Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Teaching Communication: Helping Students To Learn And To Love A New Language, Jacob Fredrickson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio represents many hours spent in classrooms (as a student and as a teacher), in the library reading and writing, and spent in quiet contemplation. My views on teaching languages and on education in general have grown and changed. What a tragedy it would be to pass through a graduate program and not to have one’s views evolve and grow. Most importantly, this portfolio represents that growth and the ideal that, as an educator and as a human being, time on this earth ought to be spent growing, learning, and striving for something better.

The Relationship Between Attachment, Couple Conflict, And Recovery From Conflict, Nathan C. Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Advances in technology have opened the door for increased understanding to the physiological changes that influence and are influenced by conflict. The objective of this research was to use these advances in technology to better understand the relationship between attachment and physiological reactivity during conflict, as well as during recovery from couple conflict. Skin conductance equipment was used to measure 10 couples (n = 20) physiological arousal while discussing an area of conflict, and during a recovery section which included a relationship distraction task and discussion. Five multiple regressions were used to analyze physiological reactivity during and after conflict …

Engaging Wisdom: A Comparison Of Cognitive And Interpersonal Interventions On Elderly Mental Health, Kade Downs

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In the United States the population of individuals over the age of 60 is large and expected to increase (Administration on Aging, 2009). Mental disorders (e.g., dementia) are especially prevalent in elderly populations (WHO, 2012). Considering the relatively small amount of research examining elderly populations in the United States, this prevalence highlights the potential and necessity for intervention research specifically designed for elderly individuals. This study examines the effectiveness of a cognitive as well as an interpersonal intervention on the mental health of a sample of individuals over the age of 60 at residential eldercare facilities. Results showed no significant …

A Mixed Methods Analysis Of The Family Support Experiences Of Lgbtq Latter-Day Saints, Mckay Stevens Mattingly

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

A burgeoning vein of research assesses links between familial support and psychosocial health among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals. This study is a cross-sectional, multi-method survey that examined these associations in highly religious families. Participants were 587 individuals who identified as LGBTQ, were affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), and were between the ages of 18 and 30. Reports of early support from families were significantly associated with various measures of psychosocial health, more consistently for men than women. In addition, participants provided written narratives in response to an …

A Portrait Of The New York City Lunatic Asylum On Blackwell's Island, Austin C. Labau

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Statement of Purpose

"Insanity is a subject which touches our civil rights at so many different points, that it may be said to have a place in every problem involving human responsibility." -John Ordronaux, New York State Commissioner in Lunacy, 1878.

Mental illness can reduce even the strongest person to a state of helplessness. The way in which a society treats individuals with mental illness provides a window into what that society most values - what behaviors it approves, what people it sees as most valuable, and how much society is willing to sacrifice to help those who may or …

An Exploration Of Object And Scientific Skills-Based Strategies For Teaching Archaeology In A Museum Setting, Candice L. Cravins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A pilot study conducted at the Utah State University Museum of Anthropology explores the most engaging strategies for teaching archaeology to children in a museum setting. During a week-long summer workshop event in June 2013, two styles or modes of teaching archaeology were contrasted and evaluated: object-based teaching and scientific-skills based teaching. The teaching styles are evaluated based on third and fourth grade students' level of excitement and engagement with various archaeology activities - which activities are the most interesting and engaging to children while they are in the museum? The first mode of teaching archaeology focuses on object-based learning. …

Alice's Adventure Through Second Language Acquisition: An Educator's Perspective, Jessica Pryor Lee

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The author employs narrative writing to illustrate annotated bibliographies, classroom observations, research and research proposals, and self-reflections for second language learning. Elementary, secondary, adult, and college-level teachings are addressed. The author focuses on communicative language teaching, brain-based teaching, and dual language immersion with content based instruction. She addresses the importance of writing, authentic materials, task-based activities, communication, and the recognition of heritage learners. The main character is Alice and she travels through Argentina and Chile. Footnotes are used to keep the narrative style of the portfolio coherent. While the storyline is fictitious, all information included is based on the author’s …

The Revolutionary Climate: Applying Theories Of Revolution To Assess Political Stability In Contemporary Brazil, Arden Andrew Nicholls

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Rapid modernization has throughout history presented unique challenges for developing countries. Generally judged to be a good thing--but if too rapid--modernization can strain a government if that governmental system is unable to keep up. Historically concrete social classes begin to blur or shift as massive capital investments are injected--often unequally. Proliferation of the middle class is commonly seen as a country modernizes quickly; with the new middleclass comes rising expectations and modern demands on government. Social programs, infrastructure, political and social equality and general societal advancements are all expected to increase at roughly the same pace as the economy. Social …

Relations Between Teachers' Implicit Theories Of Intelligence, Standardized Achievement Testing, And Classroom Goals, Sydnie W. Ringle

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

An achievement gap between ethnic minorities and whites continues to exist within the US, as well as between the US and varying countries (Peterson, Woessmann, Hanushek, & Lastra-Anadon, 2011). Research has identified several factors that contribute to this gap, such as differences in curricula across countries, teacher quality, and school funding. In addition to these factors, teachers’ implicit theories of intelligence may also contribute to the achievement gap. Whether teachers view intelligence as fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) can impact instructional practices, specifically the use of performance and learning goals. Performance goals focus on evaluation, ability, and performance …

A Study In The Urbanization Effect On The Honduran Pricing Mechanism, Sharik L. Peck Ii

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The effect of the Honduran capital city Tegucigalpa on prices is tested through a series of comparative regressions of the prices of similar goods between the capital and outlying cities and towns. Goods that have many brands or production centers are found to have prices that vary more significantly between locations. The effect of the size of packaging of goods in some significant cases runs counterintuitive to traditional economic reasoning showing no effect or even in certain circumstances obtaining a premium for large packaging not proportional to the contents. The Honduran market also allows for an examination of the effect …

The Definition, Identification, And Cause Of Specific Learning Disabilities: A Literature Review, Joseph M. Cottrell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) currently make up approximately 40% of students receiving special education. The definition of SLD has not changed since the original special education law was implemented in 1975. Even with the recent changes to special education law in 2004, the definition stayed the same. Some professionals believe this lack of change reveals consistency while other scholars believe this lack of change reveals a lack of knowledge about what SLDs really are. The definition of SLD gives little insight regarding the etiology of the disorder. There are three prominent theories regarding the cause of SLDs: (a) …

The Shale Boon And The Effects On Energy Markets: A Look Into Natural Gas And Crude Oil Futures And Spot Prices And Their Relation To Economic Growth, Jesse Backstrom

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

A key political concern for the United States (US) since World War II has been its dependence on foreign energy. These concerns have arisen from a volatile nature of crude oil prices and the country’s preexisting beliefs of peak oil in the early 1970s, resulting in unpredictable energy markets. Highlighted have been episodes of rising oil prices leading to recessions, higher inflation rates, and economic stagnation (Brown and Yucel, 2013). Changing this story are recent gains in both crude oil and natural gas production, helping to vault the country to at least temporary energy stardom. In fact, 2014 statistics from …

The Empirical Study Of Size Effect, Book-To-Market Effect In Us Security Market, Zhe Zhao

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Banz (1981) found size effect using data over the period 1926–1975. This paper uses data from last 33 years from NYSE, Amex, and Nasdaq to test the existence of size effect and book-to-market effect. In this paper data is sorted by size and book-to-market ratio across quintiles. I runs the time-series regression taking advantage of CAPM model, Fama-French 3-factor model and Carhart 4-factor model to get three different alpha. With all next-month returns, this paper compares those low size/book-to-market next-month returns with those high size/book-to-market next-month returns and uses t-test to verify the existence of these two effects. This paper …

The Expected Value Of An Advantage Blackjack Player, Kamron Jensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The following paper takes an in-depth look at the gambling game Blackjack, also known as Twenty-One, and asks the question: If the game is beatable, how much can one expect to win playing Blackjack? This paper starts by explaining how the game is played and continues by telling of how Thorpe (1962) discovered that the game can be beaten. It then goes into detail of how the game has changed over the past 50 years and what it takes to beat the game today. To find the expected value of a winning strategy, I create a computer program to run …

Did Market Quality Change After The Introduction Of Leveraged Etf's, Prem Shashi

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Leveraged and Inverse Leveraged ETFs were introduced in the summer of 2006 and have been becoming popular ever since. They became extremely popular during the nancial crisis of 2008 and that made them the obvious scapegoat taking the blame for the increase in volatility during that period. This paper examines how the S & P 500 market quality dened in terms of liquidity, volatility and eciency was aected after the introduction of 2x and 3x leveraged and inverse leveraged ETFs. I nd that after the introduction of the 2x leveraged and inverse leveraged ETFs, the market volatility decreased while the …

The Good News In Short Interest: Ekkehart Boehmer, Zsuzsa R. Huszar, Bradford D. Jordan 2009 Revisited, Jarom Von Julander

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

There are a few ways to examine excess market returns in financial literature. One common model used was the Capital Asset Pricing Model or the CAPM. In more recent years some researchers use the Fama French 3 Factor model (FF3F). Using this FF3F model researchers and investors alike have been searching for those excess returns, or the returns above what the market achieves, because everyone would like to “beat the market” as they say. In Boehmer, Huszar, and Jordan’s 2009 paper “The Good News in Short Interest”, the authors believe that they have found a way to get significant excess …

Learning Two Languages: Maze Behaviors In Narrative Discourse For Spanish-English Bilinguals, Joel Hopper

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This study was designed to determine whether mazing behavior in narrative retells of bilingual English and Spanish speaking children was affected by language, complexity of sentence structure, and language development over time. Language transcripts were analyzed from English and Spanish narrative retells elicited from 216 children between the ages of 5 and 9 at the beginning and end of kindergarten, first, and second grade years. Findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the average maze scores and sentence types. A significant interaction was also found between time and language, with maze scores remaining nearly level over time in English and …

Teaching Arabic And English To Speakers Of Other Languages: The Application Of Theory-Grounded Methods, Mohammed Hussein

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a collection of artifacts that represent the author’s beliefs and ideas about teaching a second language. The first section is the author’s teaching philosophy statement, in which he explains how to apply the three modes of communication in the second language classroom. The second section is a literacy artifact that addresses how to use literature to heighten learners’ level of second language literacy. The following two artifacts are on two basic applications of sociocultural theory: concept-based instruction and dynamic assessment. The cultural artifact addresses the pedagogical implications of code-switching in the Arabic language classroom. The third artifact …

The Zions Direct Bond Auction Platform And Demand From University Investment Programs, Shaun Murdock

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the niche Zions Direct Auctions fixed income market for the information of the market managers at Zions Direct. The analysis first measures historical data to evaluate market metrics, and the second recommends Vector AutoRegression (VAR) econometric methods to determine if the auction yields within the market are affected by large increases in bidding and buying by the Zion's Bank University Investment Programs(UIPs). In the case that it does, restructuring or at least UIPs.

Predicting Tourist Inflows To Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Using Google Trends, Michelle E. De La Oz Pineda

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper seeks to demonstrate that the incorporation of search statistics in autoregressive models used to predict the arrivals of tourists to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, improve the predictive power of the models. This paper explores whether the Internet search information in “Punta Cana” in the United States and Canada between January 2004 and August 2013, reflects the behavior of this variable in real time by using nowcasting methodology that combines variables with different frequencies of time. We find that including the searches of “Punta Cana” that Canadians make on Google in the first week of a month helps predict …

Optimal Debt-To-Equity Ratios And Stock Returns, Courtney D. Winn

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Value maximization of a firm depends heavily on the financial leverage of the company. This is measured by the debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratio, which explains what proportions of debt and equity are being used to finance the firm’s assets. By adjusting this ratio, firms can influence their stock performance.

In this study, I estimate the value function for each firm and take the derivative with respect to the debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratio. By setting this equal to zero, I solve for the optimal debt-­‐ to-­‐equity ratio or the ratio that maximizes firm value. The difference between the optimal and historically observed debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratios is …

Heterogeneity Of Emergency Department Use And Cost: Evidence From The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, Colby Russell Kearl

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2008, Oregon was given permission by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand the State’s Medicaid program (Oregon Health Plan Standard) by lottery (Allen, et al. 2010). This allowed for a randomized control study focused on the effect of Medicaid coverage on various factors. The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment (OHIE) was conducted to capitalize on this rare event (Allen, et al. 2010, Finkelstein, et al. 2012, Taubman, et al. 2014).

Framing Fracking: Media Coverage Of Unconventional Oil And Gas Development In South Texas, Jebadiha E. Potterf

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The rapid growth of unconventional oil and gas development in the United States has greatly increased the production of these minerals, but has also raised the public’s concern over the dangers involved in this process. Due to the contested nature of unconventional development gaining an understanding of both how the public perceives this development and the influences on these perceptions is vital. As several previous research studies have investigated public perceptions this project addresses the second of these requirements.

This is done using qualitative methods to analyze the content of the online communications of proponents and opponents of this development. …

An Adolescent Journey: Expressive Letter Writing Through A Wilderness Adventure Therapy Program, Ava M. Crump

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the key themes of an adolescent journey during a wilderness adventure therapy program through expressive letter writing to their parents. Ten complete sets of letters (five boys and five girls) totaling over 400 pages were analyzed by four independent coders until saturation of themes were reached. There were five overarching themes that emerged from the data: impact of wilderness experiences, desires for improved relationships, apology and accountability, negative emotions, and positive growth and coping. These themes were presented in the chronological pattern that they appeared in the letters. The findings represent the adolescents’ experiences written …

The Impact Of Social Support, Psychosocial Characteristics, And Contextual Factors On Racial Disparities In Hypertension, E. Miranda Reiter

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Hypertension is a serious medical condition. Although men and women of all racial groups in the US suffer from high blood pressure, black women have the highest rates of hypertension. For instance, the age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension among black women ages 20 and over is 44.3, compared to 28.1 among white women, 40.5 among black men, and 31.1 among white men.

Past research has focused on SES and behavioral factors as potential explanations for blood pressure disparities between black and white women. But, even after controlling for such factors, considerable disparities remain. The goal of this research is to examine …

Exploring Extension Faculty Members' First-Time Experiences With Funded Couple Relationship Education, Jacquelyn M. Alderete

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension faculty members are increasingly involved in offering couple and relationship education (CRE), but some have limited background in this format of family life education. This study used a phenomological approach to examine the experiences of Extension faculty members who offered CRE in their respective counties for their first time. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews. Four themes emerged from the interview data. First, considerations for offering this type of education included valuing CRE, having sufficient and specific knowledge about the needs of the county for CRE, and access to other forms of …

Schools That Serve Military Children: A Comparison Of The Standardized Test Scores In The Dodea School System Versus The Civilian School System, Mary Eleanor Fugate

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are an estimated 1.2 million children with one or both parents enlisted in military service. These children are more geographically mobile than civilian children on average, and previous research suggests that mobility can have great effects on an individual's academic performance. This study seeks to answer the question: How does the standardized test performance of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools compare to those of public schools with high concentrations of military children (funded by Impact Aid). It is hypothesized that due to higher average levels of funding, a standard curriculum, and both embedded and intentional social support, …

Calculating Willingness-To-Pay As A Function Of Biophysical Water Quality And Water Quality Perceptions, Carlos G. Silva

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

When estimating economic value associated with changes in water quality, recreation demand models typically depend upon either (i) biophysical measures of water quality as collected by natural scientists or (ii) the perception of water quality by recreationists. Models based upon biophysical metrics (such as oxygen concentration, pollutant concentrations, Secchi depth measurements, etc.) operate on the assumption that people can perceive and respond to these metrics, or respond to factors that are, indeed, correlated with the biophysical measure. Economists have often estimated willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures associated with unit changes in biophysical measures without examining the degree to which the measures are …

Biopsychosocial Variables Predict Compensation And Medical Costs Of Radiofrequency Neurotomy In Utah Workers' Compensation Patients, Amie L. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Back pain is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat. There has been a great deal of research showing that back pain surgery is expensive, but less is known about the costs of less-invasive spine procedures such as radiofrequency neurotomy. Radiofrequency neurotomy is used to treat facet joint pain and typically offers temporary pain relief by coagulating the affected nerve with radiofrequency waves to block pain messages from reaching the brain. This study aimed to document the costs of radiofrequency neurotomy in a group of participants who received the procedure through the Workers’ Compensation Fund of Utah (WCFU). …

Five-Year Prospective Evaluation Of The Development Of Borderline Symptoms In Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents Who Engage In Deliberate Self-Harm And Suicide-Related Behaviors, Kendra J. Homan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a form of psychopathology characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability with emotion regulation, impulse control,
interpersonal relationships, and sense of self. Research indicates that the majority of individuals with BPD engage in some form of deliberate self-harm (e.g., suicide attempts, nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior) or suicide-related behavior (e.g., suicidal ideation, suicide threats). Longitudinal data from 132 adolescent psychiatric inpatients who were hospitalized for deliberate self-harm and suicide-related behavior and followed for five years was used to investigate whether deliberate self-harm or suicide-related behaviors predicts BPD. Suicide threats were the only variable found to be predictive …