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Articles 4621 - 4650 of 8231

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Lds Geography On A Micro-Scale, Nathan Simmons, Dr. Samuel Otterstrom Oct 2013

Lds Geography On A Micro-Scale, Nathan Simmons, Dr. Samuel Otterstrom

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recently the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has gained world-wide recognition for the high standards the Church promotes, but perhaps even more so for the rapid growth and expansion it has experienced. Much of this spread is due to the Church’s policy of active proselytizing, a force which fuels the spatial diffusion of church membership. It is therefore valuable to study the spatial diffusion of the LDS faith throughout the world to better understand the factors that influence the distribution of church membership throughout the world, and that promote its growth.

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Intra-Cranial Overstimulation Of The Brain Reward System, Lael J. Stander, Dr. Scott C. Steffensen Oct 2013

Intra-Cranial Overstimulation Of The Brain Reward System, Lael J. Stander, Dr. Scott C. Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Intra-cranial self stimulation (ICSS) has been well documented in both animal models and humans. Stimulation of various centers in the brain creates a very powerful reinforcement. Subjects will prefer ICSS to food, mating behavior, and drugs of abuse. One such pleasure center is the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) which functions as an information highway between several other pleasure mediating structures in the limbic system. Interestingly, constant stimulation of the MFB produces a highly dysphoric response. Animals respond with aversive behavior similar to pain avoidance. What is the electrophysiological change that mediates this reversal of pleasure to pain? In order to …

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Altruistic Vs. Reciprocal Family Relationships: A Levinasian Alternative, Bradford J. Wiggins, Dr. Edwin E. Gantt Oct 2013

Altruistic Vs. Reciprocal Family Relationships: A Levinasian Alternative, Bradford J. Wiggins, Dr. Edwin E. Gantt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Some of the greatest challenges we face today are in our own families. Husbands and wives struggle to find meaning in their relationships. Parents often end up battling with their children as they seek to bring their families together in unified goals and purposes. Many are not successful in their pursuit of meaningful family relationships. Divorce and abuse are all to common in today’s society. Even more pervasive are the strained relationships between family members. How is it that these relationships can fall so short of their seemingly immense potential? It appears reasonable that family members should be able to …

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Word Sense Disambiguation Through Analogical Modeling, Deryl Keith Hatch, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Oct 2013

Word Sense Disambiguation Through Analogical Modeling, Deryl Keith Hatch, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the early twentieth century, throngs of male Greek immigrants came to Utah. They left their homeland seeking to save their families from impending poverty and to escape draft by the Greek and Turkish armies.1 The jobs they took in Utah mines, smelters, and rail yards were lowpaying and dangerous, but these were the least of the troubles waiting for Greeks in Utah. They found Mormons and other Utah residents to be inhospitable and strange, and they quickly learned to isolate themselves in all-Greek communities.

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From High School Jocks To College Grads: Assessing The Long-Term Effects Of High School Sport Participation On Females’ Educational Attainment, Kelly Troutman, Dr. Mikaela Dufur Oct 2013

From High School Jocks To College Grads: Assessing The Long-Term Effects Of High School Sport Participation On Females’ Educational Attainment, Kelly Troutman, Dr. Mikaela Dufur

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Sports’ connection to education is readily apparent in American society. The presumption adopted in the late 1800s that sports serve to build character led to their integration into the education system. Today virtually every high school is engaged in interscholastic sport competition (Eitzen and Sage, 1986). The increased prevalence of sport in American society, and specifically school settings, has led to various inquiries as to the effects of participation in sports. The majority of studies centered on high school athletes have demonstrated that participants in interscholastic sport enjoy various positive benefits related to academic success (Fejgin 1994; Eccles and Barber …

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Learning Strategies Of Successful Undergraduate Math Students, David M. Sloan, Dr. Harold Miller Oct 2013

Learning Strategies Of Successful Undergraduate Math Students, David M. Sloan, Dr. Harold Miller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of my project was to identify the strategies of successful undergraduate math students and to then make that information available to those who wish to improve their own study habits. The project consisted of 4 phases. First, I interviewed instructors about what they saw successful students do. Second, I conducted surveys in several math-based classes to find out what students, successful and struggling alike, were actually doing. Third, I took what I learned from those surveys and tried to apply them in a classroom setting to see if the information could elicit a positive effect. Fourth, I took …

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Openness In International Adoptions: An Idea Whose Time Has Come? The Experience Of U.S. Families Who Adopted Children From The Marshall Islands, Jamie Wyatt, Jini Roby Oct 2013

Openness In International Adoptions: An Idea Whose Time Has Come? The Experience Of U.S. Families Who Adopted Children From The Marshall Islands, Jamie Wyatt, Jini Roby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Increased globalization of today’s society is bringing about dramatic change; the social sciences are not exempt from the results of these changes. Particular to this research study is the issue of international adoptions, particularly those which are characterized as open. “Open adoption” was defined in this study to be some form of continued contact between the biological and adoptive families following the finalization of an adoption. International adoptions are a relatively new concept in and of themselves; international adoption compounded with openness was largely unheard of until the recent onset of globalization when open adoptions increased in accessibility and desirability …

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Maternal Employment And Offspring Deviance, Stephanie A. Williamson, Dr. Bruce Chadwick Oct 2013

Maternal Employment And Offspring Deviance, Stephanie A. Williamson, Dr. Bruce Chadwick

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A brief observation of national trends reveals a steady increase in the rate of employment among women. Predictably, this demographic change introduces countless contemporary issues. The issue examined by this study was the link between maternal employment and deviant behavior among children.

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Eating Disorders Among Female High School Athletes: The Questionable Effect Of Self-Esteem, Janet Shumway, Dr. Mikaela Dufur Oct 2013

Eating Disorders Among Female High School Athletes: The Questionable Effect Of Self-Esteem, Janet Shumway, Dr. Mikaela Dufur

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Millions of people in the United States suffer from serious and sometimes life-threatening eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa. More than 90 percent of those afflicted are young women. Researchers have studied eating disorders and the various factors leading to these behaviors, and a vast majority of these studies have indicated that self-esteem is a central factor in the development of bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Some studies indicate that selfesteem is the most important factor in the prediction of disordered eating. 1 Thus, adolescent women with low self-esteem are more inclined to develop eating disorder behaviors.

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India And The Agreement On Textiles And Clothing, Aaron Rogers, Dr. Bradford Oct 2013

India And The Agreement On Textiles And Clothing, Aaron Rogers, Dr. Bradford

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Up to the end of the Uruguay Round, textile and clothing quotas were negotiated bilaterally and governed by the rules of the Multifiber Arrangement (MFA). As GATT transmogrified into the WTO, a long-awaited uniform approach was arranged. On January 1, 1995, the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) replaced the MFA. This multilateral approach was originally planned to elapse from 1995 to 2004. It entails a process of progressively enlarging the existing quotas until their removal. The liberalization is increased over time. The agreement targets all products which were previously subject to MFA-type quotas: tops and yarns, fabrics, made-up …

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Poverty Alleviation Programs In Mexico, Fernanda Sayavedra, Dr. Bret Mackay Oct 2013

Poverty Alleviation Programs In Mexico, Fernanda Sayavedra, Dr. Bret Mackay

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Poverty alleviation is one of the greatest policy challenges for Mexico. In the aftermath of the Mexican crisis of 1994/95, real per capita GDP fell sharply; employment in the formal sector declined as well as real wages. This led to a drastic increase in poverty at a national level, reversing most achievements of poverty alleviation policies of the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, since 1996 there has been a notable turnaround, and the share of the population in poverty has declined. According to the World Bank, the share of Mexico’s population living in extreme poverty1 declined from 16.2 per …

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The Effect Of Economic Freedom On Environmental Quality And Economic Growth, Ty Turley, Dr. B. Delworth Gardner Oct 2013

The Effect Of Economic Freedom On Environmental Quality And Economic Growth, Ty Turley, Dr. B. Delworth Gardner

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Among economists, there is an ongoing debate as to what factors cause economic growth in developing nations, and what the relative strengths of these factors are. Sachs and Warner published an influential paper in 1995 reporting on a study that found “developing countries with open economies grew by 4.5% a year in the 1970s and 1980s, but those with closed economies grew by only 0.7% a year” (The never-ending question). Adkins et al. find in their research that “increases in economic freedom are associated with improved economic performance in that increases in economic freedom move countries closer to the production …

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Preserving The Authentic Voice: A Guide To Editing Oral History, Erin Steck Curtis, Don Norton Oct 2013

Preserving The Authentic Voice: A Guide To Editing Oral History, Erin Steck Curtis, Don Norton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Oral history is popular among many academic circles as a medium of communicating a more personal, intimate view of the past than is commonly found in the dry commentary of a standard history text. The emotion included in a eye-witness account becomes its own commentary as feelings and facts are intertwined in the telling of a personal story, history from an ordinary person’s point of view. It is important to understand history not only as a series of events, but as actual experiences that shape people’s lives. Speaker and interviewer (or reader) form a unique emotional bond in the telling …

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Integration Of A Morphological Parser Into The Soar Artificial Intelligence Architecture, Jonathan Dehdari, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Oct 2013

Integration Of A Morphological Parser Into The Soar Artificial Intelligence Architecture, Jonathan Dehdari, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Soar is a general cognitive architecture for developing systems that exhibit intelligent behavior. Researchers all over the world, both from the fields of artificial intelligence and cognitive science, are using Soar for a variety of tasks. Psychologists, AI game developers, linguists, and others interested in cognitive modeling use and develop this open architecture. LG-Soar is a project within the general Soar framework that deals with the processing and modeling of natural languages, using the Link Grammar syntactic parser. LG-Soar has been excellent in its ability to accurately and robustly parse English sentences, but the ability to handle morphology, or the …

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Identifying The Specific Needs Of English Language Learners, Jessica Gibson, Lynn Henrichsen Oct 2013

Identifying The Specific Needs Of English Language Learners, Jessica Gibson, Lynn Henrichsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Problem: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a growing, worldwide church. Thus, the members speak a variety of languages and not just English. Consequently, problems in communication arise such as, contact with church administrators, LDS publications, and unity among church members within a ward. There are differences in these barriers, however, when non-native English speaking members live in the United States compared with when they live in their native country. Immigration, cultural differences, and employment are some possible secular problems that exist for members living inside the United States. Spiritual difficulties happen when they cannot learn …

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Utah County Government Study, Amanda K. Tammen, Dr. Richard H. Jackson Oct 2013

Utah County Government Study, Amanda K. Tammen, Dr. Richard H. Jackson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Glamorous Presidential, Senatorial, and Congressional campaigns garner airtime, contributions, and groupies. Any observant constituent would believe that the aforementioned elected officials influence their lives the most. However, local elected and appointed officials have a greater impact on residents’ lives. By far, the least understood responsibilities are those at the County level. In 1832 Alexis de Tocqueville stated, “The County becomes the great administrative center and the intermediary between the government and the plain citizen.” Today many can name their city’s mayor. But most cannot name even one of their elected county commissioners.

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The Impact Of Light Rail On Land Use In The Salt Lake Valley, Kenneth K. Rencher, Dr. Richard H. Jackson Oct 2013

The Impact Of Light Rail On Land Use In The Salt Lake Valley, Kenneth K. Rencher, Dr. Richard H. Jackson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 2001 The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) completed the first phase of a new light rail system, TRAX, stretching from Downtown Salt Lake City south to Sandy. Two years later, an east-west line was added to connect to the University of Utah and the U of U Medical Center. One of the justifications for these projects was that the creation of a light rail system would be a catalyst to economic development in the areas around the tracks and stations. This study examines the initial impacts on housing densities, commercial and retail development, and property values along the existing TRAX …

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Structure And Dimensions Of Maternal Perceptions Of Japanese And American Child Temperament, Kenichi Shimokawa, Dr. David Shwalb Oct 2013

Structure And Dimensions Of Maternal Perceptions Of Japanese And American Child Temperament, Kenichi Shimokawa, Dr. David Shwalb

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The study of temperament has an important part in furthering our understanding about human development. Although the word “temperament” is defined in various ways by researchers, two leading theorists defined it as “constitutionally based individual differences in emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity and self-regulation” (Rothbart & Bates, 1997, p. 108). This definition, particularly, the term “constitutional” emphasizes the biological aspect of temperament. However, Dr. Shwalb and other researchers found evidences that suggest the influence of culture on how people perceive others temperament. Specifically, we studied the differences between maternal perceptions of Japanese and American child temperament to better understand how …

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Na Isevu Sarau: The Function Of Ritual In A Fijian Village, Spencer Walsh, Dr. Julie Hartley Oct 2013

Na Isevu Sarau: The Function Of Ritual In A Fijian Village, Spencer Walsh, Dr. Julie Hartley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ceremonial exchange plays a significant role in Fijian ritual and can be viewed as an activity that seeks to promote the health and prosperity of the community. An example of this is the annual ritual of the isevu sarau, or the offering of the first fruits of the tuberous sarau (plant similar to the yam). This ceremony takes place around the beginning of May each year throughout the Yasawa island group of Fiji when the sarau crop reaches maturity. I observed this ritual while conducting research at the village of Tamusua located on the southernmost end of Yasawa Island.

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Authority Control For Digital Collections, Jeremy Myntti, Nate Cothran Oct 2013

Authority Control For Digital Collections, Jeremy Myntti, Nate Cothran

Faculty Publications

Library 2013 Worldwide Virtual Conference

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The Himba’S Usage Of Botanical Resources For Medicinal Purposes, Megan Rae Petersen, Dr. David P. Crandall Oct 2013

The Himba’S Usage Of Botanical Resources For Medicinal Purposes, Megan Rae Petersen, Dr. David P. Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

How is one to maintain and preserve a dying culture? The Himba tribes of Namibia are facing such a crisis. Globalization continues to displace more and more their traditional way of life. The once deep-seated traditions of the ancestors are being replaced with drunkenness, the wearing of western attire, and mass exodus to the city in hopes of “a better” life. The knowledge that was once respected and honored is vanishing. Documentation seams to be the only form of preservation. Therefore, I headed to Africa to document the Himba’s dying art of healing. My journey began long before I set …

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Quotas For Women In South Africa’S African National Congress: A Rationalist/Constructivist Approach, Jessica R. Preece, Dr. Daniel Nielson Oct 2013

Quotas For Women In South Africa’S African National Congress: A Rationalist/Constructivist Approach, Jessica R. Preece, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

South Africa’s conservative cultural traditions, significant rates of poverty, and recent transition to democracy make it surprising that it’s Parliament has twice the percentage of women as the worldwide average–29.8% in the National Assembly and 31.5% in National Council of Provinces.1 What explains South Africa’s exceptional number of female Members of Parliament (MPs)? South Africa’s dominant political party, the African National Congress (ANC), implemented a quota system for women when choosing their candidates–they require every third candidate to be a woman. Thus, because the ANC controls about a third of the seats in Parliament, it has a significant impact on …

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Effects Of Harmony And Dissonance With Two-Tone Narrow And Wide Range Frequencies On Auditory Evoked Potentials, Richard J. Mcmurtrey, Dr. Donovan Fleming, Scott Steffensen Oct 2013

Effects Of Harmony And Dissonance With Two-Tone Narrow And Wide Range Frequencies On Auditory Evoked Potentials, Richard J. Mcmurtrey, Dr. Donovan Fleming, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this research was to explore the mechanisms of how the brain is able to distinguish harmony and dissonance. The understanding of how sound is converted to neural messages began with Békésy, who discovered how sound is transduced in the cochlea. Later it was found that each auditory neural fiber, which carried the messages for a specific frequency of sound, corresponded to a specific place in the primary auditory cortex (referred to as “tonotopic”). In this experiment, the neural activity of the auditory cortex (T4) and of the sensory cortex (CZ) was recorded in response to specific auditory …

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Non-Invasive Sensor And Method For The Continuous Detection Of Abnormal Intracranial Pressure And Brain Compliance, Jotham Manwaring, Coray Mcclellan, Dr. Erin Bigler Oct 2013

Non-Invasive Sensor And Method For The Continuous Detection Of Abnormal Intracranial Pressure And Brain Compliance, Jotham Manwaring, Coray Mcclellan, Dr. Erin Bigler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Children diagnosed with hydrocephalus, or patients suffering from head trauma require treatment by a neurosurgeon and a neurologist. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which the patient has retained too much cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) by either over production, or inability to shunt off old fluid. Since the cranium, effectively a closed boxed around the brain, is rigid, an increase in CSF causes an increase in the amount of pressure the brain experiences. Patients suffering from trauma also experience increased intracranial pressure (ICP) but by a different mechanism; trauma causes the brain itself to swell and push against the cranium. One …

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Effects Of Harmony And Dissonance With Two-Tone Narrow And Wide Range Frequencies On Auditory Evoked Potentials, Richard J. Mcmurtrey, Dr. Donovan Fleming, Scott Steffensen Oct 2013

Effects Of Harmony And Dissonance With Two-Tone Narrow And Wide Range Frequencies On Auditory Evoked Potentials, Richard J. Mcmurtrey, Dr. Donovan Fleming, Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this research was to explore the mechanisms of how the brain is able to distinguish harmony and dissonance. The understanding of how sound is converted to neural messages began with Békésy, who discovered how sound is transduced in the cochlea. Later it was found that each auditory neural fiber, which carried the messages for a specific frequency of sound, corresponded to a specific place in the primary auditory cortex (referred to as “tonotopic”). In this experiment, the neural activity of the auditory cortex (T4) and of the sensory cortex (CZ) was recorded in response to specific auditory …

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Daily Coping Responses Of Children Who Have A Sibling With A Disability, Shannon Wright Martino, Dr. Susanne Olsen Oct 2013

Daily Coping Responses Of Children Who Have A Sibling With A Disability, Shannon Wright Martino, Dr. Susanne Olsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A child with a disability may be a unique stressor to all members of the family. For years, researchers have focused on the parents and the child with a disability in the family. However, fewer studies have specifically focused on typically developing siblings of children with disabilities. Therefore, to extend previous research, the purpose of this study was to examine the coping styles used by siblings in families where there is a child with a disability. Medical and practical improvements have increased the lifespan of disabled children and the amount of time they spend at home. Because of this, siblings …

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Bridging The Byu Administration – International Student Gap, Maraly Ledezma, Dr. Samuel Otterstrom Oct 2013

Bridging The Byu Administration – International Student Gap, Maraly Ledezma, Dr. Samuel Otterstrom

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The project was extremely successful. It is a living witness that when are anxiously engaged in a good cause, and pray in faith, God puts forth his hand.

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Unicity Councilors In South Africa: Institutions, Representation, And Ethnicity, David Martin, Dr. Raymond V. Christensen Oct 2013

Unicity Councilors In South Africa: Institutions, Representation, And Ethnicity, David Martin, Dr. Raymond V. Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the year 2000, five of South Africa’s most populated regions—Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria, and Ekurhuleni—underwent a consolidation of power that combined many local city councils into a large unicity council. In each case the official goal of the consolidation was to increase the efficiency of service delivery, benefit from economies of scale, and avoid duplication of services. Proponents of the action cited the examples of New York City and Toronto for support. An example of how this consolidation took place is Cape Town, which combined seven previous metropolitan local councils—Blauwberg Municipality, City of Cape Town, City of Tygerberg, …

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Factors Relating To Romantic Relationship Experiences For Emerging Adults, Sabra Elyse Johnson Oct 2013

Factors Relating To Romantic Relationship Experiences For Emerging Adults, Sabra Elyse Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study of 1,492 emerging adults focuses on the relationships among negative family of origin experiences, attitudes about marriage, positive communication and the influence of past romantic relationships. The data used in this study comes from a survey questionnaire, READY (see www.relate-institute.org) completed by emerging adult participants (18-25). Results from the Structural Equation Model showed both aversive family of origin experiences and negative beliefs about marriage have a significant and negative influence on perceptions of romantic relationship experiences. Also, positive communication has a significant and positive influence on perceptions of past romantic relationships. However, positive communication did not mediate the …

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Senegal And Its Civil War In Casamance, Ryan Keller, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen Oct 2013

Senegal And Its Civil War In Casamance, Ryan Keller, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Civil and ethnic conflict has taken a particularly devastating toll on the peoples of Africa. Ruthless dictators, civil wars, and genocide have obliterated literally millions from Rwanda, to Uganda, to Angola. Unfortunately, Senegal has not been an exception.

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