Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Preserving A Sinking Culture: An Investigative Report On The Kiribati Community In New Zealand And Fiji, Ryan Turner, Steven Thomsen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For thousands of years the peoples of the Pacific have been a people of exploration and travel. However, with the small country of Kiribati its people are now traveling to escape climate change and overpopulation¹. With such a small population at risk of relocating to another country its culture is at a severe risk of disappearing. With good sized populations of Kiribati immigrants already living in Fiji and New Zealand for several decades we can see how well that culture has survived in foreign countries. This research was looking for mixed results: on how Kiribati sees climate change and how …

Utah Digital Newspapers Update, Jeremy Myntti

Faculty Publications

2001 - LSTA R&D grant for newspapers ○ 30,000 pages from Vernal Express, Grand Valley Times/Times Independent, Wasatch Wave

● 2002 - digitalnewspapers.org launched

● 2003 - Second LSTA grant ○ 100,000 pages ○ Matching funds from UALC and some public libraries

● 2003 - IMLS grant ○ 240,000 pages ○ Matching funds from BYU

● 2005, 2007, 2009 - 3 NDNP grants

● 2010 - UDN hits 1,000,000 pages

Integration Of Microsimulation Model Into Dynamic Scoring Model, Christ Rytting, Richard Evans

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We integrated individual tax rates produced by a microsimulation tax policy model with a dynamic general equilibrium tax policy model. We can use this to conduct macroeconomic analysis or score hypothetical tax policies. This approach captures the rich heterogeneity, realistic demographics, and tax-code nuance of the microsimulation model and includes this nuance to increase the accuracy of a general equilibrium model with an elevated level of heterogeneity. Furthermore, we derive a functional form which suggests that tax rates depend both on capital income and labor income. Applying this approach to a canonical example of tax policy change—a cut of 10% …

Mother-Infant Rhesus Macaques, Serotonin And The Serotonin Transporter Gene, Jenna Jackson, Dr. James Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The primary purpose of this project is to assess how a mother’s genotype sets the environment for the infants’ genotype to react in a gene by environment interaction, which affects the infants’ serotonin functioning. In order to effectively study a gene by environment interaction, extensive control over the environment is needed, and rhesus macaque monkeys were used as subjects.

Stress Exposure Training As A Means For Athletes To Prevent Paradoxical Performance, Adam M. Fulton

Student Works

Paradoxical performance has been studied for years, with an emphasis on helping athletes prevent choking under pressure. However, although progress has been made, too many athletes are still underperforming due to anticipated and unanticipated stressors (Baumeister & Showers, 1986, p. 362). Stress exposure training is suggested as a solution to choking under pressure, even though little research has been done. A review of the literature on paradoxical performance is presented, emphasizing skills that appear to be effective and could be inserted into a stress exposure training program. Skills such as self-consciousness training, positive self-talk, self-confidence, pre-performance routines, and others could …

Evaluating Fall-Of Curves With Straight-Line Or Least Cost Path Distance, Robert J. Bischoff

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

A fundamental part of interaction is distance. Interaction can be modeled by plotting distance against the frequency of an object. My purpose it to evaluate whether straight-line distance is an acceptable proxy for actual distance or whether using more realistic distance measures is required. In this poster, I use the distribution of San Juan Red Ware in a portion of the southwestern United States to examine the differences between straight-line distance, the length of least cost paths (LCP), and the time to travel the LCP between points. San Juan Red Ware was produced in southeastern Utah between approximately A.D. 750 …

Toxoplasma Gondii Moderates The Association Between Multiple Folate-Cycle Factors And Cognitive Function In U.S. Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a microscopic, apicomplexan parasite that can infect muscle or neural tissue, including the brain, in humans. While T. gondii infection has been associated with changes in mood, behavior, and cognition, the mechanism remains unclear. Recent evidence suggests that T. gondii may harvest folate from host neural cells. Reduced folate availability is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cognitive decline. We hypothesized that impairment in cognitive functioning in subjects seropositive for T. gondii might be associated with a reduction of folate availability in neural cells. We analyzed data from the third …

The Rise Of The Listicle: Using Eye-Tracking And Signal Detection Theory To Measure This Growing Phenomenon, Jason Robert Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

As online technology continues to progress, the modes of communication through which content can be shared have exponentially grown. These include advances in navigational options for presenting information and news online. Though the listicle has been around for centuries, the internet has proliferated its growth, as content producers rely on its structure as a vehicle for sharing information. This research shows that in the case of listicles, format had no direct effect on recall, however, participants who had a greater interest in the content showed significantly higher levels of memory sensitivity. This critical finding suggests that news outlets and content …

The Rise Of The Listicle: Using Eye-Tracking And Signal Detection Theory To Measure This Growing Phenomenon, Jason Robert Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

As online technology continues to progress, the modes of communication through which content can be shared have exponentially grown. These include advances in navigational options for presenting information and news online. Though the listicle has been around for centuries, the internet has proliferated its growth, as content producers rely on its structure as a vehicle for sharing information. This research shows that in the case of listicles, format had no direct effect on recall, however, participants who had a greater interest in the content showed significantly higher levels of memory sensitivity. This critical finding suggests that news outlets and content …

The Effects Of Long-Term Participation In A Martial Arts Program On Self-Esteem And Bullying Victimization, Pamela Jeanne Dahle

Theses and Dissertations

Public concern over the occurrence of bullying in schools has increased considerably within the last decade. Although there are many programs in place that attempt to address the problem of bullying in schools, they have achieved only varying levels of success, with many failing to alleviate the problem. In addition, although some researchers have conducted studies on either the relationship between self-esteem and bullying victimization or the relationship between self-esteem and participation in martial arts, few have conducted studies seeking to understand the correlation between participation in martial arts, bullying victimization, and levels of self-esteem. The current study measured levels …

The Racial Politics Of Secularity: Rethinking African-American Religiosity Through New Paradigms In Secularization Theory, Diana Christine Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Revisions to secularization theory over the past two decades call for reconceptualization of the relation between race and secularity. Structural theories— depicting secularization as the linear, straightforward decline of religion in modernity— commonly explain the tenacity of African-American religiosity as resulting from their marginalization in modern society, a product of educational and economic disparities. However, recent theories address the secular as a historically contingent, incidental phenomenon, what has been called an "accomplishment"; it merits substantive study in itself, carrying the distinct values, beliefs, and understandings of a particular social history. This new framework invites analysis of the racial assumptions embodied …

Hopelessness And Youth Violent Behavior: A Longitudinal Study, Janie Demetropoulos

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how hopelessness impacts youth engagement in violent behavior over time. The data are from waves I and II of The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Poisson regression was used to analyze contributors to violence in just wave I, and then again across time in wave II using explanatory and control variables from wave I. Results indicate that hopelessness is positively associated with violent behavior. Furthermore, while hopelessness and most of the other explanatory variables predicted violent behavior in wave I, almost all the variables became non-significant or negative except hopelessness and a measure of …

Taking The "Foreign" Out Of The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, Jared Benjamin Sell

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety in the language classroom is an important issue because it affects student performance (Woodrow, 2006). The majority of research conducted has focused on anxiety or apprehension that language learners experience in a foreign language classroom, including students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Only a few studies have been done, however, that address the needs of learners experiencing anxiety in an ESL setting. Data were gathered from 179 students attending a university sponsored intensive English program using a modified version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986) and focus groups. Initial …

Social Aggression In The 2016 U.S. Presidential Primary And General Election Debates, Daniel John Montez

Theses and Dissertations

Through a content analysis, the proposed thesis examines instances of social and verbal aggression within the 2016 US presidential primary and general election debates. Previous studies regarding social aggression have shown that its primary use has been to "œget ahead" in competitive and hostile environments. While acts of social and verbal aggression have been analyzed in interpersonal behavior and mediated entertainment scholarship, it has yet to be examined in the political spectrum, where candidates engage in clash to suppress their opponents. The current study argues that analyzing social and verbal aggression in televised political debates will help broaden the concept …

An Acoustical Analysis Of The American English /L, R/ Contrast As Produced By Adult Japanese Learners Of English Incorporating Word Position And Task Type, Braden Paul Chase

Theses and Dissertations

Adult Japanese learners of English (JLEs) are often stereotyped as being unable to produce or perceive the English phonemes /l/ and /r/. This study analyzed acoustic samples of /l/ and /r/ obtained from intermediate-level Japanese speakers in two variable contexts: word positions (initial/final) and task type (controlled/free). These tokens were subjected to acoustic analysis which is one way of comparing oral productions of native and non-native English speakers. Previous research has identified a lowered third formant (F3) as the hallmark of an American English /r/ as produced by a native speaker, independent of word position or task type. The results …

The Association Between Locus Of Control And Marital Satisfaction Throughout Adulthood, Matthew Elias Kahler

Theses and Dissertations

The correlation between locus of control and marital satisfaction is examined as part of a longitudinal study spanning 44 years and 3 time points. It is predicted that as locus of control has more of an external orientation marital satisfaction will be lower. Participants include high school juniors and seniors in the state of Washington from 1966 with follow-up surveys in 1980 and 2010. Using ordinary least squares regressions, marital satisfaction scores in 1980 or 2010 are predicted by locus of control scores from either 1966 or 1980 with control variables that include gender, income, educational attainment, occupational prestige, and …

The Relationship Between Briefly Induced Affect And Cognitive Control Processes: An Event-Related Potential (Erp) Study, Hilary Anne Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Positive affect is generally associated with improvements in cognitive abilities; however, few studies have addressed positive affect and its relation to specific cognitive control processes. Previous research suggests positive affect conditions are more flexible/distractible states, suggesting cognitive control processes are perhaps decreased in context maintenance and increased in conflict detection/resolution. To measure the cognitive control processes, specific components of the scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) called the cue slow wave (context maintenance), the N450 (conflict detection), and conflict SP (conflict resolution) were acquired in response to an affective single-trial, cued-Stroop task. Participants were presented with pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant images prior …

The Group Readiness Questionnaire: A Practice-Based Evidence Measure?, Mindy Judd Pearson

Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, psychologists have increasingly turned to evidence-based practice (EBP) to guide their treatments with clients. Practice-based evidence (PBE) is one type of EBP that allows clinicians to treat their clients in a flexible, but effective way. PBE treatments are those that use information gathered about the client through measures or questionnaires to inform the clinical decisions therapists make in the process of treating the client. The use of PBE in group psychotherapy is increasing and there are many measures that can potentially be used to aid therapists by gathering client information or feedback in the areas of group …

A Meta-Analytic Review Of The Association Of Therapeutic Alliance, Therapist Empathy, Client Attachment Style, And Client Expectations With Client Outcome, Alberto Soto

Theses and Dissertations

The therapeutic alliance has consistently been associated with improved client outcomes across numerous psychotherapy outcome studies. Previous systematic reviews have, however, evaluated the univariate association of the alliance with client outcome. The present meta-analytic review examines the association of the alliance with improved client outcomes after accounting for the presence of therapist empathy, client attachment styles, and client expectations. Across 23 independent studies, the alliance, adjusted for the presence of the other variables, remained as the most robust predictor of improved outcomes r = .258 (SE = .01, p < .001), with a 95% confidence interval of r = .18 to r = .33. After accounting for …

Psychotherapy Utilization And Presenting Concerns Among Black International And African-American Students In A University Counseling Center, Mica Nicole Mcgriggs

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about the psychotherapy utilization, presenting concerns, and outcome differences between Black international and African American university students. The aim of this research is to identify potential similarities and differences between the two groups, as well as potential differences between the aforementioned groups and white students. This study examined archival data collected over the course of a 17-year period that focused on experiences of African-American, Black international, and White students at a large university in the Rocky Mountain West, United States. More specifically, archival data were analyzed to identify differences between the aforementioned groups of students in regard …

Discovery Of The Oxytocin Receptor Gene In Titi Monkeys, Esther Page, James Dee Higley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Titi monkeys, are a new world monogamous nonhuman primate that bonds for life. Their monogamous nature makes them an ideal model for studying parenting behavior as well as social partner relationships (i.e., husband and wife). Non-human primates are comparable to humans genetically and, perhaps as a consequence of their genetic similarities, they show many behavioral parallels (Bales et al., 2007). Studies in humans show that variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR1) impacts the strength and type of a mother-infant relationship (Bakermans-Kranenburg & van IJzendoorn, 2008; Carter, 1992). While the OXTR1 has been found in a number of nonhuman primates …

“You Are Hot!” The Strange Link Between Body Heat And Love, Jason B. Whiting

Faculty Publications

“I know I am not the typical guy,” Marco told me in therapy. “I love snuggles and touches with Julianne, and I don’t need to go further.” Juli said she was open to affection, but wasn’t big into “touching just for the heck of it.” Marco had a painful history of divorce and betrayal, and he liked the reassurance from their connection. “He always wants me to sit with him on the couch and drink cocoa,” Juli laughed, “and watch Disney movies.”

Fast Food, Slow Brain: The Effect Of Diet On Brain Volume, Kayla Alder, Dr. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The hippocampus is a brain structure in the medial temporal lobe that mediates the encoding of sensory information into long-term memory (Squire, Clark, & Stark, 2004). Studies have found a relationship between the volume of the hippocampus and behavioral memory tests; that is, the smaller the volume of the hippocampus, the less accurate the performance on memory tests (Rajah, Kromas, Han, & Jens, 2010). Previous research also demonstrates that a high fat and sugar (HFS) diet impairs the hippocampus and affects memory (Francis & Stevenson, 2011).

Transnationalism And Civic Engagement: An Ethnographic Study Of The Hmong Diaspora In France, Jacob Hickman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Hmong are an ethnic minority group from southeast Asia who were displaced as refugees after the Second Indochina War. Before the war, Hmong lived in kinship-based, highland, semi-nomadic, subsistence-based farming communities. In these traditional villages, Hmong developed various means of social mediation and problem solving based on hierarchies of kinship and village or clan leadership. As they have been displaced to locations like the United States and France, however, legal structures of these new communities have challenged traditional structures of authority.

The Effect Of The Nsf Grant On Future Academic And Career Outcomes, Tanner Eastmond, Dr. Joseph Price

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 with the stated mission “to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare.” This institution supports scientific research in various scientific fields primarily by funding promising research and researchers. Our investigation focused on the NSF grant for prospective graduate students in the field of economics. Specifically, we examine those who won the award and those who received an ‘honorable mention’. The applicants who only received an ‘honorable mention’, have very similar qualifications to those who were offered the grant. The …

Phd’S, Professionalism, And Public Office: The Effeect Of Education And Professional Experience On Effectiveness In The U.S. House Of Representatives, Mckenna Westra, Jay Goodliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

We commonly attribute advanced levels of education with increased skill and capabilities. While the theory backing this assumption has been proven to be true in a variety of applications, often times the trend can unintentionally be extrapolated to other areas. As voters, we are inclined to view candidates with higher or more prestigious education as more experienced than other candidates. I will study the effects that professional and educational backgrounds have on legislators’ performance in office. If the assumption holds true that those with more education are better qualified, then these individuals should remain in office for more terms, should …

The Rise Of The Small Super Donor & The Looming Transformation Of Political Influence, Dustin Phelps, Jay Goodliffe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In light of ongoing controversy over Super PACS, I chose to study how small donors might offset the disproportionate influence that the wealthy have traditionally maintained in the American campaign finance system. The dramatic rise of small donors in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential elections heralds a democratic force that could theoretically balance the donor landscape in unprecedented ways.1 Since small donors are much more representative of the general population than the traditional wealthy donor, a strong enough presence of small donors could potentially close America’s political influence gap.2

Hungry, Homeless, And Hopeless: The Injustices Of The China Hukou Registration System, Lauren Barden, Celeste Beesley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study analyzes the destructive social and economic consequences of the Chinese hukou registration system through quantitative analysis of the inequality gap between rural-urban migrants and urbanites in Chinese cities between 1995-2002. By performing statistical tests on individual-level survey data, this paper documents the economic gap between urban hukou holders and non-urban hukou holders in 1995. It also shows that rural-urban migrant inequality has not increased between 1995 and 2002, and that the costs of migrating to the cities under a rural hukou were less in 2002 than previously. However, results also confirmed that the hukou policy significantly restricted the …

Family Structures In Japan And Korea: How Are Children Affected?, Jennifer Burdge, Kristie Rowley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recently, Japan and Korea have experienced increased strain in their society. In Japan, citizens ranging from ages 55 to 64 years make up 38.3 percent of the population, and those 65 years and over account for 24.8 percent of the population. This means those that are 55 years old or more make up over 52 percent of the entire population (“East & Southeast,” 2013). Due to the aging population, and declining birth rates, there is much pressure put upon adults, young adults, and youth. This pressure has dramatically changed marriage and divorce rates, education attainment, and employment, which all impact …

Domestic Violence And Marital Homogamy, Carly Landgrave, Renata Forste

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Introduction: Domestic violence is one of the most pressing global human rights issues of the 21st century. It is estimated that roughly half of the women killed globally in 2012 were killed by intimate partners or family members (U.N. Facts and Figures, 2012). In 2014, three in ten women in Egypt reported that they had experienced domestic violence during their lifetime and almost onefifth reported that they were the target of an episode of spousal violence in the past twelve months. More than one third of these women experiencing spousal physical or sexual violence were injured as a result …