescent Psychosocial Development In Urban And Rural Areas, Chien-Ti Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate Taiwanese adolescent psychosocial development (i.e., autonomy and identity development) based on psychosocial theoretical models developed in western societies. Data were collected from both public senior high and vocational high schools in both urban and rural areas in Taiwan. Adolescent participants, with an average age of 17 years old, included 447 (about 54% were females) from urban areas, and 702 (62% were females) from rural areas. The results of this study revealed that Taiwanese adolescents from both urban and rural areas were similar to adolescent developmental ranges suggested in western theories. There were …

Commitment, Rituals, And Initiator Tendency In Married Couples, April Bakker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine and make explicit the relationships between commitment, rituals, and initiator tendency. Past research and theory suggests that these ideas are related. Two research questions guided the study: (1) How are initiator tendency and the number of rituals a couple participates in related to the commitment style?, and (2) How are initiator tendency and the meaningfulness of rituals related to commitment style?

Data were obtained from 55 couples who completed a questionnaire to measure participation and meaningfulness of rituals, initiator tendency, and commitment. Final analyses were performed with only 39 of these couples …

Arterial Oxygen Saturation As A Predictor Of Acute Mountain Sickness And Summit Success Among Mountianeers, Jonathan R. Knott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine if arterial oxygen saturation (SaO₂), as measured by a finger pulse oximeter upon rapid arrival to 4260 m, could be predictive of acute mountain sickness (AMS) or summit success on a climb to 5640 m. In total 73 climbers volunteered to participate in the study. After excluding those taking drugs to counteract the effects of AMS and those with missing data, 48 participants (45 male, 3 female) remained. Climbers were transported from 2650 m to the Piedra Grande hut at 4260 m on Pico de Orizaba within 2 hr. After …

Static Versus Dynamic Stretching Effect On Agility Performance, Patrick Troumbley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare effects of static and dynamic stretching on explosive agility movements, and to examine the effect of the interaction of dynamic and static stretching prior to explosive agility movements. Fourteen men and 10 women performed the different warm-up protocols, including no warm-up (NWU), static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS), and dynamic stretching with static stretching (DS+SS). The T-Drill was used to assess agility. The results indicated no difference between the NWU and SS conditions (effect size = 0.40, p = 0.06), as well as no significant difference between the NWU and DS+SS conditions …

Language Brokering In Latino Families: Direct Observations Of Brokering Patterns, Parent-Child Interactions, And Relationship Quality, Kee J. E. Straits

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With the growing percentage of immigrant families in the USA, language transition is a common immigrant experience and can occur rapidly from generation to generation within a family. Child language brokering appears to occur within minority language families as one way of negotiating language and cultural differences; however, the phenomenon of children translating or mediating language interactions for parents has previously been hypothesized to contribute to negative outcomes for children, such as role-reversals and parentification, emotional distancing and lack of communication, increased parent-child conflict, and increased internalizing/externalizing disorders. The current study used direct observations of 60 Spanish-speaking parent-child dyads (30 …

The Evolution And Implementation Of An Integrated Approach To Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: A Case Study, Heather Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are a number of advantages to working within an integrated model framework when doing family therapy; however, few therapists test what they articulate as their model against what they really do. The purpose of this study was to test how well one therapist practiced her explicated theoretical integration in a clinical setting. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to answer three research questions: the level of adherence to the integration, client change, and change within the integrated model over the course of the study. The sample included three couples; data from 25 video-coded sessions, the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale …

Parenting Practices And Child Mental Health Among Spanish Speaking Latino Families: Examining The Role Of Parental Cultural Values, Melissa Renee Donovick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate observed parenting practices among first-generation Spanish-speaking Latinos living in Utah. Participants included 50 families with a child between the ages of 4 and 9. Parents and their child engaged in a behavioral observational task that was coded for parenting dimensions and styles to determine if they predict child outcomes among Latino families. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess for behavioral problems. Observations were coded using the Parenting Scale, developed specifically for this study. In general, parents received high ratings on warmth and demandingness, and lower ratings on autonomy granting. Parenting …

Examination Of The Relationship Between Perfectionism And Religiosity As Mediated By Psychological Inflexibility, Jesse M. Crosby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between perfectionism and religiosity is clarified when the adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of both constructs are compared. Literature in both areas implicates the idea of a rigid and inflexible personality style as a possible mediator in the relationship. This investigation examined the relationship of perfectionism and religiosity, using adaptive and maladaptive dimensions, as mediated by psychological inflexibility.

Measures of perfectionism, religiosity, and psychological inflexibility were given to 376 undergraduate college students in an anonymous online survey. Adaptive perfectionism was found to be significantly correlated with adaptive religiosity. Maladaptive perfectionism was found to be significantly correlated with maladaptive religiosity. …

The Relationship Between Premarital Advice, Expectations And Marital Satisfaction, Cicile M. Rios

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the significance between advice, marital expectations, and marital satisfaction. This study also explored the sources couples use to gather information, or rather where they receive premarital advice, and if it was helpful. Included in this study were husbands (n = 56) and wives (n = 56) who had been married less than one year, to classify them as newlyweds. The relationship between sources of information and expectations was found to be highly significant for variables related to family of origin. It was also found that a high percentage of couples …

Learning Ability And Factors Influencing Nest Establishment Of The Solitary Bees Osmia Lignaria And Megachile Rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), Cory A. Vorel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the last several decades, the use of solitary bees as an alternative to honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) for pollination of commercial crops has increased, in part as a response to ongoing problems faced by commercial honey bee populations. Two solitary bee species have exhibited great commercial potential: the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria Say, and the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). However, growth of O. lignaria and M. rotundata populations is limited in commercial systems, mainly due to low establishment of females at provided nesting sites, possibly due to mortality, dispersal, or other causes. …

Distributed Renewable Energy Generation And Landscape Architecture: A Critical Review, Osmer Devon Beck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Governments and utility organizations around the world have mandated and provided incentives for new distributed renewable energy generation (DREG) capacity, and market projections indicate strong growth in distributed renewable energy generation installations in the coming years. New distributed renewable energy generation utilities, by definition, will be primarily located in built environments near consumers; these utilities are often planned and designed by landscape architects, yet no evidence-based, distributed renewable energy generation research is explicitly done by landscape architects or recognizes the role landscape architects play in planning and designing these spaces. The research and analysis provided by this study indicates that …

A Comparative Study To Identify Factors Affecting Adoption Of Soil And Water Conservation Practices Among Smallhold Farmers In The Njoro River Watershed Of Kenya, Steven P. Huckett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural resource conservation is important for human well-being, especially in fragile environments of developing countries. This study occurred in 2006 among 6,500 smallhold farmers residing along a 25-km segment of a heavily utilized river. Research objectives were to determine use and adoption constraints for 14 soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs). Farms were reportedly contributing to a decline in river water quality via soil erosion. Recent occupation of the upper watershed by immigrants magnified concerns that resource degradation could escalate. A multi-method approach incorporating quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and participant observation was used to interpret constraining factors within the biophysical …

Nga Whaiora Tikanga Roanga: Māori Views Of Health In Utah, Sydney H. Davies

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study looked at the health beliefs of Māori who live in Utah, U.S. and examined what ways those beliefs have evolved from traditional Māori health beliefs. It also looked at the conditions and indicators of those conditions that maintain those health beliefs. A New Zealand study found that Māori older than age 45 years were more likely to have traditional health beliefs, whereas Māori younger than age 45 were more likely to have western-based health beliefs. Using grounded theory, the narratives—from two groups, younger or older than 45 years, where each group was composed of eight randomly selected participants—were …

The Effects Of Pedagogical Agents On Mathematics Anxiety And Mathematics Learning, Quan Wei

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the mathematics anxiety treatment messages in a computer-based environment on ninth-grade students' mathematics anxiety and mathematics learning. The study also examined whether the impact of the treatment messages would be differentiated by learner's gender and by learner's prior mathematics anxiety levels (High vs. Medium vs. Low). Participants were 161 ninth-grade students, who took a required introductory algebra class in a public high school neighboring Utah State University. The learning environment was integrated with a pedagogical agent (animated human-like character) as a tutor. This study employed a pretest and posttest …

The Ability Of The Coping Competence Questionnaire To Predict Resilience Against Learned Helplessness Among Undergraduate College Students: An Experimental Study, Cindy L. Ollis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Coping Competence Questionnaire (CCQ), based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, was designed to assess a general stress resistance versus a propensity towards learned helplessness with a brief, 12-item self-report questionnaire. In this study the CCQ was administered to 247 undergraduate students, who were then paired, in groups of around 24 at a time, and then randomly assigned to either success or failure conditions on the computer game TetraVex. Mood was pretested using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) depression subscale; the experimental condition, success or failure at TetraVex was conducted; then outcome measures including 20 five letter anagrams …

Depression Detection In Hospitalized Cardiac Patients, Martine S. Geddes

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Depression has been shown to increase an individual's risk for heart disease. Despite this finding, physicians are not identifying depression in their hospitalized cardiac patients. This study looked at hospitalized cardiac patients and determined whether their physicians were identifying depression in those that scored ≥ 5 on the PHQ-9 depression inventory. Methods included assessing patient depression during their stay at an intensive care unit using the PHQ-9. Those patients scoring ≥ 5 were determined as depressed. Chart audits were performed after the patient discharged from the hospital to discover whether physicians were identifying these patients as depressed. The results showed …