Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Analysis Of Esl Learner Preferences For Native Accent Retention And Reduction, K. James Hartshorn

Faculty Publications

Though most ESL learners desire a “native-like” pronunciation, researchers have observed that some may want to retain features of their L1accents as a means of maintaining identity. This raises important questions about the best ways to teach L2 pronunciation. Therefore, the aims of this study were to discover how pervasive a preference for accent retention may be and to identify possible reasons learners exhibit this preference. To accomplish this, a scale was designed to assess a preference for accent retention, and potential explanatory variables were identified. Analyses of 350 ESL learners identified varying levels of a preference for accent retention, …

Social Class And The Stubbornness Of Family Myths: How Nonbeliever And Pagan Parents Cope With Intrusions On Parenting By Proselytizing Christian Family Members In The U.S. Bible Belt, Amy Mcclure

Faculty Publications

Family scholars have documented how powerful institutions intrude upon marginalized parents. Yet, few have examined the effect that intrusion on parenting takes on a more intimate level. Guided by insights from theories of emotion management and family inequality, I compare how two religiously marginalized groups in the Bible Belt cope with a ubiquitous experience they face as parents—unwelcomed proselytizing by Christian family members. Based on participant-observation and forty in-depth interviews, I document nonbeliever and Pagan parents’ experiences with proselytizing by Christian family members to be common, intrusive, and often perceived as potentially harmful to children. Failing to enforce desired boundaries …

Exploring Multiple Dimensions Of Young Women’S Fertility Preferences In Malawi, Ashley Larsen Gibby, Nancy Luke

Faculty Publications

Introduction Standard survey measures of fertility preferences, such as the desire for and preferred timing of future births, do not capture the complexity of individuals’ preferences. New research focuses on additional dimensions of emotions and expectations surrounding childbearing. Few quantitative studies, however, consider the influence of all three dimensions of fertility preferences concurrently.

Methods Using longitudinal survey data from the Tsogolo la Thanzi project (2009–2012) in Malawi, this study employed logistic regression analysis to investigate the influence of young women’s emotions, expectations, and a standard measure of fertility preferences on pregnancy and modern contraceptive use.

Results Young women experienced high …

A Space For Every Student: Assessing The Utility Of A Family Friendly Study Room In A University Library, Tyler Graff, Bob Ridge, Holt Zaugg

Faculty Publications

Students currently in and returning to college are increasingly likely to have children. The demands of academic and family life can conflict, making it difficult for student parents to navigate both. Brigham Young University recently built a Family Friendly Study Room in the university library to provide a place for student-parents to care for their children while engaging in academic work. This study assessed the impact of the FFSR on patrons. Results show that the space is highly valued and offers both academic and relationship benefits. Moreover, students’ suggestions provide important feedback for future improvements. Recommendations for creating family-friendly spaces …

Factors Affecting Marital Disruption Amongst Nigerian Immigrants In North America (Nina): A Pilot Study, Jochebed B. Ade-Oshifogun, Augusta Y. Olaore, Joan O. Aina

Faculty Publications

Background: It has been observed that some Nigerian Families that immigrated to North America (NINA) seem to have very stressful marital relationships that lead to separation or divorce. The goal of this study was to determine the level of marital satisfaction among NINA

Method: A simple, standardized survey tool was utilized to measure the index of marital satisfaction (IMS). The score varied from 0-100 with a lower score (<30 >points) indicating marital satisfaction. A demographic questionnaire was also administered to the subjects. Descriptive data analysis and level of marital satisfaction were computed in SPSS (version 25).

Results: Forty-five of the …

Association Between Exposure To Air Pollution And Hippocampal Volume In Adults In The Uk Biobank, Dawson W. Hedges, Lance D. Erickson, Jackie Kunzelman, Bruce L. Brown, Shawn D. Gale

Faculty Publications

Background: The hippocampus is important for memory processing. Several neuropsychiatric diseases including Alzheimer’s disease are associated with reduced hippocampal volume, and further the hippocampus appears vulnerable to environmental insult. Air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular disease, abnormal brain structure, and cognitive deficits.

Objective: Because of hippocampal vulnerability to environmental insults and based on the association between exposure to air pollution and cognitive function and brain structure, we evaluated the association between exposure to toxins in air pollution and left and right hippocampal volume using brain-imaging and air-pollution data from the UK Biobank, a large community-based dataset.

Methods …

Somebody To Lean On: The Moderating Effect Of Relationships On Links Between Social Withdrawal And Self-Worth, Brandon N. Clifford, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Previous research has discovered different subtypes of social withdrawal based on motivations to approach or avoid social interactions. Each of these motivations are uniquely related to indices of maladjustment during emerging adulthood, including aspects of the self. However, research has yet to investigate whether or not relationship quality moderates these associations. The purpose of this study was to examine whether relationship quality with best friends, romantic partners, mothers, and fathers, respectively, serve as protective factors in the negative links between shyness and avoidance and self-worth. The participants included 519 college students (Mage = 19.87, SD= 1.99, 61% female) from four …

Cardiovascular Factors Moderate The Association Of Infection Burden With Cognitive Function In Young To Middle-Aged U.S. Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Dawson W. Hedges, Andrew N. Berrett, Evan L. Thacker

Faculty Publications

Background: Infectious diseases might affect cognitive aging and dementia risk, possibly via neuroinflammation. Similarly, risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are associated with cognitive function and dementia. We hypothesized that cardiovascular risk factors moderate the association of exposure to infectious diseases with cognitive function.

Methods: We studied 5662 participants aged 20 to 59 years from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994) in the United States. We used linear regression to investigate whether the Framingham general cardiovascular risk index moderated the association of infection burden based on exposure to eight different infectious diseases with cognitive functioning as …

Discrimination, Coping, And Social Exclusion Among African Immigrants In The United States: A Moderation Analysis, Sherinah K. Saasa

Faculty Publications

This cross-sectional study examined coping strategies as moderators of the relationship between perceived discrimination and social exclusion among African immigrants in the United States (N = 409). Moderation models using path analyses were conducted to examine the moderating effects of three coping strategies (active coping, use of instrumental support, and religious coping) on the relationship between discrimination and four dimensions of social exclusion: (1) material deprivation, (2) limited access to basic social rights, (3) limited social participation, and (4) insufficient cultural integration. Increases in perceived discrimination were associated with increased social exclusion on all four dimensions. Increased use of active …

The Longest-Lasting Relationship: Patterns Of Contact And Well-Being Among Mid- To Later-Life Siblings, Alexander C. Jensen, Makayla K. Nielson, Jeremy B. Yorgason

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Adults in mid to later life experience shrinking social networks, which may hinder well-being. Siblings may be important sources of social contact. Yet, little is known about adults’ patterns of contact with siblings and how contact is linked to well-being.

Method: Participants included 491 adults from across the United States (M age = 58.96, SD = 6.25; 68% female) recruited online via Amazon Mechanical Turk; they reported on their contact with their sibling in person, over the phone, via email, texting, and social media.

Results: Latent class analysis found evidence for four patterns of contact (classes) among siblings: low, …

Examining Religious Commitment, Personality, And Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saints, Kawika Allen, Ofa Hafoka, Lane Fischer

Faculty Publications

This study examined religious commitment, the big five personality traits, social interaction anxiety, and anger among 110 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Results suggest the majority of the participants are religious, score high on agreeableness and conscientiousness, and low on social interaction anxiety and anger. Agreeableness mediated the relationship between religious commitment and anger, and extraversion moderated the relationship between religious commitment and social interaction anxiety. Counseling strategies are discussed for social work providers. Implications and future directions are discussed.

"You Can't Go Back To Holding Hands." Reading Judy Blume's Forever In The #Metoo Era, Jenna Spiering, Kate Kedley

Faculty Publications

Judy Blume’s Forever is a cultural artifact that gives readers a historical look at society’s attitudes about sex and sexuality at the time of publication in 1975. However, in the #MeToo era, Blume’s text is poised for new analysis in light of important conversations and concerns about sex, sexuality, and consent. In this article, Critical Youth Studies and Queer Theory are used to explore the ways in which young readers can critically engage with Blume’s novel and questions about virginity, sex, sexuality, and consent associated with the #MeToo movement.

Successful Weight Loss Initiation And Maintenance Among Adolescents With Overweight And Obesity: Does Age Matter?, Diana Rancourt, Chad D. Jensen, Kara Mcrae Duraccio, E. Whitney Evans, Rena R. Wing, Elissa Jelalian

Faculty Publications

Background—Treatments for adolescents with overweight/obesity demonstrate mixed success, which may be due to a lack of consideration for developmental changes during this period. Potential developmental differences in weight loss motivations, weight maintenance behaviors, and the role of parents in these efforts were examined in a sample of successful adolescent weight losers.

Methods—Participants enrolled in the Adolescent Weight Control Registry (n = 49) self-reported demographic information and weight history, reasons for weight loss and weight control, weight loss approach and weight maintenance strategies, and perceived parental involvement with weight loss. Associations between age at weight loss initiation and the aforementioned factors …

Marital Satisfaction Amongst Nigerian Immigrants In North America (Nina): Pilot Study, Jochebed B. Ade-Oshifogun, Joan Aina, Augusta Y. Olaore

Faculty Publications

Background: It has been observed that some Nigerian Families that immigrated to North America (NINA) seem to have very stressful marital relationships that lead to separation or divorce. The goal of this study was to determine the level of marital satisfaction among NINA

Method: A simple, standardized survey tool was utilized to measure the index of marital satisfaction (IMS). The score varied from 0-100 with a lower score (<30 >points) indicating marital satisfaction. A demographic questionnaire was also administered to the subjects. Descriptive data analysis and level of marital satisfaction were computed in SPSS (version 25).

Results: Forty-five of the …

Profiles Of Religiousness, Spirituality, And Psychological Adjustment In Emerging Adults, Carolyn Mcnamara Barry, Jennifer L. Christofferson, Eric P. Boorman, Larry J. Nelson

Faculty Publications

Although emerging adults are engaged in heightened levels of meaning-making (Barry and Abo-Zena (eds) in Emerging adults’ religiousness and spirituality: meaning-making in an age of transition. Oxford University Press, New York, 2014), research has focused on either religiousness or spirituality (R/S) in each study. While R/S individually have been associated with emerging adults’ psychological adjustment (Rew and Wong in J Adolesc Health 38:433–442, 2006), scholars have rarely explored the specific profiles of R/S adjustment. Thus, a diverse group of undergraduate students (N = 792; Mage = 19.61, SD= 1.86; 69% women) completed questionnaires online involving these constructs. Preliminary …

Should Dodgeball Ever Die?, David C. Barney, Keven A. Prusak

Faculty Publications

When discussing the game of dodgeball, it is usually with fond memories and excitement for the thrill that came from the game. Then there is those that strongly disliked it for reasons that it was embarrassing, hurtful and just not fun. The game of dodgeball has been experienced by many students in their physical education (PE) classes, for better and for worse. The purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions, experiences and opinions of recently-former K-12 students toward dodgeball in PE. The results of the study found that generally males enjoyed the game and felt it is …

Effects Of The Relationships Between Forms Within And Across Paradigms On Lexical Processing And Representation: An Experimental Investigation Of Russian Nouns, Jeffery R. Parker

Faculty Publications

The frequency and distribution of forms within a lexeme’s paradigm affect how quickly forms are accessed (e.g., Kostić, 1991; Milin, Filipović Đurđević, & Moscoso del Prado Martín, 2009; Moscoso del Prado Martı́n, Kostić, & Baayen, 2004). The distribution of forms across paradigms, in contrast, has received little experimental attention. Theoretical studies investigate the distribution of forms across paradigms because forms vary in how predictive they are of other (unknown) forms. Such investigations have uncovered typological tendencies (e.g., Ackerman & Malouf, 2013; Stump & Finkel, 2013) and contribute to explanations of language-specific phenomena (e.g., Sims, 2015; Parker & Sims, To appear). …

With A Little Help From My Friends (And Their Friends): Influence Neighborhoods For Social Recommendations, Avni Gulati, Magdalini Eirinaki

Faculty Publications

Social recommendations have been a very intriguing domain for researchers in the past decade. The main premise is that the social network of a user can be leveraged to enhance the rating-based recommendation process. This has been achieved in various ways, and under different assumptions about the network characteristics, structure, and availability of other information (such as trust, content, etc.) In this work, we create neighborhoods of influence leveraging only the social graph structure. These are in turn introduced in the recommendation process both as a pre-processing step and as a social regularization factor of the matrix factorization algorithm. Our …

Make A Plan. Then Change It. (Commencement Address), Anne Klinefelter

Faculty Publications

Commencement Address for the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina, May 12, 2019. More information at "SILS honors graduates, outstanding teachers, and distinguished alumni at commencement."

Infant Social Avoidance Predicts Autism But Not Anxiety In Fragile X Syndrome, Jane E. Roberts, Hayley Crawford, Elizabeth A. Will, Abigail L. Hogan, Samuel Dale Mcquillin, Bridgette L. Tonnsen, Shannon O'Connor, Douglas A. Roberts, Alexis M. Brewe

Faculty Publications

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety are three of the most common childhood psychiatric disorders. Early trajectories of social avoidance have been linked with these psychiatric disorders in previous studies, but it remains unclear how social avoidance differentially predicts comorbid disorders in a high-risk genetic subgroup. Here, we delineate the association between trajectories of social avoidance from infancy and subsequent ASD, ADHD, and anxiety outcomes at preschool in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), a well-characterized single-gene disorder highly associated with social avoidance as well as elevated rates of ASD, ADHD, and anxiety.

Method: Males with …

Vanishing Wealth, Vanishing Votes? Latino Homeownership And The 2016 Election In Florida, Jacob Rugh

Faculty Publications

In this article, I explore how race, class, and migration influence Latino household wealth, and uncover important implications for the close 2016 US presidential election outcome in Florida. I follow over 11,000 homeowners in the Orlando area of Orange County, Florida from 2004 to 2016. To proxy for immigrant incorporation, I leverage matched voter registration records and direct observation of borrower identification – driver’s license, green card/passport, or undocumented identification. Documented immigrants appear least vulnerable to foreclosure; multivariate analyses show that Latinos with undocumented identification are most vulnerable. Foreclosure and negative equity predict decreases in voter activity among Latino Democrats …

Assessing Natural And Mechanical Dune Performance In A Post-Hurricane Environment, Jean T. Ellis, Mayra Alejandra Roman-Rivera

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study is to document the geomorphic evolution of a mechanical dune over approximately one year following its installation and compare it to the recovery of a natural dune following the impact of Hurricane Matthew (2016). During the study period, the dunes’ integrity was tested by wave and wind events, including king tides, and a second hurricane (Irma, 2017), at the end of the study period. Prior to the impact of the second hurricane, the volumetric increase of the mechanical and natural dune was 32% and 75%, respectively, suggesting that scraping alone is not the optimal protection …

Ethnic-Racial Socialization In Early Childhood: The Implications Of Color-Consciousness And Colorblindness For Prejudice Development, Flora Farago, Kimberly Leah Davidson, Christy M. Byrd

Faculty Publications

This chapter outlines how early childhood teachers can bring children into conversations surrounding race and racism by drawing on literature on how parents of color discuss these topics. Although educators’ practices surrounding race and racism remain largely unexplored, decades of developmental psychological research indicate that parents of color engage in ethnic-racial socialization practices that are beneficial for children (Hughes et al., 2006). The established dimensions of parental ethnic-racial socialization include (1) cultural socialization, or teaching children about their ethnic heritage and instilling ethnic pride; (2) preparation for bias, or teaching children about racism and preparing them to face discrimination; (3) …

The Effects Of Ambient Temperature And Lighting Intensity On Wheel-Running Behavior In A Diurnal Rodent, The Nile Grass Rat (Arvicanthis Niloticus), Garrett M. Fogo, Alyssa M. Goodwin, Ohanes S. Khacherian, Brandi J. Ledbetter, Andrew J. Gall

Faculty Publications

Environmental conditions, such as the light-dark cycle and temperature, affect the display of circadian rhythmicity and locomotor activity patterns in mammals. Here, we tested the hypothesis that manipulating these environmental conditions would affect wheel-running activity patterns in a diurnal rodent, the Nile grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Grass rats are diurnal in the field, however, a subset switch from a day-active pattern to a night-active pattern of activity after the introduction of a running wheel. The mechanism of this chronotype switch remains largely unknown. In the present study, grass rats were presented with running wheels in 12:12 light-dark conditions. First, subjects …

Steadfast Standards Or Fluctuating Fancies? Stability And Change In People’S Mate Criteria Over 27 Months, Carrie A. Bredow, Nicole Hames

Faculty Publications

Although research on mate preferences has been built on the assumption that the criteria people report at one point in time should predict their future partnering behavior, little is known about the temporal stability of people’s standards. Using survey data collected at four time points from 285 originally unmarried individuals, this study examined the rank-order, meanlevel, individual-level and ipsative stability of people’s mate criteria over 27 months. Overall, reported standards exhibited moderate to high baseline stability, with rank-order and ipsative estimates comparable to those reported for personality traits. At the same time, mean- and individual-level analyses revealed small, but significant, …

Difference Of Opinion: Spousal Influence On Cancer Risk-Reducing Behavior, Wendy C. Birmingham, Maija Reblin, Wendy Kohlmann, Tyler Graff

Faculty Publications

Marriage is consistently associated with better health outcomes. Spouses' attempts to influence partners' lifestyle and general health behaviors may contribute to this effect, although partners may not be aware of this influence. Spousal worry of a cancer diagnosis for an at-risk partner may factor into attempts to influence. An examination of spousal worry and influence on lifestyle choices, general health behaviors, and cancer screening adherence for partners at higher risk of colorectal cancer may shed light on spousal influence and partners' perceptions of influence. Methods: A mixed-method design assessed cancer worry and spousal influence for risk-reducing behavior in first-degree relatives …

The Power Of Prosecutors, Jeffrey Bellin

Faculty Publications

One of the predominant themes in the criminal justice literature is that prosecutors dominate the justice system. Over seventy-five years ago, Attorney General Robert Jackson famously proclaimed that the “prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America.” In one of the most cited law review articles of all time, Bill Stuntz added that prosecutors—not legislators, judges, or police—“are the criminal justice system’s real lawmakers.” And an unchallenged modern consensus holds that prosecutors “rule the criminal justice system.”

This Article applies a critical lens to longstanding claims of prosecutorial preeminence. It reveals a curious …

There's No Place Like Home: The Associations Between Residential Attributes And Family Functioning, Carly M. Thornock, Larry J. Nelson, Chris L. Porter, Cortney A. Evans-Stout

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which actual (e.g., density) and perceived (e.g., crowding and distance) elements of the spatial home environment act as predictors of family functioning. Data were gathered from 164 families whose child was attending a university's preschool/kindergarten facility in a mid-sized community in the Western United States. Structural equation modeling (SEM, AMOS 19.0) was employed to examine the strength of the relations within the model. Results showed that though actual elements of the home (i.e., density) affect family functioning outcomes, perceptions of the home environment (e.g., crowding and distance) were especially …

Enhanced Memory For Fair-Related Faces And The Role Of Trait Anxiety, Gewnhi Park, Benjamin U. Marsh, Elisha J. Johnson

Faculty Publications

The current research examined whether fair consideration—a social norm that people inherently prefer to confirm—would modulate face recognition. Each neutral face was associated with fair or unfair offers via an economic decision task, the Ultimatum Game (UG) task. After the UG, participants were asked to identify the faces of proposers who made different offers. Enhanced memory was observed for fair-related compared to unfair-related faces. Furthermore, high trait anxiety was associated with reduced memory for fair-related faces. These results were further confirmed by signal detection theory. The current research provided initial evidence that people showed enhanced memory for faces that made …

Forming Financial Vision: How Parents Prepare Young Adults For Financial Success, Bryce L. Jorgensen, David B. Allsop, Samuel D. Runyan, Brandan E. Wheeler, David A. Evans, Loren D. Marks

Faculty Publications

The current study used a multi-generational and qualitative approach to examine perceptions of what parents/grandparents taught their children/grandchildren about finances. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 98 participants consisting of 77 college students, 13 parents and eight grandparents. Team-based qualitative analyses of these interviews revealed three consistent themes: (1) the importance of setting financial goals, (2) planning and acting to meet financial goals, and (3) understanding the time value of money. About 70% of participants mentioned at least one of the three main themes in their interviews. In general, parents and grandparents held regret for not providing financial lessons earlier in …