Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Stack The Deck: A Self-Monitoring Intervention For Adolescents With Autism For Balancing Participation Levels In Groups, Lauren Elizabeth Lees

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects the lives of 1 in 54 children in the United States. By definition, these children often have social communication deficits as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviors that are socially isolating. Inclusion of participants with disabilities such as ASD in classroom or group settings with peers is a high-priority goal for building skills that lead to independent living and higher quality of life for all. Balancing an individual’s class or group participation is not always easy with different levels of social skills, however. In a classroom, this can translate to difficulty in knowing how to …

Longitudinal Predictors Of Helicopter Parenting In Emerging Adulthood, Laura M. Padilla-Walker, Larry J. Nelson, Ryan D. Mclean

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this exploratory longitudinal study was to examine stability and change of helicopter parenting throughout the first few years of emerging adulthood and to examine child and parent–child relational factors that might predict helicopter parenting. Participants included 453 emerging adults from a northwestern city in the United States (51% female, 33% single-parent families) who participated in a 10-year longitudinal study, with the current study examining ages 19–21. Results revealed that (a) for both mothers and fathers, helicopter parenting decreased over time, (b) some child and relational factors predicted initial levels of helicopter parenting, but (c) the findings were …

Gender Portrayal In Marvel Cinematic Universe Films: Gender Representation, Moral Alignment, And Rewards For Violence, Kristen Ray

Theses and Dissertations

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the most popular film franchise in terms of box-office dollars. This superhero franchise has the power to influence their vast and dedicated audience greatly regarding gender. Social cognitive theory and cultivation theory shows that MCU movies could influence the gender schemas some people have. Previous research has shown that men are often portrayed as evil and as preparators of violence. Women that are violent are considered unnatural and go against gender stereotypes. Evil women are often portrayed as victims of circumstance or good women that are compelled to be evil for a short time. …

Student Identity And Inclusion: A Model For Sense Of Belonging At Brigham Young University, Jose Rodriguez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Campus racial climate in universities across the United States have been linked to several aspects attributed to student success. One aspect of campus climate is sense of belonging, which is correlated with retention, graduation, and student satisfaction. This study seeks to understand sense of belonging and the factors that impact it. In studies across the country, white students have been found to experience a greater sense of belonging than students of color. I seek to discover the factors associated with belonging and their effects. Based on a logistic regression model, students of color and white students at BYU do have …

An Evidence-Based Evaluation Of Behavior Management Practices Among Paraprofessionals, Jordan Mark Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

Paraprofessionals (i.e., paid school employees working under the supervision of licensed and certified personnel) are being given expanded roles and responsibilities in schools. Unfortunately, many paraprofessionals in the United States are not well trained and are asked to take on responsibilities they have not been prepared for. One of those responsibilities is managing student behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate paraprofessionals' self-reported behavior management practices. Using a survey, we collected information concerning paraprofessionals' feelings of confidence in managing problem behavior, techniques to manage problem behavior, feelings concerning their behavior management training, and their views on certain problem …

Post-Birth Marriage, White-Hispanic Families, And Child Academic Achievement, Sadie Andrews Slighting

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, policymakers have promoted marriage as a pathway to improve child outcomes in single-parent households. However, previous research on single mothers who later married in the United States has failed to examine how the structural advantages and disadvantages of race influence post-birth marriages and the advantage they may confer. I investigate how white advantage—the human- and social-capital benefits that come from being a white individual—acts as a resource distributed differently across three couple configurations. I predict that having access to white advantage via a white parent will improve child academic achievement. Using the US Early Childhood Longitudinal …

How Receiving And Providing Relational Compensators And Religious Expectations Influence Religious Experiences, Elisabeth R. Kimball

Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done on the concept of why people remain religious, formulating Rational Choice Theory. This involves the idea of compensators and religious expectations. In addition, other research and subsequent theories go into the duality of religious expectations and relational compensators—these relational compensators include love, support, forgiveness, and kindness from others. However, research has rarely explicitly explored what reportedly encourages individuals to stay in religious institutions despite religious demands. Through qualitative interviews with 198 highly religious families, this study analyzed the various expectations and demands individuals and families encounter, as well as the relational blessings they report receiving …

Baby On The Way, Sex Gone Away? A Dyadic Investigation Of Sexual Satisfaction In Pregnancy, David Brent Allsop

Theses and Dissertations

Research indicates that having high sexual satisfaction during pregnancy is difficult for couples. This negative trend is important considering that low sexual satisfaction can negatively affect both relationship satisfaction, psychological health, and child outcomes. However, there is evidence that this trend does not apply to all and different groups of couples exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction in pregnancy. Guided by family systems theory and the biopsychosocial model, the current study explored if different subsets of couples, composed of pregnant wives and husbands, exist in terms of their sexual satisfaction during pregnancy and what factors distinguish potential subsets. Using …

Developmental Predictors Of Adolescent Alcohol Intake: A Nonhuman Primate Model, Elizabeth Katherine Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse is one of the costliest human health problems in the United States. Studies assessing the etiology of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in adulthood suggest that these disorders are predicted by trait-like differences, such as low or impaired central serotonin or temperamental anxiety. Few studies, however, have assessed neonatal, infant, and adolescent characteristics that lead to alcohol abuse in adolescence. Given that the expression of AUDs is rooted in biological processes, the set of studies presented in this work investigate the early origins of excessive alcohol use in adolescence, with an overall goal of identifying risk factors that may …

Does Disassociation From The Majority Religious Affiliation Affect Community Desirability?, Alex Nicholas Andre

Theses and Dissertations

How do predominantly religious rural communities influence members who are not associated with the dominant religion? Does disassociation with the majority religious affiliation impact community desirability? Current community literature has shown that religious affiliation identification can influence community sentiment (Jennings and Krannich 2013; Kan and Kim 1981; Stinner, Van Loon, Chung, and Byun 1990; Mattarita-Cascante, Stedman, and Luloff 2010) while other studies suggest the possibility of either mixed or inconclusive results (Adams 1992; Andrews 2011; Flagg and Painter II 2019; Reitz, Banerjee, Phan, and Thompson 2009). Using data from the Rural Utah Community Study in 2017, the current study will …

Strengthening Couple's Relationships With Nature Recreation, Brock W. Sumner

Theses and Dissertations

Nature has been shown to be beneficial for numerous individual outcomes and this article investigates the link between of individual's nature recreation and couples' relationship satisfaction. First, we outline the theoretical underpinnings of nature recreation and couples' relationship satisfaction. Then we examine the following hypotheses: (1) nature recreation has a positive direct effect on relationship satisfaction, (2) there is a positive indirect effect of nature recreation on relationship satisfaction through the environmental effects, and (3) the relationship between nature recreation and relationship satisfaction will be moderated by the recreational factors. These were examined using data obtained from a cross sectional …

Stress And Performance Anxiety Intervention For Musicians:A Biofeedback And Compassion Focused Therapy Intervention, Tara Austin

Theses and Dissertations

Performance anxiety and stress are forefront problems for performers in the music industry. Within music training programs, these problems are particularly debilitating. These students are concerned both about performance situations and also their personal lives. The following study compared two treatments, heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) on the effects of cortisol and self-reported stress and mood before and after a required end of semester performance. Thirty students enrolled in a college music program participated in the five-visit intervention (14 in the HRV biofeedback group and 16 in the CFT group). Stress levels, measured by self-report, …

Reliability And Validity Practices In Randomized Controlled Trials: Current Trends And Recommendations, Jennifer A. Z. Romano

Theses and Dissertations

The verity of conclusions drawn from psychological research hinges on the reliability and validity of the measures used to collect the data. Any research conducted using measures with low reliability or validity is rendered essentially useless; thus, reporting reliability and validity evidence for measures employed in research is an essential component in creating rigorous, replicable research. Multiple reporting standards have been implemented and revised over the years with the intent to improve measurement and reporting practices within clinical psychology, though few guidelines have been suggested regarding adequate reporting practices for studies' measures. We reviewed a representative sample of randomized clinical …

Missing Piece Of The Puzzle: Creating A General Meaning Of Sex Measure, Veronica R. Hanna-Walker

Theses and Dissertations

The presence of and/or search for meaning has divergent and salient outcomes for individuals’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Although numerous domains of meaning have been examined, the literature on the meaning of sex is sparse and lacks a quantitative measure. In this study, I aimed to validate a general Meaning of Sex (MOS) Measure that captured the presence of (MOS-P) and search for (MOS-S) the meaning of sex that predicted salient relational and sexual outcomes (i.e., relationship stability and satisfaction and sexual satisfaction). The MOS measure was based off of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) created by Steger …

Do Shape And Volume Of Subcortical Neural Structures Involved In Reward Processing Correlate With Body Mass And Food Reward In Adolescent Females?, Kelsey K. Zaugg

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The prevalence of adolescent obesity has increased drastically in the last few decades, spurring research examining causes and consequences of this chronic health condition. Neuroimaging techniques are being used to determine possible neural correlates of obesity that could help inform research in this field. However, the research among adolescents is not as abundant and findings so far are contradictory. This study sought to examine the association of the shape and volume of subcortical brain structures involved in reward processing with weight status in adolescent females. Additionally, this study sought to determine if the shape and volume of these structures …

Father-Adolescent Relationship Closeness: A Path Analysis Of Family Factor Associates With Father-Adolescent Engagement And Relationship Quality, Mark H. Trahan, Richard H. Morely, Kevin Shafer

Faculty Publications

Father-adolescent child relationship quality has been identified as key to adolescent health outcomes. While factors have previously been identified associated with father-adolescent closeness, a comprehensive model of understanding the influence of these factors is needed. Using cross-sectional data from the Study of Contemporary Fatherhood (SCF), this analysis of father-adolescent relationship closeness evaluated responses of nine hundred (N = 900) father surveys to investigate historical factors, including own father relationship quality, biological fathering, family transitions, and ACEs along with current factors, including co-parenting, depression, parenting stress, knowledge of adolescent, warmth, and engagement, on father-adolescent relationship closeness. Path analysis results indicate that …

Adolescent Depressive Symptomology: Do Siblings Hurt Or Help?, Jared D. Thorpe

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents in the United States are currently experiencing a mental health crisis. While evidence shows that parents play an important role in shaping the mental health of youth, little has been done to understand how siblings may contribute to the psychological well-being of adolescents. I examine this association through the lenses of social capital and resource dilution perspectives. Social capital theory suggests that siblings may act as an additional source of resources, such as social support, which promote positive mental health. In contrast, resource dilution theory posits that the presence of siblings decreases the availability of parental resource in a …

"Ni Hao" Is The New "Aloha": Asia's Rise In Tourism, Julianne Binns

Marriott Student Review

Asia has become one of the fastest growing areas in terms of travel and tourism. When it comes to investing in tourism (in ay form) one should keep a watchful eye on the region. This paper addresses the evidence of growth, reasons behind the growth, and what to expect in the future. As the region strengthens in economic power and shines light on its positives, more travelers are making their way to (or around) Asia. With coronavirus now being quelled in the region, it is only a matter of time before the numbers pick back up again. No doubt, the …

Understanding The Administrative Role Fo School Psychology District Leaders, Alivia Nicole Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Very few articles in the published research literature have considered the clinical supervision of school psychology and even fewer articles explore the administrative supervision of school psychologists. The purpose of this study is to describe the roles, and responsibilities, and challenges faced by district leaders who supervise school psychologists. Using a purposeful sample, participants met criteria for this study if they worked at the district level, supervised at least three school psychologists, and were responsible for hiring and firing school psychologists. Nineteen participants qualified for this study and completed a phone interview that included eight open-ended questions. Participants shared that …

Retaining School Psychologists: The Role Of District Level Administrative Supervisors, Rachel Ruth Butler

Theses and Dissertations

The school psychologist shortage has been a persistent problem in education, and there is a lack of research on what current administrative supervisors are doing to address shortages. This study examined the perceptions of district leaders regarding the recruitment and retention of school psychologists. Participants included 19 administrative supervisors in public school districts in Colorado (CO), Utah (UT), Nevada (NV), and Wyoming (WY). Data for this qualitative study were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with administrative supervisors of school psychologists. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed for common themes. A total of 10 themes were identified, and the first theme reflected …

The Work-Family Interface, Erin K. Holmes, Clare R. Thomas, Richard J. Petts, E. Jeffrey Hill

Faculty Publications

In this chapter, we focus on the work-family interface using an ecological systems framework and three other related theories: boundary theory, role theory, and gender theory. We then introduce the literature on the work-family interface and focus our attention on the experiences of work-to-family and family-to-work conflict, work-to-family and family-to-work spillover, work-to-family and family-to-work crossover, workplace flexibility, parental leave policies, and day-care arrangements. We further recognize that cultural characteristics imbedded in different regions and countries moderate dimensions of the work-family interface. We have emphasized research in multiple countries and regions where such cross-cultural research was available.

Psychometric Properties Of The Spanish Version Of The Treatment Support Measure (Tsm-Sp), Corinne Elizabeth Ruth

Theses and Dissertations

Hispanic youth and families, although they comprise a sizeable portion of the population, are underrepresented in mental health settings within the United States and face significant barriers to receiving adequate treatment. Specifically, the lack of availability of Spanish assessment tools for application in treatment prohibits Hispanic clients from accessing the full extent of available therapeutic resources. The Treatment Support Measure (TSM) is a valid and reliable instrument that allows clinicians and researchers to collect information to better understand change processes and relevant client characteristics in therapy. The present study created a Spanish-translated version of the parent and youth TSM (TSM-SP) …

Therapist Effects On Dropout In Couple Therapy, Kwin L. Willis

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the strong efficacy of couple therapy, many couples still do not benefit from treatment. Marriage and family therapy scholars have argued that therapists play a crucial role in the delivery of successful couple therapy, yet little research has documented that the therapist in couple therapy has a significant impact on outcomes. Known as the study of therapist effects, this study sought to assess the amount of variance attributed to the therapist in couple therapy outcomes. Using dropout as the outcome variable, this study analyzed data from 1192 couples treated by 90 therapists at a university-based training clinic. Results from …

Dyslexia Beyond The Word: An Ecological Study Of Specific Reading Disorder, Benjamin T. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation discusses the effects of dyslexia on reading behavior and cognition. It does so by first outlining the overall incidence of dyslexia, providing current definitions, giving a history of scientific inquiry and discussing relevant contemporary research. Thirteen different analyses are then discussed (ten a priori and three post-hoc). Individuals with dyslexia were found to have increased fixation duration, first run dwell time, total dwell time, and refixation probability. The dyslexia group was also highly sensitive to lexical predictability. Within the reading network, the BOLD response was depressed in dyslexia during reading in the following regions: the left medial and …

Targeted Awareness: Promoting Niche Resources Using Confirmation Emails, Brian Rennick, Leticia Camacho, Andy Spackman

Faculty Publications

Purpose – This paper examines the effectiveness of a targeted email advertising method that informs university students about library resources relevant to their major.

Design/methodology/approach – Over the course of one semester, students with business and communications majors who reserved group study rooms received customized confirmation emails that included targeted advertisements for library databases. These advertisements invited students to click a link that led to a database related to a student's major. Near the end of the semester, students were invited to complete a short survey about the advertisements. Survey questions were designed to discover whether the advertisements were seen …

What Are Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Rural School District Needs To Effectively Educate Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kari Lyn Pugh

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has continued to rise each year. This fact has significance in the area of education. The rise in prevalence of autism means an increase of students with autism in schools. Educators have the need to be prepared to provide an appropriate education for these students but may not have training or resources to be effective. Rural communities may have even more concerns about education for students with ASD due to geographic isolation and the lack of available educators in their area trained to support the specific needs of these students. To determine the …

Let The Men Go Home, Gwyn Yukon

Marriott Student Review

Americans have a growing concern for work-family balance, and for gender equity issues in the workplace. Today, gender roles are being challenged and men are encouraged to take more active role as fathers. However, many men refuse to take paternity leave or are stigmatized if they take time off. This article synthesizes current literature and findings on the benefits of paternity leave.

Uniting And Dividing Influences Of Religion On Parent–Child Relationships In Highly Religious Families, Heather Howell Kelley, Loren D. Marks, David C. Dollahite

Faculty Publications

Religion can have both helpful and harmful influences on relationships. The purpose of this study is to better understand how religion can have both a unifying and a dividing influence on parent–child relationships. Through the use of interviews with 198 highly religious families (N = 476 individuals), we address some of the complexity inherent in religion and examine the influence of three dimensions of religious experience (religious practices, religious beliefs, and religious community). Findings are supported with primary qualitative data. For the highly religious parents and children in this study, 8 times as many unifying accounts of religion than …

Do Workplace Characteristics Moderate The Effects Of Attitudes On Father Warmth And Engagement?, Erin Kramer Holmes, Richard J. Petts, Clare R. Thomas, Nathan L. Robbins, Tom Henry

Faculty Publications

Though many fathers want to be warmer, more nurturing, and more actively involved than prior generations (i.e., the new fatherhood ideal), they also embrace a father's traditional role as financial earner. Thus, we hypothesized that fathers' attitudes about their roles would likely interact with workplace characteristics to produce variations in father warmth and engagement. Using a national sample of 1,020 employed U.S. fathers with children ages 2–8 years old, results suggest that adherence to the new fatherhood idea was associated with less father warmth. Also consistent with prior research showing that family friendly work cultures may enable fathers to be …

Emotional Intelligence Trumps Your Gpa, Gage Poulson

Marriott Student Review

What does it truly mean to be intelligent? While success is commonly measured by our GPA, our ACT scores, and how many high-level courses we can manage, emotional intelligence is measured by the ability to motivate oneself, control impulses, regulate moods, empathize, and hope. In this article we explore how emotional intelligence should be valued equally, if not more, than academic achievements within the business world.