Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Residential Preferences Study, Arthur Caplan, Krisopher Toll

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This study reports on estimates of residential preferences in the Mountain West region of the US. The estimates are derived from a choice experiment funded by the Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Transit Authority – an experiment based on large samples of both homeowners and renters who participated in a larger, statewide transportation study. The choice experiment and transportation study provides a rich set of household- and individual-specific demographic controls, enabling us to identify a host of factors contributing to heterogeneity in residential preferences. We leverage a percentage-change housing-cost attribute included in the experiment to obtain measures of marginal …

Power, Proximity, And Physiology: Does Income Inequality And Racial Composition Amplify The Impacts Of Air Pollution On Life Expectancy In The United States?, Andrew K. Jorgenson, Terrence D. Hill, Brett Clark, Ryan P. Thombs, Peter Ore, Kelly S. Balistreri, Jennifer E. Givens

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This study advances research at the intersection of environmental degradation, social stratification, and population health in the United States. Expanding the theoretical principles of power, proximity, and physiology, we hypothesize that the harmful effect of fine particulate matter on life expectancy is greater in states with higher levels of income inequality and larger black populations. To test our hypothesis, we use two-way fixed effects regression analysis to estimate the effect of a three-way interaction between fine particulate matter, income share of the top ten percent, and the percent of the population that is black on state-level average life expectancy for …

Comovement In The Cryptocurrency Market, Benjamin M. Blau, Todd Griffith, Ryan J. Whitby

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

This study examines the comovement between 17 of the most active cryptocurrencies. We are unable to statistically reject the presence of perfect comovement between Bitcoin and six of the 16 non-Bitcoin cryptocurrencies. Consistent with the friction-based explanation for the presence of comovement, once the CBOE introduced futures contracts on Bitcoin, we find that all 16 cryptocurrencies comove with Bitcoin. These results suggest that introducing futures contracts improves the informational environment of the entire cryptocurrency market, which helps explain the unusual comovement in the cryptocurrency market.

The Good Place And The Good Life, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Students all across the country have recently found new motivation to be interested in philosophy—NBC’s The Good Place, which aired its final episode on January 30, 2020. The series explicitly engages with philosophy through the storyline of one of the central characters—Chidi Adagonye—who was, in life, a philosophy professor. In the afterlife, Chidi teaches ethics to a group of wayward souls who, as the show progresses, become the best of friends. Chidi provides a useful narrative vehicle for direct discussion of philosophy. Even in the absence of Chidi’s philosophical explanations, the show is inherently philosophical. It demonstrates that, rather than …

Community, Natural Resources, And Sustainability: Overview Of An Interdisciplinary And International Literature, Hua Qin, Martha Bass, Jessica Ulrich-Schad, David Matarrita-Casante, Christine Sanders, Barituka Bekee

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

The Special Issue Community, Natural Resources, and Sustainability seeks to engage in an interdisciplinary and international dialogue on the interrelationships of society, natural resources, and sustainability at the community level. In addition to introducing the twelve research articles published in this collection, we provide an overview of the existing literature on community and natural resource management, mainly through a review of previous reviews and a bibliometric analysis. While this literature is dominated by studies on various aspects of community-based natural resource management, the present Special Issue showcases multiple thematic areas of research that collectively contribute to a more complete understanding …

Engaging Faculty In Preparing Students For Non-Academic Environmental Careers, Carmen R. Cid, Mark W. Brunson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

As a biology major at New York University, I was introduced to ecology in a course that bused the class out of New York University's Greenwich Village campus every weekend, to investigate biodiversity patterns in nearby forests and wetlands. After a day crossing bogs and walking through forests, I would take the subway home, hip boots in hand, reflecting on how the day's activities connected to my routine city life. Engaging others in understanding the city connections to adjacent habitats became my life's work. As Dean of Arts and Sciences at a public liberal arts university, I encourage faculty and …

Child Helpers: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, David F. Lancy

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This essay was greatly inspired by a 15" film titled Tiny Katerina, which shows glimpses of Katerina from two- to four-and-a-half years of age. She lives with her parents and older brother in Northwestern Siberia in the taiga. The Khanty-speaking people live by foraging (berries, for example), fishing and herding reindeer; they are semi-nomadic. In their camp and the vicinity, there is no evidence of electricity or any other public service. These people are very much “off the grid.” From the first, as a wobbly toddler, Katerina is shown being helpful. She carries (and drops and picks up) firewood …

The Ielts Exam And Cut-Off Decisions: One University's Mistake, Ann E. Roemer

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

College and university admissions officers are the gatekeepers who decide which individuals may join the "country club" of higher education. As such, the decisions they make have a significant impact on the lives of individuals, especially those who are willing to travel across the globe and risk living in an unfamiliar country in order to receive a postsecondary education. Making decisions about international students and their credentials is much more complicated than evaluating the applications of U.S. students. Part of this complicated process involves decisions regarding English language proficiency and cut-off scores for exams such as the Test of English …

University Divestment From Fossil Fuels, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

This month, tenured McGill University Philosophy professor Gregory Mikkelson resigned from his position. Mikkelson explained that he could no longer work for an institution that professes a commitment to a reduction to its carbon footprint, all the while continuing to invest in fossil fuels. Mikkelson argued further that the university board’s continued refusal to divest from fossil fuels is in opposition to the democratic mandate in favor of divestment that has developed across the campus.

Innovative Identification Of Substance Use Predictors: Machine Learning In A National Sample Of Mexican Children, Alejandro L. Vázquez, Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Tyson S. Barrett, Sarah E. Schwartz [email protected], Nancy G. Amador Buenabad, Marycarmen N. Bustos Gamiño, María De Lourdes Gutiérrez López, Jorge A. Villatoro Velázquez

Psychology Faculty Publications

Machine learning provides a method of identifying factors that discriminate between substance users and non-users potentially improving our ability to match need with available prevention services within context with limited resources. Our aim was to utilize machine learning to identify high impact factors that best discriminate between substance users and non-users among a national sample (N = 52,171) of Mexican children (i.e., 5th, 6th grade; Mage = 10.40, SDage = 0.82). Participants reported information on individual factors (e.g., gender, grade, religiosity, sensation seeking, self-esteem, perceived risk of substance use), socioecological factors (e.g., neighborhood quality, community type, peer influences, parenting), and …

Can Spiritual Needs Be Met By Robots?, Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Visitors to the 400-year old Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto, Japan can now listen to a sermon from an unusual priest—Mindar—a robot designed to resemble Kannon, the Buddhist deity of mercy. In a country in which religious affiliation is on the decline, the hope is that this million-dollar robot will do some work toward reinvigorating the faith.

Show Me, Don’T Tell Me: A Picturesque View Of Perceptions Of Police, Nancy Marion, Jason Twede

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

A positive relationship between law enforcement and the public is critical for the effective operation of the agency and continued safety of the community. The public’s perception of law enforcement officers is one indication of the nature of that relationship. Past research on perception of the police has used questionnaires to untangle how the public views officers. This research uses an alternative method to measure the public’s perceptions of the police by asking respondents to draw a picture of a police officer. By analyzing the drawings, it can be seen what characteristics people identify with law enforcement. This study analyzed …

Resurrecting James Dean: The Ethics Of Cgi Casting., Rachel Robinson-Greene

Languages, Philosophy, and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

James Dean, iconic star of Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, and Giant died in a tragic car accident in 1955 at the age of 24. Nevertheless, Dean fans may soon see him in a new role—as a supporting character in the upcoming Vietnam-era film Finding Jack.

Sink Or Swim? A Case-Study Approach To Teaching Information Evaluation, Katie Strand, Rachel Wishkoski

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This paper is part of the LOEX 2019 conference proceedings and reports on an engaging information evaluation lesson designed by a team of librarians at Utah State University. Teaching evaluation skills in the highly emotional world of fake news is a daunting task. The lesson described here uses realistic case studies to give students the critical distance necessary to practice evaluation before diving into their personal research and biases. The article outlines the lesson’s case study activity and rationale in teaching students adaptable evaluation skills that they can apply in their academic, professional, and personal lives.

Control Of Episodic Air Pollution In Utah's Wasatch Front Region Through Investment In Preventative Capital, Ramjee Acharya, Arthur J. Caplan

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

We address the issue of optimal investment in "preventative capital" to mitigate episodic, mobile-source air pollution events in Utah's Wasatch Front region. We calibrate Berry et al.'s (2015) endogenous-risk model using a unique dataset related to the region's "red air day" episodes occurring over the past decade. Our analysis demonstrates that, under a wide range of circumstances, the optimal steady-state level of preventative capital stock – raised through the issuance of a municipal "clean air bond" that can be used to fund more aggressive mitigation efforts – meets the standard for PM2.5 concentrations with positive social net benefits. We estimate …

Staying Safe In A Tornado: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Public Knowledge, Access, And Response To Tornado Warnings, Jayme E. Walters, Lisa Reyes Mason, Kelsey N. Ellis

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

Tornadoes in the southeastern United States continue to cause substantial injury, death, and destruction. The present study seeks to 1) understand inadequate warning access, less understanding, and/or less likelihood of responding to tornado warnings; 2) examine public attitudes about NWS communications; and 3) explore the perceptions of NWS personnel regarding public response to tornado warnings, factors that might influence response, and how their perceptions impact their communication. Participants include a purposive sample of NWS forecasters in Tennessee (n = 11) and residents (n = 45) who were identified as having low access to, low knowledge of, or an unsafe response …

Language Teachers’ Intercultural Learning: A Sociocultural Perspective, Ekaterina Arshavskaya

World Languages and Cultures Faculty Publications

Responding to the call to build teacher interculturality in more dynamic ways, this paper analyzes developmental trajectories of three pre‐service teachers enrolled in a course on language and culture in a master’s in second language teaching program at a U.S. university. From a sociocultural theory perspective, the article illustrates the various ways in which the pre‐service teachers incorporated (or not) the mediational means available to them. The article findings support the claim about the sociocultural nature of human learning, while the analysis informed by a sociocultural perspective on learning explicates why intercultural learning can be more enriching for some participating …

The Naked Emperor: Politics Without Romance In The Calculus Of Consent, William F. Shughart Ii, Arthur R. Wardle

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Published more than a half-century ago, The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy (Buchanan and Tullock 1962) is one of a handful of pathbreaking contributions to the then contemporary literatures of economics and political science that launched the public-choice research program and its subfield of constitutional political economy.¹ It has remained in print ever since, most readily available nowadays as volume 3 of The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan (Buchanan and Tullock [1962] 1999) and as volume 2 of The Selected Works of Gordon Tullock (Buchanan and Tullock [1962] 2004).2 The Calculus was one of the …

Social Cognitive Factors Associated With Sharing Overt And Relational Cyberaggression Digitally, Diana J. Meter, Troy E. Beckert, Ross Budziszewski, Abigail L. Phillips

Human Development and Family Studies Faculty Publications

Cyberaggression is a substantial problem for college-aged students. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine associations between social cognitive factors and digitally sharing one’s own and others’ overt and relational cyberaggressive material among college students. Social cognitive factors included cyber moral disengagement and facets of cognitive autonomy, including comparative validation, voicing opinions, and evaluative thinking. A convenience sample of 437 college students from a medium-sized US university completed an online survey about cyber aggression and related social cognitive factors. Results from a structural equation model, controlling for gender, showed that cyber moral disengagement was positively associated with sharing …

The Times They Are A-Changin’, Terry A. Messmer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

This is the Letter from the Editor.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Guided Self-Help For Overweight And Obese Adults High In Weight Self-Stigma, Sarah Ann Potts, Jennifer Krafft, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

Weight self-stigma, in which individuals internalize stigmatizing messages about weight, is a prevalent problem that contributes to poor quality of life and health. This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) guided self-help using The Diet Trap (Lillis, Dahl, & Weineland, 2014) for 55 overweight/obese adults high in weight self-stigma. Participants were randomized to the ACT self-help book plus phone coaching (GSH-P; n=17), self-help book plus email prompts only (GSH-E; n=20), or a waitlist condition (n=18), with online self-report assessments at baseline and posttreatment (8 weeks later). Participants reported high satisfaction ratings and engagement with the ACT …

Utilizing Act Daily As A Self-Guided App For Clients Waiting For Services At A College Counseling Center: A Pilot Study, Jack Haegar, Carter H. Davis, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Considering increasing demands for mental health services at college counseling centers (CCCs), there is a need for cost-effective solutions that avoid depleting stressed CCC resources. This study examined if ACT Daily, a mobile application based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), could serve as an effective self-guided intervention.

Participants: 11 individuals on a CCC waitlist suffering from anxiety/depression participated in the study over 2 weeks.

Methods: This study implemented a pre-post, open trial design of ACT Daily. Assessments were completed at baseline and 2-week post assessment.

Results: Results indicated that ACT Daily was acceptable and that participants improved on …

Psychological Flexibility As Shared Process Of Change In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy And Exposure And Response Prevention For Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Singe Case Design Study, Brian L. Thompson, Michael P. Twohig, Jason B. Luoma

Psychology Faculty Publications

Changes in psychological flexibility were tracked in a combined protocol of exposure and response prevention (ERP) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for adults with OCD to assess if changes in psychological flexibility processes were unique to ACT intervention (e.g., not impacted by ERP). Using a non-concurrent multiple baseline design, four participants received sessions of ERP and ACT while data was collected on psychological flexibility processes of change and OCD symptom severity. Results indicate treatment response for three of four participants based on OCD scores. Contrary to predictions, data suggest both ERP and ACT have positive effects on psychological flexibility. …

Evaluating The Effects Of Guided Coaching Calls On Engagement And Outcomes For Online Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Carter Davis, Michael P. Twohig

Psychology Student Research

Previous research indicates mixed results for guided support with interventions. The current secondary analysis evaluated the effects of phone coaching from a dismantling trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in a sample of 136 distressed college students randomized to one of three versions of an ACT website. Participants were randomized to receive email prompts alone (non-coaching condition) or email plus phone coaching (coaching condition). Results indicated no differences between the coaching and non-coaching conditions on program engagement, program satisfaction, mental health outcomes, and almost all psychological flexibility processes. However, participants in the coaching condition reported stronger pre- to …

Consensual Assessment In The New Domain Of E-Textiles: Comparing Insights From Expert, Quasi-Expert, And Novice Judges, Anthony Phonethibsavads, Maggie Dahn, Kylie Peppler, Deborah A. Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Establishing what constitutes creativity in a domain is something for which we often look to experts—individuals versed in a domain’s history and able to identify timeworn ideas from fresh ones. Such valuations of creative merit are tied to a familiarity with past and present trends and, therefore, opinions of newcomers are often ignored. However, what about domains that build upon new, unexplored practices? This study examines the creativity ratings of judges with varying expertise in the emergent domain of electronic textiles (or e-textiles). E-textiles are fabrics that have programmable electronics such as sensors and actuators embedded in them toward a …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Online Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Improve Diet And Physical Activity Among Adults Who Are Overweight/Obese, Michael E. Levin, Julie M. Petersen, Carrie Durward, Brittany Bingeman, Elizabeth Davis, Cindy Nelson, Shannon Cromwell

Psychology Student Research

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown benefit for improving diet, physical activity, and weight among adults who are overweight and obese. However, research to date in this area has primarily evaluated ACT delivered through in-person interventions, which has more limited access relative to online formats. Purpose: The present study evaluated an online guided self-help program that integrated ACT with nutrition education to improve healthy eating and physical activity. Methods: A sample of 79 adults who were overweight/obese were randomized to receive the 8-week ACT on Health program plus weekly phone coaching or to a waitlist. Results: Participants completed …

Semi-Structured Interviews: A Team-Based Approach To Design, Implementation, And Analysis, Rachel Wishkoski

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

This chapter explores semi-structured interviewing as a research method in the context of a study investigating the impact of a library workshop on faculty teaching practices. In addition to covering interview guide design, strategies for conducting interviews, and qualitative coding, the chapter shares lessons learned by a novice practitioner-researcher and suggestions for team-based qualitative research.

Resident Perceptions Of Human–Beaver Conflict In A Rural Landscape In Alberta, Canada, Nicholas T. Yarmey, Glynnis A. Hood

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) plays a key ecological role in wetland systems, yet their activities can result in costly damage to human infrastructure. Although qualitative research on human perceptions of beavers is rare, studies on human–beaver conflict in the United States identified generally positive attitudes toward beavers and opposition to lethal management, yet in Alberta, Canada, 79% of municipalities that managed beavers reported using trapping and shooting to remove problem beavers. Given the important ecological contributions of beavers and their potential conflict with humans, qualitative research is needed to assess perspectives of stakeholders who directly experience …

Viewing Bornean Human–Elephant Conflicts Through An Environmental Justice Lens, Elena C. Rubino, Christopher Serenari, Nurzhafarina Othman, Marc Ancrenaz, Fauzie Sarjono, Eddie Ahmad

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Sabah, on the northeastern corner of Borneo, is concurrently Malaysia’s largest producer of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and home to the endangered Bornean elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis; elephants). Concomitantly, Sabah has been experiencing increasing and unsustainable human–elephant conflicts (HECs), which have not been thoroughly investigated from a human dimensions standpoint. To address this void, in March 2019, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 villagers located in the Sabah districts of Lahad Datu, Tawau, and Telupid to investigate villager cognitions regarding elephants, behaviors toward elephants, the formal and informal village institutions employed to mediate HECs, and the …

Can Farmers And Bats Co-Exist? Farmer Attitudes, Knowledge, And Experiences With Bats In Belize, Hannah G. Shapiro, Adam S. Willcox, Mallory Tate, Emma V. Willcox

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bats (Chiroptera) are often viewed negatively by the public. Negative public perceptions of bats may hinder efforts to conserve declining populations. In Belize, the presence of vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata) exacerbates the potential for conflicts with humans because of the increased rabies transmission risks. To mitigate these risks, the Belize government provides farmers with assistance to trap and remove vampire bats. In June 2018, we surveyed farmers (n = 44) in and adjacent to the Vaca Forest Reserve in Belize to learn more about their attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with bats. This information may …