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Articles 4411 - 4440 of 8231

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Electoral Rules And The Democratic Party Of Japan, Benjamin D. Seal, Dr. Ray Christensen Jan 2014

Electoral Rules And The Democratic Party Of Japan, Benjamin D. Seal, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Political scientists continue to debate the effect of electoral rules on electoral outcomes. One area of intense study is proportional representation versus single-member districts, and single member districts versus multi-member districts. This research tests the effects of electoral rules on election results for the Democratic Party of Japan in the 1996 House of Representatives election and in the 1998 House of Councillors election. Analysis focuses specifically on how the Democratic Party, a minor party during the two elections covered, benefits from proportional representation (PR) and suffers in single-member districts (SMD).

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International Justice: The Origin Of International Criminal Courts, Rachael Deceuster, Dr. Darren Hawkins Jan 2014

International Justice: The Origin Of International Criminal Courts, Rachael Deceuster, Dr. Darren Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of my research was to discover the origins of the recent international criminal tribunals in Yugoslavia and Rwanda to prosecute persons accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. I focused on the Yugoslav tribunal because it was the first since the Nuremburg and Tokyo tribunals after WWII. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was the first in a series of international tribunals, including the newly formed and controversial International Criminal Court (ICC).

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Urban-Rural Interaction In The Utah State Senate, Lael Cox, Dr. Jay Goodliffe Jan 2014

Urban-Rural Interaction In The Utah State Senate, Lael Cox, Dr. Jay Goodliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within a broader question of minority representation in democratic systems, this study shows how the maturity of legislators allows rural interests to be satisfied so as to avoid serious factional contention in the Utah State Senate.

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Iranian Ngos, The State And Democratization, Shima Baradaran, Dr. John Griffin Jan 2014

Iranian Ngos, The State And Democratization, Shima Baradaran, Dr. John Griffin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

To understand modern politics, it is vital to study democracy. During the 1990’s, the number of people living in democracy doubled from one-third of the world’s population to two-thirds. Some countries overthrew authoritarian governments to achieve democracy (1). Often Non- Governmental Organizations, non- profit organizations working toward social and political change in a society, and other sectors of civil society aid in democratization. NGOs act as a check on governments, challenging them to enact legislation and follow laws relating to their specific goals. Examining the relationship of an authoritarian government with Nongovernmental Organizations provides insight into the current level of …

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Microcredit Replication In Theravada Buddhist Communities, Blaine Johnson, David A. Shuler Jan 2014

Microcredit Replication In Theravada Buddhist Communities, Blaine Johnson, David A. Shuler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Microenterprise activities have increased significantly in South-East Asia during the past five years. Many non-governmental organizations have now incorporated microcredit and/or microfinance schemes into their developmental agendas. Such projects abound throughout the lower-income regions of South-East Asia. These projects are often styled after the Grameen Bank model and other foreign models and are based on social mechanisms (e.g. peer collateral) that depend on cultural and community values specific to the communities they were developed within. To date, all replication attempts in South-East Asia have been direct imitations of preconstructed models. These foreign systems, although successful within their specific contexts, are …

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The Marshall Plan And Recovery: German Coal And Steel, David Peter Jensen, Phillip Bryson, David M. Kennedy Jan 2014

The Marshall Plan And Recovery: German Coal And Steel, David Peter Jensen, Phillip Bryson, David M. Kennedy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The European Recovery Program, commonly known as the Marshall Plan, is generally hailed as the greatest success in the history of U.S. foreign aid. From 1948 through 1951, the Marshall Plan supplied $13.3 billion dollars of aid to Western Europe. Over the duration of the Marshall Plan, the economies of Western Europe made significant recovery from post-war chaos and poverty. Most remarkable was the recovery of the West German economy. In recent decades, however, scholars have questioned the significance of the Marshall Plan to the German “Wirtschaftswunder.” Led by German scholar Werner Abelshauser, these revisionists point to other political and …

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Dialect And Characterization In Mountain Meadows, Adrienne Landes, Dr. David Bowie Jan 2014

Dialect And Characterization In Mountain Meadows, Adrienne Landes, Dr. David Bowie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Great writers are often praised for their fine ear for dialogue; Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and Thomas Hardy all had the talent for recreating discourse that gives their work authenticity and their characters individuality. While I will not be writing about my contemporary neighbors and countrymen, as did these authors, I have studied the language of my characters in an effort both to enrich the body of existing linguistic research, and also as background research for a play about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The best dialogue makes use of the eccentricities unique to a society, thus I have recorded the …

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Vowel Laxing In Utah English: Early Findings Of The Early Utah English Project, Ellen Lund, Dr. David Bowie Jan 2014

Vowel Laxing In Utah English: Early Findings Of The Early Utah English Project, Ellen Lund, Dr. David Bowie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The study of dialect formation typically consists of examining changes within an already established dialect region, such as those caused by large-scale immigration or an extension of a previously existing dialect region. Utah English, on the other hand, was formed by native English speakers settling outside existing dialect regions. While this type of dialect formation has occurred before, usually only written records (if any) exist to document changes. The study of Utah English formation is a rare opportunity, because audio recordings of these dialect speakers were made.

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Morphologically Parsing The Cebuano Lexicon, Jarren Bodily, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Jan 2014

Morphologically Parsing The Cebuano Lexicon, Jarren Bodily, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A morpheme is the smallest grammatical unit of meaning such as a prefix, a root word, or a suffix. Morphology then, is the study of the processes by which morphemes combine to form words.1 Understanding how words are formed is imperative to such applications as speech recognition, web searches, and corpus searches, which depend on identifying every instance of a word, including all inflected forms. For example, a search for the word run must recognize running, runner, and ran as possible results even though they have additional morphemes or irregular conjugated forms. In addition to technical applications, understanding morphology is …

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The Effects Of The Intensive Care Unit On The Formation Of Implicit And Explicit Memories In Ards Patients, Michael J. Larson, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins Jan 2014

The Effects Of The Intensive Care Unit On The Formation Of Implicit And Explicit Memories In Ards Patients, Michael J. Larson, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Each year thousands of patients become critically ill and require medical treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). Recent literature suggests that patients recovering from critical illness have little or no recollection of their time in the ICU (1). The ICU has many features that may cause patients to become confused including isolation, sleep deprivation, and being surrounded with machines, lights, and constant noise (2). Sedative and analgesic drugs, mechanical ventilation, pain, and discomfort may also adversely affect ICU patients’ formation of memories (1).

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Personality Of A Professional: Employee Perceptions, Trevor M. Jensen, Dr. Barton Poulson Jan 2014

Personality Of A Professional: Employee Perceptions, Trevor M. Jensen, Dr. Barton Poulson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ample literature has focused on how to effectively improve the work environment of medical practices. However, little research has been conducted concerning personality in a doctor’s office environment. In conversing with several local doctors, group behavior was listed as one of the most important aspects to consider in creating and maintaining a medical practice that is efficient and free of problems (N. Jorgensen, personal communication, June 5, 2000; D. Phillips, personal communication, June 10, 2000). Personality is a large component of the functioning of work groups. In a study conducted on military leaders, personality was found to be the greatest …

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Orca Scholarship Report, Andrew Moore Jan 2014

Orca Scholarship Report, Andrew Moore

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I received an ORCA award in December of 1999. At the time, my proposal dealt with family dynamic influences on EEG neurofeedback treatement of adolescents with ADHD. This was a multidisciplinary effort, and, to my knowledge, research of this sort had not been conducted before. Though I felt a genuine excitement at the beginning, I soon realized that I had bitten off a coordination and research effort bigger than I could chew. I had to rely on a local psychologist that I was working with for help in recruiting patients, as well as for use of his facilities and equipment, …

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Informational Sources Utilized By Men With The Diagnosis Of Localized Prostate Cancer In The Selection Of Treatment, Jonathan Horey, Dr. Bruce Brown Jan 2014

Informational Sources Utilized By Men With The Diagnosis Of Localized Prostate Cancer In The Selection Of Treatment, Jonathan Horey, Dr. Bruce Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although prostate cancer is the most common malignancy affecting males in the western world, the detection and management of this disease has produced intense controversy among researchers and physicians alike. As a result, men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are forced to select a course of treatment from a confusing list of contradicting reports and limited data. The purpose of this study is to identify those sources of information that post-treatment prostate cancer patients believe were the most helpful to them when making their treatment decision as well as those sources that had the greatest impact on their treatment …

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Outcome Testing And The Role Of Bilingual Fluency In A Southeast Asian Population, Shelby L. Ferrin, Dr. Michael J. Lambert Jan 2014

Outcome Testing And The Role Of Bilingual Fluency In A Southeast Asian Population, Shelby L. Ferrin, Dr. Michael J. Lambert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Psychological outcome measures are designed to measure levels of psychological functioning. Scores on such measures may be compared across time to calculate a psychotherapy client’s progress, recovery, or deterioration. Additionally, scores from large populations may be normalized to indicate what therapists designate as levels of clinical functioning. The Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45.2) is one of the leading tools in this line of psychotherapy outcome research (Lambert et al., 1996). Since its development, it has been utilized in dozens of countries and translated into a handful of languages, including German, Japanese, Korean, French, and Spanish. Studies assessing the effects of culture on …

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Conceptualization And Measurement Of Triarchic Abilities For Success In College-Rainbow Project, Michael E. Drebot, Dr. Paul Robinson, Dr. Robert J. Sternberg Jan 2014

Conceptualization And Measurement Of Triarchic Abilities For Success In College-Rainbow Project, Michael E. Drebot, Dr. Paul Robinson, Dr. Robert J. Sternberg

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this ongoing research project is to develop and implement a battery of tests that would supplement the current SAT I and II tests, and improve the prediction of academic performance and success of college-bound students during the crucial freshman year of college. The intent is to develop measures that would add incremental validity to the SAT’s, lending to prediction of academic achievement beyond that obtained by (a) the SAT’s and (b) high school grades. By adding new assessments to the SAT, we hope to address concerns about “at risk” students, those who presumably “under achieve,” and others …

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Quantitative Mri Analysis Of The Cingulate Gyrus, Corpus Callosum, And Thalamus Following Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Adam G. Bergeson, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins Jan 2014

Quantitative Mri Analysis Of The Cingulate Gyrus, Corpus Callosum, And Thalamus Following Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Adam G. Bergeson, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Carbon monoxide (CO) exposure is the most common cause of poisoning death in the United States.1 The cellular damage due to CO poisoning is observed in organ systems with high oxygen utilization such as the cardiovascular system and central nervous system. Neuropathological changes that occur due to CO exposure result from a number of biological mechanisms and underlie the development of neuroanatomical abnormalities that occur following CO poisoning.2 Neuroanatomical changes following CO poisoning can be seen using a variety of neuroimaging techniques, including, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Quantitative MRI (QMRI), and Computed Tomography (CT). Findings include fornix atrophy, increased ventricle-to-brain …

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“Giver Of Light”: The Influence Of A Mexican Midwife On Community Development, Karen Sandberg, Jini Roby Jan 2014

“Giver Of Light”: The Influence Of A Mexican Midwife On Community Development, Karen Sandberg, Jini Roby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dar a luz, meaning “to give light,” is the Mexican phrase for giving birth. The equation of light with the birth process reveals its significance to the Mexican people. Internationally, female midwives educated and assisted women in the birth process, making it a specific sphere of women’s influence. Midwives played an important role in the development and well being of their communities as well: they “served as healers,” using herbs and other medical treatment’s to promote general health (Sapiro 206). As such, health care has been one of the few areas historically where women have, in addition to their …

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A Study On The Cultural Influences Involved In The Decision To Place Children For International Adoption, Heather Hintze, Jini Roby Jan 2014

A Study On The Cultural Influences Involved In The Decision To Place Children For International Adoption, Heather Hintze, Jini Roby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), international adoption is very common. The RMI has one of the highest international adoption rates per capita in the world. This research project was designed to learn and understand the reasons behind this high international adoption rate in the RMI. The research project focused on investigating the cultural influences that cause Marshallese women to relinquish their child for international adoption. Currently, the work is still in progress. All of the information was obtained from Marshallese birth mothers living in the Marshall Islands. Now the data entry needs to be done at Brigham …

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Autism In Romanian Orphanages, Natalie Williams, Dr. John Seggar Jan 2014

Autism In Romanian Orphanages, Natalie Williams, Dr. John Seggar

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Orphans in developing countries raised in social institutions often manifest extreme developmental delays. Autism is a common layman diagnosis for such children due to the pattern of their developmental delays. Most orphans raised in such situations show severe delays in language skills, social interaction, and play behavior. All three of these delays are very characteristic of the Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, deeper investigation shows autism to be a more intricate and pervasive disorder.

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Print Media Coverage Of The Arab/Israeli Conflict: An Arab Perspective, Kyler Kronmiller, Dr. Bruce Chadwick Jan 2014

Print Media Coverage Of The Arab/Israeli Conflict: An Arab Perspective, Kyler Kronmiller, Dr. Bruce Chadwick

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the fifty-three years since its birth, the state of Israel has been in perpetual conflict with its Arab neighbors. On this small piece of disputed land, too many peoples compete for too little space. Both Israelis and Arabs claim religious roots and heritage in the same small piece of real estate. The original United Nations boundaries between Israel and Palestine have been altered through a succession of wars, mainly in 1948, 1967, 1973, and two intifadas.

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Initial Onset Of Depression During Adolescence: An Event History Analysis, Scott A. Baldwin, Dr. John P. Hoffmann Jan 2014

Initial Onset Of Depression During Adolescence: An Event History Analysis, Scott A. Baldwin, Dr. John P. Hoffmann

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Depression is a common ailment in the United States, affecting approximately 10% of men and 20% of women during their lifetimes.1 Moreover, there is evidence that among adolescents rates of depression have increased over the past two to three decades.2 Studies have identified parental depression as a potential risk factor for depression among adolescents.3 Indeed, a longitudinal study by Weismann and colleagues found that the offspring of depressed parents were at high risk for major depressive disorder and other psychopathology.4

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Order Statistics And Estimation Of Professors’ Salaries, Mark Pocock, Dr. James B. Mcdonald Jan 2014

Order Statistics And Estimation Of Professors’ Salaries, Mark Pocock, Dr. James B. Mcdonald

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A knowledge of income distribution of different professions has many policy implications. Important applications include being able to make competitive salary offers for potential employees and being able to provide appropriate financial incentives which helps to retain valued employees. In some professions salary data are readily available and in others data are limited. In academics the amount of salary data is very diverse. In one case, Oklahoma State University publishes the highest, lowest, and mean salaries by rank and discipline for different Carnegie Research Classifications. Given the estimated distribution, deciles can be estimated which facilitates an analysis of salary structure. …

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Gender Differences In Temporal Perception And Self-Control: A Correlational Study, Laura L. Huntzinger, Dr. Harold L. Miller Jan 2014

Gender Differences In Temporal Perception And Self-Control: A Correlational Study, Laura L. Huntzinger, Dr. Harold L. Miller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Self-control has been defined by researchers as choosing larger, more delayed reinforcers over smaller, less delayed reinforcers (1). The term impulsiveness is used to describe the opposite of self-control, that is, choosing smaller, less delayed rewards rather than larger but more delayed rewards. Research involving adult humans has found that subjects almost always choose the self-control alternative in a lab setting. There are, however, many reasons for calling into question the generalizability of such research.

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Identity In A Changing West, Elizabeth Parnell, Dr. Richard H. Jackson Jan 2014

Identity In A Changing West, Elizabeth Parnell, Dr. Richard H. Jackson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As suburbanization sweeps across the United States, creating a more homogeneous society, historians and geographers are interested in knowing the impact this is having and will have in the future on the “sense of place” that distinguishes small towns. Particularly in the state of Utah, questions have been raised about the future of the original settlements known as “Mormon villages”. Will suburban sprawl and city zoning ordinances result in the destruction of the distinctive architecture, organization and character of these communities, replacing their distinctiveness with faceless suburbia? Historic preservation is designed to protect specified historic structures and places of importance …

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Economic Self-Control And Impulsivity In Money Decisions: A Comparison Of High School Students With Rural Or Urban Backgrounds, Becky Malquist, Dr. Harold L. Miller Jr. Jan 2014

Economic Self-Control And Impulsivity In Money Decisions: A Comparison Of High School Students With Rural Or Urban Backgrounds, Becky Malquist, Dr. Harold L. Miller Jr.

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Do you buy the brand new car now and take out a large loan, or do you save a little longer and buy a used one so that, in the end, you pay less? Do you take the spur-of-the-moment Caribbean cruise, or do you stick to your plan to build a nest egg? Impulsivity has been defined as choosing a smaller, more immediate reinforcer over a larger but delayed one. Self-control signifies the opposite choice; it is the preference of a larger, delayed reinforcer1.

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Psychosocial Factors Related To Mexican Immigration And Subsequent Identity Formation, Mark Mills, Lynn England Jan 2014

Psychosocial Factors Related To Mexican Immigration And Subsequent Identity Formation, Mark Mills, Lynn England

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In my research proposal, I indicated that my research had three primary objectives: 1) discover the underlying psychosocial reasons for Mexican immigration and evaluate the push/pull theory of immigration (i.e. what factors, either psychological, economic, or social, push immigrants away from their native land, and what factors pull them towards the new land), 2) discover whether the expectations of Mexican immigrants are typically met, and 3) delineate the integration and identity formation process that immigrants go through upon entering a new culture. Each of these objectives will be evaluated and examined.

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Pursuing New Audiences For Visual Health Care In El Salvador, Joshua S. Gildea, Richard K. Long Jan 2014

Pursuing New Audiences For Visual Health Care In El Salvador, Joshua S. Gildea, Richard K. Long

Journal of Undergraduate Research

El Salvador is a third-world country in Central America that suffers from extreme poverty and a lack of quality medical attention. The country has experienced great natural disasters in the past few years including Hurricane Mitch in October 1998 and two major earthquakes in January and February 2001. While large amounts of food, clothing, and medical supplies have poured into the country, inadequate health care is a problem for many. In particular, visual health has largely gone unchecked.

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Orca Scholarship Report, Andrew Moore Jan 2014

Orca Scholarship Report, Andrew Moore

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I received an ORCA award in December of 1999. At the time, my proposal dealt with family dynamic influences on EEG neurofeedback treatement of adolescents with ADHD. This was a multidisciplinary effort, and, to my knowledge, research of this sort had not been conducted before. Though I felt a genuine excitement at the beginning, I soon realized that I had bitten off a coordination and research effort bigger than I could chew. I had to rely on a local psychologist that I was working with for help in recruiting patients, as well as for use of his facilities and equipment, …

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Women Representatives In The Japanese Parliament: Bumps And Scrapes Along The Road To Equality, J. Paul Mitchell, Dr. Ray Christensen Jan 2014

Women Representatives In The Japanese Parliament: Bumps And Scrapes Along The Road To Equality, J. Paul Mitchell, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Women account for an alarmingly low proportion of political representatives in Japan. Japan tends to elect fewer women to political office than nearly all other industrialized democracies.1 Despite popular support for a more balanced parliament, women accounted for only 15% of the winners in the recent Upper House elections.2 The struggle for gender equality in Japan’s parliament continues to encounter daunting resistance.

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Applying Ecological Inference To The 2000 Mexican Elections, Matthew M. Singer, Dr. Jay Goodliffe Jan 2014

Applying Ecological Inference To The 2000 Mexican Elections, Matthew M. Singer, Dr. Jay Goodliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the 2000 Mexican Election, the PRI party lost a presidential election for the first time in Mexico’s history to Vincente Fox of the PAN party. There has been a great deal of recent scholarship examining voting behavior in Mexico. Most of it has focused on the calculation that risk-averse voters make in deciding whether to defect from the PRI i. There has been, however, little scholarship on why voters then choose a party other than the PRI. Individuals don’t just all defect; they need someone to defect to. Previous studies have not found evidence of social determinants, such as …

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