Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Long-Term Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Crop Water Supply–Demand Relationship In Response To Climate Change And Vegetation Greening In Sanjiang Plain, China, Chi Xu, Wanchang Zhang, Zhenghui Fu, Hao Chen, Xia Jiang, Shuhang Wang, Bo Zhang, Zhijie Zhang

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

The Sanjiang Plain (SJP) in Northeast China, a crucial black soil region, serves as a quintessential example of a high-intensity agricultural development zone and stands as China's largest commercial grain production base. In the context of global climate change, pronounced global warming and increased vegetation greening are expected to significantly impact the agricultural water resource supply and its alignment with crop water requirements in the SJP. This study assesses how climate change and vegetation greening affect the crop water supply–demand relationship in the SJP, addressing the critical question of whether natural precipitation can sustain regional agricultural development. Using the extensively …

A Comprehensive Parcel-Level Dataset On Farmland Assessment: Addressing Grid-Cell Data Bias Estimation, Wai Yan Siu, Man Li, Arthur J. Caplan

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Grid-cell data are increasingly used in research due to the growing availability and accessibility of remote sensing products. However, grid-cell data often fails to represent the actual decision-making unit, leading to biased estimates in socio-economic analysis. To this end, this paper presents a comprehensive parcel-level dataset for Salt Lake County, Utah, spanning from 2008 to 2018. This dataset combines detailed spatial and temporal data on land ownership, land use, and preferential farmland tax assessments under the Greenbelt program. Compiled from multiple geospatial sources, the dataset includes nearly 200,000 parcel-year observations, providing valuable insights into landowner decision-making and the impact of …

Career: The Behavioral, Hormonal, And Neural Basis Of Coyote Monogamy, Sara M. Freeman

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Intrusion Detection For Wireless Sensor Network Using Particle Swarm Optimization Based Explainable Ensemble Machine Learning Approach, Shaikh Afnan Birahim, Avijit Paul, Fahmida Rahman, Yamina Islam, Tonmoy Roy, Mohammad Asif Hasan, Fariha Haque, Muhammad E. H. Chowdhury

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) play a pivotal role in various domains, including monitoring, security, and data transmission. However, their susceptibility to intrusions poses a significant challenge. This paper proposes a novel Intrusion Detection System (IDS) leveraging Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and an ensemble machine learning approach combining Random Forest (RF), Decision Tree (DT), and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) models to enhance the accuracy and reliability of intrusion detection in WSNs. The system addresses key challenges such as the imbalanced nature of datasets and the evolving complexity of network attacks. By incorporating Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique Tomek (SMOTE-Tomek) techniques to balance the …

Teal 6545, Usu Libraries

All E-Learning Resources

Attention: As of 2026 updated versions of this module will no longer be available on Digital Commons. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

The learning objectives for TEAL 6545 are to develop a research question about a chosen topic and to design a realistic study to conduct in the future. This library module teaches viewers about research and resources including strategies, grey literature, peer review, and more.

Give Your Data A Glow-Up: Data Visualization With Tableau For Non-Programmers, Rachel Blume, Cameron Nielsen

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

A well-designed data visualization can be a huge boost in effectively communicating your research findings. Tableau is the most popular, most powerful software for creating custom visualizations from complex datasets without requiring coding skills. This hands-on workshop will walk you through the basics of getting your data loaded into Tableau, choosing the right chart or graph type to best show off your findings, and customizing the results to look professional and aesthetically pleasing.

Assessment As Change Management: Facilitating Consensus, Decision-Making, And Culture Change Through A Scaffolded Approach To Ils Review And Selection, Joe Lasure, Lindsay Ozburn, Alex Sundt, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Like many academic libraries, Utah State University Libraries have had a long and complex relationship with our integrated library systems (ILS). After migrating to SirsiDynix’s Symphony ILS from their older Horizon system in 2009, the Libraries moved to Innovative Interfaces Inc.’s Sierra platform in 2012. These back-to-back migrations not only created frustration and fatigue amongst library staff, the decision-making processes that led to the migrations were also flawed and lacked genuine staff involvement. This resulted in problems during the implementation stage, such as workloads being inadvertently shifted from one unit to another. Understandably, this bred some long-standing resentment towards the …

Utah People And Environment Poll 2024/25 Executive Report, Alex Theophilus, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Utah's people and environment are currently experiencing significant changes as the population continues to grow, droughts and flooding pose threats to agriculture, air quality leads to health concerns, energy needs rise, and public lands see increased use. Action is needed to address these changes, especially given how rapidly they are occurring. Political leaders, environmental organizations, Tribal Nations, and universities play a critical role in ensuring Utah’s environment, economy, workforce, and underserved communities have a sustainable path forward. Understanding residents’ views, values, and concerns can help better craft the policy, inform infrastructure, and identify the services needed to do so. With …

Cost-Effective Strategies For Feral Swine Control: Exploring Trapping Equipment Cooperatives, Phil Kenkel, Riza Radmehr, Rodney Holcomb, Mckenzie Boyce

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) in the United States have become a growing concern, with a population of ≥6 million and causing annual damages of ≥$1.5 billion USD. Because of their high reproductive capacity, effective control methods are crucial to reducing or slowing their population growth. While remotely monitored and triggered traps have proven to be an effective control strategy, the cost of sophisticated trapping equipment, which can cost ≥$7,000 USD, is often cost prohibitive for many landowners. Despite the pressing need to address the challenge of making effective feral swine control methods more affordable, there are few studies …

Hearing From Working Nurses: Incorporating Real-World Knowledge Practices Into The Framework To Better Instruct Tomorrow’S Healthcare Professionals, Anne R. Diekema, Elizabeth (Betsy) S. Hopkins, Britt Fagerheim, Brandon Patterson, Nena Schvaneveldt

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

There is a certain duality to the role of librarians in higher education as the job requires preparing students for their current academic work, such as doing research for writing papers, while at the same time preparing students for their future professional information work.¹ Librarians seeking guidance on teaching information literacy more comprehensively are left to study the professional standards of the targeted professional group,² and find or carry out research on these practitioners.³ Synthesizing and translating these findings into instructional approaches while staying true to existing information literacy standards, however, can be challenging.⁴ In this …

It’S Time To Stop Calling People "Stakeholders", Bethann Garramon Merkle, Evelyn Valdez-Ward, Priya Shukla, Skylar R. Bayer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Although the term “stakeholder” has been widely used in science communication, recent expansion in the discourse around the negative connotations of the term necessitate that scientists and practitioners cease using the term. We discuss why this shift is necessary, how it affects our own praxis, and suggest resources for working through more respectful and just language. Looking to the science communication literature can help recalibrate terminology in positive ways.

Evaluating Lethal Coyote Management In The Chicago Metropolitan Area Using A Conflict Recurrence Metric, Jeffrey T. Schultz, Scott Beckerman, Robert Erickson, Danielle Montgomery, Stewart W. Breck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Human–coyote (Canis latrans) conflict in urban environments is prevalent in cities throughout the United States. Urban areas commonly use nonlethal techniques to mitigate coyote-caused conflicts but will also incorporate selective removal of individual coyotes when conflicts persist. However, little research has evaluated these management strategies. This study analyzed coyote removal efforts conducted in the Chicago Metropolitan Area from 2010 to 2020. To evaluate the management actions, we used “time without incidence”—the time elapsing from an initial conflict until either a subsequent conflict occurred in the same area, or when the data collection period ended—as an index of effectiveness. …

Formation, Operation, And Maintenance Of A Community Advisory Board For Research With Lgbtq+ Parents, Aubrey Jones, Olivia S. Yinger, Rachel H. Farr, Keisa Fallin-Bennett, Sabrina Beiring, Cassi Crouse, Carolyn Greenstrom

Transforming Communities

Community-engaged research is becoming increasingly popular to promote health equity. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to describe the formation, operation, and maintenance of a community advisory board (CAB) of LGBTQ+ parents and healthcare providers who work with LGBTQ+ parents. Method: Using Newman and colleagues outline, we describe the formation, operation, and maintenance phases of our CAB process. Inclusion criteria for CAB members is as follows, CAB members must be 18 years of age or older, live in the U.S., and (a) self-identify as LGBTQ+ and have had a child in the NICU more than five years prior to …

Knowledge And Attitude About New Born Hearing Screening Among Gynaecologists: Pre And Post Awareness Session Analysis, Khadija S. Jamnagarwala Miss

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Background: The knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals, particularly gynaecologists, significantly impact the success of newborn hearing screening (NHS) programs. Aim: Aim of the study was to explore knowledge and attitudes related to NHS among gynaecologists and factors related to it. Method: It was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved the development of the awareness material and questionnaires assessing knowledge & attitude about NHS during the pre & post-awareness sessions. In the second phase, 45 gynaecologists filled out the questionnaire after attending the awareness session on NHS. Results and Conclusion: The gynaecologists displayed low to moderate awareness of …

Teaching Sociology Through Reality Tv: Understanding Society Through The Small Screen, Monica Bixby Radu

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This article explores reality TV’s value in teaching sociological concepts and theories for a better understanding contemporary society. Reality TV serves as a rich canvas for illustrating key tenets of major sociological theories such as structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. By analyzing reality TV through a sociological lens, insights into societal dynamics emerge, revealing how individuals navigate social norms. Additionally, reality TV serves as a cultural mirror, reflecting and shaping societal values. Globally, it influences cultural attitudes and social dynamics, transcending geographical boundaries through adaptations and social media engagement. …

Extension Agents’ Perceptions Of Community Readiness For Farm Stress And Suicide Prevention Efforts, Paula Yuma, Melissa Pearman Fenton, Lorann Stallones, Morgan Valley

Transforming Communities

The aim of the present study is to describe how Extension Agents in rural Colorado perceive their communities’ readiness to engage with farm stress and suicide prevention services and resources. Interviews were conducted with Extension Agents from five Colorado counties experiencing high suicide rates. Interview questions were based on a Community Readiness for Community Change framework, and inductive analysis was used to generate themes from the data. Results demonstrate that while prevention efforts are underway, community awareness remains low. In addition to structural barriers associated with rurality (e.g., lack of mental health providers), stigma remains a significant barrier to help-seeking. …

Improving Health And Well-Being Through Shared Family Meals, Halle Larson, Savannah Daines, Stacy Bevan, Palak Gupta, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos

All Current Publications

Shared family meals provide numerous benefits for children, adolescents, and parents, including improved diet quality, healthier weight, better academic performance, stronger family bonds, and enhanced mental health. Regular family meals help children develop healthier eating habits, reduce risky behaviors, and foster communication skills. Despite challenges such as busy schedules and differing dietary preferences, families can overcome obstacles by starting small, keeping meals simple, involving everyone in meal prep, and minimizing distractions like screens. Creating a positive, flexible mealtime routine can help integrate these valuable moments into family life.

The Burden Mothers Bear: Using The Health Belief Model To Understand How U.S. Mothers’ Intersectional Identities Shape Health Decision-Making During Covid-19, Sydney O'Shay, Kaitlin E. Phillips, Marissa J. Sáez

Publications

The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color and the burden placed on mothers created a need to better understand how mothers of color made health decisions for their families and communicated these decisions with others during the pandemic. This study investigated how this populations’ intersectional identities played a role in their health decision-making processes and overall experiences during COVID-19. Using the health belief model as a sensitizing concept, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with mothers of color across the United States about their lived experiences during the pandemic. Our findings suggest a need for health communicators to address …

Harnessing Synergy: Galloping Together To Achieve Common Goals, Katie Richardson Mlis, Kathryn Renton Phd, Janice Gunther Martin Phd, Katrin Boniface Abd

Journal of Western Archives

“Harnessing Synergy: Galloping Together to Achieve Common Goals'' is a case study focusing on how the Head of Cal Poly Pomona University Library Special Collections and Archives joined forces with the founding board members of the Equine History Collective to drive research and advancement in the study of equine history–a key collecting area of the University Library Special Collections and Archives unit. Through sharing expertise, jointly producing events, and developing longer-term strategies together, these collaborative efforts have enhanced outreach of Cal Poly Pomona Special Collections and Archives and associated scholarly activities, enriched perspectives on equine cultural heritage, and facilitated innovative …

Ai And Your Research, Erica Finch, Stephanie Western

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Your research is being used to train generative AI. Join us for an interactive discussion on how major publishers are selling your work as training material, and how that impacts your rights as an author. We'll explore the potential impacts of AI training on faculty, institutions, and the broader academic landscape. Share your thoughts and insights and help shape the future of AI and research.

Environmental Views On The Rural To Urban Continuum, Sydney Fisk, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

As climate change and other environmental issues continue to worsen in Utah and worldwide, understanding Utahns’ top concerns and their opinions about political leaders’ efforts to address these environmental issues is increasingly important. In the 2023 Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP), a representative statewide sample of respondents were asked how concerned they were about a myriad of environmental problems in Utah including drought, the drying of the Great Salt Lake, poor air quality, population growth, climate change, and wildfires. Survey respondents were also asked to rate how well they believe politicians are addressing the same environmental issues. Looking at …

Utahns’ Generally Agree On Top Environmental Concerns, But Climate Change And Related Issues Reveal Political Polarization, Sarah E. Wilson, Jessica Ulrich-Schad

Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP)

Utah is renowned for its unique landscapes and abundant opportunities to connect with the natural environment. However, the state is currently grappling with serious environmental challenges, including poor air quality, dwindling water supplies, and the alarming desiccation of the Great Salt Lake. These and other issues have major ecological and economic implications, and combating them will likely require large scale efforts. However, rising levels of political polarization are a common problem in the United States that many feel stifles our ability to combat societal problems, including those related to the environment and human health.

The Restorative Design Scale (Rds) An Assessment Guide: Measuring The Potential For Mental Restoration In Urban Green Spaces, Corinne Bahr

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Mental health is a growing national priority, and green space has been proven to benefit mental health. There is a massive amount of recent research studying the influence of green space characteristics on mental health improvement and restoration. However, professional landscape architects, designers, and planners involved in creating physical spaces have not been able to assess and therefore prioritize mental health in their designs due to the sheer quantity of information that has not yet been synthesized and applied efficiently. The Restorative Design Scale (RDS) Assessment condenses this material into a scientifically inspired resource for professionals to easily understand and …

Estimating The Impacts Of Utah's Down Payment Assistance Program (Sb240): A Framework For Analyzing State And Regional Dpa Policies, Dylan Fallentine

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

I examine the impact of Utah's Senate Bill 240, a targeted down payment assistance program for new homes priced under $450,000, on housing affordability and developer behavior. Using Synthetic Difference-in-Differences, Bayesian Structural Time-Series, Fixed Effects Difference-in-Differences, and Event Study Analysis, I assess whether SB240 influenced the construction of more affordable homes and led to reduced lot sizes, thereby fueling affordability.

My empirical analysis reveals that SB240 significantly reduced the transaction price of entry-level new homes in Utah, with an estimated average reduction of approximately $23,000. This effect is robust across various econometric models and data pools, indicating that the policy …

Analysis Of School Lunches- A Systemic Approach, Maggie E. Eguko

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

1.1. This capstone explores the persistent issue of food waste in public school lunch programs and the critical role that grant writers can play in addressing this challenge. School food waste has become a significant concern, with studies indicating that up to 50% of food served in school cafeterias is discarded, contributing to both environmental harm and inefficient resource use (Schwartz & Cohen, 2015).

1.2. The paper highlights the lack of effective waste reduction strategies, and the underutilization of available funding sources aimed at combating this issue. Grant writers, who are often underrepresented in school districts, can secure vital funding …

Development Of A Multidimensional Index Of Fall Risk For Older Adults: The Cache County Study, Alexandra G. Hammond

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

One out of four adults over the age of 65 are estimated to fall each year in the U.S. alone, with that number expected to rise to 52 million falls per year by the year 2030. Improving accuracy for identification of older adults at a higher risk of falling is increasingly important and may be integral in informing the distribution of limited resources and assist in preventing falls in older adults. This project examined the relationship between previously identified risk factors and fall risk to create multidimensional fall risk indexes for older adults, specific for each sex.

Factors best associated …

An Analysis Of Psychological Concepts In Interactive Media, Kieryn Funk

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

An analysis of how video games display psychological concepts and facilitate psychological experiences. Video games are an extremely competent medium for experiences and learning psychology due to the manner in which they elicit emotions and teach procedurally. Psychological concepts are explained in a brief way, then specific examples are brought up from video games connecting the concept to an element in the game, specifically in gameplay mechanics, narrative story, or aesthetics and elements in the game world. Behavioral science is examined both on a conceptual level and on a technical level showing how video games, in general, display the theories …

The Feminist Cultural Exchange Between Japan And The United States: A Study Of Articles 14 And 24 In The Japanese Constitution, Kiara Adams

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper explores the feminist cultural exchange between the United States and Japan, focusing on how this exchange has shaped each country’s respective feminist movement. A central component of the paper is its examination of the histories of women’s rights in both nations, shaped by key historical events such as war, economic crises, and feminist activism, and how these histories have influenced current gender policies. It also explores how cultural narratives, including the creation myths of Japan and the U.S., have defined gender roles and women’s rights in each country. Through historical analysis, the paper examines the reciprocal influence between …

Instrument Development For Determining High School Students’ Epistemological And Ontological Beliefs Regarding Photography, Earl Stanford Maeser Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Research in educational psychology has shown that students' beliefs about knowledge—known as personal epistemology—significantly impact their academic success. However, accurately measuring these beliefs has proven to be challenging due to the lack of reliable and valid tools. This study addresses this gap by developing and testing two tools aimed at assessing high school students' beliefs about knowledge and reality in the context of photography: the Photographic Knowledge Questionnaire (PKQ) and the Photographic Reality Questionnaire (PRQ).

Photography, with its strong ties to reality and representation, provides a unique way to explore personal beliefs about the nature of reality and how knowledge …

Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences And Non-Live Births, Mudasir Mustafa

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Around 62 percent of adults in the United States have endured at least one type of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), and 25 percent of women reported experiencing three or more ACEs in their lifetime. This study explored whether maternal exposure to ACEs was associated with pregnancy loss or abortion, utilizing the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (known as Add Health) to explore this association. I found that cumulative ACEs, assessed through either the conventional ACE scale (reflecting 10 types of ACEs) or the extended ACE scale (reflecting 14 types of ACEs), are associated with a higher likelihood …