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Articles 4651 - 4680 of 8231

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Democratization, Ethnicity, And War, Lindsay J. Baxter, Dr. Scott Cooper Oct 2013

Democratization, Ethnicity, And War, Lindsay J. Baxter, Dr. Scott Cooper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

US foreign policy often centers on the idea that spreading democracy is the key to ending violent interstate conflict. Proponents of the democratic peace theory endorse this policy perspective, asserting that the historical record demonstrates that war between democracies is rare if not nonexistent. However, scholars like Edward Mansfield and Jack Snyder remind policy makers that “countries do not become mature democracies overnight.”1 They maintain that democratizing states are actually more war-prone than mature democracies; therefore, those who shape foreign policy should couple their pro-democracy agenda with considerable caution.

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Hpo: How Would We Know?, Tyler Jonathan Faux, Dr. Bruce L. Brown Oct 2013

Hpo: How Would We Know?, Tyler Jonathan Faux, Dr. Bruce L. Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

High Performance Organization (HPO) training developed in the early nineties at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. This agency has the responsibility to train senior level executives in government agencies. Since its development, HPO seminars have been presented to many government, military, and private institutions. Essentially, the creators of HPO training have attempted to cast a net over the best ideas in organizational theory and to combine it into a coherent, internally consistent picture.

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The Context Of Contact: An Examination Of Whites’ Intermarriage Attitudes In The United States, Bryan R. Johnson, Dr. Mikaela Dufur Oct 2013

The Context Of Contact: An Examination Of Whites’ Intermarriage Attitudes In The United States, Bryan R. Johnson, Dr. Mikaela Dufur

Journal of Undergraduate Research

On June 12, 1967, under the Fourteenth Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned all laws banning marriage between those of different races.

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The Effects Of Gender On Human Event-Related Potentials, Kimberly Hales, Dr. Scott C. Steffensen Oct 2013

The Effects Of Gender On Human Event-Related Potentials, Kimberly Hales, Dr. Scott C. Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Specific components of the human averaged visual evoked potential (VEP) are task-related. As observers scan a visual scene, they use two main types of visual object search: parallel and serial (Luck and Hillyard 1994). Parallel processing is where the object seems to “pop-out” to the observer, while serial processing requires searching. In this study, two targets were used that were previously characterized as parallel or serial (Salyer 2001) to study their differential effects on late VEP components.

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The Increasing Cost Of Health Care, Aaron Howard, Dr. Bret Mackay Oct 2013

The Increasing Cost Of Health Care, Aaron Howard, Dr. Bret Mackay

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Health Care costs have increased substantially over the past several years. Unfortunately, the cause of the increase is not well understood. The purpose of my research was to study and model the increasing premium trends of HMOs in an attempt to identify factors that contribute to the increasing costs of medical care.

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Ritualized Conversion Among Maya Pentecostals Of Ixtahuacan, Guatemala, Michael Jones, Dr. John Hawkins Oct 2013

Ritualized Conversion Among Maya Pentecostals Of Ixtahuacan, Guatemala, Michael Jones, Dr. John Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Among two Ki’che’ Pentecostal congregations, I examine conversion as a process for reconstructing one’s disrupted symbolic system or world view. This reconstruction is effected through rituals revealed in ritualized recitation of one’s conversion narrative and in the examination of group interaction. I explore three aspects of the conversion process—motive, mode, and choice of congregational affiliation after acceptance of “el evangelio”—and place conversions in historically and socially relevant contexts. I find that through conversion narratives individuals learn the proper form of conversion and socialization. The narratives reveal the proper way to reform and reconstruct a disrupted symbolic system.

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Contemporary Bark Cloth Of Tonga: A Manifestation Of Tongan Women And Society, Kirstin M. Johnson, Dr. Julie Hartley Oct 2013

Contemporary Bark Cloth Of Tonga: A Manifestation Of Tongan Women And Society, Kirstin M. Johnson, Dr. Julie Hartley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Thousands of years ago the ancestors of the Tongan people brought with them a tree that would harvest bark prime for making cloth. Since then, Tongan women have exploited the resources of the paper mulberry tree (Broussonetia papyrifera) to produce a bark cloth they term ngatu. Today, fewer and fewer women make ngatu, yet, all women are perpetually in need of it since the cloth itself socially, ceremonially, and sometimes economically supports their lives. Women work endlessly to produce and give this honored fabric due to ingrained feelings of duty to fulfill cultural norms that retard change and leave no …

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Ghanaian Healing And Traditional Medicine: An Ethnobotanical Study Of The Use Of Medicinal Plants Among Traditional Ashanti Healers Of West Africa, Patricia Fifita, Dr. William Olsen Oct 2013

Ghanaian Healing And Traditional Medicine: An Ethnobotanical Study Of The Use Of Medicinal Plants Among Traditional Ashanti Healers Of West Africa, Patricia Fifita, Dr. William Olsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For the importance of this paper, ethnobotany is defined as the study of interactions between plants and people, particularly the influence of plants on human culture. The study of medicinal plant knowledge is an issue of increasing importance and definite urgency, especially as various indigenous peoples around the globe are suffering a great loss of traditional knowledge and practices. Examining traditional plant knowledge holds value in the interest of cultural preservation, as well as providing an important contribution in the area of drug discovery. In this project, I focused on the traditional healing practices and systems of the Ghanaian peoples …

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Mobile Phones: Changing Moroccan Social Patterns, Alexia Green, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen Oct 2013

Mobile Phones: Changing Moroccan Social Patterns, Alexia Green, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

On the surface, Moroccan society appears fairly traditional. Women stay in the house. Men stay on the streets. However, traditional barriers are being circumvented by new technology; mobile phones allow men and women to have continual, unsupervised contact and thus interrupt social norms. Widespread mobile phone and internet use provides access to members of the opposite sex in ways never before possible. A fifteen year old girl can be sitting in her living room watching television with her parents while receiving texts from her (most likely unwelcome) boyfriend and no one is the wiser. This frequent contact is having a …

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Progressive Women: A Comparison Of Women’S Status In France, Morocco, And Tunisia, Margo Alana Larson, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen Oct 2013

Progressive Women: A Comparison Of Women’S Status In France, Morocco, And Tunisia, Margo Alana Larson, Dr. Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Western perception of Muslim women remains riddled with negative stigmas regarding women’s perceived lack of personal status rights. France as the center of all cultural advances was thought of as being advanced in the area of female status rights as well. As ideas moved from this Parisian cultural center to North Africa—the periphery of French civilization, North African female status laws were modified. Yet who can to say these changes were for the good or were in areas in which the French were more advance? This thesis has examined the idea that Western women have gained rights more quickly and …

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The Spatial Distribution Of Votes Garnered By Ldp Candidates: An Exploratory Analysis Using Moran’S, Brian C. Dowdle, Dr. Ray Christensen Oct 2013

The Spatial Distribution Of Votes Garnered By Ldp Candidates: An Exploratory Analysis Using Moran’S, Brian C. Dowdle, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Electoral systems, which use multimember electoral districts and non-transferable votes, present unique strategic dilemmas for political parties. In order to gain a parliamentary majority, a party must run and win candidates equal to at least one-half of the available seats. Under such a system, therefore, it is commonplace for candidates of the same party to run against each other along with candidates from other political parties. This poses two significant strategic dilemmas. First, how many party candidates should run in each election district? Second, how can the vote best be divided among party candidates to maximize the number of seats …

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Determinants Of Religious Freedom, Daniel M. Butler, Dr. Danny Damron Oct 2013

Determinants Of Religious Freedom, Daniel M. Butler, Dr. Danny Damron

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Since the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration on human rights, there has been an incredible growth in the research done on human rights. The universal nature of these standards and rights has ensured that the study of human rights has been particularly fruitful for comparative study. While the number of cross-national studies on human rights has quickly increased during the past decade, the majority of those studies have used a narrow conception of human rights – the level of personal integrity abuses. This study adds to existing research by testing to see if some of the factors that have …

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Strangers In A Strange Land: The Phenomenon Of Migration In South Africa, Stephen J. Spiegelhalter, Dr. Daniel Nielson Oct 2013

Strangers In A Strange Land: The Phenomenon Of Migration In South Africa, Stephen J. Spiegelhalter, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The result of the funding from this grant is a preliminary insight into the phenomenon of migration in South Africa. While interesting in and of itself, it actually comprises an important component of a larger project—an honors thesis on the study of international migration, its effects on the migrating population, and its effects on the host state. This study focuses on the parallel situations of the United States and South Africa. Further, it specifically examines the interplay of domestic economic and political conditions and public sentiment regarding immigration legislation. This topic continues to occupy the foreground of American politics with …

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English Learning Center Essay Evaluation Technology, Camille Van Katwyk Yorgason, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale, Dr. Diane Strong-Krause Oct 2013

English Learning Center Essay Evaluation Technology, Camille Van Katwyk Yorgason, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale, Dr. Diane Strong-Krause

Journal of Undergraduate Research

English is an important skill in today’s world – in the job market as well as in our worldwide Church. BYU has a unique opportunity to assist many international students, including returned missionaries involved in the Perpetual Education Fund, to learn English through its English Language Center (ELC). This center is limited in the number of students it can reach because of the cost and time involved for teachers to perform tasks such as the grading of essays of lower proficiency students. My project was to work on the development of a computer program that evaluates the essays of non-native …

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Similarity And Contiguity Of Form And Meaning: A Paradigm Of Grammatical Gender Change In Romance Languages, Eve A. Ross, Dr. Cynthia L. Hallen Oct 2013

Similarity And Contiguity Of Form And Meaning: A Paradigm Of Grammatical Gender Change In Romance Languages, Eve A. Ross, Dr. Cynthia L. Hallen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Gender in language is currently a hot topic in linguistics and related fields. One somewhat neglected branch of this subject is grammatical gender. Grammatical gender refers to the gender of a word that does not correspond to the gender of the real world object the word represents. Grammatical gender does not exist in English, but it does exist in all of the Romance languages. For example, the French word for “month” is masculine, even though months themselves are not masculine.

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Virgin Anasazi Research And Exhibition, Samantha Annette Bonser, Dr. Marti L. Allen Oct 2013

Virgin Anasazi Research And Exhibition, Samantha Annette Bonser, Dr. Marti L. Allen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rise Up from Fragments features the largest collection of Virgin Anasazi artifacts from one site. Until recently, this prehistoric group had remained in the shadow of more visible branches of the Anasazi such as Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Now, it is fast becoming the focus for archaeologist researching in the southwest. Located at a natural crossroads near Kanab, Utah, the artifacts from the Talbot site offer new insights to the Virgin branch of the Anasazi and their interactions with the groups around them.

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A Tree Ring Analysis Comparing Tree Rings At Two Elevations To Precipitation And Temperature To Find The Dominant Limiting Factor, At Snowbird Utah, Brian Latta, Dr. Matthew F. Bekker Oct 2013

A Tree Ring Analysis Comparing Tree Rings At Two Elevations To Precipitation And Temperature To Find The Dominant Limiting Factor, At Snowbird Utah, Brian Latta, Dr. Matthew F. Bekker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The objective of this case study is to determine which limiting factor is most dominant in controlling tree growth at Snowbird, Utah. Trees typically respond and grow to a variety of factors. Some of these factors are precipitation, temperature, competition, soil moisture, soil depth, and disturbances. The two most dominant factors found in previous studies are temperature and precipitation. This case study found that neither of these factors is the most dominant limiting factor for tree growth.

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Spatial Manifestations Of Christian-Muslim Relations In Damascus And Aleppo, Syria, Joey Leavitt, Dr. Chad Emmett Oct 2013

Spatial Manifestations Of Christian-Muslim Relations In Damascus And Aleppo, Syria, Joey Leavitt, Dr. Chad Emmett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Syria’s unique geographic location places it at both the epicenter of ancient Christianity’s advent and the heart of the modern Islamic Middle East. This rich and diverse religious history is evident today in Syria’s population. Although the majority of Syrians are Muslim, a sizable minority of between 10% and 20% profess Christianity.

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Income And Capabilities: A Closer Look At Causation In International Development Models, Peter Sturgeon, Dr. Daniel Nielson Oct 2013

Income And Capabilities: A Closer Look At Causation In International Development Models, Peter Sturgeon, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project examines the relationship between increases in human capabilities and growth in GDP per capita. To do so, I utilize two-stage least squares regression analysis of cross-sectional data from over 140 countries. The results show that income and human capabilities have independent effects—with the effects of increases in human capabilities being greater. The role of human capabilities in increasing income is primarily realized through marginal increases in labor productivity. The findings suggest that development efforts focusing directly on education will be the most effective at alleviating poverty and empowering individuals.

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Tax Reform In Russia: Success, Failure, And Implications, Camille Jackson, Dr. Wade Jacoby Oct 2013

Tax Reform In Russia: Success, Failure, And Implications, Camille Jackson, Dr. Wade Jacoby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The final days of 1991 brought unprecedented changes for Russia. The fall of Soviet rule and struggle toward Western democracy—or at least away from communism—has been a long, hard, and trying process for Russia and her citizens. This struggle stems from the difficult yet necessary restructuring process, a process marked by economic difficulties and, sometimes, failure. One area in which the country has met with extreme difficulty is taxation. Until recently, Russia has been notorious for widespread tax evasion and corruption, problems caused by ill-conceived tax laws and a cultural tendency away from tax compliance. Contrary to popular belief, however, …

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Depression And Employment Among Men: A Study Of Displaced Steelworkers, Maren Trowbridge, Dr. Marie Cronwall Oct 2013

Depression And Employment Among Men: A Study Of Displaced Steelworkers, Maren Trowbridge, Dr. Marie Cronwall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many workers who find themselves without employment fall into serious depression. As job loss is common in our society, its human cost becomes increasingly widespread. These mental health problems reach even the well-being of the family as well as long-term financial stability. Often, those who are reemployed find themselves in less lucrative, more menial jobs that fail to provide the lifestyle or even the necessities that their previous employment provided. Thus, the underemployed frequently experience levels of depression similar to those of the unemployed (Dooley, Prause, and Ham-Rowbottom 2000).

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“The Role Of Gaba Electrical Networks In Brain Stimulation Reward”, Seth Gunderson, Dr. Scott Steffensen Oct 2013

“The Role Of Gaba Electrical Networks In Brain Stimulation Reward”, Seth Gunderson, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The basis for my project is predicated on the rewarding properties of alcohol and other substances of abuse. We set out to further our understanding the neural system that is involved in intracranial self stimulation (ICSS) and how this system is mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. Studies involving intravenous self administration (SA) of opiates and psychostimulants have identified specific neural substrates that mediate the reinforcing actions of these drugs and they constitute part of the same central nervous reward system that has evolved for mediating natural motivated behaviors, the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system.1,2

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Job Loss And Health Status Among Laid Off Steel Workers, Brock O'Neil, Dr. Marie Cornwall Oct 2013

Job Loss And Health Status Among Laid Off Steel Workers, Brock O'Neil, Dr. Marie Cornwall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Job loss is a stressful life event that results in many changes in life. For some time, researchers have noted that there is a strong relationship between job loss and declines in health outcomes (Brenner 1979). When two things are related, such as job loss and poor health outcomes in this study, it is difficult to establish which one causes the other. That is, does job loss result in poor health or does poor health cause one to lose work? A number of researchers have examined this problem and have demonstrated, quite convincingly, that job loss does lead to declines …

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Adaptive Effects Of Ventral Tegmental Area Gaba Neurons To Alcohol, Jeffrey Sparenborg, Dr. Scott Steffensen Oct 2013

Adaptive Effects Of Ventral Tegmental Area Gaba Neurons To Alcohol, Jeffrey Sparenborg, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I set out to discover the substrates of the brain that are involved with chronic use of alcohol. My mentor Scott Steffensen had previously found that the GABA neurons in the midbrain, more specifically, in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain were susceptible to ethanol administration. This information is only a piece, however, of the puzzle that will eventually show the full picture of how ethanol disrupts our brain’s function. The next piece that my ORCA aimed to delineate was to see what mechanisms in the VTA were changing when the brain became addicted to alcohol i.e., what …

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The Lithuanian Language And Conference Translation, Rebecca M. Rosenlund, Dr. Cynthia Hallen Oct 2013

The Lithuanian Language And Conference Translation, Rebecca M. Rosenlund, Dr. Cynthia Hallen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Every six months, millions of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gather to hear the voice of a living prophet and other leaders and teachers. They look forward to the counsel and insight that they will receive for themselves and their families as they face the challenges of daily life. They rejoice in the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the Lord’s will and of his plan for his children living at this time. The proceedings of the semi-annual conferences are sent via satellite to thousands of stake centers and homes so that members throughout …

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The Human Rights Act: Incorporating International And Domestic Factors In British Law, Deborah Wells, Dr. Kendall Stiles Oct 2013

The Human Rights Act: Incorporating International And Domestic Factors In British Law, Deborah Wells, Dr. Kendall Stiles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The project involved a study of British civil rights laws and practices in the context of European human rights law as embodied in the Convention on Human Rights and enforced by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Over the years, Britain has often found itself chastised for failing to comply with both the spirit and letter of the law, which raises the obvious question: why would the world’s most mature democracy have difficulty complying with these rules?

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Educational Change Processes In A School In Zimbabwe, Africa, Thira Schmidl, Dr. Russell T. Osguthorpe Oct 2013

Educational Change Processes In A School In Zimbabwe, Africa, Thira Schmidl, Dr. Russell T. Osguthorpe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future recommended “that schools be restructured to become genuine learning organizations for both students and teachers -organizations that respect learning, honor teaching, and teach for understanding”.1 A lot of change is necessary to accomplish this restructuring asked for by this commission.

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The Neurophysiological Effects Of Carbon Monoxide On The Basal Ganglia Over Time, Dalin Pulsipher, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins Oct 2013

The Neurophysiological Effects Of Carbon Monoxide On The Basal Ganglia Over Time, Dalin Pulsipher, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the most common causes of death due to poisoning in the United States [1]. CO poisoning often results in neurological changes and motor and cognitive impairments due to anoxia and other related biomechanical mechanisms [2]. A major set of subcortical nuclei affected by CO poisoning are the basal ganglia, which play a key role in the regulation and coordination of movement, as well as some cognitive functions.

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Orca Progress Report, Lara Schwicht, Dr. Jeffrey Lee Oct 2013

Orca Progress Report, Lara Schwicht, Dr. Jeffrey Lee

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study focuses on assessment procedures used to evaluate the treatments offered to severely and persistently mentally ill patients (SPMI). By way of definition, SPMI individuals: (1) number between one and five million (NAMHC, 1995; Arns, & Linney, 1993), (2) use a significant percentage of mental health care inpatient and community services ($148 billion annually in the United States), and (3) are diagnosed with mental disorders such as “schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, autism, and obsessive compulsive disorder” (Carey, & Carey, 1999). The size of this patient population coupled with its financial impact on health care in North …

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The Effect Of Media On Anxiety, Depression And Self-Esteem In Persons With Different Body Mass Indices (Bmi), Angel Saavedra Cisneros, Dr. Matthew Spackman Oct 2013

The Effect Of Media On Anxiety, Depression And Self-Esteem In Persons With Different Body Mass Indices (Bmi), Angel Saavedra Cisneros, Dr. Matthew Spackman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Body image is only one of different aspects that make up what is known as “self-image.” That is, the way we view ourselves as a whole by ourselves and in reference to others. Having a healthy self-image is important to overall wellbeing in many individuals. Having a healthy body-image is a very important part of self-image healthiness; the comparisons we subject our body-image to are also important to our self image.

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