Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Comparison Of Five Different Cattle Feeding Enterprises: A Stochastic Simulation On Expected Returns And The Effects Of Lrp Insurance, Caleb H. Bott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This was a study on the Utah cattle industry which compared five different feeding enterprises. These feeding enterprises included feeding cull cows, finishing beef yearling steers, finishing Holstein yearling steers, backgrounding beef steer calves, and backgrounding Holstein steer calves. The main purpose of this study was to determine which feeding enterprise was the most profitable for Utah cattle producers.

Another objective of the study was to determine if LRP insurance lowered the volatility in the returns to these feeding enterprises. In order to answer these two questions of interest, a historical analysis of Utah cattle and feed prices was conducted …

Commitment, Rituals, And Initiator Tendency In Married Couples, April Bakker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine and make explicit the relationships between commitment, rituals, and initiator tendency. Past research and theory suggests that these ideas are related. Two research questions guided the study: (1) How are initiator tendency and the number of rituals a couple participates in related to the commitment style?, and (2) How are initiator tendency and the meaningfulness of rituals related to commitment style?

Data were obtained from 55 couples who completed a questionnaire to measure participation and meaningfulness of rituals, initiator tendency, and commitment. Final analyses were performed with only 39 of these couples …

Nga Whaiora Tikanga Roanga: Māori Views Of Health In Utah, Sydney H. Davies

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study looked at the health beliefs of Māori who live in Utah, U.S. and examined what ways those beliefs have evolved from traditional Māori health beliefs. It also looked at the conditions and indicators of those conditions that maintain those health beliefs. A New Zealand study found that Māori older than age 45 years were more likely to have traditional health beliefs, whereas Māori younger than age 45 were more likely to have western-based health beliefs. Using grounded theory, the narratives—from two groups, younger or older than 45 years, where each group was composed of eight randomly selected participants—were …

Language Brokering In Latino Families: Direct Observations Of Brokering Patterns, Parent-Child Interactions, And Relationship Quality, Kee J. E. Straits

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With the growing percentage of immigrant families in the USA, language transition is a common immigrant experience and can occur rapidly from generation to generation within a family. Child language brokering appears to occur within minority language families as one way of negotiating language and cultural differences; however, the phenomenon of children translating or mediating language interactions for parents has previously been hypothesized to contribute to negative outcomes for children, such as role-reversals and parentification, emotional distancing and lack of communication, increased parent-child conflict, and increased internalizing/externalizing disorders. The current study used direct observations of 60 Spanish-speaking parent-child dyads (30 …

Latter-Day Saint Religiosity And Attitudes Towards Sexual Minorities, Cory John Myler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Existing research has revealed a robust relationship between high religiosity and negative attitudes towards sexual minorities. To date, however, there have been few studies investigating this relationship within the membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church). The unique history, doctrine, and organization of this religion, along with its large size, rapid growth, and sizable influence, indicate that a study of homophobia among church members will provide additional information about the relationship between religiosity and negative attitudes. These data will shed additional light on the make-up and nature of homophobia, offer insight into the relationship …

The Effects Of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia On Social Competence: An Investigation Into The First Three Months Of Treatment, Rachel L. Duchoslav

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under 15 years of age. Despite a growing survival rate for childhood cancer, psychological research of this population has lagged behind medical advances in treatment. The research that does exist in the psycho-oncology literature is plagued with inconsistency in conclusions and methodological limitations. Focus has been given to measuring maladaptive symptoms with few firm conclusions. Conclusions in the area of social competence of children with cancer have been considerably more reliable than in other domains. Previous research suggests that children with cancer exhibit significant difficulties in the areas …

An Evaluation Of A Physical Activity-Based Residential Treatment Program, Eric Alan Mikkelsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated a physical activity-based residential treatment program. It explored the current literature on adolescent treatment implementing physical exercise with parental participation, specifically at residential treatment centers. While the current literature strongly supports physical exercise and family involvement in adolescent treatment, research on combining physical exercise with family involvement is insufficient at best.

The data were obtained from Telos Residential Treatment Center, an all-boys treatment program that incorporates a triathlon into their treatment curriculum and keeps pre- and posttest scores of the Youth Outcome Questionnaire for their students as well as completed questionnaires from students' parents. Research questions addressed …

An Analysis Of Sources In Journalism On The Supreme Court, Dione Garlick

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The United States Supreme Court bUilding is intimidating, to say the least. The massive structure rises four stories above the ground and the three million dollars worth of white marble shines starkly against the blue sky.l The inscription "EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW" runs horizontally across the top of the impressive structure. This beautiful bUilding is part of the imagery associated with the Supreme Court. Along with black robes and gavels, the Supreme Court has carefully crafted the images that are connected with the justices and the Court.

Unlike the leaders ofthe legislative and executive branches, the justices of the Supreme …

Parental Perspectives Of Play With Preschool Children, Danielle M. Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Research in child development has found that guided play can be a very effective teaching method for young children. Children obtain higher levels of play when parents have an understanding of play and its benefits to learning. This research is designed to assess how parents of children at the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory view play as a learning technique. Also, this study considered the relationship between parental opinions of play and other parenting roles. A total of 22 parents of children enrolled in the Child Development Laboratory completed the Parent As A Teacher (PAAT) inventory. Results showed …

Invisible Abuse: Utah's Response To Emotional Child Abuse, Janae Sirrine

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The very nature of emotional child abuse makes it difficult to detect and report. Nevertheless, scholars and professionals in the field of child welfare have identified emotional abuse as being equally detrimental to children as physical abuse and neglect. Many states, including Utah, have unclear definitions of emotional child abuse. The purpose of this study is to interpret how Utah has used its statute on emotional abuse in the court system and whether the current definition of emotional child abuse has given Utah’s courts enough information and direction to prosecute those who emotionally abuse children. Data was collected by researching …

Perspectives On The Interpreting Program At Logan Regional Hospital And Access To Health Care Throughout The Spanish-Speaking Community Of Cache Valley, Danielle Babbel

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Language barriers can greatly affect patient-physician interactions, and thus have implications for individual health outcomes. This study uses surveys distributed to Spanish speakers throughout Cache Valley to solicit their views on the interpreting program at Logan Regional Hospital. The surveys reveal whether or not language related issues prevent individuals from seeking medical attention as a part of a routine check up as well as for illness care. Survey results indicate how well known the existence of the interpreting program is throughout the target community, and if the availability of a qualified interpreter increases the likelihood that individuals will seek medical …

Students' Perceptions Of Coercion In Research, Azure L. Midzinski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine how students perceive the most common methods of recruitment for research participation, and whether these recruitment strategies are perceived by the participants to be coercive. Ethical research guidelines prohibit the use of coercion in recruiting participants. Previous studies in this area have either focused on the perceptions of the researchers, or have approached the concept of coercion in a limited way. This study treated coercion as a multidimensional construct and examined student perceptions. Additionally, participant responses indicated which recruitment practices resulted in a decision to participate in the research. Findings indicate that …

The Influence Of Collective Action And Policy In The Development Of Local Food Systems, Lori Porreca

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The modern global agrifood system has had significant negative impacts on consumers and producers. This has precipitated the rise of local food systems that are purported to improve the health and livelihoods of consumers and producers. High expectations have led to significant public and private resources dedicated to the development of local food systems. Despite this, there has been little systematic research exploring the social and institutional conditions that facilitate or frustrate local food system development.

Using a comparative case study approach, this study explored the ways local structural conditions, collective action, food system policies, and the political context affect …

Latinos In The Credit Economy, Lisa M. Ralph

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Access to consumer credit as a means of building wealth is one of the least examined forms of social inequality. The recent economic crisis in the United States has brought attention to the significance of consumer credit in our nation's economy; however, less understood are the specific obstacles and barriers that prevent low-income individuals from reaching the "American Dream." In an exploratory manner, this study compared credit access, credit literacy, and credit experience of low-income Latinos and non-Latinos to understand how credit might translate into asset-building and home ownership for Latinos, particular for those in new immigrant destinations where access …

Modeling Bark Beetle Outbreak And Fire Interactions In Western U.S. Forests And The Invasion Potential Of An Invasive Puerto Rican Frog In Hawaii Using Remote Sensing Data, Simon A. Bisrat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I used Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery to answer two ecological questions. In the first project, I investigated the interactions between bark beetle-caused tree mortality and fire occurrence in western U.S. forests. I used remotely sensed fire data detected by MODIS satellite and bark beetle-caused tree mortality data. I tested the hypothesis that there is an increased probability of fire incidence in bark beetle-damaged forests compared to healthy forests using conditional probability modeling across the national forests of the western U.S. regardless of forest type. My results did not show a consistent pattern (increase or decrease of conditional probability of …

The Evolution And Implementation Of An Integrated Approach To Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: A Case Study, Heather Thompson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are a number of advantages to working within an integrated model framework when doing family therapy; however, few therapists test what they articulate as their model against what they really do. The purpose of this study was to test how well one therapist practiced her explicated theoretical integration in a clinical setting. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to answer three research questions: the level of adherence to the integration, client change, and change within the integrated model over the course of the study. The sample included three couples; data from 25 video-coded sessions, the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale …

Examination Of Behavioral Momentum With Staff As Contextual Variables In Applied Settings With Children With Autism, Mark P. Groskreutz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Behavioral momentum theory proposes that the persistence of behavior when exposed to disruptors provides an appropriate measure of the strength of behavior. Basic research has consistently demonstrated that behaviors that occurred in a context with higher overall rates of reinforcement (rich contexts) were more persistent than other behaviors that have occurred in a context with relatively lower rates of reinforcement (lean contexts). More surprisingly, behavioral momentum theory goes on to assert that this greater persistence in richer contexts is found even when rate of responding is lower in the rich context, and when the greater richness is due to noncontingent …

Editorial Pages And The Marketplace Of Ideas: A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Three Metropolitan Newspapers, Jacob Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to identify the nature of the content devoted to the 2008 presidential election in the editorial pages of three newspapers. The research sought to discover what percentage of the content was specific to the election, whether this election-centered content focused on the campaign or on specific issues, what issues were covered, and the role in which the author was writing. This study used a comparative quantitative content analysis to examine this content appearing during the final three months of the 2008 campaign in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Dallas Morning News, and the San Francisco …

Three Essays On Environmental- And Spatial-Based Valuation Of Urban Land And Housing, Lu Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation attempts to provide a comprehensive examination on the non-market valuation of the effect of open space amenities and local public infrastructure on the value of urban land and housing with both spatial heterogeneity and project heterogeneity. The demand for raw land is a derived demand for housing built on it. Therefore, we need to examine the land market and the housing market together. On the one hand, we estimate the value of urban land in a market that does not satisfy the usual assumptions of a competitive market structure as well as incentive incompatibility issues for transaction participants, …

Random Forests Applied As A Soil Spatial Predictive Model In Arid Utah, Alexander Knell Stum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Initial soil surveys are incomplete for large tracts of public land in the western USA. Digital soil mapping offers a quantitative approach as an alternative to traditional soil mapping. I sought to predict soil classes across an arid to semiarid watershed of western Utah by applying random forests (RF) and using environmental covariates derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and digital elevation models (DEM). Random forests are similar to classification and regression trees (CART). However, RF is doubly random. Many (e.g., 500) weak trees are grown (trained) independently because each tree is trained with a new randomly …

Spatial Analysis Of Urbanization In The Salt Lake Valley: An Urban Ecosystem Perspective, John H. Lowry Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because urban areas comprise a variety of biotic (e.g. people, trees) and abiotic (e.g. streets, water) components that interact and are often interdependent upon one another, it is helpful to study urban areas as urban ecosystems.

Our goal in Chapter 2 is to measure and quantify the spatial and demographic structure of the urbanized portion of Salt Lake County, Utah. We use 18 metrics from four broad categories (density, centrality, accessibility, and neighborhood mix) to measure urban form for three age-based residential neighborhood types. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) we test for differences in mean values for the 18 …

Financial Management Practices And Conflict Management Styles Of Couples In Great Marriages, Amanda Marie Horrocks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study presents findings on the financial management practices and degrees of conflict of couples in great marriages. Qualitative data from a national sample of couples in great marriages were collected using a 31-page questionnaire. Of the 81 couples who responded, 40 fit the criteria for this study in that they discussed their level of agreement about financial issues in marriage. Their responses were coded to discover which financial topics are pervasive and whether or not couples agreed over these topics. Responses about conflict were also analyzed to determine the degree of agreement between spouses in different categories. Findings from …

Parenting Practices And Child Mental Health Among Spanish Speaking Latino Families: Examining The Role Of Parental Cultural Values, Melissa Renee Donovick

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to evaluate observed parenting practices among first-generation Spanish-speaking Latinos living in Utah. Participants included 50 families with a child between the ages of 4 and 9. Parents and their child engaged in a behavioral observational task that was coded for parenting dimensions and styles to determine if they predict child outcomes among Latino families. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist to assess for behavioral problems. Observations were coded using the Parenting Scale, developed specifically for this study. In general, parents received high ratings on warmth and demandingness, and lower ratings on autonomy granting. Parenting …

"All The World's A Stage": Parental Ethnotheories And Children's Extracurricular Activities, Mary Annette Grove

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the United States, educators, parents, policy makers, politicians, the media, researchers, and practitioners in many academic fields have taken an interest in outcomes for children aged 6 to 14 who participate in extracurricular activities outside of school time. Very little research examines parents' beliefs about and behaviors surrounding their children's participation in extracurricular activities. Yet, it may be parents' beliefs that guide choices about and persistence in extracurricular activities. This study used a phenomenonlogical and qualitative approach toward understanding parents' ideas and beliefs about their child's participation in extracurricular activities. These ideas and beliefs or parental ethnotheories are what …

Finding, Nurturing, And Instilling Hope In Family Therapy, Joseph Daniel Tschudy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The development of a personal theory of therapy and change is an integral part of the training and educational philosophies of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Utah State University. This personal theory attempts to identify and explain each student's beliefs regarding the specific mechanisms by which change occurs, thus providing a therapeutic backbone from which one may integrate various interventions, ideas, concepts, and approaches to therapy. As one engages in the process of integration, it becomes critical for students to evaluate their performances. A thorough self-evaluation that includes the utilization of scientific methods leads to the development of …

Detecting Malingering In Compensated Low Back Pain Patients: An Analog Study, Jennifer R. Grewe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Given the prevalence and cost of low back pain, particularly among workers' compensation patients, it is advantageous to understand how various psychological constructs may be related to prolonged disability and failure to return to work. Malingering is a psychological construct that is clearly relevant for worker compensation populations and is a construct that is well suited for experimental control within an analog study. Malingering is the intentional exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms that are motivated by external incentives such as time away from work. The ability to detect malingering in such a population with psychological assessments is unclear. An …

Examination Of The Relationship Between Perfectionism And Religiosity As Mediated By Psychological Inflexibility, Jesse M. Crosby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The relationship between perfectionism and religiosity is clarified when the adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of both constructs are compared. Literature in both areas implicates the idea of a rigid and inflexible personality style as a possible mediator in the relationship. This investigation examined the relationship of perfectionism and religiosity, using adaptive and maladaptive dimensions, as mediated by psychological inflexibility.

Measures of perfectionism, religiosity, and psychological inflexibility were given to 376 undergraduate college students in an anonymous online survey. Adaptive perfectionism was found to be significantly correlated with adaptive religiosity. Maladaptive perfectionism was found to be significantly correlated with maladaptive religiosity. …

Altering Positive/Negative Interaction Ratios In Relationships Of Mothers And Young Children: A Preliminary Investigation, Andrew B. Armstrong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Based on classic marital research of John Gottman, a popular notion exists that interpersonal relationships thrive when the number of positive interactions outweighs negative interactions by a ratio of five to one. Though many have given similar advice for parents and caregivers, Gottman's findings and methodology may not generalize to relationships of parents and young children. Were similar ratio findings to be validated for parent-child relationships, explicit ratio advice may be incorporated as a component of clinical practice (e.g., behavioral parent training). To begin investigating potential clinical implications, a project was conducted that examined mothers' ability to achieve prescribed ratios …

The Relationships Among Caregiver Training, Mentoring, And Turn-Taking Between Caregiver And Child In Family Child Care, Carrie L. Ota

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Basic communication skills are foundational for children's success in school and are dependent largely on their language experiences early in life. The purpose of this study was to examine two professional development models and family child care providers' use of turn-taking strategies that promote language in young children. The first professional development model consisted of a 10-hour nonformal training focused on supporting early language development. The second included the nonformal training and on-site mentoring. The 48 family child care programs were randomly assigned to one of the professional development models or a control group. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to …

Family-Owned Businesses: Determinants Of Business Success And Profitability, Jeffrey S. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine many factors associated with family-owned businesses that lead to business success and profitability. The panel data used in this study came from the 1997 and 2000 waves of the National Family Business Study (NFBS). Many independent variables from the 1997 wave (e.g., age, gender, managerial activities, business size, home-based, business problems) were tested to predict business success and profitability (dependent variables), which were variables from the 2000 wave.

Some of the descriptive analyses indicated that, compared to female managers, male managers perceived less business success, participated more in managerial activities, managed older …