Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Young Children's Nutrition, Growth, And Cognitive Development In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Kristin N. Murphy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The first few years of life are viewed as a critical period for development. Children who do not grow and develop well in these early years can experience life-long negative implications. Many children under the age of five in Ecuador suffer from high rates of malnutrition, stunting (low height-for-age), and delayed cognitive development. This dissertation aims to better understand why children from Ecuador, specifically from the Amazon region, are experiencing such high rates of delayed development. Fifty children and their mothers living in the Amazon region of Ecuador participated in this research study.

First, interviews were conducted by an Ecuadorian …

Family Communication Patterns, Emotion Regulation, And Coping Behaviors In Young Adults, Caleb J. Price

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Family communication establishes expectations for a variety of behaviors, including emotion expression. This study explored if patterns of family communication were related to five behaviors that young adults might use to cope (drinking alcohol, watching TV, masturbating, eating, and exercising) via emotion regulation strategies. The data used for this study came from 504 young adults living across the United States who completed an online survey which asked them questions about how their family communicated when they were adolescents, their emotion regulation strategies, and how often they use the five coping behaviors listed above. The participants were between 18 and 30 …

Defining And Interrogating The Collection File In Archival Collection Management, Audra Eagle Yun

Journal of Western Archives

What is a collection file, anyway? This work-in-progress summarizes the results of a sample survey of archivists to better understand the purpose, function, and contents of collection files, how archivists learn to create collection files, and their potential for public access and use. From these results, we can extrapolate a preliminary definition of the collection file, as well as the potential for future study and critical analysis of the practical elements of collection file work, especially in relation to archival accessioning, deaccessioning, and repatriation.

Is Microethnography An Ethnographic Case Study? And/Or A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study? An Analysis Of The Literature, Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Selecting the research approach that addresses the research question is often challenging for novice researchers. However, getting a better understanding of the research approaches available in the field, is likely to help novice researchers identify and choose the research approach that fits their situation. In this paper, we discuss microethnography, ethnographic case study, and mini-ethnography case study in order to show that these approaches may have similarities but are different. The author hopes that this discussion will help researchers get a better understanding of these approaches and dissipate the confusion that may exist.

Vertical Accountability Among Ministries Of State In An Emerging Economy: A Case Study Of Ghana, Joseph Ofori Acheampong, Michael K. Dzordzormenyoh, Justice Nyigmah Bawole, Albert Ahenkan, Emmanuel Kojo Sakyi

Political Science Student Research

Since 1992, Ghana has implemented several initiatives and reforms such as the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACAP), Right to Information (RTI) Act, Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) with the goal of improving accountability while reducing corruption. These policies provide researchers with a lot of opportunities to examine how effective these programs have been as well as their impact on accountability. Hence, the present study seeks to accomplish three main objectives: 1) to explore the factors that facilitate vertical accountability; 2) to explore the limitations to vertical accountability; and 3) to investigate the …

A Participatory Exercise In Developing Syllabi With Adult Learners, Laneshia Conner, V. Nikki Jones, Jason P. Johnston

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this article here.

Transformative participatory approaches in education are positioned to challenge traditional models where instructors bear all responsibility for knowledge creation and learners are passive recipients of knowledge. The promotion of participatory learning and critical pedagogy is essential to helping professionals seeking to understand oppressive structural barriers and employing strategies to dismantle these structures. This article describes a participatory approach undertaken to guide learners through an exercise to co-create syllabus content in a graduate social work course. Learners identified three themes, concerns, fears, and problems, related to the course material. Learners were also …

Missing The Warning Signs? The Case Of "Yellow Air Day" Advisories In Northern Utah, Arthur J. Caplan

Applied Economics Faculty Publications

Using a dataset consisting of daily vehicle trips, PM_2.5 concentrations, and a host of climactic control variables, we test the hypothesis that “yellow air day advisories” issued by the Utah Division of Air Quality resulted in subsequent reductions in vehicle trips taken during northern Utah’s winter-inversion seasons in the early 2000 s. Winter inversions occur in northern Utah when PM_2.5 concentrations (derived mainly from vehicle emissions) become trapped in the lower atmosphere, leading to unhealthy air quality over a span of time known colloquially as “red air day episodes”. When concentrations rise above 15 μg/m³ toward the …

A Deep Dive Into User's Preferences And Behavior Around Mobile Phone Sharing, Rizu Paudel, Prakriti Dumaru, Ankit Shrestha, Huzeyfe M. Kocabas, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Users share their personal devices with different entities in various circumstances. While prior research shed light on the broad reasons behind the sharing of mobile phones, there is a dearth of systematic study to understand the user's decision-making process and the underlying preferences and concerns in the context of phone sharing. To address these gaps, we designed a prototype that we leveraged to investigate the interplay between a user's relationship with sharees, preferences of sharing a subset of apps with a certain entity, perceived sensitivity of the apps being shared, and how these factors relate to their authentication behavior. We …

Processes Of Change In Online Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Hoarding, Jennifer Krafft, Julie M. Petersen, Clarissa W. Ong, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Initial research suggests that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is efficacious in treating hoarding problems, but processes of change in ACT for hoarding are unclear. Thus, we investigated potential mediators and moderators in a randomized waitlist-controlled trial (n = 73) of web-based ACT for U.S. adults with clinically significant hoarding problems. Hoarding severity was significantly correlated with hoarding-related psychological inflexibility (r = 0.52, p < .01), mindful awareness (r = −0.40, p < .01), and beliefs that people with hoarding disorder are different from others (r = 0.31, p < .01). Effects of ACT were not significantly moderated by age, gender, or baseline hoarding-related psychological inflexibility. Longitudinal mediation analyses did not support mediation by hypothesized processes. However, the effect of condition on hoarding severity at follow-up was significantly mediated by hoarding-related psychological inflexibility at follow-up (ab = −0.41 [95% CI: 0.85, −0.01]), and change in hoarding-related psychological inflexibility (r = 0.73, p < .01) and mindful awareness (r = −0.69, p < .01) was correlated with change in hoarding symptoms over time. Overall, our results suggest that psychological inflexibility, self-stigma, and mindful awareness are indeed related to hoarding symptoms, but we cannot conclude that they underly the effects of ACT for hoarding. Limitations include a predominantly White and female sample.

Effects Of Pornography On Relationships, Naomi Brower

All Current Publications

Pornography is not a new issue in relationships; however, the expansion of the Internet appears to have increased pornography viewing and exacerbated pre-existing tendencies. This fact sheet reviews some of the impacts of pornography on partner relationships and provide steps toward healing a relationship hurt by pornography.

Bullying In Sport Harms Athletes Mentally And Physically And Impairs Their Performance, Jessica Hamilton

Student Research Symposium

While bullying in sporting contexts is thought to be highly prevalent (Parent & Fortier, 2018), it is understudied and not well-defined within the sport psychology literature. Bullying is defined in the general peer aggression literature as repeated, intentional harm of a person across an interpersonal relationship with an asymmetric power balance (Olweus, 1994) and often occurs across peers. Furthermore, the literature highlights how bullying in academic settings is associated with detrimental outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance abuse (Armitage, 2021), so the effects that bullying in sport might have on victims and perpetrators are of particular interest. The …

A Community In Context: Assessing The Needs Of Lgbtq+ Youth And Families In Box Elder County, Utah, Jaylee Cox, Kaitlin Welsh, Maureen Boyle

Student Research Symposium

LGBTQ+ youth experience significant health disparities as a marginalized population yet their service needs are understudied in rural Utah communities. This research project seeks to assess current health and social support services for LGBTQ+ youth and families living in Box Elder County, Utah. This project is coordinated by the Transforming Communities Institute and takes a community-based approach involving the collaborative efforts of community partners, graduate students and their faculty supervisors in the Department of Social Work, and TCI staff. Using the Theory of Change as a framework, the research process started with a community-identified issue followed by developing a context …

The Effectiveness Of Housing First In Improving Mental Health Outcomes Among Homeless Individuals: A Rapid Review, Nya Harper

Student Research Symposium

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review primary research regarding the efficacy of a Housing First (HF) intervention compared to existing treatments for improving mental health outcomes in homeless adults with mental illness.

Methods: A rapid review was conducted from the PubMed database using a predetermined search protocol and inclusion criteria to identify eligible articles.

Results: HF was significantly more effective at helping homeless adults with mental illness become stably housed. HF groups’ subjective measures of mental health were not consistently higher than usual treatment groups.

Conclusion: Evidence supports the efficacy of HF over existing treatments in a …

Reducing Impulsive Choice In Female Rats, Joshua Jones, Christine Layne, Sofia Sperber

Student Research Symposium

Early and prolonged exposure to reward delays has been found to be effective in reducing impulsive choice in male Long-Evans rats. Replication in female subjects ensures that this effect is generalizable across the sexes. Such studies also expand our knowledge of factors associated with impulsive control. The present study randomly assigned 12 female Long Evans rats into a delayed exposure group (DE) or an immediate exposure group (IE). Groups completed 120 sessions (80 trials each) of training. In each of these training trials, rats pressed a lever to earn a food reward. For DE rats, food was delayed by 17.5 …

Comparing Vasopressin Receptor 1a Density In Paired Vs. Widowed Coyote Brains, Jacey Hopkin

Student Research Symposium

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide known for its key role in the formation of social bonds and acts through binding to the AVP 1a receptor (AVPR1a). Most notably, research has demonstrated that monogamous species have higher levels of AVPR1a compared to non-monogamous species. AVPR1a is typically found in brain regions facilitating individual relations, social memory, and interspecies attachment; these areas are closely associated with partner preference and monogamous behavior. In addition, it has been observed in prairie voles that levels of social neuropeptides, such as oxytocin, will decrease when pair-mates are separated for extended time periods. A majority of …

An Evaluation Of U.S. Horseback Riding Instruction Certifications: Availability, Acquisition, Barriers, And Industry Need, Makenna Osborne

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to analyze the U.S. equine industry’s availability of riding instruction certification options, describe the relationship between professional certification and the self-efficacy of horseback riding instructors in the U.S., and explore the expectations that consumers have of instructors and instructor selection criteria. Four research objectives related to instruction were addressed: identifying the competencies and the process for obtaining skill-based horseback riding instructor certifications of the five most popular third-party certifying organizations that are currently available in the U.S., describing the attitudes towards certification in the U.S., and describing the self-perception of currently certified and …

Delayed Autism Diagnosis In Girls Due To Social Masking, Madeline Abram-Moyle

Student Research Symposium

Objective: To determine if camouflaging social and linguistic skills delays autism diagnosis in girls ages 6-18 years old compared to boys of the same age.

Methods: A rapid review from PubMed database to review relevant evidence.

Results: Evidence that social and linguistic camouflaging lead to delayed diagnosis in autistic girls compared to autistic boys is strong, but evidence is lacking that these forms of camouflaging lead to poor mental health in autistic girls ages 6-18.

Conclusion: Diagnostic criteria for autism should be updated to include female behavior and language patterns.

Natural Sugar Substitutes In Sugar Free Ice Cream, Avery Lawes, Cheyenne Davies, Catherine Breitweiser

Student Research Symposium

Artificial sweeteners have become increasingly more popular over the years as good sucrose substitutes but how do these sweeteners affect ice cream? As most of the population is struggling with obesity and diabetes, is there a way to make an ice cream that is both high in nutritional content and tastes good? The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effect on volume, texture, flavor, aftertaste, and meltability when substituting naturally occurring sugar substitutes for liquid Stevia in vanilla ice cream. This was done by mixing 4 different batches of ice cream using different naturally occurring sweeteners (honey, agave, …

Climate Change In South Asia: A Review Of Perceptions, Coping, And Adaptation Strategies, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed

Student Research Symposium

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the entire planet. It has been found that South Asia is highly susceptible to the negative consequences of climate change, making it one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. In addition, agriculture makes up the majority of this region's economy, which accounts for the vast majority of GDP. A handful of individuals also occupy an area of arable land that is smaller than 0.1 hectares in size. As a result, local people in the South Asian region, particularly farmers, have utilized a variety of coping and adaptation tactics …

Do Immigrants' Ever Oppose Immigration?, Aflatun Kaeser

Student Research Symposium

This paper analyses immigrants’ views on immigration, contributing to the behavioral literature on immigration. In particular, it explores the role of statistical discrimination as a cause of possible opposition to immigration in the absence of stringent immigration policies and large volumes of undocumented immigration. We test this hypothesis using US data from the 7th wave of the World Value Survey, finding that successful immigrants in the US (i.e. those who are in the top quintile of the socio-economic classification), who may benefit the most from being perceived as unrelated to unskilled undocumented immigrants, have negative views about immigration, especially with …

Review Of Museum Archives: Practice, Issues, Advocacy, Laura J. French

Journal of Western Archives

Review of Museum Archives: Practice, Issues, Advocacy.

Perceptions Of Disabilities Among Native Americans Within The State Of Utah, Erica Ficklin, Melissa Tehee, Sherry Marx, Eduardo Ortiz, Megan E. Golson, Tyus Roanhorse

Psychology Student Research

Currently, little research exists on disabilities among Native American communities and no research exists on how Native Americans perceive disabilities, services currently available, and unmet needs. Understanding these key areas is essential to providing efficacious and culturally relevant care. To address this gap in the literature, we used Indigenous research methodology through sharing circles throughout the state of Utah to listen and amplify the voices of the Native communities. Participants shared how they conceptualize "disability," what they thought of current services, and how they thought the needs of Native persons with disabilities should be addressed. Four major themes emerged in …

Coping Mechanisms In Rural Healthcare, Lindsey Bushman

Student Research Symposium

I recently moved to a small, rural town to work in healthcare. I have noticed a drastic difference in patient relationships when compared to bigger cities. The healthcare workers in these small areas tend to know the majority of patients they treat personally. I interviewed 30 healthcare workers with direct patient contact from towns of less than 3,000 people to discover their coping methods. How do they keep coming back to work in this environment?

The Family Place Utah Princess & Prince Party: Who Attends And Which Activities Did They Enjoy?, Ann Peterson, Clara Alder

Student Research Symposium

Attending community events can have significant benefits for the families who attend. Some of these benefits include providing an opportunity for socialization and strengthen family relationships (Liu, 2022). The Family Place Utah hosts a community event called the Princess and Prince Party. The Princess and Prince Party is an event where families can attend and meet some of their favorite Princesses and Princes. At the event, data was gathered from participants using Qualtrics. The results indicated that majority of the children in attendance were ages 3-5 and families attending because their children enjoy interacting with the characters.

Exploring Female, Non-Binary, Or Genderqueer Scientists' Intersections Of Experience When Engaging In Science Communication, Emily Slater

Student Research Symposium

Our USU research team worked with the Cosplay for Science non-profit who are dedicated to reducing barriers to science and scientists through their events and initiatives. As a part of this collaboration, we observed how scientists interacted with comicon attendees at a pop-up museum booth. We are interested in finding out how scientists shift norms and assumptions about who participates in science. We collected one-on-one in-depth interview data from nine scientists from a variety of education and work fields who identify as female, non-binary or gender queer after their involvement with the pop-up museum booth. Our findings indicate that scientist …

Comparison Of Product And Observational Measures Of Academic Engagement Under Different Contingencies Of Reinforcement, Milad Najafichaghabouri

Student Research Symposium

Educational researchers frequently target and measure student on-task behavior in academic settings. On-task behavior is typically defined based on the topography of the behavior (i.e., what it looks like to be on task). However, few studies have assessed if students being on task corresponds with students completing more work or responding more accurately. The current study examined correspondence between on-task behavior, work completion, and work accuracy for four elementary and middle-school aged children across different contingencies of reinforcement in a clinical setting. Academic engagement was assessed for each participant under different conditions: baseline, on task, work completion, work accuracy, and …

Perceptions Of Parental Acceptance And Contingencies Of Self-Worth Regarding Family Predicting Peer Relations, Jacqueline Johnson

Student Research Symposium

Parent-child relationship factors, such as family-related self-worth and perception of parental acceptance,are associated with peer relations. For example, parental rejection is negatively associated with child prosocial behavior (Rothenberg et al., 2022). Parental rejection is related to more aggression and adjustment problems (Rohner, 1975; Rothenberg, 2022). Less is known about the association between self-worth related to the family and peer relations. Contingencies of self-worth refer to whether “self-esteem is sustained by successes and achievements or threatened by obstacles and failures” within these domains (Perinelli et al., 2020). For children who have been rejected, close family relationships may be less important to …

Promoting And Providing Oral Healthcare For Francophone Africa, Mckay Lund

Student Research Symposium

Oral health is key to overall health. Many people in francophone African countries face challenges in oral health including: lack of access to healthcare, cost of healthcare, lack of dentists and oral surgeons, lack of funding, and lack of effective oral health public health education or ad campaigns in French or other languages they speak.

The Impact Of The Family Place Utah's Better Together Program On Parent/Caregiver Distress, Mitchell Adair

Student Research Symposium

Parenting challenges and overall stress have increased in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic (Adams et al., 2020). The Better Together program at The Family Place Utah was developed to provide children with positive childhood experiences (PCEs), improve family functioning, and increase nurturing and attachment between parents and their children. We explore the positive impact Better Together has on parent stress.A sample of 219 caregivers with children aged 0 to 18 years participated in a randomized experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of the Better Together program. Families were randomly assigned to a treatment or waitlist group. Treatment participants started …

How Nonreligious Parents Socialize Their Children Regarding (Non)Religion, Jamie Child

Student Research Symposium

Over the past few decades, the rate of religious disaffiliation in America has steadily increased. However, research on the experiences of nonreligious parents is lacking. In particular, little is known about how nonreligious parents socialize their children in regard to religious or nonreligious worldviews. This study aims to address this gap through an analysis of 35 interviews with nonreligious couples (N = 70 parents) residing in the United States. Initial analyses of the data identified the following four themes: (1) Encouraging Religious Exploration or Engagement (2) Family of Origin’s Religious Influence on Children, (3) Parents Concerns Regarding Children’s Religious Exposure, …