Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Process Of Couples' Experiences In A Brief Intervention, D. Jim Mock

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Many couples struggle with their relationship, but resist seeking professional assistance due to concerns about time commitment, financial expense, and/or fear of stigma associated with treatment. To address these concerns the relationship checkup has been developed. Though there has been limited research of this format, there is still much to be explored. This study presents the findings from semi-structured interviews of ten couples who participated in a form of this intervention and their corresponding clinicians. Each interview was analyzed for commonalities among the responses and distilled into two sets of themes: the couples' and the clinicians'. Themes for the couples …

Three Essays On The Economics Of Controlling Invasive Species, Yanxu Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Invasive species have caused notable economic damages in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and other industries over the past several decades. Invasive species control must therefore be designed to prevent the both the introduction and spread of invasive species. This dissertation examines the efficiency and efficacy of tariffs and inspections as a joint control mechanism at a home (i.e., importing) country's border. I find that a traditional tariff can be optimal in the short run when the invasive species level is directly related to a foreign (i.e., exporting) country's shipment size. However, in the long run a traditional tariff results in a …

The Zions Direct Bond Auction Platform And Demand From University Investment Programs, Shaun Murdock

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the niche Zions Direct Auctions fixed income market for the information of the market managers at Zions Direct. The analysis first measures historical data to evaluate market metrics, and the second recommends Vector AutoRegression (VAR) econometric methods to determine if the auction yields within the market are affected by large increases in bidding and buying by the Zion's Bank University Investment Programs(UIPs). In the case that it does, restructuring or at least UIPs.

Predicting Tourist Inflows To Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Using Google Trends, Michelle E. De La Oz Pineda

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This paper seeks to demonstrate that the incorporation of search statistics in autoregressive models used to predict the arrivals of tourists to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, improve the predictive power of the models. This paper explores whether the Internet search information in “Punta Cana” in the United States and Canada between January 2004 and August 2013, reflects the behavior of this variable in real time by using nowcasting methodology that combines variables with different frequencies of time. We find that including the searches of “Punta Cana” that Canadians make on Google in the first week of a month helps predict …

Optimal Debt-To-Equity Ratios And Stock Returns, Courtney D. Winn

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Value maximization of a firm depends heavily on the financial leverage of the company. This is measured by the debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratio, which explains what proportions of debt and equity are being used to finance the firm’s assets. By adjusting this ratio, firms can influence their stock performance.

In this study, I estimate the value function for each firm and take the derivative with respect to the debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratio. By setting this equal to zero, I solve for the optimal debt-­‐ to-­‐equity ratio or the ratio that maximizes firm value. The difference between the optimal and historically observed debt-­‐to-­‐equity ratios is …

Heterogeneity Of Emergency Department Use And Cost: Evidence From The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, Colby Russell Kearl

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2008, Oregon was given permission by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand the State’s Medicaid program (Oregon Health Plan Standard) by lottery (Allen, et al. 2010). This allowed for a randomized control study focused on the effect of Medicaid coverage on various factors. The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment (OHIE) was conducted to capitalize on this rare event (Allen, et al. 2010, Finkelstein, et al. 2012, Taubman, et al. 2014).

Teaching Information Synthesis, Anne R. Diekama, Kacy Lundstrom, Connie Woxland

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Future Tense In Spanish L2 Textbooks, Rafael Orozco, Joshua J. Thoms

Joshua J. Thoms

This paper revisits the treatment of the expression of futurity in Spanish foreign language (FL) textbooks. We analyzed twenty college-level Spanish FL textbooks to determine and quantify how futurity is represented. Variationist research has shown the periphrastic future (PF) to be the most frequent variant of futurity followed by the simple present (SP) and the morphological future (MF). Our findings reveal that, despite over two decades of communicative language teaching, Spanish FL textbooks still do not completely present the reality of the expression of futurity. Introductory texts present all three variants of futurity. However, there is a dramatic difference in …

Crony Chronicles Website Redesign, Lindsey Marie Mcbride

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The policy team at the Charles Koch Institute is broken into different areas of research. During my summer internship, I was assigned to research crony capitalism with four other members of the policy team. Along with their research on crony capitalism, these team members maintained a website called cronychronicles.org. For a definition of crony capitalism, or cronyism, see Appendix C. The goal of the website was to be "the leading online resource for everything related to cronyism" (About Us). I was very interested in the research I was conducting on crony capitalism, and enjoyed contributing information to the Crony Chronicles …

Marital Preparation, Experiences, And Personal Qualities In A Qualitative Study Of Individuals In Great Marriages, Jennifer M. Weiss

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The current study presents findings regarding marital preparation for individuals in great marriages. Data from a national qualitative study of individuals in self-identified great marriages were used. Thirty-eight individuals were identified as being married for 20 years or less, and therefore, chosen as the subsample for the current study. Their rich, narrative responses were analyzed and coded, using a qualitative method, to identify what marriage preparation occurred for these couples prior to marriage and contributed to their successful marriages. Findings from this research provide helpful, descriptive data on the experiences and socialization of individuals that influenced their choice in a …

Father-Child Play Behaviors And Child Emotion Regulation, Amanda Hagman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Most of us have learned ways to manage how, when, and to what extent we experience emotions. These emotion regulation skills are habitual and may seem innate, but for infants and young children these abilities are basic, limited, and unrefined. Developing emotion regulation skills is an important learning task for infants and toddlers; the role of fathers in emotion regulation learning is a growing area of research. This research takes a closer look at early childhood and how father-child interactions may contribute to child emotion regulation.

Theory suggests that during interactions with their parents, children learn emotion regulation skills, but …

A Cultural Topography Of The Sovereign Citizens Movement: Are They A Terrorist Threat?, Piper Blotter Biery

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis analyzes the Sovereign Citizens Movement—considered a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI— to determine if the label “terrorist organization” is appropriately applied, and then to assess the effectiveness of government protocols. The Sovereign Citizens Movement is a loose organization of individuals who adhere to an anti-government ideology. In most cases their actions are limited to fraudulent activity; however there have been individuals who resorted to violence in their engagements with government officials. This thesis concludes that the label “terrorist organization” does not describe the movement well, but that it is more likely that some individuals extrapolate the ideology …

Ceramic Technology, Women, And Settlement Patterns In Late Archaic Southwestern Idaho, Jessica A. Dougherty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research employs a sample of archaeological sites from three ecological zones to investigate the mobility strategies of hunter-gatherer groups in Late Archaic southwestern Idaho. The sample sites are organized into site types based on an independent evaluation of site components and existing site records. Ceramic assemblages at each site were analyzed to quantify the investment in ceramic technology, as a proxy for mobility. These measures were then compared to expectations generated from three proposed mobility patterns for hunter-gatherer groups in southwestern Idaho. Some of the predictions were met and these data allude to an archaeological record with a multitude …

Estimating The Effectiveness Of A Seasonal Gas Tax For Controlling Episodic Pm2.5 Concentrations In Cache County, Utah, Leo A. Moscardini

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Cache County, Utah boasts an abundance of awe-inspiring natural beauty. However, at times, its air quality rivals the worst in the United States. During the winter months of December through February, particulate matter measuring two and a half micrometers or less, commonly known as PM_2.5, often concentrates to dangerously high levels causing extensive harm to public health. Lawmakers have scrambled to pass legislation aimed at mitigating the risks posed by poor air quality, recently adopting a county-wide vehicle emissions testing program designed to reduce exhaust emissions from on-road mobile sources. However, its efficacy has been hotly debated and many …

Five-Year Prospective Evaluation Of The Development Of Borderline Symptoms In Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents Who Engage In Deliberate Self-Harm And Suicide-Related Behaviors, Kendra J. Homan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a form of psychopathology characterized by a pervasive pattern of instability with emotion regulation, impulse control,
interpersonal relationships, and sense of self. Research indicates that the majority of individuals with BPD engage in some form of deliberate self-harm (e.g., suicide attempts, nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior) or suicide-related behavior (e.g., suicidal ideation, suicide threats). Longitudinal data from 132 adolescent psychiatric inpatients who were hospitalized for deliberate self-harm and suicide-related behavior and followed for five years was used to investigate whether deliberate self-harm or suicide-related behaviors predicts BPD. Suicide threats were the only variable found to be predictive …

Schools That Serve Military Children: A Comparison Of The Standardized Test Scores In The Dodea School System Versus The Civilian School System, Mary Eleanor Fugate

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

There are an estimated 1.2 million children with one or both parents enlisted in military service. These children are more geographically mobile than civilian children on average, and previous research suggests that mobility can have great effects on an individual's academic performance. This study seeks to answer the question: How does the standardized test performance of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools compare to those of public schools with high concentrations of military children (funded by Impact Aid). It is hypothesized that due to higher average levels of funding, a standard curriculum, and both embedded and intentional social support, …

The Role Of Religious Affiliation And Attitudes In Marriage Maintenance Strategies, Chenika Fowler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to explore associations among marital maintenance strategies, religious experiences, and marital quality in a sample of 80 married college students. Maintenance strategies are tactics used by couple members to sustain healthy relationships/marriages, and include both cognitive (e.g., choosing to focus on the positive aspects of the partner) and behavioral (e.g., engaging in shared activites) strategies. Specific patterns of association among religious practices and beliefs, particular maintenance strategies, and marital-quality outcomes were assessed in order to better understand pathways to optimal marital functioning for religiously affiliated individuals.

Most participants were affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ …

Understanding Experiences Of Female Survivors Of Domestic Violence: Stories Of Strength, Resilience, And Mechanisms That Assist In Leaving Violent Relationships, Annel Cordero

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A qualitative study was conducted in order to better understand domestic violence (DV) survivors’ lived experiences and the mechanisms that assisted them in leaving violent relationships. This method of research enabled me to immerse myself within the work in order to better understand this issue from the perspective of the survivors. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups, women were given the space to have their voices heard. For this project, 13 women from two different states, of diverse ages, sexual orientations, and ethnicities who identified as survivors volunteered to tell their stories. To obtain a complete picture of their experiences, …

The Effectiveness Of A Video-Based Preference Assessment In Identifying Socially Reinforcing Stimuli, Rachelle N. Peterson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The following study was conducted to find out more about a video test that could identify social activities that are motivating for individuals with disabilities. Commonly tests can be administered to find what physical items, food, toys, games and so forth, are preferred but the process becomes infinitely more difficult when social activities and interactions are involved. Research has shown that participation in reinforcing social experiences is critical for development and crucial in social skill building. In this study, a video-based test was analyzed to see how effective it was in identifying these socially preferred activities in three individuals with …

The Agricultural Economics Of Fremont Irrigation: A Case Study From South-Central Utah, Chimalis R. Kuehn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Recent identification of a Fremont irrigation feature in southern Utah provides an example from which to study costs and benefits of intensive agricultural investment by the Fremont. Studying irrigation investment informs our understanding of cultural process behind subsistence decisions, as well as of cultural complexity among the temporally and geographically diverse Fremont farmers.

Fieldwork, funded in part by Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) Grants, included experimental canal digging with wooden stick tools and excavation of a subsurface canal feature. This study uses prehistoric canal dimensions and labor rate data to compare relative efficiencies of irrigated and dry-farmed maize. Analysis …

Foreign Policy Through Aid: Has United States Assistance Achieved Its Foreign Policy Objectives?, Jessica Andreasen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Why does the U.S. give foreign aid? There are compelling humanitarian and economic reasons, yet the U.S. also gives large amounts of military aid. What, then, are the overall goals of aid giving in the post 9/11 era? In looking at the history of U.S. foreign aid, three general objectives emerge: political stability, increased economic liberalization and expanding soft power influence in the aid receiving country. While we can identify the motives and aims of U.S. foreign aid, little work has been done to evaluate the success of aid in these objectives. It is the goal of this study to …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Couples Making The Transition To Parenthood And The Meaning They Ascribe To Brief, Couple-Focused, Preventative Interventions, Dolores D. Michael

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The objective of this research study was to investigate how meaningful it would be to provide relationship therapy from a marriage and family therapist to couples going through the transition to parenthood. The participants in this study all received four therapy sessions before the baby was born and one therapy session after the birth. A total of five couples participated in this study. Data was gathered from the assessments they took before each therapy session and at the final interview.

As a result, the participants in this study all remained stable or increased in their marital satisfaction when measured four …

Stochastic Tests On Live Cattle Steer Basis Composite Forecasts, Elliott James Dennis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Since the seminal papers of Bates and Granger in 1969, a superfluous amount of information has been published on combining singular forecasts. Materialized evidence has habitually demonstrated that combining the forecasts will produce the best model. Moreover, while it is possible that a best singular model could outperform a composite model, using multiple models provides the advantage of risk diversification. It has also been shown to produce a lower forecasting error. The question to whether to combine has been replaced with what amount of emphasis should be placed on each forecast.

Researchers are aspired to derive optimal weights that would …

Contextual Differences In Reinforcement Affect Self-Control In Shr And Wky Subjects, Jonathan C. Rich

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is the outcome of selectively breeding its progenitor the Wistar Kyoto (WKY) for hypertension. In the present experiment, the context of reinforcement was manipulated to determine its effect on impulsivity across the SHR and WKY strains of rat. An additional block of delays was added onto the end of a standard delay discounting procedure to vary the context of reinforcement from one condition (0 sec.) to the next (60 sec.). Results indicate that both SHR and WKY subjects made fewer impulsive decisions when a shorter delay followed the longest delay in the task - although …

Business Honors Internship Final Report: U.S. House Of Representatives, Adam T. Stewart

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

From May 6^th through August 9^th of 2013, I had the choice opportunity to intern for Congressman Rob Bishop in the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. I consider this experience monumental in my undergraduate career. No other experience has allowed me to utilize all of the knowledge and skills gained in my dual economics and political science degrees.

The Larrison Group (Tlg) Political Consulting And Fundraising Internship: Lessons Learned, Sadelle Crabb

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Larrison Group (TLG) is a boutique political consulting firm located in Georgetown in the District of Columbia. The firm was founded by the current president, Ms. Heather Larrison. TLG fundraises for various clients including several current Senators and Congressional candidates. Some past and present clients include: Governor Hailey Barbour of Mississippi, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. TLG also provides political consulting and event planning services for multiple CEO' s in the New York City area. The internship is a paid position of two $600 stipends per month. Overall, I spent roughly 1,050 hours …

Self-Reported Psychopathology Correlates Of Homeless Youth In Utah, Kimberlee Taylor

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Homelessness among unaccompanied youth is a unique, yet pervasive, social problem. Youth often become homeless through three central pathways: conflict with family, involvement in the foster system, and involvement in juvenile justice systems. As youth experience homelessness during important developmental period(s), vulnerability to mental illness may occur if not already present. The present study examined the type and prevalence of mental illness. Characteristics of homelessness, health and mental health service utilization, and pathways to homelessness were examined in relation to the occurrence of mental illness. Findings indicated that a variety of characteristics are associated with mental illness. Mental health service …

The 2007-2009 Recession, Employment, And Housing-Related Financial Stressors, And Marital Outcomes, Robert C. Stewart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The primary objective of this research study was to examine employment and housing problems (stemming from the 2007-2009 Recession) and to see if there was a correlation between those problems and marital satisfaction and/or the perceived likelihood of future separation or divorce. A second purpose for this study was to see if feelings of financial stress (economic pressure) were mainly responsible for the projected drops in marital satisfaction or increases with divorce proneness. A final purpose for this study was to understand how other factors might additionally influence the relationships between recession-related employment problems and housing problems and the marital …

Policy Designs To Address Water Allocations During Societal Transitions: The Southern Nevada Water Authority's Groundwater Development Project, Lisa W. Welsh

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although water is considered a renewable resource, there is only a fixed amount of water available. No additional water can be made, and we cannot easily control how fast water is recycled or in what form it will appear and where. With expected growth in the world’s population and economy, the same amount of water must supply more needs. Taking into account climate change projections and water-related environmental stresses, even less water might be available for human uses. People will need to decide how to serve a multitude of water needs. This dissertation uses the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) …

Teaching Information Synthesis, Anne R. Diekama, Kacy Lundstrom, Connie Woxland

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

No abstract provided.