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Articles 4981 - 5010 of 8231

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Quantile Regression Analysis Of Respiratory Health And Pm10 Pollution, Rebecca L. Brunson, Dr. Mark Showalter Aug 2013

A Quantile Regression Analysis Of Respiratory Health And Pm10 Pollution, Rebecca L. Brunson, Dr. Mark Showalter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In 1991 Dr. C Arden Pope published a study on the effect of changes in fine particulate pollution (PM10) on respiratory health, as measured by peak expiratory flow (PEF). The study found that respiratory health (PEF) was affected by changes in PM10 even when the levels were well below the national ambient air quality standard. The results of the study were statistically significant. “Elevated PM10 levels were associated with statistically significant reductions in lung function as measured by reductions in PEF and increased reported symptoms of respiratory disease and asthma medication use” (1).

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The Effect Of Utah’S Ban On Smoking In Public Buildings On Restaurant Revenues, Brant Avondet, Dr. Arden C. Pope Iii Aug 2013

The Effect Of Utah’S Ban On Smoking In Public Buildings On Restaurant Revenues, Brant Avondet, Dr. Arden C. Pope Iii

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My analysis of available data was unable to determine the effect of Utah’s ban on smoking in public buildings on restaurant revenues.

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Considering Covenants, Kelly Erickson, Dr. Alan J. Hawkins Aug 2013

Considering Covenants, Kelly Erickson, Dr. Alan J. Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In an effort to combat the no-fault divorce era and it=s social repercussions, two states, Louisiana and Arizona, have already passed a Covenant Marriage Law (CM). This law is meant to strengthen the marriage commitment from it=s inception by requiring the following conditions of couples who choose to participate in a Covenant Marriage: 1) that they have carefully chosen to marry and have disclosed any information that could adversely affect the relationship, 2) that they understand that the legal grounds for separation or divorce include adultery by the other spouse, felony and imprisonment, abandonment for one year, physical or sexual …

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The Modern Relevance Of Natural Law Considered From An Epistemological Perspective: Taking Up The Challenge Of Foucault And The Poststructuralists, Robert David Hunter Floyd, Dr. Kelly D. Patterson Aug 2013

The Modern Relevance Of Natural Law Considered From An Epistemological Perspective: Taking Up The Challenge Of Foucault And The Poststructuralists, Robert David Hunter Floyd, Dr. Kelly D. Patterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This two-year project, undertaken with the aid of ORCA funding, is preceding both on schedule and in many ways better than expected. The support provided in the grant has allowed me to dedicate considerable time and energy to a topic which requires me to draw upon philosophical insights from a variety of disciplines and authors. While an honors thesis will ultimately result from the work begun with the grant, already this research experience is opening new horizons of scholarship which I had not heretofore considered.

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The Development Of A Biblical Hebrew Parser, John D. Crawford, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Aug 2013

The Development Of A Biblical Hebrew Parser, John D. Crawford, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to produce a phrase-structure grammar for Biblical Hebrew and to determine the best way to apply said grammar in a computerized parser in order to test its durability. Overall I believe this project was a success. Although the parser has only been tested within the first few chapters of Genesis, there is sufficient variety of syntax there to test the parser’s capabilities. In addition, the problems of developing a parser have made the more difficult aspects of the application of linguistic theory to real data much more real and interesting for me.

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Life Histories In Kizimkazi Dimbani, Zabzibar, Stephen B. Backman, Dr. David P. Crandall, Dr. Gary Burgess Aug 2013

Life Histories In Kizimkazi Dimbani, Zabzibar, Stephen B. Backman, Dr. David P. Crandall, Dr. Gary Burgess

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Kizimkazi Dimbani is a village of just over 1500 people on the southern end of the island of Zanzibar, which is about 50 miles off of the coast of Tanzania. In the fall of 1998 I went to Zanzibar with a group of seven BYU students under the International Study Programs Office in the Kennedy Center. The group performed a variety of research projects including topics focusing on health, conservation biology, village economics, education, and anthropology. My project was based on a study of the relationship between the kinship and political systems of the village. Through our research we were …

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A Two-Pronged Strategy For Brazilian Domestic Violence Legislation: The Effectiveness Of Autonomous Women’S Groups And Feminists In Government, Jason M. Johnson, Dr. Darren G. Hawkins Aug 2013

A Two-Pronged Strategy For Brazilian Domestic Violence Legislation: The Effectiveness Of Autonomous Women’S Groups And Feminists In Government, Jason M. Johnson, Dr. Darren G. Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the 1980s Brazil made unprecedented advancements in the area of domestic violence. It was the first country to open women’s police stations staffed by female police officers and established an executive council where feminists could discuss policies for problems like violence against women. Yet, despite these early achievements which sprang from a strong women’s movement, Brazil remains one of only three countries in Latin America without a law prohibiting violence against women. The purpose of the ORCA research was to determine the effectiveness of the two-pronged strategy for domestic violence legislation, characterized by women simultaneously pressuring inside and outside …

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A Correlation Study Of Y-Oq And Os Performance In A Youth Outpatient Setting, Jacob Z. Hess, Shelby L. Ferrin, Dr. Michael J. Lambert Aug 2013

A Correlation Study Of Y-Oq And Os Performance In A Youth Outpatient Setting, Jacob Z. Hess, Shelby L. Ferrin, Dr. Michael J. Lambert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Psychological outcome measures are designed to measure the effectiveness of psychotherapy. The continued conversion of our health care system to managed care increases the need for such outcome instruments as insurance companies require therapists to have evidence that counseling is really helping a client. Initially, outcome measures were developed for adults; more recently, variations on these measures have been designed for children (Burlingame, et al., 1996). In this study, we compared two questionnaires designed to measure psychotherapy with children. Both instruments included a form for parents and a form for their child, from ages 12 to 17. Our comparison went …

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Effects Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation In A Rat-Model Of Human Depression, Brian J. Higginbotham, Dr. Erin Bigler Aug 2013

Effects Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation In A Rat-Model Of Human Depression, Brian J. Higginbotham, Dr. Erin Bigler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new technology that extends the ability to noninvasively stimulate cortical brain structures (Walsh and Rushworth, 1999). TMS involves placing an electromagnet on the scalp and turning it rapidly on and off through the discharge of capacitors, thereby producing a time-varying magnetic field that passes unimpeded through the skull and soft tissue. This altering magnetic field induces a changing electric field, which causes current flow in cortical tissue, resulting in neuronal depolarization.

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Regress In South African Education After Apartheid, Brett Peterson, Dr. John Hawkins Aug 2013

Regress In South African Education After Apartheid, Brett Peterson, Dr. John Hawkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In South Africa, despite positive changes in school structure and potential educational attainment, revolutionary changes to South African society interact with the current state of South African education to produce a negative educational effect.

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The Ira: Terrorists?; A Study Of The Northern Irish Conflict Through Writing, Interviews And Audio Documentary, Arielle Badger, Clifford Newman, Dr. Michael Findley Aug 2013

The Ira: Terrorists?; A Study Of The Northern Irish Conflict Through Writing, Interviews And Audio Documentary, Arielle Badger, Clifford Newman, Dr. Michael Findley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Easter Rising of 1916 began the end of British rule in Ireland. While the Republic of Ireland gained full independence in 1922, Northern Ireland remained under British control. Many Irish nationalists continued to fight for a fully united, independent Ireland. Small-scale attacks were continued by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), which eventually escalated into the “Troubles” from roughly 1969-1994. The “Troubles” were not simply about territorial integrity through uniting the Irish island. The conflict was between races, religion and in protest of centuries of occupation and discrimination.

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A Corpus-Based Evaluation Of Usage Advice From The Cse And Chicago Style Manuals, Shelsea Van Ornum, Doris Dant Aug 2013

A Corpus-Based Evaluation Of Usage Advice From The Cse And Chicago Style Manuals, Shelsea Van Ornum, Doris Dant

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Writers and editors are constantly faced with decisions about usage (the actual use of language), as opposed to grammar (the theoretical structure of language). To help writers and editors make these decisions, various organizations and language authorities have compiled manuals and handbooks that include advice on and examples of various usage items. However, actual usage may not always reflect what language experts claim is the correct choice. Furthermore, language experts often disagree with each other in their usage recommendations.

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Development Of New Malagasy-English Dictionary, Matthew Winterton, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Aug 2013

Development Of New Malagasy-English Dictionary, Matthew Winterton, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Since Madagascar gained its independence from France in 1960, the country’s leaders have tried to promote a unique sense of identity for the Malagasy people and culture. Part of this effort has been spent in preserving the Malagasy language. However, due to the limited extent of vocabulary in the Malagasy language, a high demand for English arose, resulting in English becoming an official language in 2007. Since the first Malagasy-English dictionary was published by British missionaries in 1835, there have been attempts to fabricate a modernized Malagasy-English dictionary, but these efforts have by no means been comprehensive and are often …

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The Problem With Chicago’S Possessives, Betsy Snider, Doris Dant Aug 2013

The Problem With Chicago’S Possessives, Betsy Snider, Doris Dant

Journal of Undergraduate Research

American English has no official language rules; rather, it has guidelines of what is acceptable and what is not. These guidelines, or prescriptions, are found in grammar books such as usage books, dictionaries, and style guides. Grammar books are created and maintained by editors and grammarians who base their prescriptions on what they observe as acceptable or unacceptable usage based on what occurs in educated texts. Despite the commonality of method, there is great variety and contradiction between what different grammar books prescribe. Nineteenth century grammarian, Goold Brown, once barbed “Grammarians would perhaps differ less, if they read more.”

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Text Messaging: An Analysis Of Concise Strategies Of Politeness, Jessica Evans, Dr. Wendy Baker Aug 2013

Text Messaging: An Analysis Of Concise Strategies Of Politeness, Jessica Evans, Dr. Wendy Baker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, this study helps in expanding our understanding of how new mediums such as texting differ from traditional forms of speech and writing (Baron, 2008). One of the important practical implications of this research is a better understanding of the appropriate uses of texting, which is important especially for non-native English speakers to understand. We hope that the findings of this study will help improve our understanding not only of how such mediums are used (especially how they relate to more traditional forms of speech and writing) but also …

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The Etymologies Of Noah Webster: Ridiculous Or Revolutionary?, Dallin Bailey, Dr. Cynthia Hallen Aug 2013

The Etymologies Of Noah Webster: Ridiculous Or Revolutionary?, Dallin Bailey, Dr. Cynthia Hallen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In addition to priceless definition writing, the famed lexicographer, Noah Webster, spent over a decade in research for the etymologies, or word origins, in his dictionary. Unfortunately, scholars and biographers often criticize his etymological work in the literature. The trend in these criticisms seems to be that labeling a few obscure examples of Webster’s etymologies as incorrect is sufficient reason for the entire collection of his etymologies to be ignored. These critics dismiss his etymologies as being too speculative, lacking in scientific rigor, and too Biblical. Surprisingly, no study to date has reported a scientific analysis of his etymologies. My …

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Providing Corrective Feedback To Second Language Writers: What Are Educators Currently Doing?, Emily B. Allen, Norman Evans Aug 2013

Providing Corrective Feedback To Second Language Writers: What Are Educators Currently Doing?, Emily B. Allen, Norman Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Demosthenes, a Greek orator and statesman, affirmed that “small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” I feel that my receipt of an ORCA grant has been one such small opportunity which has been the beginning of many great enterprises for me personally and also for my chosen field. My faculty mentor, Dr. Norman Evans, and I have made great progress and had many remarkable experiences with the pursuits of our ORCA project. Together we have designed and launched a successful online survey, presented in two conferences, and are now in the process of composing several manuscripts for future …

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Personal Rules As A Model Of Self-Control, Michael Zhang, Dr. Harold Miller Aug 2013

Personal Rules As A Model Of Self-Control, Michael Zhang, Dr. Harold Miller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

To begin, I believe that the process of grant proposal writing was very important to both formulating my research idea and design as well as requesting the necessary assistance for the realization of this project. The idea which was developed has its origins with prominent psychologist, George Ainslie—personal rules are conceptually known as verbal commitments which we generate ourselves in order to control our behavior, e.g., we may tell ourselves that we will never cheat on an examination and this rule is effective if we follow through on it; however, the delineation of their effectiveness was only ever explained theoretically—the …

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How Do The Frequency Of Prosodic Errors In The Speech Of Non-Native English Speakers Influence Comprehensibility Ratings Given By Native Speakers Of English?, Jonathan Porter, Dr. Mark Tanner Aug 2013

How Do The Frequency Of Prosodic Errors In The Speech Of Non-Native English Speakers Influence Comprehensibility Ratings Given By Native Speakers Of English?, Jonathan Porter, Dr. Mark Tanner

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to identify the degree to which prosodic features in English (primarily pausing, word stress, and sentence-final pitch) influence native speakers (NS) comprehensibility of non-native speech. Identifying the extent to which particular features of speech influence comprehensibility could have major ramifications on the type of pronunciation instruction that is provided to non-native speakers. It can also have impact on the development of classroom and published materials for non-native speakers.

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Using Data To Analyze Rising Healthcare Costs Based On Firm Size And Government Policy, Michael Worley, Dr. Mark Showalter Aug 2013

Using Data To Analyze Rising Healthcare Costs Based On Firm Size And Government Policy, Michael Worley, Dr. Mark Showalter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project had two main, interdependent goals. The first was to study changes in health care costs over the past few decades and consider changes in policy over the course of the recent past in the context of recent health care legislation. The second was to establish a NSF (National Science Foundation) data center at Brigham Young University, and thereby have access to much better data to analyze to help us understand the affects changes in policy had.

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Power Of Shame: The Moderating Effects Of Parental And Peer Connection On The Relationship Between Adolescent Shame And Depression, Self-Esteem, And Hope, Alexander L. Hsieh Aug 2013

Power Of Shame: The Moderating Effects Of Parental And Peer Connection On The Relationship Between Adolescent Shame And Depression, Self-Esteem, And Hope, Alexander L. Hsieh

Theses and Dissertations

Past research and views on shame have indicated that shame has detrimental effects for adolescent development. Little research has focused on the pathways in which shame may affect adolescent traits. Even less studies examine what variables may moderate the effects of shame. Using adolescent self-report questionnaires, this study examined the relationship between adolescent shame and depression, self-esteem, and hope. In addition, this study examined the moderating effect maternal, paternal, and best friend relationships have between shame and adolescent outcome variables. A structural equation moderation model analysis was fit to data from 307 two-parent families. The average age of adolescents for …

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Critical Factors In Standard English Acquisition, Adam Prestidge, Dr. William Eggington Aug 2013

Critical Factors In Standard English Acquisition, Adam Prestidge, Dr. William Eggington

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The ability to acquire Standard English is requisite for upward mobility in the United States. As English-language-learners are able to acquire command of a higher code, society rewards them with greater opportunities for success.

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The Harrowing Of Hell: Salvation For The Dead In Early Christianity, Kendel Christensen, Dr. David Paulsen Aug 2013

The Harrowing Of Hell: Salvation For The Dead In Early Christianity, Kendel Christensen, Dr. David Paulsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project exceeded my grandest expectations. Not only did we achieve our main objective of tracking the history and evolution of the soteriological problem of evil, but our connection to restoration themes was so salient that the Journal of Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture accepted our offer to write a piece for them. They liked it so much that we are now in the final editing stages of a follow-up piece. Both articles can be accessed by going to http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/authors/?authorID=715 (note: the second article will not be accessible until sometime during the first quarter of 2011).

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Korean Language Acquisition And Syntax: Setting A Foundation For Korean Ei Testing, William Wilson, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale Aug 2013

Korean Language Acquisition And Syntax: Setting A Foundation For Korean Ei Testing, William Wilson, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Accurate and reliable L2 testing (or second language testing) is something that many entities rely on, including educational institutions, business enterprises, and the government. Researchers over the last several decades have proposed new testing methods, and a particularly promising venue is Elicited Imitation (EI). Simply put, an EI test is a sentence imitation test. Test-takers hear a series of recorded utterances in the target language, repeat those sentences as exactly as possible, and then receive scores based on the accuracy of their repetitions.

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Museum Of Peoples And Cultures: Acknowledging History, Carlee Reed, Dr. Paul Stavast Aug 2013

Museum Of Peoples And Cultures: Acknowledging History, Carlee Reed, Dr. Paul Stavast

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As of 2009, the Museum of Peoples and Cultures (MPC) has been an active institution of BYU campus for over fifty years. Throughout that time it has developed educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and given a unique experience to students in and out of the Anthropology program. The MPC’s directors have kept the institution open through diligence, and acknowledging the importance of practical experience to BYU’s students.

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Everybody’S Talkin’ At Me: Analyzing The Effect Of Multi-Source Television News Content On Civic Learning, David Lassen, Dr. Christopher Karpowitz Aug 2013

Everybody’S Talkin’ At Me: Analyzing The Effect Of Multi-Source Television News Content On Civic Learning, David Lassen, Dr. Christopher Karpowitz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Consumers of media during the past ten years have seen a dramatic shift in the way information is presented to the American public. With technical innovations associated with the Internet and the cultural adaptations that have accompanied them, modern American media has become increasingly interactive. Responding to these changes, many television networks such as CNN and MSNBC have begun to alter the visual format of their content to more closely resemble online sources of information. It is not uncommon, for example, for a modern news broadcast to include information on multiple stories simultaneously, including some information that may even be …

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Ethnicity And Public Goods Provision In An Indian City, Michael Davidson, Dr. Joel Selway Aug 2013

Ethnicity And Public Goods Provision In An Indian City, Michael Davidson, Dr. Joel Selway

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The provision of public goods is, on average, significantly poorer in ethnically-diverse communities (Banerjee et al. 2005). Three potential mechanisms have been put forward to explain this phenomenon: preferences, technology and strategy selection (Habyarimana et al. 2007). While the landmark experiment on this topic concluded that strategy selection best explained poor public goods provision, we posit that the role of preferences is significant (ibid.). The lab experiments we conducted tested for differences in preference between ethnic groups in the Southeast Indian city of Chennai.

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The Security Of Women’S Property Rights: A Cross-National Survey, Aimee Farnsworth, Dr. Valerie Hudson Aug 2013

The Security Of Women’S Property Rights: A Cross-National Survey, Aimee Farnsworth, Dr. Valerie Hudson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The main goal of this research was to complete a cross-national survey of women’s property rights in law and in practice. Surprisingly, such a global survey has never before been undertaken. This is a large gap in the existing knowledge base. My goal in this research was to be able to point out similarities, differences and anomalies throughout diverse regions and identify areas for future reform. Specifically, I wished to address the range of legal systems and cultural practices regarding women and property throughout the international system. Are there regional variations? What anomalies are present in the data? In which …

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Dar Al-Wefaq Women’S Shelter Needs Assessment, Annie Samhouri, Dr. Ralph Brown Aug 2013

Dar Al-Wefaq Women’S Shelter Needs Assessment, Annie Samhouri, Dr. Ralph Brown

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Jordan is considered one of the most progressive Arab states, yet only a handful of Jordan-specific research has been performed that address pertinent topics related to government programs that assist female victims of domestic violence. My original research project sought to identify the demographics of women that seek assistance at Dar Al-Wefaq battered women’s shelter. Identifying the demographics of beneficiaries would enable the Jordanian Ministry of Social Development to strengthen existing programs and better meet the needs of those that seek assistance at Dar Al-Wefaq. Using Dar Al-Wefaq as a case study, I initially planned to statistically analyze demographics such …

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What Works In Substance Abuse Treatment Programs For Offenders?, Amber Masters, Dr. Stephen Bahr Aug 2013

What Works In Substance Abuse Treatment Programs For Offenders?, Amber Masters, Dr. Stephen Bahr

Journal of Undergraduate Research

One of the major social problems in the United States is the prevalence of substance abuse. Eight percent of Americans age 12 and over used an illicit drug during the past month—9% of youths 12-17 and 20% of those 18-25 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2009). Substance use is particularly common among individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Among prison inmates in the United States, 73% used drugs regularly prior to their incarceration (Petersilia, 2005). At the time inmates committed their latest offense, 50% were under the influence of alcohol or drugs (Karberg & James, 2005). From …

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