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Brigham Young University

2009

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Articles 1 - 30 of 159

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Transparency And City Government Communications, Jennalande Oswald Dec 2009

Transparency And City Government Communications, Jennalande Oswald

Theses and Dissertations

This study expresses the need for a communications model created specifically for government communications that is centered on the concept of transparency. However, it also recognizes the previous research done pertaining to government communications and public relations. Importantly, the study recognizes the lack of trust in American government at city, state and federal levels and the need to improve trust, which is very closely related to transparency. The study focuses primarily on a model created in 2007 called the three-dimensional model for government communications. The model has four parts: the base of the model is the need to value transparency; …

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Division Of Household Labor: Changes Over The Course Of The Marital Relationship, Christopher W. Matteson Dec 2009

Division Of Household Labor: Changes Over The Course Of The Marital Relationship, Christopher W. Matteson

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has established the influence of the division of household labor between spouses on marital satisfaction, as well as the mental health of each spouse. Less is known about how the division of labor changes during the course of marriage. The family development perspective suggests that division of labor will change in response to different stages and circumstances, while the homeostasis perspective suggests that the division of labor will remain stable throughout the life course. This study used data from a 35 year longitudinal study of married women to examine changes of household division of labor over the life …

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Acoustic Mediation Of Vocalized Emotion Identification: Do Decoders Identify Emotions Idiographically Or Nomothetically?, Michael Kenneth Lauritzen Dec 2009

Acoustic Mediation Of Vocalized Emotion Identification: Do Decoders Identify Emotions Idiographically Or Nomothetically?, Michael Kenneth Lauritzen

Theses and Dissertations

Most research investigating vocal expressions of emotion has focused on one or more of three questions: whether there exist unique acoustic profiles of individual encoded emotions, whether the nature of emotion expression is universal across cultures, and how accurately decoders can identify expressed emotions. This dissertation begins to answer a fourth question, whether there exist unique patterns in the types of acoustic properties persons focus on to identify vocalized emotions. Three hypotheses were tested: first, whether acoustic patterns are interpreted idiographically or nomothetically as reflected in a comparison of individual vs. group lens model identification ratios; second, whether there exists …

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Measuring Marriage Or Measuring Individuals: An Ontological Analysis Of Marital Therapy Outcome Measures, Joseph Andrew Ostenson Dec 2009

Measuring Marriage Or Measuring Individuals: An Ontological Analysis Of Marital Therapy Outcome Measures, Joseph Andrew Ostenson

Theses and Dissertations

Many scholars have noted the pervasiveness of individualism in American culture, particularly in the marriage culture. Unfortunately, assuming individualism in the marriage culture poses very specific threats to marriage as an institution. Some claim that these individualistic assumptions have also infiltrated the marital sciences, undermining the efforts of researchers who hope to defend marriage. This dissertation explores that claim by analyzing seven of the most popular marital outcome instruments used by marital researchers today for individualistic assumptions. Using a conceptual analysis called "contrasting relations," the meanings of both the content and the process of the instruments are laid out according …

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Facilitating The Generalization Of Social Skills With Bibliotherapy And Positive Peer Reporting, Angelina C. Krieger Dec 2009

Facilitating The Generalization Of Social Skills With Bibliotherapy And Positive Peer Reporting, Angelina C. Krieger

Theses and Dissertations

Social competence is needed for interaction among peers, teachers, and families in order for children to be successful in school. Children enter school with various levels of social competence. Social skills training is an effective method for building social skills; however, many programs fail to generalize these skills across settings and time. This study investigated the effects of a social skills training intervention for first and second grade students with emotional and behavioral problems. The intervention blended direct instruction, role-plays, and children's literature, with peers supporting both the acquisition and generalization of the social skills through positive peer reporting (PPR) …

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Revisiting The Personal Influence Model As An Ethical Standard In Public Relations Theory And Practice, Rita Somfai Dec 2009

Revisiting The Personal Influence Model As An Ethical Standard In Public Relations Theory And Practice, Rita Somfai

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to better understand the importance and application of the personal influence model in relationship building between organizations and public decision makers. The personal influence model was added by Sriramesh and Grunig (1992) as a potential fifth model to Grunig and Hunt's (1984) four models of public relations practice (as cited by Grunig in Heath, 2007); however, this essential relationship building approach has not been examined in the public relations literature as it could have been. Scholarly research since the addition of the personal influence model has mostly occurred in Asia and India. Studies on the topic have …

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College Students And Stress Management: Utilizing Biofeedback And Relaxation Skills Training, Shannon Jones Anstead Dec 2009

College Students And Stress Management: Utilizing Biofeedback And Relaxation Skills Training, Shannon Jones Anstead

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of biofeedback and relaxation skills training to help alleviate college students' stress symptoms. Data was collected from 659 full-time college students who attended a total of 1,170 biofeedback sessions over the course of two years. Results of the study indicated that the top three stress-related symptoms students experienced were (a) feeling overwhelmed, (b) feeling anxious, and (c) difficulty concentrating. Furthermore, the top three stressors rated by students were (a) too much to do, (b) homework, and (c) classes and school. In addition, the top three coping strategies utilized by students to manage …

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Has The Marital Time Cost Of Parenting Changed Over Time?, Jeffrey P. Dew Dec 2009

Has The Marital Time Cost Of Parenting Changed Over Time?, Jeffrey P. Dew

Faculty Publications

Qualitative and quantitative research has suggested that married couples handle the increasing demands of intensive parenting norms and work expectations by reducing spousal time (e.g., the time that spouses spend alone with each other). Using nationally representative time-diary data, this study examined whether married individuals with children at home lost more spousal time in the years 1975–2003 than individuals without children at home. The analyses showed that on average married individuals have reduced their spousal time by 50 minutes a day. Contrary to expectations, however, individuals with minor children at home had lower time declines than individuals without children. The …

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Treatment Of Late-Life Insomnia, Christina S. Mccrae Phd, Joseph M. Dzierzewski Ms, Daniel Kay Dec 2009

Treatment Of Late-Life Insomnia, Christina S. Mccrae Phd, Joseph M. Dzierzewski Ms, Daniel Kay

Faculty Publications

Insomnia, defined as difficulty initiating and/or maintaining sleep at least 3 nights/week that is accompanied by complaints of sleep-related daytime impairment 1, 2, is the most common sleep disturbance in later life. Although insomnia can occur as an acute disorder (7 days or less), older adults are often afflicted with chronic insomnia (12 months or more3 ). Additionally, insomnia in older individuals is most frequently co-morbid in nature, occurring in the context of age-related medical/psychiatric conditions, increased medication usage, and/or polypharmacy. This chapter will focus on the conceptualization, assessment and treatment of late-life insomnia from a behavioral sleep medicine perspective. …

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The Sound-Symbolic Expression Of Animacy In Amazonian Ecuador, Janis B. Nuckolls Dec 2009

The Sound-Symbolic Expression Of Animacy In Amazonian Ecuador, Janis B. Nuckolls

Faculty Publications

Several anthropologists of Amazonian societies in Ecuador have claimed that for Achuar [1] and Quichua speaking Runa [2,3,4] there is no fundamental distinction between humans on the one hand, and plants and animals on the other. A related observation is that Runa and Achuar people share an animistic cosmology whereby animals, plants, and even seemingly inert entities such as rocks and stones are believed to have a life force or essence with a subjectivity that can be expressed. This paper will focus on Quichua speaking Runa to seek linguistic evidence for animacy by examining the sound-symbolic properties of a class …

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Topicalization In Malagasy: Effects Of Teaching Malagasy As A Topic Language, Jeremy D. Workman Nov 2009

Topicalization In Malagasy: Effects Of Teaching Malagasy As A Topic Language, Jeremy D. Workman

Theses and Dissertations

This study discusses teaching Malagasy as a second language. Malagasy is the native language spoken on the island of Madagascar. Traditionally, Malagasy has been taught as a language that is similar to English in the way that it uses active and passive voice constructions. However, most native-English students struggle to produce native-like utterances using non-active voice constructions in Malagasy. Recent studies have suggested that Malagasy more closely relates to Germanic V2 languages than it does to English (Pearson 2005, Hyams et al. 2006). This might explain why students taught Malagasy as an English-like language struggle. This study compares the relative …

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The Efficacy Of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback On Intermediate-High Esl Learners' Writing Accuracy, Soon Yeun Lee Nov 2009

The Efficacy Of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback On Intermediate-High Esl Learners' Writing Accuracy, Soon Yeun Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of dynamic written corrective feedback (DWCF) on intermediate-high students' writing accuracy when compared to a traditional grammar instruction approach. DWCF is an innovative written corrective feedback method that requires a multifaceted process and interaction between the teacher and the students in order to help the students improve their writing accuracy. The central principle of DWCF is that feedback should be manageable, meaningful, timely, and constant. The research question was raised based on the positive effects of DWCF found in advanced-low and advanced-mid proficiency level students (Evans et al., in press; Evans, Hartshorn, & Strong-Krause, 2009; …

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Mothers' Perceptions Of Website Information In Solving Behavioral Problems In Children With Disabilities, Heather Collins Nov 2009

Mothers' Perceptions Of Website Information In Solving Behavioral Problems In Children With Disabilities, Heather Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the needs of mothers in regard to designing an educational website for parents/caregivers of children with disabilities. This research was designed to provide information to inform outreach efforts of Brigham Young University's Family HOPE (Happiness, Optimism, Promise, and Excellence) Project. This project assists families struggling with child behavior problems. Results from this study provided an initial understanding of the potential for a website to offer support to families not directly served through the Family HOPE project. Participants included 26 adult females, 25 mothers and one female caregiver. Each participant was the primary caregiver of a child with …

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You Don't Know Jack: The Dynamics Of Mormon Religious/Ethnic Identity, Michael R. Cope Nov 2009

You Don't Know Jack: The Dynamics Of Mormon Religious/Ethnic Identity, Michael R. Cope

Theses and Dissertations

For much of human existence identity was ascribed based on the group one was born into. In such cultures all aspects of social life were fused into one incontrovertible identity: group identity. However as modern mindsets took root individuals began to shift the foundation of meaning and identity away from the fixed focal point of the group to one of personal preference. In response to this modern trend many groups began to intensify the maintenance of group identity as paramount in the lives of group members. Hammond and Warner (1993) assert that a powerful mechanism for sustaining group identity is …

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Developing And Studying The Effectiveness Of Efr Annotations For Chinese Language Learners, Amber Marie Chen Nov 2009

Developing And Studying The Effectiveness Of Efr Annotations For Chinese Language Learners, Amber Marie Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This project is intended to take the film To Live, directed by Zhang Yimou, and apply the Electronic Film Review (EFR) approach to it in a Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) setting. The Electronic Film Review project, developed by Alan K. Melby, is aimed at providing a superior language learning experience for Americans learning Chinese. Using feature films as a teaching tool has been found to stimulate and motivate students to achieve higher language levels, but in order for optimal learning to occur the material must be challenging yet accessible to the student. Most feature films, by themselves, …

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Emerging Adulthood In India, Liann Nicole Seiter Nov 2009

Emerging Adulthood In India, Liann Nicole Seiter

Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores the nature of emerging adulthood in Southern India. Survey data was collected from 450 college students in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and 100 non-students from rural villages surrounding Coimbatore. Unlike American samples, the majority of the 18- to 26-year-olds studied felt that they had achieved adulthood. The sample emphasized attributes needed to fulfill family roles as characteristics necessary for adulthood. Differences in optimism levels were found between students and non-students. Arnett suggests that emerging adulthood would be affected by cultural influences. The unique cultural and structural influences in India such as, Hinduism, caste, gendered socialization, and the …

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Media Use And Body Image Among Senior Participants Of The World Senior Games, Lisa Nicole Harding Nov 2009

Media Use And Body Image Among Senior Participants Of The World Senior Games, Lisa Nicole Harding

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between media use and body image in senior citizens. This study specifically targeted older people who participate in regular physical activity. Seniors participating in the 2006 Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah were surveyed concerning current body image and total media use. The sample included 691 participants. Lower body image scores were recorded among seniors who watched greater amounts of television. Magazine readership and body image displayed no relationship among men or women. Total media use did not influence body image scores among seniors. Male participants exhibited a …

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Perceptions Of School Civility: A Survey Of School Of Education Alumni, Keely Marie Swanson Nov 2009

Perceptions Of School Civility: A Survey Of School Of Education Alumni, Keely Marie Swanson

Theses and Dissertations

Very little empirical data exists on the topic of civility in schools, although much theory and philosophy are proffered in the literature. Literature on moral education and character education also informs the study of civility. Many of the philosophical theories mention education as a way of increasing civility in society. Some schools have attempted to implement various civility interventions and research supports the use of similar interventions to teach social skills; however, none have systematically collected data for these interventions to evaluate their effectiveness for teaching civility. The present research systematically gathered data on perceptions of civility and incivility in …

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The Moderating Effect Of Adult Attachment Style In The Intergenerational Transmission Of Aggression In Marriage, Faith Rebekah Torres Nov 2009

The Moderating Effect Of Adult Attachment Style In The Intergenerational Transmission Of Aggression In Marriage, Faith Rebekah Torres

Theses and Dissertations

Aggression in the context of marriage and family is a common and serious issue in therapy with couples and families. While it is known that aggression may be transferred across generations, the exact mechanism for how it is transmitted is not fully understood. This study presents adult attachment style as a moderator through which the relationship between family of origin aggression and marital aggression is developed. The present study examined Relationship Evaluation (RELATE) questionnaire data for 332 individuals. Anxious and avoidant attachment were examined as potential moderators between family of origin (FOO) physical aggression or parental hostile conflict style and …

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A Comparison Study Between Instructional And Transformational Leadership Theories: Effects On Student Achievement And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Ryan Hamilton Shatzer Nov 2009

A Comparison Study Between Instructional And Transformational Leadership Theories: Effects On Student Achievement And Teacher Job Satisfaction, Ryan Hamilton Shatzer

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the impact that school leaders have on teacher job satisfaction and student achievement. The threefold purpose of this study was to (1) compare transformational and instructional leadership theories, (2) examine the unique impact that school leaders have on student achievement and teacher job satisfaction after controlling for school context and principal demographics, and (3) find which specific leadership practices are associated with increased student achievement and teacher job satisfaction. Participants were 558 teachers from 37 elementary schools in the Intermountain West. Teachers completed the Teachers' Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS), and were randomly assigned to complete the Multifactor …

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Speaking Out: How Women Create Meaning From The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty, Valori Infanger Nov 2009

Speaking Out: How Women Create Meaning From The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty, Valori Infanger

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty could be used to effectively expand the media-narrowed definition of beauty. This study focused on the Onslaught video and corresponding message board. The sample included 119 posts written by 85 different message board users. Both a descriptive and interpretive content analysis based on reception analysis was used to deconstruct the message posters' interpretation and construction of individual beauty. The posters used the board primarily to express themselves, attach blame to the media and arrive at consensus. Overall, the users responded positively to the campaign. Twenty …

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Parent Functioning And Child Psychotherapy Outcomes: Predicting Outcomes In Usual Care, Anna Elise Packard Nov 2009

Parent Functioning And Child Psychotherapy Outcomes: Predicting Outcomes In Usual Care, Anna Elise Packard

Theses and Dissertations

A prominent need in the youth psychotherapy literature includes the examination of mechanisms of change within the context of "real world" clinical settings, where the practice of psychotherapy differs significantly from that in controlled clinical trials. In examining mechanisms of change in youth psychotherapy, variables related to parent functioning may be among the most important factors to consider in predicting and promoting good child outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate three important aspects of parent functioning—psychological symptom distress, interpersonal relations, and social role performance—as potential predictors of successful treatment outcomes in a traditional community outpatient treatment …

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Monkey Pots: Inferring Meaning Through Time And Space From Function, Decoration, And Context, Benjamin Jacob Skousen Nov 2009

Monkey Pots: Inferring Meaning Through Time And Space From Function, Decoration, And Context, Benjamin Jacob Skousen

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I interpret the meaning of “monkey pots,” a pottery vessel found throughout the Maya world. This study looks at three kinds of monkey pots recovered from the Mirador Basin. Carmelita Incised and Zacatal Polychrome monkey pots date to the Late Classic period (AD 680-800) and were manufactured in the Basin; Telchac Composite monkey pots date to the Terminal Classic period (AD 780-830) and were made in the Usumacinta River region. These monkey pots are described, followed by an analysis and comparison of the function, the monkey genus on the vessels, and the contexts from which the vessels …

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Adolescent Interest In Alcohol Responsibility Messages: The Message Matters, Kevin Kimball John Nov 2009

Adolescent Interest In Alcohol Responsibility Messages: The Message Matters, Kevin Kimball John

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents are especially vulnerable to image-based messages, which place them directly in line with the lifestyle messages presented in numerous alcohol advertisements. Research has shown that teenagers encounter alcohol advertisements from a variety of sources, prompting concern over the consequences of exposure and the risks associated with teen drinking. Warning messages contained within these alcohol advertisements are often vague in their wording and targeted to promote responsible drinking among adults, making them wholly inadequate for teen deterrence. This thesis explores the problems with current alcohol responsibility messages when dealing with teens, and proposes the development of new, modified messages, that …

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Portrayal Of Characters With Disabilities In Newbery Books, Melissa Leininger Nov 2009

Portrayal Of Characters With Disabilities In Newbery Books, Melissa Leininger

Theses and Dissertations

Newbery books represent quality literature that is likely to be used for bibliotherapy, yet these books have not been systematically evaluated for their portrayal of characters with disabilities. Thirty Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975–2008 were identified that contained 40 characters with disabilities. These books were evaluated using a rating scale that combines literary standards and standards relating to individuals with disabilities. The types of disabilities and personal characteristics such as gender, age, and race were documented and the personal portrayal of characters with disabilities and exemplary practices in these books were evaluated. This information was compared to the …

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Rendering Information Literacy Relevant: A Case-Based Pedagogy, Andy Spackman, Leticia Camacho Nov 2009

Rendering Information Literacy Relevant: A Case-Based Pedagogy, Andy Spackman, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

The authors describe the use of case studies in a program of extracurricular library instruction and explain the benefits of case teaching in developing information literacy. The paper presents details of example cases and analyzes surveys to evaluate the impact of case teaching on student satisfaction.

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Fostering Creativity In The Workplace, Jared L. Howland Nov 2009

Fostering Creativity In The Workplace, Jared L. Howland

Faculty Publications

PDF of Powerpoint Presentation on fostering creativity in the workplace. This presentation was given at the Association of Research Libraries' Research Library Leadership Fellows (RLLF) Program in Provo, Utah.

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Incarcerated Male Adolescent Suicide In Utah: A Case Study, Kristy Straubhaar Oct 2009

Incarcerated Male Adolescent Suicide In Utah: A Case Study, Kristy Straubhaar

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent suicide has been described as a major public health problem calling for the aid of researchers willing to better identify factors related to suicide risk. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds. Despite the fact incarcerated adolescents act in self-destructive ways, minimal research has focused on suicide behavior among incarcerated adolescents. Existing data indicates that suicide among adolescent males is especially prevalent in the juvenile justice system. Several variables have been identified as risk factors for suicidal behavior, including interpersonal relationship dysfunction, substance abuse, and psychological variables such as depression and dichotomous thinking. …

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Understanding The Relationship Between Interscholastic Sports Participation And Labor Market Outcomes: Interscholastic Sports As Cultural Capital, Matthew Kyle Linford Oct 2009

Understanding The Relationship Between Interscholastic Sports Participation And Labor Market Outcomes: Interscholastic Sports As Cultural Capital, Matthew Kyle Linford

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the effects of playing interscholastic sports on labor market income in the United States for males (n=5782) and females (n=6266) who participated in the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988. Previous research has explored the effects of human capital and social capital on positive life outcomes for interscholastic athletes, but little research has looked into possible cultural capital advantages gained through interscholastic sports participation. Using multiple regression analysis and controlling for the effects of human and social capital, I examine whether participation in interscholastic sports operate as cultural capital. Results indicate that after net of controls the …

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Why We Don't Understand The Rule Of Law, Noel B. Reynolds Oct 2009

Why We Don't Understand The Rule Of Law, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

This paper presents an assessment of current theories of law and their continuing failure to account in a convincing way for the rule of law as an ideal that guides and reassures modern democratic societies. It then explores the possibility that emerging understandings of human evolution and brain function may help us understand the process of convention making in a way that could reveal the underlying moral and epistemological context of law and allow us to identify a complete set of standards for the rule of law in human societies.

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