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Articles 4831 - 4860 of 8231

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Generalized Qualitative Response Models, Brad Larsen, Dr. James Mcdonald Sep 2013

Generalized Qualitative Response Models, Brad Larsen, Dr. James Mcdonald

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Qualitative response (QR) models are used by economists, biometricians, epidemiologists, statisticians, and others to estimate the effect of certain variables on a binary (“yes” or “no”) response. For example, economists use QR models to answer the question, “What factors influence a woman’s decision to work? For years, biometricians have used QR models to answer questions such as, “What drug dosage will help a patient survive?”, or, more recently, “What level of magnetic radiation will result in childhood leukemia?” By answering these questions, QR models provide policy-makers, businesses, doctors, and others with valuable information for making decisions.

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Waging The Moral Equivalent Of War: The Political Conditions For Alternative Fuel Reform In The United States And Brazil, Logan Richards Clark, Dr. Kirk Hawkins Sep 2013

Waging The Moral Equivalent Of War: The Political Conditions For Alternative Fuel Reform In The United States And Brazil, Logan Richards Clark, Dr. Kirk Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Energy often plays a central role in both domestic and international conflict. Many scholars, activists and policymakers agree that the environmental, economic, and political costs of the United States’ self-proclaimed “addiction” to oil for its use as transportation fuel, among other functions, are unsustainable, even dangerous. They assert that the industrialized world’s dependence on fossil fuels is perpetuating global warming, leading us to a world wide economic “peak-oil” shock, and setting up massive geopolitical struggles across the globe. If the global community is to avert the potential calamity that a continued dependence on unsustainable energy may incur, a wide-scale effort …

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Aristotle’S Vision Of God: Moving Beyond The Unmoved Mover, Tyler Stoehr, Dr. Daniel Graham Sep 2013

Aristotle’S Vision Of God: Moving Beyond The Unmoved Mover, Tyler Stoehr, Dr. Daniel Graham

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In Physics VIII and Metaphysics Λ Aristotle paints a portrait of a God that has typically dominated theological discussions in both the philosophical and Christian traditions of the West. This God is form without matter,1 pure actuality,2 pure thought,3 indivisible,4 incorporeal,5 andthe ultimate cause of the universe.6 However, during my research I came across many passages in Aristotle’s works (particularly in the Nicomachean Ethics) that seemed to contradict the portrait of Physics VIII and Metaphysics Λ. For instance, in the Nicomachean Ethics, Book X Chapter 7, Aristotle writes:

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Assessing Anasazi Mobility Through Ceramics, Alan B. Gelder, Dr. Joel C. Janetski Sep 2013

Assessing Anasazi Mobility Through Ceramics, Alan B. Gelder, Dr. Joel C. Janetski

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are some compelling questions about variations in the subsistence patterns of the Anasazi that are still unanswered. It is possible that within the Escalante Valley of south-central Utah, the Anasazi practiced a more mobile lifestyle than is thought to be common—camping at some distance from their permanent settlements. Suggestive evidence comes from the ceramic remains of the archaeological site of North Creek Shelter (42GA5863). While the full analysis is incomplete, it appears that the Anasazi used this temporary site.

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A Brief Analysis Of Chinese Foreign Aid, Steve Kapfer, Dr. Eric Hyer Sep 2013

A Brief Analysis Of Chinese Foreign Aid, Steve Kapfer, Dr. Eric Hyer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As development continues to remain a stubborn, yet salient problem to address, an increasing number of researchers are trying to determine what factors affect development. One of the most popular means of promoting development is through official development aid (ODA) because it is thought to provide the necessary capital and technical know-how needed to spur development. However, the benefits of ODA are increasingly being called into question as economic analysis shows marginal growth rates in many targeted developing countries, and in those targeted countries aid produces decreasing marginal returns.

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Using The Federalist To Better Understand The Constitution: Does Publius’S “Split Personality” Pose A Problem?, Chris Bates, Dr. Brent Gilchrist Sep 2013

Using The Federalist To Better Understand The Constitution: Does Publius’S “Split Personality” Pose A Problem?, Chris Bates, Dr. Brent Gilchrist

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Considered by many to be the seminal work in American political theory, The Federalist has long stood as one of the most important commentaries on the American Constitution and constitutional system. Despite the work’s near canonical status, however, a number of authors have questioned its value as an instrument for understanding and interpreting the Constitution. One of the most important challenges to The Federalist’s interpretive value comes from Douglass Adair’s and Alpheus Thomas Mason’s split personality thesis, which claims that Hamilton’s and Madison’s respective papers espouse fundamentally different and even contradictory views. If true, the split personality thesis poses significant …

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Self-Determination And Independence Movements In Europe: The European Union’S Role, Jeannine Plamondon, Dr. Danny Damron Sep 2013

Self-Determination And Independence Movements In Europe: The European Union’S Role, Jeannine Plamondon, Dr. Danny Damron

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The European Union (EU) was created to bring European countries together, but could it also have the effect of breaking countries apart? This was the question I chose to evaluate for my research. I worked as an intern with the Scottish National Party (SNP), a political party seeking independence for Scotland from the United Kingdom, in the European Parliament in Brussels Belgium. On the European level, the SNP combines with other independence-seeking parties from various minority nations across Europe, such as the Catalonians and Basques in Spain, the Welsh in the United Kingdom, the Flemish in Belgium, etc. Together these …

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Wives Of Rural Mexican Migrants: Gender Roles And Mental Health?, Jared Wilkerson, Dr. Niwako Yamawaki Sep 2013

Wives Of Rural Mexican Migrants: Gender Roles And Mental Health?, Jared Wilkerson, Dr. Niwako Yamawaki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rural Mexican communities near Irapuato, Guanajuato are an ideal place to discover the effects of migration on a population. This area of Mexico contains many villages known as “sending communities” due to a high number of migrants who mostly travel to and from the United States. These sending communities are unique in that those who leave are almost solely men and almost solely temporary migrants—that is, even if they are married or have children, they migrate alone, and not with the intent of long-term residence or attempts at citizenship. When men leave wives and children at home to become migrant …

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An Analysis Of The Impact Of Higher Education On Likelihood Of Employment In Armenia, Christopher Palmer, Dr. Frank Mcintyre Sep 2013

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Higher Education On Likelihood Of Employment In Armenia, Christopher Palmer, Dr. Frank Mcintyre

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper employs microdata from the 2001 Armenian National Census to consider how varying levels of higher education affect the likelihood that an individual is employed in Armenia. The analysis concludes that the effect of incomplete undergraduate education on employment status is not statistically different from the effect of terminating one’s education after graduating high school. I consider several theoretical improvements on the standard probit and logit models using an instrumental variables approach and flexible distributions. Armenia is an interesting case study of economic contrasts. While Armenia’s double-digit economic growth suggests that it is adapting to the new market economy, …

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English-Mainly Language Policy: Improving Language Proficiency Through Self-Regulated Learning, Kendra Williamson, Norman Evans Sep 2013

English-Mainly Language Policy: Improving Language Proficiency Through Self-Regulated Learning, Kendra Williamson, Norman Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of the English-mainly project is to explore how an English-mainly (EM) language policy, as opposed to an English-only (EO) policy encourages self-regulated learning and fosters improved language proficiency among English as a Second Language students at BYU’s English Language Center (ELC).

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Lexterm Lexicography & Terminology Management, Logan Kearsley, Dr. Alan Melby Sep 2013

Lexterm Lexicography & Terminology Management, Logan Kearsley, Dr. Alan Melby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Lexicography (the compilation of dictionaries and study of relations between lexical items) and terminology (the study of technical terms used in specific fields or contexts) are conceptually very similar, both being based in the study and categorization of lexical items in human language. Both dictionaries and termbases are essential tools for second-language learners and professional translators and contain much of the same kinds of information on definitions, grammatical characteristics, and usages of words. Till now, however, tools for creating and curating dictionaries and termbases have existed largely in isolation from each other, with no simple way of sharing data between …

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Does Monitor Peptide Produce Anorexia Through The Release Of Endogenous Cholecystokinin?, Cory A. Talbot, Dr. Gregory N. Ervin Sep 2013

Does Monitor Peptide Produce Anorexia Through The Release Of Endogenous Cholecystokinin?, Cory A. Talbot, Dr. Gregory N. Ervin

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a gut hormone released following the ingestion of a meal. It was first shown in 1973 by Gibbs et al. that administration of exogenous CCK-8 (CCK-8 is the smallest part of the CCK molecule that possesses its biological activity) before a meal leads to a decrease in food intake and the onset of satiety-like behaviors in rats.1 Extensive evidence now exists demonstrating that exogenous CCK-8 can produce a selective decrease in food intakes in humans, as well. By using CCK receptor antagonists to block endogenous CCK or trypsin inhibitors to elevate released endogenous CCK, some evidence is …

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Age Of First Marriage And Economic Outcomes, Riley Wilson, Dr. Joseph Price Sep 2013

Age Of First Marriage And Economic Outcomes, Riley Wilson, Dr. Joseph Price

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Research has consistently found that marriage is associated with a number of positive economic, social and health outcomes (Korenman and Neumark, 1991; Loh, 1996). However, despite the many observed benefits of marriage at a point in time, there is a general belief that economic outcomes will be even higher if young adults wait until they are older to get married. This has led to a dramatic increase over the last decade in the average age of first marriage. Census data shows that the median age of first marriage in the United States United States from 1971 to 2011 increased dramatically …

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Republican Primary Donor Retention In The 2012 General Election Do Divisive Primaries Affect Campaign Donors?, Robert Richards, Dr. Jay Goddliffe Sep 2013

Republican Primary Donor Retention In The 2012 General Election Do Divisive Primaries Affect Campaign Donors?, Robert Richards, Dr. Jay Goddliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In recent presidential elections, we have seen many long, drawn out nomination battles in party primary elections. The divisive primary hypothesis states that divisive presidential primaries hurt the party’s performance in the general election (Kenney and Rice 1987). Research on this claim has generally focused on the party’s performance in terms of vote shares (for example, see Henderson, Hillygus, and Tompson 2010), but there are problems with this approach. Aggregate vote data only allows analysis of two points in time (the primary and the general election), and does not permit an analysis of individual behavior. Panel survey data can give …

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Does Prospect Theory Work In Politics?, Brian Reed, Dr. Jeremy Pope Sep 2013

Does Prospect Theory Work In Politics?, Brian Reed, Dr. Jeremy Pope

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Here I present the results of an experiment designed to address our limited but critical understanding of decision making when faced with uncertainty, and specifically how individuals make such decisions when part of a group (or government). The purpose of this research is to determine whether individuals behave according to rational choice theory or prospect theory when faced with making an uncertain decision on behalf of a group.

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Summary Of A Technological Analysis: A Coyotlatelco Phase Lithic Workshop At The Hacienda Metapec Apartment Complex, Teotihuacan, Shelby H. Saberon, Dr. John E. Clark Sep 2013

Summary Of A Technological Analysis: A Coyotlatelco Phase Lithic Workshop At The Hacienda Metapec Apartment Complex, Teotihuacan, Shelby H. Saberon, Dr. John E. Clark

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The outcome of being accepted for this grant, and the ensuing study that resulted, has become the beginning of a massive research project which merits great interest not only to the author, but to the field of MesoAmerican archaeology in general. In addition, my research from this project has become the foundation for a masters thesis which I will complete in the next year. Dr. Clark predicts that at least three major publications will result from the project, and that my thesis will become the basis for stone tool analysis in MesoAmerican archaeology. This is because no analysis at this …

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Uncertainty Analysis Of The Large Zone Economic Module (Lzem) Of The Se3m Model Of Land Use And Transportation, Alex Norr, Dr. Michael Clay Sep 2013

Uncertainty Analysis Of The Large Zone Economic Module (Lzem) Of The Se3m Model Of Land Use And Transportation, Alex Norr, Dr. Michael Clay

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Integrated land use and transportation forecasting models are used to assist decision makers in the policy analysis and infrastructure capital improvements selection process (1, 2, and 3). These models are typically given precise, point-estimate inputs that are mathematically linked, through a series of submodels, to forecasted model outputs (4 and 5). These point-estimate inputs represent an unrealistic level of precision and a growing body of research is focusing on statistical techniques to model uncertainty in model inputs and parameters and tracking the effects of this uncertainty through the various submodels to the model outputs (see 4, 6, and 7 and …

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Social Norms And The Tragedy Of The Commons: Evidence From Everyday Water Conservation, Ryan Hill, Dr. Josh Gubler Sep 2013

Social Norms And The Tragedy Of The Commons: Evidence From Everyday Water Conservation, Ryan Hill, Dr. Josh Gubler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This experiment tested how social norms affect individual incentives to conserve common-pool resources. We have tested this question with a simple field experiment on BYU campus. We observed individuals using public water sources after being treated with different inducements to conserve water. We are interested to see if individuals change their behavior in response to reminders of social norms immediately before making a decision to conserve scarce water. If there is an effect, does it vary based on the wording and nature of the reminder?

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Can Swing Voters Really Be Swung?, Ethan Busby, Dr. David Magleby Sep 2013

Can Swing Voters Really Be Swung?, Ethan Busby, Dr. David Magleby

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although the term “swing voter” appears in the news frequently, researchers and commentators disagree on the exact definition of this group. Some contend that these voters are individuals who are persuadable or moveable politically. Such moveable voters can be more readily influenced by political rhetoric and campaigning, presumably because they hold less rigid political beliefs. Such persuadability, however, is difficult to measure.

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Establishing Measurement Invariance Of Thin Ideal Internalization And Body Dissatisfaction Across Studies: An Integrative Data Analysis, Kat Tumblin Green Sep 2013

Establishing Measurement Invariance Of Thin Ideal Internalization And Body Dissatisfaction Across Studies: An Integrative Data Analysis, Kat Tumblin Green

Theses and Dissertations

With increased data sharing and research collaboration options available through modern technology, there is an increased need to find more advanced techniques to analyze data across multiple studies. A systematic method of pooling participant-level versus study-level data would be particularly valuable as it would allow for more complex statistical analyses, broader assessment of constructs, and a cost effective way to examine new questions and replicate previous findings. One notable difficulty in pooling raw data in the behavioral sciences is the heterogeneity in methodologies and consequent need to establish measurement invariance. The present study explores the feasibility of using Integrative Data …

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Culture And Sex Differences In The Lds Population: A Comparison Of Russian And American Attitudes Toward Sexual Behavior, Oxana Palesh, Dr. Michael B. Ehlert Sep 2013

Culture And Sex Differences In The Lds Population: A Comparison Of Russian And American Attitudes Toward Sexual Behavior, Oxana Palesh, Dr. Michael B. Ehlert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent work on female and male attitudes toward sexual behavior indicate that the sexes view sexual activity differently. Buss reported that females feel greater concern about a partner’s emotional commitment, whereas males show greater concern toward a partner’s sexual commitment. Clark and Hatfield reported 1 that when an unknown attractive male asked a college female to have sex, none of the females accepted and many were offended; however, when the roles were reversed, 75% of the males accepted and many were flattered.1 Other research demonstrated related differences across 37 cultures worldwide.1 These differences can have profound affects on the quality …

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Women And Development In Ixtahuacan: Religious Influences, Kristyn M. Roser, Dr. John P. Hawkins Sep 2013

Women And Development In Ixtahuacan: Religious Influences, Kristyn M. Roser, Dr. John P. Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

“Me levanto temprano, punts mi fuego, lavo mixtamal, voy al molino, y regreso para preparar los alimentos para mis hijos y mi esposo.” So begins a typical day for a woman in Ixtahuacan. It is a day focused on caring for family and preparation of food—tasks that renew themselves each time the sun rises. Hands that slap tortillas, envelope tamales in corn leaves, scrub clothes in the pila, lift children into rainbow colored baby wraps, weave symbols into huipiles, light fires—hands that work to develop the community.

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Dendroarcheology: William Hawk’S Cabin And The Human History Of Utah, J. Joseph Naylor, Dr. Matthew Bekker Sep 2013

Dendroarcheology: William Hawk’S Cabin And The Human History Of Utah, J. Joseph Naylor, Dr. Matthew Bekker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Dendrochronology is the process by which tree rings are measured and compared with others to determine the age and growth rates of trees. It has a variety of emphasis that allow for the extensive use of tree rings in studying many different fields. Some of these include; dendroclimatology, the study of climate patterns, dendromorphology, the study of natural hazard events (earthquakes, avalanches, mass movements), and dendroarcheology, the study of old wooden structures to determine cutting dates and construction practices.

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Weight-Based Discrimination Of Rape Victims, Rachael Howe, Dr. Niwako Yamawaki Sep 2013

Weight-Based Discrimination Of Rape Victims, Rachael Howe, Dr. Niwako Yamawaki

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Rape affects approximately one in six women in the United States (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). In addition to direct mental repercussions women experience from rape, they also frequently encounter lack of support, hostility, and isolation from the community, resulting in further psychological distress (Yamawaki & Tschanz, 2005). For example, law enforcement personnel subject rape victims to a “second victimization” by asking them to repeatedly relive the trauma and even attribute blame to the victims. Prejudice heavily influences the degree to which this victimization occurs, especially in more ambiguous (but not less traumatic) cases such as acquaintance rape (Campbell, 2006).

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Increasing Maternal Healthcare Use In Rwanda, Hayley Heath, Dr. Renata Forste Sep 2013

Increasing Maternal Healthcare Use In Rwanda, Hayley Heath, Dr. Renata Forste

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Access to maternal healthcare is seriously deficient in developing countries, particularly in rural areas of Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 515,000 women die each year from pregnancy related causes, and more than half of these deaths occur in Africa (Mavalankar & Rosenfield, 2005). “Safe motherhood is a key objective for developing countries but, despite recent improvements, sub-Saharan Africa is still the most dangerous place in the world to give birth” (Chambers & Booth, 2012). Although Africa as a continent has high maternal mortality, Rwanda is improving maternal health faster than any African country. Rwandan health policies have …

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From The Ashes Of Waco: Examining The Legal Difference Between A Cult And A Religion, Sara E. Stauffer, Dr. John Thomas Sep 2013

From The Ashes Of Waco: Examining The Legal Difference Between A Cult And A Religion, Sara E. Stauffer, Dr. John Thomas

Journal of Undergraduate Research

While working at the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., my attempts to determine the legal difference between a cult and a religion were met by brick walls and forks in the road. The question became one fraught with sticky nuances and thinly drawn lines; it was an issue shrouded in grey. In today’s world, defining a religious belief is equivalent to opening a Pandora’s box; it only unleashes trouble and controversy. Consequently, my quest for greater understanding of the legal intricacies concerning religious liberty became frustrating. I found that the more I learned, the more questions I had. I …

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Eyes On The Prize: Affective Dimensions Of Marathon Motivation And Performance, Abigail Farr, Jonathan Mietchen, Bryce Tobin, Trammell Cox, Michael Millard, Dr. Benjamin Ogles Sep 2013

Eyes On The Prize: Affective Dimensions Of Marathon Motivation And Performance, Abigail Farr, Jonathan Mietchen, Bryce Tobin, Trammell Cox, Michael Millard, Dr. Benjamin Ogles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study sought to investigate the relationship between motives for participating in a marathonand pre-race mood and their separate and combined influence on marathon running performance. Our goal was to determine whether or not performance may be dependent upon specific motivations (motivational clusters as determined by previous cluster analyses of marathon samples completing the motivations questionnaire) and pre-race mood among marathon runners. Our hypothesis was that there is interaction between a marathoner’s affective mood state and their specific motivation for running. Furthermore, it may be possible to discover optimal mood states for individuals with specific motivations

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Agent External Loss Aversion, David Gordon Sep 2013

Agent External Loss Aversion, David Gordon

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There is a vast body of literature that documents the seemingly irrational phenomena called loss aversion, a subset of prospect theory. Loss aversion is the idea that losses loom larger than otherwise equivalent gains, making it so that an agent would be unwilling to give up something currently in their consumption bundle for something else not currently in their consumption bundle, even though in the absence of both goods and faced with the choice between the two the agent would be indifferent between the two goods. Loss aversion has been shown to be responsible for irrational behavior in a variety …

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Blood In The Water: Where Do Loan Sharks Locate?, Taylor Canann, Dr. Richard Evans Sep 2013

Blood In The Water: Where Do Loan Sharks Locate?, Taylor Canann, Dr. Richard Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Short-term consumer credit lenders, in particular payday, pawn, and car title lenders, are seen as lenders that prey on the weak of society. This study uses a two-stage negative binomial regression to examine the “chum in the water,” determinants of the locations, of these “loan sharks,” payday and car title lenders. Using zip code level data for the state of Utah I find that the number of payday and car title lenders increase with young, single, middle income, English speaking, Hispanic populations. But I also found that these “loan sharks” locate near pawn shops. My findings indicate that these lenders …

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Withdrawing To A Virtual World: Associations Between Subtypes Of Withdrawal, Problematic Media, And Risk Behaviors In Emerging Adults, Emily Howard, Dr. Larry Nelson, Dr. Sarah Coyne Sep 2013

Withdrawing To A Virtual World: Associations Between Subtypes Of Withdrawal, Problematic Media, And Risk Behaviors In Emerging Adults, Emily Howard, Dr. Larry Nelson, Dr. Sarah Coyne

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Anecdotal evidence suggests that ‘gamers’ tend to be socially withdrawn, keeping to themselves and their PlayStations. However, research connecting withdrawal and media use is conflicting and inconclusive, likely because the varying motivations leading to withdrawal are not fully considered1. An approach-avoidance model of social withdrawal uses 2 measures to address the differing motivations leading to the same withdrawn behaviors. The first, approach, measures a person’s desire to engage in social situations, whereas the second, avoidance, measures inhibition. Combined, they define 3 variations of withdrawal: shyness (high approach, high avoidance), unsociability (low approach, low avoidance), and avoidance (low approach, high avoidance).2 …

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