Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Evolution And Application Of An Integrated Theoretical Approach To Couple Therapy: A Case Study, Mathew C. Withers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Few therapists test their assumptions about how they do therapy against what they actually do. The purpose of this study was to test how well integration is practiced within the proposed theoretical framework of one therapist. Qualitative and quantitative data were designed to answer four research questions: fidelity to the integrated model, client change, how working with the integrated model influenced ongoing sessions or cases, and change in the integrated model through the course of the study. Three couples were used as the sample; 17 sessions were coded and analyzed to answer the research questions. Results indicate that the therapist …

An Analysis Of Sources In Journalism On The Supreme Court, Dione Garlick

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The United States Supreme Court bUilding is intimidating, to say the least. The massive structure rises four stories above the ground and the three million dollars worth of white marble shines starkly against the blue sky.l The inscription "EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW" runs horizontally across the top of the impressive structure. This beautiful bUilding is part of the imagery associated with the Supreme Court. Along with black robes and gavels, the Supreme Court has carefully crafted the images that are connected with the justices and the Court.

Unlike the leaders ofthe legislative and executive branches, the justices of the Supreme …

Parental Perspectives Of Play With Preschool Children, Danielle M. Jensen

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Research in child development has found that guided play can be a very effective teaching method for young children. Children obtain higher levels of play when parents have an understanding of play and its benefits to learning. This research is designed to assess how parents of children at the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory view play as a learning technique. Also, this study considered the relationship between parental opinions of play and other parenting roles. A total of 22 parents of children enrolled in the Child Development Laboratory completed the Parent As A Teacher (PAAT) inventory. Results showed …

Invisible Abuse: Utah's Response To Emotional Child Abuse, Janae Sirrine

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The very nature of emotional child abuse makes it difficult to detect and report. Nevertheless, scholars and professionals in the field of child welfare have identified emotional abuse as being equally detrimental to children as physical abuse and neglect. Many states, including Utah, have unclear definitions of emotional child abuse. The purpose of this study is to interpret how Utah has used its statute on emotional abuse in the court system and whether the current definition of emotional child abuse has given Utah’s courts enough information and direction to prosecute those who emotionally abuse children. Data was collected by researching …

The Relationships Among Caregiver Training, Mentoring, And Turn-Taking Between Caregiver And Child In Family Child Care, Carrie L. Ota

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Basic communication skills are foundational for children's success in school and are dependent largely on their language experiences early in life. The purpose of this study was to examine two professional development models and family child care providers' use of turn-taking strategies that promote language in young children. The first professional development model consisted of a 10-hour nonformal training focused on supporting early language development. The second included the nonformal training and on-site mentoring. The 48 family child care programs were randomly assigned to one of the professional development models or a control group. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to …

An Examination Of Integrated Rural Tourism Development In The Goris Region Of Armenia, Luke Alan Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Rural tourism is a popular development tool in both developed and developing countries. However, rural economic development can be problematic when considering the diversity of resources and stakeholder groups. In the Republic of Armenia the current system of tourism development is not benefiting rural communities in the regions. This study seeks to provide a deeper understanding of community dynamics in the rural region of Goris through the study of tourism integration. A novel assessment tool is implemented which provides a systematic qualitative evaluation of stakeholder perceptions through which strengths and weaknesses of the local tourism sector are derived. Data extracted …

Latter-Day Saint Religiosity And Attitudes Towards Sexual Minorities, Cory John Myler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Existing research has revealed a robust relationship between high religiosity and negative attitudes towards sexual minorities. To date, however, there have been few studies investigating this relationship within the membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church). The unique history, doctrine, and organization of this religion, along with its large size, rapid growth, and sizable influence, indicate that a study of homophobia among church members will provide additional information about the relationship between religiosity and negative attitudes. These data will shed additional light on the make-up and nature of homophobia, offer insight into the relationship …

An Evaluation Of A Physical Activity-Based Residential Treatment Program, Eric Alan Mikkelsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated a physical activity-based residential treatment program. It explored the current literature on adolescent treatment implementing physical exercise with parental participation, specifically at residential treatment centers. While the current literature strongly supports physical exercise and family involvement in adolescent treatment, research on combining physical exercise with family involvement is insufficient at best.

The data were obtained from Telos Residential Treatment Center, an all-boys treatment program that incorporates a triathlon into their treatment curriculum and keeps pre- and posttest scores of the Youth Outcome Questionnaire for their students as well as completed questionnaires from students' parents. Research questions addressed …

Students' Perceptions Of Coercion In Research, Azure L. Midzinski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine how students perceive the most common methods of recruitment for research participation, and whether these recruitment strategies are perceived by the participants to be coercive. Ethical research guidelines prohibit the use of coercion in recruiting participants. Previous studies in this area have either focused on the perceptions of the researchers, or have approached the concept of coercion in a limited way. This study treated coercion as a multidimensional construct and examined student perceptions. Additionally, participant responses indicated which recruitment practices resulted in a decision to participate in the research. Findings indicate that …

Altering Positive/Negative Interaction Ratios In Relationships Of Mothers And Young Children: A Preliminary Investigation, Andrew B. Armstrong

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Based on classic marital research of John Gottman, a popular notion exists that interpersonal relationships thrive when the number of positive interactions outweighs negative interactions by a ratio of five to one. Though many have given similar advice for parents and caregivers, Gottman's findings and methodology may not generalize to relationships of parents and young children. Were similar ratio findings to be validated for parent-child relationships, explicit ratio advice may be incorporated as a component of clinical practice (e.g., behavioral parent training). To begin investigating potential clinical implications, a project was conducted that examined mothers' ability to achieve prescribed ratios …

Family-Owned Businesses: Determinants Of Business Success And Profitability, Jeffrey S. Wallace

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine many factors associated with family-owned businesses that lead to business success and profitability. The panel data used in this study came from the 1997 and 2000 waves of the National Family Business Study (NFBS). Many independent variables from the 1997 wave (e.g., age, gender, managerial activities, business size, home-based, business problems) were tested to predict business success and profitability (dependent variables), which were variables from the 2000 wave.

Some of the descriptive analyses indicated that, compared to female managers, male managers perceived less business success, participated more in managerial activities, managed older …

Common Characteristics Of Young People Who Text: The Connection To Autonomy, Identity And Self-Esteem, Elizabeth M. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the relationship between adolescents' use of texting and their level of identity development, cognitive autonomy, and self-esteem. One hundred and nineteen Utah State University students participated in this study by filling out a questionnaire that included a section designed specifically to learn the texting habits of the participants, and also included sections derived from previously existing measures on identity, autonomy, and self-esteem.

The results show statistical significance of age and texting. Participants who were 23 years+ sent significantly less than those participants who were 19-22 years. Areas of gender, identity, and self-esteem were also analyzed. Implications of …

The Ability Of The Coping Competence Questionnaire To Predict Resilience Against Learned Helplessness Among Undergraduate College Students: An Experimental Study, Cindy L. Ollis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Coping Competence Questionnaire (CCQ), based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, was designed to assess a general stress resistance versus a propensity towards learned helplessness with a brief, 12-item self-report questionnaire. In this study the CCQ was administered to 247 undergraduate students, who were then paired, in groups of around 24 at a time, and then randomly assigned to either success or failure conditions on the computer game TetraVex. Mood was pretested using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) depression subscale; the experimental condition, success or failure at TetraVex was conducted; then outcome measures including 20 five letter anagrams …

The Comparison Of Five Different Cattle Feeding Enterprises: A Stochastic Simulation On Expected Returns And The Effects Of Lrp Insurance, Caleb H. Bott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This was a study on the Utah cattle industry which compared five different feeding enterprises. These feeding enterprises included feeding cull cows, finishing beef yearling steers, finishing Holstein yearling steers, backgrounding beef steer calves, and backgrounding Holstein steer calves. The main purpose of this study was to determine which feeding enterprise was the most profitable for Utah cattle producers.

Another objective of the study was to determine if LRP insurance lowered the volatility in the returns to these feeding enterprises. In order to answer these two questions of interest, a historical analysis of Utah cattle and feed prices was conducted …

Object-Based Segmentation And Classification Of One Meter Imagery For Use In Forest Management Plans, W. Kevin Wells

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research developed an ArcGIS Python model that extracts polygons from aerial imagery and assigns each polygon a vegetation type based on a modified set of landcover classes from the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project. The model showed an ability to generate polygons that accurately represent vegetation community boundaries across a large landscape. The model is for use by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to assist in the preparation of forest management plans. The model was judged useful because it was easy to use, it met a designated 50% threshold of useable polygons, and it met …

A Comparative Study To Identify Factors Affecting Adoption Of Soil And Water Conservation Practices Among Smallhold Farmers In The Njoro River Watershed Of Kenya, Steven P. Huckett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Natural resource conservation is important for human well-being, especially in fragile environments of developing countries. This study occurred in 2006 among 6,500 smallhold farmers residing along a 25-km segment of a heavily utilized river. Research objectives were to determine use and adoption constraints for 14 soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs). Farms were reportedly contributing to a decline in river water quality via soil erosion. Recent occupation of the upper watershed by immigrants magnified concerns that resource degradation could escalate. A multi-method approach incorporating quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and participant observation was used to interpret constraining factors within the biophysical …

Commitment, Rituals, And Initiator Tendency In Married Couples, April Bakker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine and make explicit the relationships between commitment, rituals, and initiator tendency. Past research and theory suggests that these ideas are related. Two research questions guided the study: (1) How are initiator tendency and the number of rituals a couple participates in related to the commitment style?, and (2) How are initiator tendency and the meaningfulness of rituals related to commitment style?

Data were obtained from 55 couples who completed a questionnaire to measure participation and meaningfulness of rituals, initiator tendency, and commitment. Final analyses were performed with only 39 of these couples …

Latinos In The Credit Economy, Lisa M. Ralph

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Access to consumer credit as a means of building wealth is one of the least examined forms of social inequality. The recent economic crisis in the United States has brought attention to the significance of consumer credit in our nation's economy; however, less understood are the specific obstacles and barriers that prevent low-income individuals from reaching the "American Dream." In an exploratory manner, this study compared credit access, credit literacy, and credit experience of low-income Latinos and non-Latinos to understand how credit might translate into asset-building and home ownership for Latinos, particular for those in new immigrant destinations where access …

The Influence Of Collective Action And Policy In The Development Of Local Food Systems, Lori Porreca

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The modern global agrifood system has had significant negative impacts on consumers and producers. This has precipitated the rise of local food systems that are purported to improve the health and livelihoods of consumers and producers. High expectations have led to significant public and private resources dedicated to the development of local food systems. Despite this, there has been little systematic research exploring the social and institutional conditions that facilitate or frustrate local food system development.

Using a comparative case study approach, this study explored the ways local structural conditions, collective action, food system policies, and the political context affect …

Editorial Pages And The Marketplace Of Ideas: A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Three Metropolitan Newspapers, Jacob Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted to identify the nature of the content devoted to the 2008 presidential election in the editorial pages of three newspapers. The research sought to discover what percentage of the content was specific to the election, whether this election-centered content focused on the campaign or on specific issues, what issues were covered, and the role in which the author was writing. This study used a comparative quantitative content analysis to examine this content appearing during the final three months of the 2008 campaign in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Dallas Morning News, and the San Francisco …

Random Forests Applied As A Soil Spatial Predictive Model In Arid Utah, Alexander Knell Stum

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Initial soil surveys are incomplete for large tracts of public land in the western USA. Digital soil mapping offers a quantitative approach as an alternative to traditional soil mapping. I sought to predict soil classes across an arid to semiarid watershed of western Utah by applying random forests (RF) and using environmental covariates derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and digital elevation models (DEM). Random forests are similar to classification and regression trees (CART). However, RF is doubly random. Many (e.g., 500) weak trees are grown (trained) independently because each tree is trained with a new randomly …

Spatial Analysis Of Urbanization In The Salt Lake Valley: An Urban Ecosystem Perspective, John H. Lowry Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Because urban areas comprise a variety of biotic (e.g. people, trees) and abiotic (e.g. streets, water) components that interact and are often interdependent upon one another, it is helpful to study urban areas as urban ecosystems.

Our goal in Chapter 2 is to measure and quantify the spatial and demographic structure of the urbanized portion of Salt Lake County, Utah. We use 18 metrics from four broad categories (density, centrality, accessibility, and neighborhood mix) to measure urban form for three age-based residential neighborhood types. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) we test for differences in mean values for the 18 …

Tools For Using And Organizing Online Resources To Enhance Reference And Instruction, Cheryl D. Walters, Anne R. Diekama, Heather Leary, Sheri Haderlie

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Demonstrates free tools for tracking, organizing, and repurposing digital resources for incorporation into libguides, powerpoint presentations, and other instructional aids. Tools included: Library of Congress Annotated Resource Set, Instructional Architect, fishbone charts, and timelines.

Resource Discoverability At The Crossroads, Cheryl D. Walters, Anne R. Diekama, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

The Internet is changing how people find and use information. Users increasingly are discovering relevant resources outside traditional library systems and expect immediate access to resources at the point of discovery. These changes are challenging traditional thinking on how we should "catalog" and provide access to resources.

Panel discussion engaged the audience in a lively discussion of discoverability, trends in user information seeking behavior, the role of librarians in information seeking and finding, and implications for library system design.

Dublin Core Application Profiles And The Oclc Digital Gateway: New Tools For Improving Discoverability Of Digital Collections, Cheryl D. Walters, Allyson Mower, Sandra Mcintyre

Library Faculty & Staff Publications

Discusses how some new tools such as Dublin Core application profiles and the OCLC Digital Collection Gateway can improve discoverability of digital collections.

Tools For Using And Organizing Online Resources To Enhance Reference And Instruction, Anne R. Diekama, Sheri Haderlie, Heather Leary, Cheryl D. Walters

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Presentation at the 2010 Utah Library Association annual conference. This presentation addressed different tools that can be used to incorporate technology and online resources into teaching and instruction.

Dublin Core Application Profiles And The Oclc Digital Gateway: New Tools For Improving Discoverability Of Digital Collections, Allyson Mower, Cheryl D. Walters, Sandra Mcintyre

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Discusses how some new tools such as Dublin Core application profiles and the OCLC Digital Collection Gateway can improve discoverability of digital collections.

Making Cents Of Cataloging: Are We Getting What We Are Paying For?, Becky Skeen, Julie Grover, Liz Woolcott

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

Presentation given at the 2010 Utah Library Association annual conference about cataloging costs. Discussion focused on patron needs, workflow, training, and how to do more with less to make the process more efficient.

Resource Discoverability At The Crossroads, Anne R. Diekama, Liz Woolcott, Cheryl D. Walters

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

The Internet is changing how people find and use information. Users increasingly are discovering relevant resources outside traditional library systems and expect immediate access to resources at the point of discovery. These changes are challenging traditional thinking on how we should "catalog" and provide access to resources.

Panel discussion engaged the audience in a lively discussion of discoverability, trends in user information seeking behavior, the role of librarians in information seeking and finding, and implications for library system design. Audience comments are summarized in a wiki created to support this panel discussion: http://findability.wikispaces.com/ The wiki also contains a list of …

Nga Whaiora Tikanga Roanga: Māori Views Of Health In Utah, Sydney H. Davies

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study looked at the health beliefs of Māori who live in Utah, U.S. and examined what ways those beliefs have evolved from traditional Māori health beliefs. It also looked at the conditions and indicators of those conditions that maintain those health beliefs. A New Zealand study found that Māori older than age 45 years were more likely to have traditional health beliefs, whereas Māori younger than age 45 were more likely to have western-based health beliefs. Using grounded theory, the narratives—from two groups, younger or older than 45 years, where each group was composed of eight randomly selected participants—were …