Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Parenting Style And Child Behavior Problems: A Longitudinal Analysis, Margaret H. Young

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Data from the National Survey of Children were used to study the relationships between children's perceptions of parental support and control and measures of self-esteem and behavior problems over time. Data were collected in 1976, when the children were aged 7-11; 1981, when the children were in their early to mid teens (age 12 to 16); and 1987, when the children were in their late teens and early 20s (age 17 to 22). Parenting measures, based on children's reports, were developed for each wave from items included in the data; constructed variables measuring self-esteem and internal and external expressions of …

Parent-Adolescent Communication And Adolescents' Sexual Intentions, Julie A. Bullen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study investigated the quality and quantity of sexual communication between teens and parents in relation to the teens' sexual intentions. Perceptions about communication were examined of parents and adolescents of both genders separately. Both same- and cross-gender effects of parental communication on adolescent sexual intent ions were explored. Approximately 290 families (target teen and parent) were measured in pre- and posttests. Parents perceived higher quality communication with teens than teens did, but not necessarily more frequent sexual communication. As teens' perceptions of quality of communication with mother and father went up, teens' sexual intentions went down. The higher sons' …

Agency Policies And Personnel Attitudes Toward Adolescent Fathers, Sandra Gunderson Warner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescent parenting research has typically focused on the mother and ignored the father. Researchers have suggested that adolescent fathers are disregarded as the child's other parent because their parenting role is devalued. An emerging body of literature indicates that adolescent fathers are excluded from the pregnancy and parenting services provided to adolescent mothers because they are viewed as unnecessary to the parenting process and unimportant to the child's development. Moreover, researchers have alleged that service providers treat adolescent fathers as outcasts based on stereotypical beliefs that they are uncaring, irresponsible victimizers who disappear at the first mention of pregnancy. However, …

The Play Of Visually Impaired Preschoolers With Their Mothers, Claudia Weber

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis answers the following questions: (a) Is the Play Assessment Scale a true measure of development? (b) Does the mother have a significant, positive influence on the child's level of development? (c) Does the mother's interactional style influence the child's development as measured by the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory? The subjects were 13 visually impaired preschoolers. Development was measured with the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Maternal interactional style was assessed with the Parent/Caregiver Involvement Scale. The study indicated that the Play Assessment Scale is a valid, reliable measure of development in …

Knowledge Of Infant/Toddler Development Among Low-Income Families, Ann B. Parkinson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pretest data from a two-year project entitled "An Early Intervention Program for Parents of Young Children at-Risk" were collected and analyzed, in a sample of 2,191 low-income parents, for Head Start participation and baseline information. Respondents participating in the sample were from the states of California, Delaware, Nevada, South Carolina, and Utah. For their participation in the study, respondents received a free subscription to age-paced newsletters, which contained information about appropriate growth expectancies, nutrition, and guidance for their child of 36 months or younger. Newsletters were mailed monthly to parents who had children 12 months and younger and every other …

Profiles And Trends In Catholic Interfaith Marriages In Utah, Deborah Brown Ascione

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of interfaith marriage. It is a comparative study using archival data. Utah Catholic interfaith marriage trends over 31 years were compared with three other Catholic dioceses in the United States similar in size or in other demographic characteristics. Results indicate that Utah is not atypical in its intermarriage patterns.

In addition, a micro-level analysis of Catholic interfaith marriages at three points in time was conducted for the Diocese of Salt Lake alone. Statistical analysis employed primarily measures of central tendency. Results indicate that Catholics intermarrying in Utah are older than …

Sunday Time Use Among Lds Adolescents, C. Lewis Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine a sample of LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) adolescents from 9th - 12th grade to analyze how they spend their time on a given Sunday. The intent of the paper was to determine if adolescent time use was influenced by such independent variable as gender, age, living arrangements, work, school, perceptions of their family, and what time of the day the youth attend Sunday meetings on a specific Sunday. A questionnaire was given to 272 students who attend released school time seminary at a particular high school in Utah. …

Day-Specific Time Use By Underachieving Adolescents, Dorothy Jean Cassingham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The data for this study were obtained in October 1989 through the use of a 128-item questionnaire given to students attending an alternative high school in Ogden, Utah. The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was included as part of the questionnaire. A total of 166 usable questionnaires were received from the students.

The objectives of this research were to determine if relationships between self-esteem, race, gender, and religion and time use could be detected in at-risk adolescents. The data collected indicate that self-esteem, religion, gender, and race have only slight significance upon the self-reported time use of the alternative high school student. …

Enhancing Female Adolescent Identity Development Through Ideological Perspective-Taking Training: A Replication And Extension Study, Deborah Lynn Huston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ideological perspective-taking training on female identity development. The primary hypothesis of the study was that those subjects engaged in the training sessions would show advancement in identity development that exceeded that of normal adolescent development. Ninety-eight subjects were pretested for the study. Attrition due to elimination during prescreening and failure to complete the training phase of the study left 50 subjects. Participants were assigned to a treatment group, an engaged control group, or a maturational control group. Both the treatment and engaged control groups participated in two sessions a …

An Investigation Of Stability, Change, And Observed Associations During Infant-Mother Face-To-Face Interaction, Sarah Elizabeth Gable

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers of social development during infancy have long viewed social competence as a reflection of the infant's experiences during early social interactions. In this context of social interaction, the infant's earliest developmental task involves the ability to regulate arousal; with continued development and the accumulation of interactional experiences, the infant takes a more active role as an initiator/elicitor of interaction. A particularly salient type of social exchange during infancy occurs when mother and infant engage in face-to-face interaction. Consequently, it was the goal of this study to examine maternal and infant behavior in the context of face-to-face interaction in order …

Perceptions Of Menstruation As An Indicator Of Stereotypic Beliefs Within Marriage, Debra L. Caswell-Madsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research examined husband and wife attitudes toward menstruation and how these attitudes related to certain behaviors within marriage. The sample consisted of 48 Married couples, some living in Davis, California and some living in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Specifically, four objectives were pursued:

1. Assess husbands' and wives' perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
2. Assess husbands' and wives' attitudes toward menstruation.
3. Examine how husband's and wives' attitudes toward menstruation might be associated with perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
4. Examine how wives' perceptions of differences in behavior over …

Parental And Teacher Expectations For Kindergarten Preparation And Priorities For Kindergarten Curricula, Kimberly Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Participants for this investigation were 146 kindergarten teachers and 436 parents of kindergarteners in Davis and Weber School Districts. Self-administered questionnaires were utilized, 1) to determine if teachers, mothers and fathers believe that parents could do more to prepare children for kindergarten, 2) to delineate what each group believes parents can do, 3) to investigate what mothers and fathers have done in preparing their children for kindergarten, 4) to explore what skills teachers, mothers and fathers credit as most important for children to possess upon kindergarten entry, and 5) to examine what skills these three groups feel should be emphasized …

The Effects Of A Social Skills Training Program On Interpersonal Communications In Parent Adolescent Dyads, Patrick Sean Noble

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis was two fold. First, there was an experiment in which the independent variable was the behavioral skill levels of parents and their adolescents on a social skills training program and the dependent variable was the parent and adolescent perceptions of their interpersonal relationship regarding communication and problem solving. Second, there was an experiment comparing instructional styles wherein the independent variable was the length of time used to present the social skills training program and the dependent variable was the resulting scores on the behavioral measures of the program. A modified pretest -post-test control group design …

Decisions Of Pregnant Adolescents As They Affect Later Well-Being, Myra Lynch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of family life presently experienced by women who were premaritally pregnant as teenagers. Self-esteem and general life satisfaction were measured in order to evaluate the results of pregnancy decisions made five to 10 years earlier. A survey design was used to (1) obtain demographic data, (2) analyze the relationships between these women and their parents, (3) determine the level and type of education completed by the women, (4) compare mothers who married before the birth of the child, single mothers, and mothers releasing their children for adoption on many variables …

Self Esteem And Adolescent Sexual Attitudes And Behavior, Roger B. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to determine; (1) if adolescent self esteem is related to premarital sexual attitudes and intercourse behavior; (2) if religious affiliation and church attendance affect the relationship between adolescent self esteem and premarital sexual attitudes and behavior. Approximately 2400 adolescents residing in California, New Mexico, and Utah comprised the sample.

Adolescents who attended church services more often reported less sexually permissive attitudes and behavior than those who attended church less often. Similarly, Mormons' premarital sexual attitudes and behavior was more conservative than was the case for non-Mormon adolescents. Findings indicated that the nature of the relationship between …

A Comparison Of Traditional Preschool And Computer Play From A Social/Cognitive Perspective, Jeanne M. Hoover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Twenty females and twenty-three males from the Utah State University Children's House participated in this study which compared traditional preschool play with computer play. The Parten/Smilansky nested social/cognitive play hierarchy was used. Sociometric and cognitive assessments were incorporated in order to more clearly define behaviors. Five types of play were observed: computer, art, locks, manipulative toys, and the dramatic area.

No gender differences were found in terms of the amount of time or type of play at the computer. However, sociometric status did influence computer play. Children who engaged in more positive social interactions used the computer constructively, while those …

A Look At Some Grandfather Intergenerational Relationships As Perceived By Their Adult Children, Leonard E. Stout

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of grandfather's relationships with his adult child and their oldest child. A questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data, determine some personality and interaction patterns that can be observed as the male adult develops in the parent and grandparent roles, and examine how specific variables affect grandfather relationships and behavior. Data were gathered from 165 Utah State University students and their spouses, of which over 75% belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The results support good intergenerational relationships. Proximity of grandfather and extended family members was …

The Use Of Social Science By The United States Supreme Court In Cases Raising Husband-Wife And Parent-Child Legal Issues, James R. Tanner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research provides a descriptive study of the use of social science research contained in reported decisions of the United States Supreme Court. The cases were selected from case abstracts contained in two U.S. Supreme Court digests. The author relied on the court reporter's arrangement of abstracts of case decisions (sorted by substantive areas of the law) to identify relevant cases presenting issues of parent -child and husband-wife relations.

The following substantive areas were initially selected using this method: abortion, adultery and fornication, adoption, immigration, exclusion and deportation, bigamy, bastards, dower, death, domicil, divorce and separation, guardian and ward, homestead, …

Planned Parenthood And Fertility, Illegitimacy, And Abortion Rates In The State Of Utah, Wayne W. Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was not to judge the rightness or wrongness of Planned Parenthood. It is an empirical question to ask what influence, if any, Planned Parenthood has had on reproductive behavior in the State of Utah. This was accomplished by gathering data from each county in the State of Utah from 1970 to 1979. The data gathered were for the five dependent variables of General Fertility, General Abortion, General Illegitimacy, Teen Fertility and Teen Illegitimacy. A mean rate for each county and variable was computed. Each county was also weighed per population so as to give counties …

When The Children Are Gone: Changes In Mental Health And Marital Relations During The Transition To Postparenthood, Kenneth Holland Cannon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A longitudinal research design was used to determine if parents' personal well-being or marital relations changed after the launching of the youngest child and what variales might affect these potential changes.

Eighty-nine parents whose youngest child was a senior at Logan High School or Sky View High School responded to mail-out questionnaires, assessing parents general well-being, marital relations, marital companionship, personal stress, quality of parenting experiences and degree of parent-child conflict. Approximately one year later, a second questionnaire was sent and twenty-three of the parents who responded had launched their youngest child.

One of the most striking aspects of the …

Birth Order And Its Effect On The Attainment Of The Eagle Scout Status, Kevin Randy Moesser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of birth order on achievement have been under investigation continually resulting in reported prominence of first born children in various areas of achievement. The purpose of this study was to provide further investigation into the effects of birth order on the achievement hypothesis using the attainment of the Eagle Scout Award as the dependent variable. Five hypotheses were formulated from a review of literature which included: (1) boys in the first born position are more likely to attain the Eagle Scout Award than boys in later born positions, (2) family income is associated with attaining the Eagle Scout …

Grandfather: An Intergenerational View, Norma P. Johnston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of grandfather in the lives of his adolescent grandchildren. A survey design was used to (1) obtain demographic data, (2) determine how the two generations perceive each other, (3) identify the types and frequencies of interaction between grandfathers and their adolescent grandchildren, and (4) compare the conceptions of an ideal grandfather by the two classes of subjects. Data were gathered from 47 adolescents and their 61 grandfathers. Most of the subjects were from the dominant religion in the Wasatch front area.

The results confirm a viable adolescent grandchild/grandfather relationship. Residential …

The Micro-Characteristics Of Adult-Neonate Social Interaction, Ann Marie Berghout-Austin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In order to dissect social behaviors into their smallest components, five interactions, each involving one neonate and one adult, were video taped and kinescoped into 16mm black and white film exposed at 24 frames per second. The film was analyzed frame by frame and all starts, stops, and changes in direction of movements were scored. Adult movement durations were significantly shorter during vocalization and longer during nonvocalization. Each infant and adult body part had its own characteristic movement rate. Almost two-thirds of the dyadic movements were interactionally synchronous and most of the synchronization occurred during vocalization. It is suggested that …

Children's Attitudes Toward The Dental Experience, Tom Leo Day

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of children toward the dental visit. A group of children who had undergone dental treatment with the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen served as the experimental group while children who had received dental treatment without the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen served as the control group. Attitudes toward the dental experience among these two groups were compared to determine any differences or similarities due to the type of treatment used. Data were also collected on the parents of the children to determine whether the child's attitude toward the dental visit tended to …

Decision Making In Two Types Of Working Families, Nancy Ann Bueche

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate actual decision making in two types of families in which both spouses worked and their perceptions of decision making responsibility in the ideal family. The two family types were composed of (1) Professional wives with professional husbands; and (2) nonprofessional wives with nonprofessional husbands.

Questionnaires were completed by 34 professional couples and 63 nonprofessional couples who resided in Flint, Michigan during the fall of 1976. Factor analyses were completed on the husbands' and wives' self reported responses to questions concerning who should make decisions in the ideal family and who actually mode …

Age And Sex As Influences On The Food Preferences Of Preschool Children, Tish Wilson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A descriptive -exploratory study on the influences of age and sex on the food preferences of preschool children was undertaken to add to the knowledge of the effects of self-selection on the foods chosen and the order in which they were eaten.

Twenty-eight preschool children (fourteen two-year-olds and fourteen four and one-half-year-olds) were given two trials in which they named, selected, and ate foods from a predetermined array of seven food items.

The results indicate that there is a difference in the order in which the children of this study ate the food items. Both age groups selected candy first, …