Sociology Commons^™

Perceptions Of Menstruation As An Indicator Of Stereotypic Beliefs Within Marriage, Debra L. Caswell-Madsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research examined husband and wife attitudes toward menstruation and how these attitudes related to certain behaviors within marriage. The sample consisted of 48 Married couples, some living in Davis, California and some living in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Specifically, four objectives were pursued:

1. Assess husbands' and wives' perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
2. Assess husbands' and wives' attitudes toward menstruation.
3. Examine how husband's and wives' attitudes toward menstruation might be associated with perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles.
4. Examine how wives' perceptions of differences in behavior over …

The Effects Of A Social Skills Training Program On Interpersonal Communications In Parent Adolescent Dyads, Patrick Sean Noble

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis was two fold. First, there was an experiment in which the independent variable was the behavioral skill levels of parents and their adolescents on a social skills training program and the dependent variable was the parent and adolescent perceptions of their interpersonal relationship regarding communication and problem solving. Second, there was an experiment comparing instructional styles wherein the independent variable was the length of time used to present the social skills training program and the dependent variable was the resulting scores on the behavioral measures of the program. A modified pretest -post-test control group design …

The Classroom Modification Of Children's Gender Stereotyping Of Careers, Paul Vance Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research tested the use of non-sexist occupational modules of teaching activities and toys for preschool, second grade and fourth grade classes. In addition to brief descriptions of biological, cognitive development and social learning theories of gender role development, the literature review also focuses on factors which contribute to gender stereotyping in schools: teachers, teacher training, toys, teaching materials and activities. Several hypotheses were tested comparing project members as presenters of modules versus module use by regular classroom teachers and a module-free control group in each grade. Also, second graders were tested in third grade to assess persistence of module …

Parental And Teacher Expectations For Kindergarten Preparation And Priorities For Kindergarten Curricula, Kimberly Harris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Participants for this investigation were 146 kindergarten teachers and 436 parents of kindergarteners in Davis and Weber School Districts. Self-administered questionnaires were utilized, 1) to determine if teachers, mothers and fathers believe that parents could do more to prepare children for kindergarten, 2) to delineate what each group believes parents can do, 3) to investigate what mothers and fathers have done in preparing their children for kindergarten, 4) to explore what skills teachers, mothers and fathers credit as most important for children to possess upon kindergarten entry, and 5) to examine what skills these three groups feel should be emphasized …

Decisions Of Pregnant Adolescents As They Affect Later Well-Being, Myra Lynch

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality of family life presently experienced by women who were premaritally pregnant as teenagers. Self-esteem and general life satisfaction were measured in order to evaluate the results of pregnancy decisions made five to 10 years earlier. A survey design was used to (1) obtain demographic data, (2) analyze the relationships between these women and their parents, (3) determine the level and type of education completed by the women, (4) compare mothers who married before the birth of the child, single mothers, and mothers releasing their children for adoption on many variables …

Resource Management Problems Of Usu Foreign Students, Gong Soog Hong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the resource management problems of a group of foreign students. The sample surveyed was 300 foreign students who attended Utah State University during fall quarter of 1984. A questionnaire was used to examine the students' degree of difficulty with resource management.

The differences in the degree of difficulty with resource management and respondents' gender, academic level, marital status, length of stay in the U.S. and geographic origin were tested by Analysis of Variance.

Significant differences were found in the degree of difficulty with resource management and the length of stay in the …

A Comparison Of Traditional Preschool And Computer Play From A Social/Cognitive Perspective, Jeanne M. Hoover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Twenty females and twenty-three males from the Utah State University Children's House participated in this study which compared traditional preschool play with computer play. The Parten/Smilansky nested social/cognitive play hierarchy was used. Sociometric and cognitive assessments were incorporated in order to more clearly define behaviors. Five types of play were observed: computer, art, locks, manipulative toys, and the dramatic area.

No gender differences were found in terms of the amount of time or type of play at the computer. However, sociometric status did influence computer play. Children who engaged in more positive social interactions used the computer constructively, while those …

Self Esteem And Adolescent Sexual Attitudes And Behavior, Roger B. Christensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to determine; (1) if adolescent self esteem is related to premarital sexual attitudes and intercourse behavior; (2) if religious affiliation and church attendance affect the relationship between adolescent self esteem and premarital sexual attitudes and behavior. Approximately 2400 adolescents residing in California, New Mexico, and Utah comprised the sample.

Adolescents who attended church services more often reported less sexually permissive attitudes and behavior than those who attended church less often. Similarly, Mormons' premarital sexual attitudes and behavior was more conservative than was the case for non-Mormon adolescents. Findings indicated that the nature of the relationship between …

Planned Parenthood And Fertility, Illegitimacy, And Abortion Rates In The State Of Utah, Wayne W. Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was not to judge the rightness or wrongness of Planned Parenthood. It is an empirical question to ask what influence, if any, Planned Parenthood has had on reproductive behavior in the State of Utah. This was accomplished by gathering data from each county in the State of Utah from 1970 to 1979. The data gathered were for the five dependent variables of General Fertility, General Abortion, General Illegitimacy, Teen Fertility and Teen Illegitimacy. A mean rate for each county and variable was computed. Each county was also weighed per population so as to give counties …

A Look At Some Grandfather Intergenerational Relationships As Perceived By Their Adult Children, Leonard E. Stout

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of grandfather's relationships with his adult child and their oldest child. A questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data, determine some personality and interaction patterns that can be observed as the male adult develops in the parent and grandparent roles, and examine how specific variables affect grandfather relationships and behavior. Data were gathered from 165 Utah State University students and their spouses, of which over 75% belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The results support good intergenerational relationships. Proximity of grandfather and extended family members was …

When The Children Are Gone: Changes In Mental Health And Marital Relations During The Transition To Postparenthood, Kenneth Holland Cannon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A longitudinal research design was used to determine if parents' personal well-being or marital relations changed after the launching of the youngest child and what variales might affect these potential changes.

Eighty-nine parents whose youngest child was a senior at Logan High School or Sky View High School responded to mail-out questionnaires, assessing parents general well-being, marital relations, marital companionship, personal stress, quality of parenting experiences and degree of parent-child conflict. Approximately one year later, a second questionnaire was sent and twenty-three of the parents who responded had launched their youngest child.

One of the most striking aspects of the …

The Use Of Social Science By The United States Supreme Court In Cases Raising Husband-Wife And Parent-Child Legal Issues, James R. Tanner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research provides a descriptive study of the use of social science research contained in reported decisions of the United States Supreme Court. The cases were selected from case abstracts contained in two U.S. Supreme Court digests. The author relied on the court reporter's arrangement of abstracts of case decisions (sorted by substantive areas of the law) to identify relevant cases presenting issues of parent -child and husband-wife relations.

The following substantive areas were initially selected using this method: abortion, adultery and fornication, adoption, immigration, exclusion and deportation, bigamy, bastards, dower, death, domicil, divorce and separation, guardian and ward, homestead, …

Fear Of Crime Within The Boomtown Setting, Jerry Bartlett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the phenomenon of fear of crime in the context of two highly distinct small town environments: one characterized by extremely rapid population growth due to energy development, and the other characterized by relative stability and slow population expansion. Although in general prior fear of crime research has indicated relatively low levels of fear in rural small towns, the altered social environment of the rapid growth community may result in substantially heightened fear of crime. Using survey data collected from random samples of households in each of the study communities, the relationships between …

Factors Related To The Migration Preferences Of Utah's 1980 High School Seniors, A. John Lacognata

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examines the personal migration preferences of Utah high school seniors in 1980 and their relationship to perceived parental preferences, family status, length of residence, religion, sex, and type of residence. A focal area of the thesis is an examination of the consistency between personal preferences and preferences of parents as perceived by the youth. The primary data used for this study came from a sample survey of 1980 high school seniors who were selected using a stratified sampling technique. Cross-tabulations were used with chi square to test for significance of association.

The results of this study suggest that …

Long-Term Residents' Perception Of The Effect Newcomers Are Having On Nonmetropolitan Utah Communities, Michael Carl Lindholm

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study compares the perceptions of long-term residents in rapidly and moderately growing nonmetropolitan communities regarding the effect of newcomers on the community. Data for the study came from a 1975 survey of 1,065 adults in seven Utah communities. Results show that a significantly larger proportion of long-term residents in rapidly growing communities than in moderately growing communities feel that newcomers are having a bad effect on the community.

The relationship between perceived effect of newcomers and various personal attributes are examined with rate of population growth as a control variable.

The attributes are: 1) length of residence, 2) age, …

Elder Abuse: An Examination Of A Hidden Problem, U.S. House Select Committee On Aging

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Investigation of the incidence and scope of elder abuse in the United States.

Impact Of Young Mothers Program On Lives Of Teenage Mothers (Program #2 In Granite District, Salt Lake City, Utah), Lou Jean C. Shaw

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact oi the Young Mothers' Program #2 Granite School District, Salt Lake City, Utah, and the aspects of the program that were responsible for that impact, upon the lives of the Young Mothers who have attended the program since its existence. This study could possibly serve as a guide in evaluating other programs of this nature, locally and nationally. Knowing the value of a program could help establish it more firmly in the education system.

A questionnaire was mailed to sixty students who had attended Young Mothers' Program #2 for one …

Grandfather: An Intergenerational View, Norma P. Johnston

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of grandfather in the lives of his adolescent grandchildren. A survey design was used to (1) obtain demographic data, (2) determine how the two generations perceive each other, (3) identify the types and frequencies of interaction between grandfathers and their adolescent grandchildren, and (4) compare the conceptions of an ideal grandfather by the two classes of subjects. Data were gathered from 47 adolescents and their 61 grandfathers. Most of the subjects were from the dominant religion in the Wasatch front area.

The results confirm a viable adolescent grandchild/grandfather relationship. Residential …

An Assessment Of Faculty Understanding And Attitudes Toward General Education At Utah State University, Scott H. Gittins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The data used for the following thesis were collected from tape-recorded interviews of a sample of U.S.U. faculty, and from a course evaluation list which each of these participating faculty members were asked to fill out. Thirty-six faculty members were selected for the in-depth interviews, which was slightly more than five percent of the faculty. The study was done in conjunction with the Provost's General Education Evaluation Committee, as part of a larger evaluation of general education at U.S.U. Thirty-four of the U.S.U. professors were interviewed and 28 of these completed the course evaluation lists.

This thesis evaluates faculty conceptualizations …

Migrant-Nonmigrant Differentials, Housing Type, Community Satisfaction And Migration: A Study Of Nonmetropolitan Communities In Utah Within The Context Of Population Turnaround, Stephen Hua-Wah Kan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three major socio-demographic aspects of community life were examined in nonmetropolitan Utah within the context of the post 1970's population turnaround. They are: differentials by migrant status and housing type, patterns of community satisfaction, and migration expectations and migration.

Findings indicate that groups of residents with different migrant status and/or housing type have unique patterns in socio-economic status, social integration and community attachment, and potential contributions to the community. It was argued that these phenomena can be largely explained by the exchange theory.

With respect to the pattern of community satisfaction, it was found that the mobile home dwellers' level …

Birth Order And Its Effect On The Attainment Of The Eagle Scout Status, Kevin Randy Moesser

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effects of birth order on achievement have been under investigation continually resulting in reported prominence of first born children in various areas of achievement. The purpose of this study was to provide further investigation into the effects of birth order on the achievement hypothesis using the attainment of the Eagle Scout Award as the dependent variable. Five hypotheses were formulated from a review of literature which included: (1) boys in the first born position are more likely to attain the Eagle Scout Award than boys in later born positions, (2) family income is associated with attaining the Eagle Scout …

Leisure Orientation And Outdoor Recreation Participation Of Selected Occupational Groups In Utah, S. Craig Campbell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was concerned with the investigation of both the leisure orientation and the outdoor recreation participation of two samples of Utah residents. One sample consisted in part of Professional, Manager and Laborer nonfarm respondents. The other sample consisted of farm respondents, who were both full and part-time farmers. The part-time farmers also held other full-time Professional, Manager and Laborer occupations. The author had three major objectives in this study: (1) to examine the leisure orientation of the respondents from an occupational perspective; (2) to examine the participation in outdoor recreation activities from an occupational perspective; and (3) to examine …

The Formation Of Desired And Ideal Family Size Among Utah High School Senior Females And Males, 1974, Linda Rose Hagen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study is to measure the direct and indirect relationships between socio-economic and demographic variables and ideal and desired family size preferences among male and female high school seniors in Utah in 1974. Furthermore, the analysis will be carried out separately for males and females in order to see if male and female ideal and desired family size preferences are influenced differently by the socio-economic and demographic variables. A model will be developed and tested of the process by which ideal and desired family size preferences are formulated.

The model used in the analysis is based upon …

Nutritional Understanding Of Preschool Children Taught In The Home And Child Development Laboratory, Thomas R. Lee

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was devised to determine the readiness of preschool children to learn about basic concepts of nutrition. Sixty preschool children enrolled in the Utah State University Child Development Laboratory, comprised the sample. Twenty children were taught at home by parents, 20 were taught at the Laboratory, and 20 received no instruction. The curriculum was based on the concept of nutrient density and used the Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) in developing instructional mate rials. INQ is an index for comparing the amount of nutrients to the amount of calories in a food. Food Profile Cards, visual representations of this …

A Study Of Organizational Change In The Bear River Valley Cooperative Association 1947-1977, Rahardjo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Bear River Valley Co-op Association was described in terms of certain changes that have occurred in its history, and analysis was made of how these changes relate to changes in the degree of local control by officers and members of the organization.

The method used in this study was content analysis of records of the organization. The main sources of data were: The Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the organization for 1947 and 1964, and the minutes of meetings from 1968 to 1977.

The study shows that the Bear River Valley Co-op Association today, as compared to the …

Factors Influencing The Use Of Small Electrical Kitchen Appliances, Kathi Marie Braegger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Comparisons were made to determine which appliances owned by homemakers were used often and which appliances were used seldom or never and to relate areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction to the amount of appliance use. The sample consisted of 123 homemakers from Cache and Weber counties in Utah.

Five hypotheses were tested. The amount of appliance use was significantly related to method of acquisition, performance, design and knowledge factors. The amount of appliance use was not significantly related to storage factors.

Decision Making In Two Types Of Working Families, Nancy Ann Bueche

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate actual decision making in two types of families in which both spouses worked and their perceptions of decision making responsibility in the ideal family. The two family types were composed of (1) Professional wives with professional husbands; and (2) nonprofessional wives with nonprofessional husbands.

Questionnaires were completed by 34 professional couples and 63 nonprofessional couples who resided in Flint, Michigan during the fall of 1976. Factor analyses were completed on the husbands' and wives' self reported responses to questions concerning who should make decisions in the ideal family and who actually mode …

Children's Attitudes Toward The Dental Experience, Tom Leo Day

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of children toward the dental visit. A group of children who had undergone dental treatment with the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen served as the experimental group while children who had received dental treatment without the use of nitrous oxide-oxygen served as the control group. Attitudes toward the dental experience among these two groups were compared to determine any differences or similarities due to the type of treatment used. Data were also collected on the parents of the children to determine whether the child's attitude toward the dental visit tended to …

The Cache County Snowmobiler: An Empirical Study, Michael William Dierker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Snowmobiling is one of the major outdoor winter sports in Cache County, Utah. Despite its popularity, it has run into several problems, among which the most noticeable is its conflict with other winter recreationists, namely, cross-country skiers and snowshoers. In order to resolve this conflict, one must first understand more about each group involved. As such, the purpose of this research was to obtain information on the snowmobiler in Cache County, Utah. Specifically, the objectives of the study were: (1) to identify the attitudes of the snowmobiler toward leisure and the environment; (2) to identify and compare occupations, SES, and …

A Comparative Study Of The Goals Of Middle-Aged Student And Non-Student Homemakers, Ann Buttars

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study compared the goals of middle-aged student and non-student homemakers. Achieved, current and future goals were investigated.

The student sample was composed of twenty-five married, female, full-time students between the ages of thirty and fifty enrolled at Utah State University and was matched with a non-student sample as closely as possible. At least one full year of college had been attained by all subjects before marriage.

Data were collected through interviews conducted by the researcher during fall quarter, 1973. A non-directional t test was used to analyze the differences between the number of goals identified by both samples. Three …