Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Spartan Daily, January 23, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 142, Issue 1

Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy An Effective Treatment For Autism? A Review, Daniel Dunleavy, Bruce A. Thyer

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Objectives: We review outcome studies regarding the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Method: Studies were identified through electronic bibliographic databases and manual searches of article reference lists. Results: A total of 8 studies met eligibility criteria, consisting of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one quasi-experimental study involving a comparison group, two pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest studies, and two single-system designs. Studies reviewed did not offer credible evidence to suggest that HBOT is an effective treatment for autism. Conclusion: It is premature to call HBOT an effective treatment for Autism and ASD. Individuals clinically treated with …

The Influence Of Migraine Pain And Analgesic Effects Of Pharmaceuticals In Visual Field Serial To Parallel Processing, Based Upon The P300 Event Related Potential And Reaction Time., Benjamin C. Ringger, Dr. Donovan Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The p300 event related potential is a particular wave of the measured electrical activity of the brain. This wave may be evoked by a visual stimulus presented to the subject and occurs approximately 300 msec. following presentation of the stimulus. In previous studies, it has been suggested that a processing continuum exists between serial and parallel processing at opposite ends of the continuum. Serial processing, which involves attending to only one object, is generally associated with a slower reaction time, while parallel processing, which attends to two objects, is usually accompanied by a quicker response. Depending on various characteristics of …

Math Proficiency Aiding Underprivileged Youth, Shawna Raydene Cluff, Dr. Mikaela Dufur

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Jaime Escalante received considerable recognition for an extensive calculus program that he initiated at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. In the 1970’s, Escalante began actively recruiting otherwise-ordinary students to the college mathematics track. He said, “By showing them that there is an upward route to well-paid fulfilling careers through higher education, I immerse them in the concept that they, too, can succeed…” (Escalante and Dirmann 1990:411). The movie, Stand and Deliver, chronicles his success with this program.

Developing A Theory Of Transnational Actor Salience, Christopher O'Keefe, Dr. Daniel Nielson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My study focused on exploring the conditions under which non-state actors (NSAs) play important roles in international relations (IR). This field is known as transnational relations, the study of interactions between non-governmental organizations or individuals that influence world affairs as they act across national borders and states or other transnational actors (TNAs). Counted among these actors are multinational corporations (MNCs), international activist groups, terrorist organizations and drug cartels. Although two of the three central schools of international relations theory agree that states are the primary actors in IR (Baldwin 1993, 9), these organizations obviously play important roles in international politics. …

The Effects Of Abstinence, Nicotine Consumption, And Type Of Cigarette On Desire To Smoke, Craig Shepherd, Dr. Harold Miller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU) assesses one’s desire to smoke based on the combination of positive and negative reinforcers. Because of its high psychometric properties— when compared with other tests of a similar nature—and its ability to count for unique variance in individual’s desires to smoke, this form has become increasingly popular in recent years.¹

Effects Of Migraine On Visual Processing, Jennifer Penn, Dr. Donavon Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Migraines are one of the most prevalent and debilitating headaches in America. They affect 28 million people in this country, nearly 13% of the U.S. population (National Headache Foundation). Migraines are a unique headache syndrome characterized by an excruciating pulsating pain associated with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and sensitivity to sound. In some migraine patients, and ‘aura’ may begin or accompany a migraine. Migraines, and aura, have been most frequently accompanied with visual disturbances that range from zig-zag patterns, wavy lines, to spots or stars seen in the central portion of the visual field (Wray, Mijovic-Prelec, and Kosslyn, 1995). …

Assessment Of Cingulate Gyrus Integrity In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Benjamin C. Ringger, Dr. Donovan Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurogenerative disease that is characterized by memory loss, language impairments, impaired visuospatial skills, poor judgment, and mood changes. The pathophysiology of AD is typified by a loss of cholinergic cells in the basal forebrain, development of neuritic plaques in the cerebral cortex, neurofibrillary tangles that start in the temporal lobe and progress to other cortical regions, and generalized cerebral atrophy (Kolb & Whishaw, 2001). Increased atrophy is associated with increased severity of dementia (Fox, Scahill, Crum, & Rossor, 1999; O’Brien et al., 2001). The neuropathology and associated atrophy in AD progresses systematically, starting in the …

Psychological, Political, And Economic Factors Resulting In Romania’S Tragic Alliances During The Second World War, Matthew J. Thorne, Dr. Valerie Hudson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

If the purpose of science is to better understand our world, eliminate suffering, and generally make it a more inhabitable place, then lessons on how to avoid war, entangling alliances, and unwanted political ideologies may make Political Science the most important of all the sub sciences. Political Science is difficult because it presents limited possibilities for empirical testing and proofs; political scientists are left to do case studies instead of regressions, and psychological profiles instead of experiments. The importance of such work though can be easily seen when looking at the tragic tears of war, conquest, and subjugation in histories …

Base Crimes And Voting Patterns In Okinawa: Are There Any Links?, Ryan M. Scoville, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the past few decades, U.S. soldiers stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa have committed a large number of violent crimes against the native population. Even a terse glance at the news should reveal that these crimes—including rape and murder—do not go unnoticed by the Okinawan people. Protesters decried the frequency of base-related crimes at the 2000 G-8 Summit in Okinawa, and activists today continue to voice their outrage whenever an American serviceperson breaks local law. Noticing this opposition, I set out to determine whether or not Okinawan citizens take their outrage to the polls. Specifically, I wanted to …

The True Evolution Of Relations Between The United States And Europe, Marcus Ryan, Dr. David Bohn

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I have recently conducted a great deal of research suggesting that many nations are experiencing a period of decreased nationalism and that they are simultaneously moving toward greater acceptance of and perhaps imitation of the United States. The primary focus of my research was initially Argentina, and my study revealed that Argentine national sentiment is in fact less vibrant now than it has been in the past. After many days of content analysis of newspaper articles and political speeches I was able to demonstrate a definite trend away from anti- Americanism, Marxism, and the intellectual left. I am in the …

Perception And Reality In Japanese Politics: The Rural Vote’S New Relevance For The Ldp, J. Paul Mitchell, Dr. Ray Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

An analysis of urban and rural electoral trends in Japan reveals the important role of perceptions in politics. While the story from articles and books on Japanese politics tends to paint a scene of LDP (Liberal Democratic Party, Japan’s dominant political party since 1955) dominance in rural districts contrasted by failings in urban ones, actual electoral data show large relative declines in the rural areas. I tried to discover the causes of this particular misperception and then apply those findings to politics in general.

Revealing Identity Through Artifacts, Paul Reed Stavast, Dr. Marti Lu Allen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The first research objective was to study how personal, community, and culture area identities are portrayed through artifacts originating from Mesoamerica. The second objective was to integrate the research done on identity as a sub-theme into an exhibition at the Museum of Peoples and Cultures. The exhibition would include four other cultures areas from around the world.

Assisting Esl Students In Linguilical And Social Integration, Lisa Dione Booher, Dr. Julie Hartley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With an ever-increasing immigrant population, schools across the nation are being forced to mold their programs to fit the needs of students who do not know the local language and culture here in the United States. These students’ future rests on their success in these matters. If they fail in their new schools, this failure will set the tone for the rest of their lives. Where they work, live, or continue their education all depend on their success at their new schools. For this reason, I chose to survey students, teachers, and tutors/translators to gather their opinions on how to …

Modeling Non-Normality In Econometric Regression, Robert Turley, Dr. James B. Mcdonald

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Traditional methods for estimating economic relationships assume the error between their predictions and their observations to be normally distributed. In other words, the random variable representing the error term is expected to follow the Gaussian distribution popularly known as the bell curve. In the case of a linear model, this is one of the justifications for the regression technique known as ordinary least squares (OLS). However, in many cases it appears the distribution of the error in economic models is peaked or skewed, suggesting that it may be inappropriate to assume normality.

The Politics Of Religious Pluralism In Palestine: Measuring Democracy Through The Eyes Of Palestinian Christians, Matthew D. Whitton, Dr. Chad Emmett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite recent events, the last ten years has represented an unparalleled opportunity for Palestinians and Israelis to resolve their many differences at the negotiating table. With the signing of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Palestinians received for the first time a level of autonomy that many hope will eventually accumulate in the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. The Palestinian Authority (PA) became the governing body of the Palestinians during an interim period designed to test the Palestinian leadership’s resolve to democracy and Israel’s security.

Land And Water Conservation In Tanzania: A Field Analysis, Lisette Borchert, Dr. Richard Jackson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

There is an increasing concern over environmental change on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro (Newmark 1992). For the Chagga, the indigenous people of this region, Mount Kilimanjaro is the source of all life. Primarily, they are dependent on the mountain for water, which is vital for their agricultural production and domestic needs. Historically, land has been passed down from father to son in these tiny African villages. However, as the population in the village increases, the sizes of each plot gets smaller and smaller until the plot becomes unusable. Likewise, as the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and Forest Reserve (KNPFR) continues to …

Measuring A Highly Religious Population: Development Of An Empirical Test For Brigham Young University Students, Marin Turley, Dr. Steven R. Thomsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This research charts the development of a reliable scale that can discriminate differences in religiosity in a highly religious population. Approximately 99% of the more than 30,000 students at Brigham Young University are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, presenting a highly religious and highly homogenous population (www.byu.edu). In such a population, a researcher needs a sensitive survey scale to generate a quantifiable measure of religiosity that will discriminate between members. This project applied considerations for defining and measuring religiosity empirically, using the BYU population as a case study. The goal and final product of this …

The Grass Is Greener: Cue-Mediated Deviations From Matching, Spencer C. Smith, Dr. Hal Miller

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In human behavior study, the arena of choice distribution has become a topic of increasing interest. BYU’s Laboratory for Human Behavior Analysis has been looking, specifically, at variations of an already explored and documented “matching law.” This established theory offers a way to create and interpret predictable actions of an individual when given rewardproducing choices “[The matching law] states that relative responding matches the relative reinforcement produced by that responding” (Catania, 1998, p. 188). If a pattern of reinforcements is instantiated, the matching law suggests that the subject’s responses will match that pattern. Any deviations from this established pattern could …

Assessment Of Cingulate Gyrus Integrity In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease, Michael J. Larson, Dr. Ramona O. Hopkins

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurogenerative disease that is characterized by memory loss, language impairments, impaired visuospatial skills, poor judgment, and mood changes. The pathophysiology of AD is typified by a loss of cholinergic cells in the basal forebrain, development of neuritic plaques in the cerebral cortex, neurofibrillary tangles that start in the temporal lobe and progress to other cortical regions, and generalized cerebral atrophy (Kolb & Whishaw, 2001). Increased atrophy is associated with increased severity of dementia (Fox, Scahill, Crum, & Rossor, 1999; O’Brien et al., 2001). The neuropathology and associated atrophy in AD progresses systematically, starting in the …

Tracking Change Patterns For Severely And Persistently Mentally Ill (Spmi) Patients: An Analysis Of The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Expanded (Bprs-E), Elizabeth Richardson, Dr. Gary Burlingame

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study was conducted to determine differential item sensitivity of The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Expanded (BPRS-E) with an SPMI population. Using item sensitivity information, we tested different factor solutions of the BPRS-E to assess how predictive these are of patient improvement. Although I originally planned to compare BPRS-E scores with scores from the Life Status Questionnaire (LSQ) in this report, I will focus on item sensitivity only. As observed by Vermeersch, Lambert, & Burlingame (2000), while it is important to achieve high levels of reliability when constructing a measure of psychological traits, measures designed to assess patient change need …

I Get Mad Just Thinking About It: Comparing Students’ Emotions And Beliefs Evoked By Anger In Mozambique And At Brigham Young University’S, Ryan Curtis, Dr. Matthew Spackman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

An emotion consists of many things. Research in emotion has been a constant debate between those who believe that emotions are more biologically based, and those who believe emotions are more culturally based. Cross-cultural studies of emotion have been used from the beginning of this debate to assess the effect of culture on emotions. The purpose of this study was to help determine the role of culture in emotions. Specifically, it studies 1) the effect of culture on the appraisal of anger, and 2) the effect of culture on the experience of secondary emotions that come from remembering an anger …

The Effects Of Status Factors On Women’S Decision-Making And Personal Autonomy In Bolivian Families, Tina J. Gregory, Dr. Renata Forste

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As economic and social changes continue to reshape familial relationships and processes in Latin America, there is much debate over whether these changes are increasing or decreasing the family’s quality of life. Some researchers argue that as individual roles within the family are redefined – especially in terms of traditional parental gender roles – family stability is disrupted. Others who are more reform-oriented assert that development, with its emphasis on providing more opportunities for women’s education and employment, is beneficial for families because it is beneficial for mothers. However, both theoretical camps agree that because of autonomy’s implications for familial …

Female Occupational Complexity And Marital Happiness: Relationship And Results, Jared A. Lyle, Dr. Mikaela Dufur

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Does the complexity of a woman’s occupation have a direct influence on her marital happiness? If so, what are the implications on her family and community?

Doctor-Patient Relationships In Mexico, Carl J. Smith, Lynn England

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Carl J. Smith Doctor-Patient Relationships in Mexico Faculty Mentor: Lynn England, Sociology In biomedicine, doctor-patient relationships are considered crucial in providing good health care. Studies have shown that specific aspects of good doctor-patient relationships impact patient perceived recovery in non-life-threatening disorders. One of the major determining factors for successful doctor-patient relationships is the level of communication and information exchange achieved during the consultations. As a developing nation, Mexico has shown an increase in reliance on technological medicine as apposed to physician clinical skills. Some feel that Mexico may suffer from a de-emphasis on the importance of doctor communication skills.

Jerry Falwell Library Spaces, Services, Technology, Collections, Vision, And History, Mike Cobb, Kathryn Cox, Cooper Pasque, Rory Patterson, S. Elisa Rollins, Drew Taylor

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of Spoken And Written Communication In The Opening And Closing Sections Of Instant Messaging, Kenta Nishimaki

Dissertations and Theses

This study examines opening and closing segments in instant messaging (IM) and demonstrates how openings and closings differ between oral conversation and instant messaging as well as the factors that account for the difference. Many researchers have discussed the differences and similarities between spoken and written languages. Tannen (1980) claims that spoken and written languages are not distinct categories and there is a continuum between them. She also holds that interpersonal involvement is one of the factors that determine if a particular communication is closer to spoken communication or written communication.

I will analyze IM, which is best thought of …

Dmitri Shalin Interview With Peter Archibald About Erving Goffman Entitled "“If You Are Such A Great Sociologist, Why Are You Still In Canada?” My Encounter With Erving Goffman", Peter Archibald

Bios Sociologicus: The Erving Goffman Archives

Dr. Peter Archibald, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the McMaster University, wrote this memoir at the suggestion of Tony Puddephatt and the request of Dmitri Shalin and gave his permission to post the present version in the Erving Goffman Archives.

The Effect Of Social Capital On 8th Grade Academic Achievement, Curtis Child, Dr. Mikaela Dufur

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Social capital is a theoretical concept that has been the subject of much research and debate. Because of its abstract nature, it is difficult to define. James Coleman defines social capital in this way: “Social Capital is defined by its function…Like other forms of capital, social capital is productive, making possible the achievement of certain ends that in its absence would not be possible…Unlike other forms of capital, social capital inheres in the structure of the relations between actors and among actors” (1988). Whereas physical capital refers to physical resources that individuals, communities or nations possess, and human capital refers …

Accessioning The Krenutz Collection, Corinda Kelly, John Clark, Shane Baker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Fall of 2001 the Museum of Peoples and Cultures (MPC) located at BYU received a donation of a very highly valued collection of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts as well as several artifacts from the ancient Middle East. According to the American Association of Museums (AAM), one of the main responsibilities of a museum is to “have a formal and appropriate program of documentation, care, and use of collections” (http://www.aamus. org/infocenter/infor01.htm). My project at the MPC involved providing appropriate documentation, care, and use of the objects. Providing accurate documentation on a large collection such as this required many painstaking efforts. …