Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Dialect And Characterization In Mountain Meadows, Adrienne Landes, Dr. David Bowie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Great writers are often praised for their fine ear for dialogue; Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and Thomas Hardy all had the talent for recreating discourse that gives their work authenticity and their characters individuality. While I will not be writing about my contemporary neighbors and countrymen, as did these authors, I have studied the language of my characters in an effort both to enrich the body of existing linguistic research, and also as background research for a play about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The best dialogue makes use of the eccentricities unique to a society, thus I have recorded the …

Investigating Attitudes Of Seniors Towards The Role Of The Gospel In Their Classes: A Student-Initiated Feedback Study Across The College Of Family, Home & Social Sciences At Byu, Dan Williams, Jacob Hess, Trevor Davis, Dr Robert Hunt, Dr. Scott Richards

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of our study was to investigate the perspectives of fellow students towards current efforts at addressing the gospel of Jesus Christ in their departmental classes. The idea of a “BYU education,” while based in bedrock faith, is not a static concept; rather, strategies to apply our faith to daily learning moments are constantly evolving. We were interested in how other senior students perceived current efforts in “secular” classes to interface with the gospel. We asked ourselves, ‘what distinguishes positive experiences from the negative ones?’ What do other students think? Are their experiences similar to ours? A foundational assumption …

Crisis Intervention, Adrianne White, Dr. Melissa Allen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Because of the media’s focus on recent incidents of school violence, there is an increased awareness of the need for effective crisis prevention and intervention in our public schools. In order to learn more about current training needs for crisis intervention, a survey was conducted with 350 randomly selected, nationally certified school psychologists (81% return rate). Although school psychologists are seen as the primary personnel to assist in crisis situations, minimal university training is provided to prepare them for this role.

A Test Of Transitivity, Derek L. Hansen, Dr. Mark Showalter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A theory is only as good as the assumptions upon which it is based. Because of this, assumptions are constantly held up to the light to see if, in fact, they are genuine. In the field of Economics, several assumptions are made concerning the rationality of humans. One of these presumed rational behaviors is called transitivity. Transitivity simply means that if I prefer A to B, and B to C, it follows that I should also prefer A to C. The purpose of this project was to test whether or not people are transitive, and if so, what factors contribute …

Fa’Asamoa And Western Institutions: A Comparative Study Between American Samoa And (Western) Samoa, Henrietta P. Emerson, Dr. Ray C. Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In most literature on the political systems of American Samoa and (Western) Samoa, the two countries are rarely grouped in the same study despite their shared cultural identity. An unincorporated territory of the United States, American Samoa tends to be classified with other U.S. territories which include Guam, the Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands (Cook 1995; Van Cleve 1993). Meanwhile, Samoa, an independent state since 1962, is more commonly compared to other independent Pacific island states (Lawson 1996; White and Linstrom 1997). While different colonial experiences clearly point out the reason for this separation, the inherent pervasiveness of Samoan …

Effects Of Monetary Rewards And Verbal Praise On Intrinsic Motivation: A Replication Addressing Specific Confounds Present In Earlier Research, Santino C. Gaitan, Dr. Michael B. Ehlert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the past thirty years a significant body of research has been developed examining the effects that tangible rewards such as money have on intrinsic motivation. Intrinsically motivated behavior consists of behavior that cannot be readily attributed to external factors. Examples could include reading, hunting, and working crossword puzzles. Much of this research has suggested that tangible rewards have a detrimental effect on intrinsic motivation that results in a decrease in such behavior. Conversely, this same research suggests that intangible rewards, such as verbal praise, have a beneficial effect. Nevertheless, these differential effects have been widely criticized and a not …

Digitally Recorded Japanese Speech Audiometry Materials, Patience A. Mastny, Dr. Richard W. Harris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Speech audiometry is essential to audiologists in answering questions regarding a patient’s degree of hearing loss for speech; the levels of comfortable and uncomfortable loudness; the range of comfortable loudness; and, their ability to identify accurately the sounds of speech at suprathreshold levels. Speech audiometry is also used to confirm pure tone test results, to measure the threshold for speech, and to determine amplification benefits.

The Effect Of Variable Intra-Stimulus Interval On The Auditory P50 Gating Response, Mandi A. Kimball, Dr. David L. Mcpherson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

When a person is presented with a tone pip or a click, his or her brain waves, in response to the auditory stimulus can be measured. This response is called the auditory evoked potential (AEP). AEPs can be classified as short-, middle-, or long-latency depending on how long after the stimulus they occur. The P50 wave lies in the middle latency series and occurs approximately 50 ms after the stimulus is presented. Gating is a phenomenon that occurs in the thalamus portion of the brain when identical target stimuli are presented in pairs. The amplitude the P50 wave of the …

The Influences Of International Media On Chilean Media And Their Approaches To Human Rights Issues, Leticia Adams, Dr. Eliza Tanner

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the past ten years, Chilean media have had more access to international media due to Chile’s expanding telecommunications platform. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not international media coverage of human rights (HR) issues influences Chilean media coverage of HR issues. I define international media (IM) as media that originate outside of Chile and transcend Chile’s borders via communication systems such as the Internet, satellite, or fax. I hypothesized that the presence of IM causes Chilean media to deal with HR issues in ways that they would not if they were entirely isolated.

Armenian Language Textbook: A Communicative Approach To Language Learning, John Henry Jorgensen, Dr. Cynthia Hallen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the Post-Soviet era, there has been a dearth of language materials available to those wishing to learn the Armenian language. Thorough language texts are simply not available in Eastern Armenian, the official language of the Republic of Armenia. The small number of texts that exist are primarily geared toward native Russian speakers who wished to learn Armenian during the former Soviet regime.

Phrasal Cloning Through Analogical Modeling Of Language, Deryl K. Hatch, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Analogical Modeling (AM) is an algorithm for systematically comparing related sets of data (‘vectors’) in search of patterns of recurrence or dominance, whether they be apparent or not, in order to predict the likely outcome of novel occurrences. As an alternative to rule-based explanations of language, for example, it allows analogy to predict behavior, instead of rules prescribing that behavior. The motivation behind this approach is the idea that the human mind learns and processes language more by analogy than through applying hierarchal rules. It has successfully modeled many tendencies in language: historical change in English, irregularities and “exceptional” behavior …

Two-Level Persian Morphology Engine, Jonathan Dehdari, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Persian language, or Farsi, stands in a unique position in the international scene for political, religious, and historical reasons. With over 60 million speakers in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, interest has been growing lately in the West in using current technologies to better manipulate information in Farsi. In order to utilize Farsi data effectively, computers must be able to understand its morphology, or the individual components of a word. This understanding of morphology is necessary because of the language’s productive usage of affixes, as well as the substantial interaction between its morphology and its phonology and orthography. I have …

Reliability Of The Rhyme Sort Measure, An Early Literacy Assessment Tool, Janet Crapo, Dr. Barbara Culatta

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Early literacy skills in children have become an area of national interest due to the implications in later-developing literacy and academics. These early literacy skills are closely connected with the concept of phonemic awareness, or “the knowledge of meaningful sounds, or phonemes, in our language and how these blend together to form syllables, words, phrases, and sentences” (Robertson & Salter, 1997). Phonemic awareness skills include rhyming, alliteration, phoneme isolation, sound blending, syllable identification, sound segmentation, and invented spellings, all of which play vital roles in learning to read and spell (Adams, 1990). Experts have demonstrated that poor rhyming skills in …

Stylized Facts Of The Option Market, Karl N. Snow, Dr. Karl Diether

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Introduction Exchanged-based option trading began on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) in 1973. The American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and the Philadelphia Stock Exchange started trading exchange-based options in 1975, and the Pacific Stock Exchange (PSE) and the Midwest Stock Exchange (MSE) in 1976. Exchanged-based option trading has experienced tremendous growth in both the number of options trading and the total trading volume. By 1997 there was over 2,000 underlying stocks with exchange-traded options. In 1980 the number was below 300. In 1996 the trading volume was close to 200 million contracts. This is double the volume of 1980 1. …

Parental Authoritativeness, Social Support And College Adjustment, Sarah Cusworth, Kelly Mccoy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

College Adjustment A factor analysis (principal component analysis, Varimax rotation method) of the 28 college adjustment questions yielded eight factors. Five of these factors closely related to the five subsections in the adjustment measure. Because the questions hung together in the analysis it was assumed that the questionnaire was a good measure of the variables we were studying. The five subsections included peer relations, faculty relations, perception of faculty concern, academic/intellectual development, and institutional/goal commitments. The factor analysis provided some interesting insights to some interrcorrelations between scales.

The Role Of Religion In Post-Soviet Russia, Jennifer Christenson, Richard H. Jackson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My research during the last year can be divided into four general categories: the history and state of the Russian Orthodox Church today; the current geography, or spatial distributions, of religions in Russia; non-traditional religions in Russia; and finally, Russia’s 1997 religion bill On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations. I chose these particular areas of focus because they will assist me in making final conclusions about the role of religion in post-Soviet Russia as I study and live in Russia during the Fall 1998 Semester. This paper will summarize my findings in each area and then explain what I …

Project Vision: Youth Mentor Program, Brian Barber, Dr. Shawn Fletcher Dorius

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With an estimated one quarter of America’s youth between the ages of 10 and 17 exhibiting signs of high risk or dysfunctional behaviors, organizations aimed at intervention and positive socialization have flourished over the past decade. Research has shown that within these organizations a social environment approach such as the establishment of peer groups, role modeling, and pro-social behavior rehearsal are effective means of fostering lasting behavioral and attitudinal changes among troubled teens. Applying similar mentoring techniques within our own community, the needs of Provo’s at risk youth are being legitimized at Project Vision.

Adolescent Drug Use And Non-Use In Utah, Dr. Stephen Bahr, Cassandra J. Dorius

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My research objective was to obtain valid estimates of adolescent drug use in the state of Utah, including an estimate of change over the past thirteen years and a comparison with adolescent drug use across the United States.

The Initial Research For The Effects Of Suppression On The Acoustic Reflex And Otoacoustic Emissions, Jannica Dale, Dr. Wendy Hanks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Under the supervision of two of my professors and a graduate student, I participated in research investigating whether or not contralateral suppression affects the hearing system and what any effects may be. We focused on two specific aspects of the hearing system, the acoustic reflex and otoacoustic emissions. Unfortunately, our research could not be completed within the semester time frame and my participation ended just before our first formal 10 subject pilot. We ran into several difficulties with our equipment and our initial procedure, but our failures have prepared the way for a more accurate and valid study. We used …

Within The Bonds Of Marriage: Gender And Aids, Kimberley Carter Campbell, Dr. Renata Forste

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Past research on AIDS, has focused generally on high risk groups; such as homosexual men and intravenous drug users. In many of these studies the cultural and contextual facts concerning sexual interaction have been ignored (1). Few studies of AIDS have focused on heterosexual men and women and married couples. A recent announcement by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the rise in the number of heterosexual AIDS cases, suggests a need for more research in this area. The CDC reported that as of 1993, 24% of bisexual men who died from AIDS were married. There is …

Task-Centered Conversation Systems For Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Aric Bills, Dr. Deryle Lonsdale

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many language educators have envisioned computer systems capable of providing language learners with intelligent spoken interaction in the target language. Although we can’t expect to see a fully conversant computer for years to come, there are several resources available which can be used to make scaled-down, domain-restricted, speech-driven conversational computer systems from which language learners can benefit. Many of these resources are free for academic use and can be used on a personal computer. My project explores new ways to combine these resources to create useful task-centered conversational systems.

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.

Seasonality Studies And Research Questions For Faunal Remains At The Coombs Village Archaeological Site In Boulder, Utah., Jennifer Taylor, Dr. Joel C. Janetski

Journal of Undergraduate Research

“The goal of zooarchaeology is to gain a better understanding of the relationship between humans…and other animal populations” (Reitz and Wing 1999:1).

With this in mind, I set out for the Coombs Village archaeological site at Anasazi State Park in Boulder, Utah during the Olympic Break of February 2002. Animal bone, often the only surviving evidence of animals found in the archaeological record, tells a limited story of faunal life in and around areas inhabited by prehistoric humans. Just the species of animal found in an archaeological site offers understanding of the human/animal relationship. Specialized areas of zooarchaeology take further …

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 …

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. …

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.

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 …

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.

The South African Family: Attitudes Leading To Unmarried Xhosa Mothers, Oertel Sparks, Dr. Carol Ward

Journal of Undergraduate Research

To increase understanding of the family structure of one group in South Africa, I conducted this field study in East London where almost all of the blacks belong to the Xhosa tribe. Family is an important unit of socialization in all societies and is a key element to studying any culture or group of people. Through study, I found that many Xhosa women choose to be single mothers. Therefore, my research question was: Why are many Xhosa mothers choosing to remain unmarried?

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.