2014 Abstracts

Laurin Wilson, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Premature birth and subsequent hospitalization of an infant in the Newborn (or Neonatal) Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can be an extremely stressful time for parents and has been associated with maternal depression, anxiety, and decreased coping ability (Hack, Taylor, Klein, & Mercuri-Minich, 2000; Hughes, McCollum, & Sheftel, 1994; Partridge et al., 2005; Shaw, Sweester, St. John, Lilo, Corcoran, Jo, & Horwitz, 2013). Interventions to reduce parents’ stress levels during the hospitalization of their very preterm infants have mixed results (Boyce, et al., 2008; Matricardi, S., Agostino, R., Fedeli, C., & Montirosso, R., 2013). This study examined the medical, family, and maternal mental health factors that influenced feelings of parental distress for mother of very premature infants.

Kyle Nelson, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Most research on eye movement while reading has focused on native speakers reading in their own language. This has led to detailed characterizations of the differences between the eye movement of English and Chinese speakers when reading. However, there is a lack of research concerning eye movement differences when reading in a second language. It is expected that English speakers, reading simple letters, would exhibit different eye movements when reading Chinese characters, where words are commonly made up of one or two intricate symbols. Similar adjustments in eye movement are expected if a Chinese speaker tried to read English. Our study seeks to first measure how second language skill influences eye movement during reading and secondly, to distinguish eye movement behaviors that are controlled by either cognitive or visual factors. We hypothesized that as individuals increase in proficiency in their second language, their eye movements while reading a second language would begin to mimic a native speaker’s reading his own native language. Participants were native Chinese or English speakers selected from Chinese language courses and ESL courses taught at Brigham Young University. Participants were matched based on language proficiency and history of exposure to their second language. Native Chinese and English speakers read paragraphs in both Chinese and English while an eye-tracking machine recorded their eye movements. We measured such variables as fixation duration, Saccade amplitude, refixation probability and other important variables. These results will be analyzed to find the differences in eye movement that occur when reading in a second language compared to the participant’s native language. The results, strengths and limitations of the study and future research will be discussed. We believe our research will be beneficial in characterizing how individuals read in a second language, assessing language proficiency, and directing the development of language instruction methods.

Dusty Pilkington, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Boundaries dividing political authority rarely match natural water flow. Multiple agencies, often with competing policies and agendas, manage water within single watersheds. This discrepancy can render management efforts ineffective. Local water agencies include soil conservation districts, local health departments, and engineering agencies. Agencies have varying funding sources, managerial structures, and jurisdictional boundaries. Fragmentation can frustrate management efforts at watershed scales. Comparisons between natural watersheds and human political geography can therefore be helpful in avoiding conflicts. This research examines discrepancies between political and physical geographies for sections of three Utah rivers : the Logan and Provo Rivers, and Red Butte Creek. These rivers are being targeted for intensive research as part of a statewide, multidisciplinary water sustainability project, titled iUTAH. Water-related land use (WRLU) data acquired from Utah’s Automated Geographic Resource Center were analyzed using ArcGIS geoproceessing tools. WRLU contributing to water quality in urban river reaches is described. WRLU was examined using three boundary sets, comparing the political geography of the river reaches, as depicted in municipal boundaries and management areas of community water providers, to their physical geography, as depicted in United States Geologic Survey Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watersheds. WRLU mixes using political infrastructure were contrasted with land use mixes from HUC boundaries. WRLU was classified in seven categories: residential, commercial/industrial, riparian/water features, irrigated agriculture, non-irrigated agriculture, farmsteads, and parks/open spaces. A gradient from rural Heber, to urbanizing Logan, to fully urbanized Red Butte Creek is shown. While Red Butte Creek HUC boundaries showed 53.8 % residential land use, Red Butte Creek municipal boundaries and community providers totaled 26 % and 39 % residential use, respectively. Differences emerged when irrigated agriculture was assessed using HUC boundaries. Irrigated agriculture totaled 0.2 % in Red Butte Creek, with Logan showing 29. 7% and Heber irrigated agriculture sitting at 41.1 %.

Renette Goodrich, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences In the realm of Adoption most of the focus is given to the birth parents and the adoptive couple. However, there are many more people involved, some being the birth grandparents, who are the parents of the expecting parents. These grandparents, most of who are dealing with feelings of loss and grief, have been left to struggle through the experience by themselves. A scholar from Well’s, were the law requires social services to be offered to the extended family, conducted studies with grandparents; some of whom received social services and some who did not. His found a statistically significant difference in those who participated in the social services and those who did not. Grandparents who took advantage of social services where less stressed and more excepting of the adoption. This pilot study was conducted at one agency in Utah. Because of HIPPA laws the only access was to those grandparents who attended the support group. This study also showed social service support for these grandparents where significant; by lowering the stress level of dealing with a child’s unexpected pregnancy and helping them with direction and acceptance. This was a qualitative and quantitative survey handed directly to the participants to fill out and return. The agency where this survey was conducted and other associated agencies are interested in these results to better improve currents services and reach out to other grandparents who are not currently participating in these groups. This topic has not been studied in the United States; thus this study will add to the body of scholarly knowledge on this topic.

Luz Maria Carreno, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Significance: Patients’ health literacy, or ability to comprehend and understand health information, influences their health status, knowledge about medical care and conditions, and hospitalization and adherence rate (Andrus, & Roth, 2002). Low-English proficiency patients are especially at risk, given they must overcome English and health literacy barriers.

Heather White, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The purpose of this poster is to illustrate the use of storyboards in visually evaluating exhibits and the visitor experience in a narrative museum. Storyboards, a key tool used to develop a visual story, can be used in museums to provide unique insights into the dynamic experience of visitors as they move through exhibits. This poster focuses on how storyboards can be used post-installation to evaluate how visual elements and space effect the visitor’s engagement and experience within exhibits. This poster will present storyboards for three exhibits and the resulting analysis. I analyzed the storyboards by examining artistic elements (line, color, shape, space, etc.) and design principles (unity, balance, scale, proportion, etc.) as they are formed and reformed throughout the storyboard. These changes are only noticeable because of the temporal aspect of sequenced storyboard images. The results show how the visual and spatial visitor experience encourages or discourages engagement with the exhibits. These results can be used, in addition to written and oral evaluation methods, to critique and improve exhibitions to be more accessible and engaging for future visitors.

Wendy Hendley, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) passed in 1996 changed welfare dramatically. Meant to stop welfare fraud and dependency, it put into place numerous restrictions and promoted work, which meant that people on welfare, usually single mothers, were forced to participate in job-search activities in order to qualify for benefits. As a result, welfare recipients’ opportunities to attend college have decreased. Research has shown a negative correlation between educational attainment and poverty, the higher a person’s education the less chance they have of living in poverty. The human capital theory proposes that investing in education increases labor market returns. Unfortunately, with PRWORA’s focus on work, welfare recipients are forced to find low-wage jobs, which is not enough to lift them out of poverty. Although numerous studies have focused on welfare recipients’ reduced chances of receiving an education, few have looked at the wishes of welfare recipients themselves. This quantitative descriptive study uses secondary data analysis from a study done by the University of Utah’s Social Research Institute in 2006, and answers the following three questions: (1) what is the current level of completed education of welfare recipients; (2) do welfare recipients have a desire to further their schooling; (3) what barriers do they feel are preventing them from achieving their goals? This study found that a high percentage of welfare recipients had a desire to further their schooling, with the number one obstacle being financial. There is a significant gap between the wishes of welfare recipients concerning higher education and what is actually happening in their lives.

Danielle Jennings, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The popularity of surgical cosmetic procedures continues to climb in the U.S. (ASPS, 2012) and in other industrialized economies (ISAPS, 2011). This includes women in conservative cultures like Morocco and Afghanistan (Women of Afghanistan, 2012). This research was undertaken to examine attitudes towards plastic surgery among women who are members of the LDS Church. Utah boasts one of the highest concentrations of plastic surgeons in the U.S. (Lim, 2011) and is also majority LDS (Phillips and Cragun, 2011), rendering it ideal for this study. Data regarding attitudes towards surgery and levels of religious participation were collected from LDS women [n = 100] and men [n = 25] in Utah through a pilot survey administered in spring, 2013. The sample included women 19 — 81 years of age, 64% of whom were married, and 63% had grown up in Utah. Results indicated levels of religious participation were in keeping with other research involving Mormons (Hill et al., 2008) and 67% of women knew a female member of the Church who had had cosmetic surgery. Attitudes towards surgery varied by age and marital status. A second survey was created and administered via Qualtrics to LDS women [n =473] and men [n = 116] across the U.S. Results suggest variation in attitudes by geographic location, along with variation by gender, age, marital status, and familiarity with surgery. These results suggest aspects of Mormon life in Utah contribute to the popularity of surgery among Church members. These may include the pressures of dating and earlier ages at marriage (Maffly, 2010), coupled with demographic changes (Cragun and Phillips, 2011), as well as earlier ages at first birth of children (Davidson, 2008).

Mitchell Reid, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Chronic childhood aggression can be the beginning of a developmental trajectory that begins with minor aggression, moves on to physical fighting, and then to violence (Loeber & Farrington, 2000). Behaviors during toddlerhood may be more malleable than later in childhood (Reid, 1994). To better understand what predicts children’s early aggressive behavior we examined the role of parenting behaviors, parent mental health, and child characteristics in a sample of toddlers. Sixty-five mothers and their toddlers between the ages of 17 and 24 months (60% female) participated in the study. Mother-child dyads were videotaped during teaching and clean-up tasks. Mothers also responded to several questionnaires to assess toddlers’ social-emotional behaviors, language development, attachment security, and temperament and their own parenting stress and depression. The teaching and clean-up tasks were coded for maternal language supporting behaviors such as asking questions and providing praise, directives, expansions, and labeling. We examined the correlations between the independent maternal (depression, parenting stress, and language supporting behaviors) and child (age, gender, language development, temperament, and attachment security) variables and the dependent variable of aggression/defiance. Correlations between attachment security (r = -.28, p =.03) and maternal directives during the teaching task (r = .33, p =.01) and during the clean-up task (r = .39, p =.00) showed statistical significance. We included these variables in a regression model and found that attachment security and maternal directives during the teaching and clean-up tasks accounted for 29% of the variance in maternal reports of toddlers’ aggression and defiance. These results suggest that toddlers with greater attachment security and with mothers who use fewer directives in everyday tasks are rated as less aggressive and defiant than those with less attachment security and with mothers who use more directives. The full regression model and early intervention implications will be presented.

Kelsea Hill, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Sexuality has long been identified as foundational in the lives of married couples. An area lacking in research, however, is the transition into sexuality made by couples who practiced abstinence prior to being married. The data for this study comes from a survey of 597 respondents that had practiced abstinence before being married. This focuses on the qualitative responses to questions asked abstinent couples about what helped make the transition into sexual intimacy, what purpose(s) sex has in their relationship, what they wished they had discussed prior to having sex, and what challenges they experienced in the transition into sexual intimacy.

Jared Glenn, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Previous research shows that girls and women tend to prefer and perform better in classes taught by women. However, much less research analyzes the impact of instructor gender on learning outcomes among boys and men. This research fills that gap by analyzing the effect of professor gender on male college students’ achievement. Relying on survey and in-depth interviews among undergraduate men at a large research university, this study finds no significant empirical data that professor gender significantly impacts men’s academic achievement, in contrast to previous findings among girls and women. Interview findings, however, suggest that men prefer the tough grading, which they indicate is integral in male-taught classes. The study contributes to our understanding of gender differences in an academic setting and how that factor shapes learning outcomes and achievement.

Briana Bowen, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The U.S. Secret Service (USSS), one of the most elite security agencies in the world, is charged with protecting the President of the United States at any cost. Three American presidents fell to assassins’ bullets before the USSS was assigned the role of presidential protection; one more would later be slain despite USSS protection. This study examines the organizational culture of the USSS, employing the methodology of cultural topography to identify the agency’s norms, values, identity, and perceptual lens. We review three of the most impactful twentieth-century assassination attempts––two failed, one successful––and their formative effect on USSS organizational culture. Beginning with the lesser-known plot to assassinate Harry Truman, we examine the permanent authorization of the Presidential Protective Division. We apply our main focus to the assassination of John Kennedy, the USSS’s darkest hour and still its most powerful motivator. Lastly, we review the attack on Ronald Reagan and the development of the modern USSS security apparatus. Our final profile of USSS organizational culture gives insight into the agency’s strengths and weaknesses and informs our concluding recommendations for institutional change.

Carolina Silva, Westminster College Social and Behavioral Sciences This study was a preliminary study to a larger project in the coming fall. The larger study aims at finding influential variables on acculturation and their relationship to the academic achievement of immigrant adolescents. In the pilot study two acculturation measures were assessed on a small sample of immigrant youth to ensure the effectiveness of the measures on immigrant adolescents. The two scales used were the Acculturation Habits and Interest Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA) and the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS). Both scales were selected due to their use of Berry’s model and focus on acculturation across groups. The scales were administered to 15 adolescents, and a discussion was held in order to receive input of the participants’ reception of the measures. Participants were asked to give feedback on the scale’s wording, suitability of format, timing and clarity of statements. This information was analyzed for themes which will be used in the following study.

Kyle Durfee, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences To promote Self-Reliance, Eagle Condor Humanitarian teaches impoverished communities classes designed to increase their self-reliance in their families, community, and their businesses. This study evaluated what the participants understand, how well they participate in the classes, how well they apply the things they learn, and how well the facilitators teach the program. The community members hold different desires for their future than what Eagle Condor seems to want for their participants, and the participants perceive their obstacles to success as being primarily financial matters rather than things that can be resolved through better understanding and training. Literacy and mathematics problems also hinder the ability of the participants to understand the content received in the classes, all suggesting that Eagle Condor may need to adjust its program, or find populations that can capitalize on its current program offerings more effectively. Participants also struggle to apply the concepts taught, usually as a result of not understanding how to do them, or that they should do them at all. Participants tend to participate well in the classes when they come, but generally miss large portions of the instruction due to tardiness. The facilitators teach the program well, but the current teaching curriculum structure (called the FAMA technique for a process that runs through teaching Facts, Associations, Meaning, and Action) is designed on a more exploratory solution than the rigid and organized structure of Eagle Condor’s program. Overall, a more clearly defined holistic strategy built around either participants or the program may increase Eagle Condor’s efficacy in increasing the levels of self-reliance within the communities that Eagle Condor works.

Melanie Long, Westminster College Social and Behavioral Sciences While differences in hourly earnings between men and women have frequently been investigated in gender economics, the gender gap in unemployment rates has received less attention. According to much of the existing research, the reduction in the unemployment rate differential between the genders over the past 30 years indicates that gender no longer plays a significant role in employment outcomes. This regression analysis evaluated that claim using microeconomic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Panel data regressions were conducted to establish whether women are subject to more weeks of unemployment in a year than men and whether this difference represents the influence of direct and indirect (i.e., societal) gender discrimination. After accounting for women’s decisions to drop out of the labor force, the regression output indicates that direct gender discrimination against women may no longer play a significant role in employment outcomes. However, there is evidence that societal pressures continue to encourage women to quit work in response to unemployment more readily than men. These findings speak to the complex gender dynamics that persist in the American labor market despite measures to ensure equal employment opportunities and suggest that unemployment rates alone are insufficient to fully understand those dynamics.

Benjamin Hardy, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Researchers of gratitude have typically discussed gratitude as a one-dimensional construct. Gratitude journaling has been shown to enhance well-being (e.g., Emmons & McCullough, 2003), an inherent characteristic of this method is that frequently there is no clear benefactor identified in its entries. This type of impersonal gratitude has been termed generalized gratitude (Lambert, Graham, & Fincham, 2009). Conversely, benefit-triggered gratitude (Lambert et al.) refers to gratitude felt toward a particular benefactor.

Erin Martin, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences There is a rise in the use of drugs and alcohol in college students across the nation. College students are becoming dependent on drugs long after the books have closed and college students have tossed the caps, turned in their gowns, and received their diplomas. The purpose of the study is to determine at what rate is the use of drugs and alcohol being experimented within college dorm rooms. Furthermore, this study will discover whether a person’s gender plays a role a determining if college students are more likely to experiment with drugs or alcohol, because they live in campus dorms. The method of this study is a survey at Weber State University. I will be looking at two different populations, those who live on campus at Weber State University and those who live off campus. I will survey students living in University Village, those in classrooms and those around campus. When the responses come back, the responses are going to be divided by those who live in the college dorms and those who live off campus. They will be further separated by male and female, in order to determine which group is more likely to experiment with alcohol and drugs. My hypotheses is that Weber State University has a smaller housing option for students than most other universities and being a commuter school, the results will be different from those found in other studies. There might not be a large problem of illegal drug abuse at Weber State University; however, you will see abuse in alcohol and prescription drugs.

Benjamin Hardy, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Informed by I3 theory, three studies examine whether engagement in extradyadic behavior is related to aggressive behaviors. It is hypothesized that extradyadic behavior is related to heightened aggression toward a romantic partner. Study 1 (n=97) tested the relationship between extradyadic behavior and anger and found that acts of extradyadic behavior were related to increased use of anger words when describing a recent transgression of a relationship partner. Study 2 (n=72) tested the relationship between extradyadic behavior and aggressive behavior during an interaction. It was found in Study 2 that reports of extradyadic behavior were linked to hostility, criticism, and frustration expressed to a relationship partner. Study 3 (n=99) longitudinally examined the relationship between extradyadic behavior and aggression, and found that extradyadic behavior at Time 1 predicted aggression toward a relationship partner at Time 2, controlling for initial aggressive behavior. Study 4 (n=473) again longitudinally examined the relationship between extradyadic behavior and aggression using a larger sample and longer time frame of twelve weeks and found that extradyadic behavior at Time 1 predicted aggression toward a relationship partner at Time 2, controlling for initial aggressive behavior.

Benjamin Hardy, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Most approaches to education are done with the teacher giving information to the students, with the teacher having the knowledge and “filling” the empty glasses of the students understanding with knowledge. Although this approach is conventional and has its benefits, a “flipped classroom approach” recognizes the student’s unique abilities and gifts of expounding and teaching aspects of given topics in a synergistic form far beyond what the teacher could do alone. Thus, in a “flipped classroom,” the teacher would give each student assignments to teach as well as using the art of questions to allow the students to become the teachers.

Daniel Simmons, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Too often young citizens (18-29) are ignored or discarded as an unimportant constituency by politicians due to the fact that youth do not vote in a consistent or significant manner. However, when the youth do turnout at the polls, their impact can be significant and can change the dynamics of political campaigning very quickly, as we saw recently with the success of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

Garrett Nagaishi, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Ottobah Cugoano, one of the many black voices from the eighteenth-century Atlantic world, professed that he and millions of other slaves “look for our help and sure deliverance to come from God Most High” (Ottobah Cugoano, Thoughts and Sentiments, 144) Cugoano’s zeal was not unique – many black writers in Europe and the Americas likewise found peace in religious devotion that transcended geographical and cultural boundaries. Yet despite the promises of salvation and peace that religion offered to its followers, slaves were constantly forced to reconcile an uncomfortable reality: that the religion which they literally clung to for dear life was the same faith that their unmerciful masters professed. How were slaves able to come to terms with the blatant shortcomings of religious rhetoric? And for the slave who was not born into Christianity, what kind of connection did he form with his new religion that enabled him to see past the ironies? My paper suggests that the very nature of Christianity presupposed the fallibility of human nature and encouraged the most abject person to rise above adversity with hope in Jesus Christ. For those slaves who were not born into the religion, their close contact and interaction with Christian slaves created a support system among slaves which was based on Christian theology. Furthermore, many slaves crossed the infamous Middle Passage during their infancy and youth, an impressionable period of life, which would have enabled Christianity to more readily appeal to the slave’s psyche. Thus, for many slaves in the eighteenth century, sinful masters and hypocritical evangelists were not seen as a stumbling block to faith; rather, they confirmed the necessity of Christian faith as God’s prescribed method for overcoming an otherwise miserable existence.

Jared Cline, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Our primary purpose was to explore the association between characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)-known as the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP)-and college major choice. The reason this is important is because students with the BAP sometimes have debilitating characteristics similar to ASD, but don’t qualify for academic accommodation. By exploring the relationship between major choice and the BAP prevalence, we may be able to help educate instructors and institutions to be aware of majors with elevated numbers of individuals with the BAP. In turn, we hope this will help allow those individuals to receive needed academic help. Our secondary purpose was to correlate the two separate measures we used to assess the BAP. To assess the BAP we used the well known Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the relatively newer Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ). Because the BAPQ is a relatively new measure with promising preliminary psychometric properties, we decided to further test its convergent validity with the AQ in order to confirm its purported soundness.

Kaylie Carbine, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences There are multiple benefits of physical activity, such as weight maintenance and overall lower rates of morbidity and mortality; however, individuals with sedentary desk-bound jobs may not receive these health benefits due to less time for physical activity. Consequently, an increasing trend in the workplace is for employees to walk on treadmills while working. Although job-related treadmill walking has known health benefits, such as decreasing back pain, alleviating stress, and reducing weight gain, the effect of treadmill walking on cognitive performance is not well known and may affect employee productivity. Our objective was to determine if there are significant behavioral differences in response inhibition (the ability to withhold an overt response) and conflict-related interference between participants walking on a treadmill and sitting controls. Seventy-six neurologically and psychologically healthy individuals were randomly assigned to sitting (n = 39; 17 female) or treadmill walking (n = 37; 23 female) conditions. Participants did not differ significantly in body mass index or overall fitness levels (ps > .20). All participants completed a computerized Go/No-Go and a computerized Eriksen Flanker task. Accuracy and response time data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that there were no significant between-groups differences for individuals walking on a treadmill versus sitting on indices of response inhibition and conflict-related interference (ps > .24). The results suggest that walking on a treadmill does not decrease efficiency in these cognitive tasks and may not impact workplace performance.

Mary Cook, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Traditional western practices in marriage and family therapy rest on a foundation of protecting the union between husband and wife. While relevant methods for couples may be extremely valuable, certain cultural dynamics call for a more family-integrated method to approaching issues in a marriage. This study serves as a person-centered ethnography geared toward understanding the kinship-oriented ideology upon which Hmong women tend to base their decisions to commit to their marriages. One in-depth case study serves as a framework for the evaluation of these factors; supporting evidence is brought in from two other case studies. All three women (one divorced, one separated, and one cohabiting with the husband and second wife) decided to remain committed to polygynous husbands (although in one case, the husband chose to leave) primarily concerning reasons involving their children’s relationships to their clans, ritual practices and ontological foundations of belief. Throughout the course of the interviews, the prevailing notion was that within the traditional Hmong kinship system, children benefit more from remaining in close proximity and emotional contact with the patrilineal clan to promote functional relationships and learn clan-specific ancestral practices. In these cases, the well-being of the children becomes a greater factor in a woman’s decision to remain married to a polygynous husband, as opposed to the relationship between husband and wife. In addition, the concept of karma plays a major role in Hmong women’s beliefs about their station in life and marriage. These culturally grounded influences play a large role in Hmong women’s commitment to marriage and should be incorporated into therapeutic models in addition to more couple-oriented practices.

Robert Bischoff, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Five seasons of excavation by BYU at the ancient Fremont site Wolf Village, located in what is now Goshen Utah, have exposed a large village with many unusual features, foremost of which was the discovery of the largest known Fremont pit structure. Unusually large structures have been interpreted as central gathering places for the community and the locations of intraregional trade fairs. An examination of trade goods (specifically painted pottery, obsidian, and Olivella shell beads) found in this structure compared to the trade goods found in a different residential structure in Wolf Village sheds further light on the nature of communal structures and the nature of exchange among the Fremont, by providing additional evidence of Fremont trade fairs and community architecture.

Grace Hanley, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences The purpose of this study is to examine how engaging in various Eastern practices affects people’s perceptions of their negative experiences and themselves. Yoga is a practice intended to enhance the overall well-being of practitioners through held poses, mindful breathing, and meditation. Yoga (“yuj”), in the original Sanskrit language, means “union,” and explicitly acknowledges the mind-body connection that is at the root of the Eastern practice. This very notion conveys the main theme of this psychological project: that mind-body practice can influence how individuals mentally process and narrate their difficult experiences from the past. Specifically, such practices could result in increased exploration, growth, and positive resolution in such narratives, compared to more neutral conditions. The study is split up into two parts: in the first part, depending on random assignment, subjects are asked to participate in one of four possible 10-15 minute activities: a yoga sequence, an exercise regime, a meditation, or watching a series of neutral pictures. In the second part of the experiment, subjects are asked to recall and narrate three types of life events: two transgressions, two victimizations, and two life turning points. Afterwards, participants are asked to complete several questionnaires about themselves regarding well-being, self-compassion, forgiveness, and interoceptive awareness. After data collection, stories are then coded for instances of emotional exploration, perceived growth, and resolution. It is hypothesized that yoga and meditation conditions will result in increased instances of these constructs as opposed to the physical and mental control conditions.

Keara Moyle, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences This study explores the concept of identity within Ojibwe tribal membership in the context of the controversial requirements that are currently in place. Over the course of the 2013 spring and summer terms I conducted an ethnographic study on the White Earth Indian reservation of Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) under the guidance and mentorship of BYU Anthropology department’s Dr. John Hawkins and Minnesota State University-Moorhead Anthropology department’s Dr. Erik Gooding. White Earth is undergoing major constitutional reforms as they are trying to declare their sovereignty as a tribe, rather than be considered a band under the current Minnesota Chippewa Tribe constitution. If this constitution passes it will have a direct impact on enrollment numbers, as they will do away with the imposed blood quantum requirements and open enrollment to anyone who is a descendant of a member. Under the current blood quantum requirements, an individual must have one-quarter Ojibwe blood to be an enrolled member in the tribe.

Kyle Hill, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Mild walking contributes to improved overall health, maintaining healthy weight, strengthening bones, and lifting mood. As such, there is now an attraction to treadmill desk stations in replacement of traditional desks, allowing individuals to walk while performing office work. However, there is little research determining if treadmill walking would affect attention and working memory abilities. We aimed to determine how working memory and attention would be affected while walking on a treadmill. METHOD: Participants included seventy-six healthy individuals assigned to sitting (n = 39; 17 female) or treadmill walking (n = 37; 23 female) conditions. Participants completed the Paced Auditory Serial Attention Task (PASAT) as a measure of attention and working memory while either walking or sitting. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: A Group x Time ANOVA on PASAT errors showed a main effect of group (p = .03), with those in the treadmill group committing significantly more errors than those in the sitting group on trials two (2.0 seconds) and four (1.2 seconds; ps < .03). The Group x Time interaction overall, however, was not significant (p = .26) as both groups significantly made more errors as the PASAT speed increased (p < .001). DISCUSSION: There were significant overall differences in PASAT performance between participants in sitting and walking groups. Findings suggest treadmill walking may facilitate decreased ability to hold in mind and rapidly process information. Thus, although treadmill desks may have health benefits, performance on speeded and complex attention tasks may be impacted.

Erik Lovell, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences This project reports on an investigation of the social mechanisms that constrain or aid goal formation and work motivation among homeless populations. We utilize theoretical insights from organizational behavior to add to a long tradition of research on the persistence of homelessness. The few studies that do use the goal formation literature to understand homelessness generally focus on individual rather than structural constraints. Our unique contribution is in evaluating work motivation from the perspectives of homeless persons and what they experience as limiting or aiding in formulating and achieving their goals.

Emily Jordison, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Over the last thirty years, millions of dollars in federal funding has been poured into school districts across the nation to promote abstinence among young people. Lawmakers continue to fund abstinence-only education in hundreds of schools, although research has shown that abstinence-based platforms have a lower success rate in reducing teen pregnancies. This study will focus on the opinions of parents residing in Ogden. Currently, Ogden’s teen pregnancy rate is the fourth-highest in the state of Utah. With teens becoming sexually active at an earlier age now than in previous decades, it seems imperative to examine what is being taught in public schools regarding sexual health and how parents feel about it. This study aims to examine the parental attitudes regarding the sexual education being taught in schools in Ogden, Utah to see if the general opinion supports lawmakers’ decisions regarding the sex education policy or if there is a disparity between what parents want and what policy makers have put into place. Sexual education laws in Utah generally lean toward the conservative side; therefore, this study will attempt to broaden the understanding we have regarding how parents feel toward sexual education in schools. Currently, the literature suggests that parents are not happy with the sexual education their children are receiving, noting that it is not as comprehensive as they would prefer (McKay, 1998). A similar survey indicated that parents believe that they, along with health officials, should have more of a say in the sexual education that takes place in schools rather than politicians (Ito, 2006). Further research indicates that local policies overwhelmingly encourage an abstinence-only approach regarding sexual education in schools (Dailard, 2001). This study aims to contribute to the knowledge we have regarding parental attitudes toward the sexual education youth are receiving in schools in Ogden, Utah.

Kyle Haderlie, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Much has been written about the positive and negative influences of parents in sport and the mechanisms through which parents can enhance their involvement within youth sport contexts (e.g., Côté, 1999; Gould et al., 2006; Holt et al., 2009). Parents’ previous sporting experiences or sports knowledge is often identified as a factor that might influence the appropriateness of parental involvement youth sport (Bowker et al., 2006; Holt et al., 2008; Knight & Harwood, 2010). Further, children (and coaches) have indicated that parents’ own sporting experiences might alter the types of feedback or involvement children will actually accept from their parents (Knight et al., 2010; Knight et al., 2011). However, the specific ways in which parent experiences might influence their involvement in their children’s sport is relatively unknown. Developing an understanding of this relationship is necessary as researchers and practitioners aim to better understand the factors that influence positive and negative parental involvement. As such, the purpose of this study was to examine how parents’ previous sporting experiences influence their sport parenting style and practices. Specifically, this study sought to identify the influence of parents’ own experiences in sport (e.g., through their own youth sport participation), their experiences with children in sport (e.g., with older offspring), and their knowledge or understanding of sport (e.g., through education or coaching) on their present involvement. Open-ended survey data were collected from 102 mothers and fathers of children aged 6-18 in the USA, Canada, the UK, and Australia. Study data illuminate patterns of parent experiences that are consistent with authoritative sport parenting styles and adaptive practices (e.g., support), as well as patterns consistent with authoritarian parenting styles and less adaptive practices (e.g., pressure). Data hold the potential to inform both sport and family theory, as well as policy for parent involvement in organized youth sport.

David Anderson, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Purpose

Branden Nuttall, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Relationship Anxiety Test was developed to find a way to measure the level of Anxiety in Latter-day Saint (LDS) college aged individuals who are currently searching for a future companion. Research has suggested that relationship anxiety was higher in individuals who are currently looking for a future spouse. The goal of our test was to measure this anxiety in LDS individuals because it is believed that these individuals are under more pressure to find a spouse. The test was formatted by using a set of questions to measure the anxiety using two domains cognitive, and behavioral. The test was administered using Qualtrics and was distributed through email and Facebook. The results of the test are currently being measured and will be available within the next month.

Cory Pettit, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate how stress affects performance monitoring, specifically the error-related negativity (ERN) component of the event-related potential (ERP). To produce stress, we used the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST), which elicits a stress response confirmed by cortisol measurements. We hypothesized that increased state levels of social stress would increase ERN amplitudes.

Eleanor Golightly, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences This project seeks to better understand the underlying model that motivates parental behaviors. Parents seem to be motivated by an equity constraint, meaning a desire to devote equal amounts of time and money resources at each point in time to each child, even though these children may vary in age and ability. We hope to identify trends in parents who engage in unequal allocations to better understand why such behavior occurs and which children benefit and which are disadvantaged. As growing evidence suggests that happiness is influenced not only by what one has, but also by how much one has in comparison to those around them, this study could give important insight into children happiness. We have compiled data on private school enrollment, a measure of a financial resource that is at times allocated unequally among children in the home, and time spent reading to children. We will perform regression analysis employing fixed effects for this project.

Tammy Zundel, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGID’s) are a family of digestive disorders that affects a patient’s physical, mental and social well-being. Because some patients are forced to eliminate all foods from their diet, many patients miss out on holiday meals, birthday cakes, and other social events. Patients with severe cases may depend on steroids and the strict use of medical nutrition therapy, such as elemental formula. Elemental formula describes a liquid diet that contains all the necessary nutrients for a complete diet made up of proteins broken down into their amino acid form, making it easier for the body to digest and absorb. Though elemental formula literally saves lives and is the most effective treatment used for those who have failed other treatment options, insurance companies are not required to cover its high costs. Families without insurance coverage are left struggling to pay for this prescribed treatment out-of-pocket. The purpose of this mixed methods study is to explore the financial and emotional costs associated with not having access to a prescribed treatment. Data was collected during an in person interview and the administration of a survey containing standard demographic questions related to age, gender, marriage, income, work status, and education level. Also included were closed-ended questions related to the patient’s diagnosis, elemental formula use, and amount of money spent out of pocket for non-covered medical needs. Several open-ended questions focusing on the financial and emotional impact associated with not having access to elemental formula as a prescribed treatment were included. The results will be used to educate health care providers and promote further research into the issue.

Jonathan Latham, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Introduction: Guatemala has been subject to dictatorial regimes, crimes against humanity, civil war, and genocide. There are nearly 30 million people in need of prosthetics worldwide; two percent currently have access to appropriate prosthetic care. To combat this debilitating issue in Guatemala, Utah Valley University’s Mobility Mission (UVU-MM) travels once a year to manufacture high-quality, low-cost prosthetic legs for individuals in need. For two weeks, Julio Fuentes, Certified Prosthetist & Orthotics (CPO) lends his clinic, equipment, time, and expertise to UVU-MM. The goal of this research is to identify patterns, themes, concerns, and trends among amputees to secure their future well-being.

Caitlin Lagasse, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences In many instances, child labor is a way to exploit the cheap labor a child has to offer. Although in many situations, the exploitation of child labor is not normally the case, such as families living in a developing country. What individuals raised in Western cultures fail to realize is that in some nations and for some families, child labor is a necessary resource to survive, children act as an exceptional resource in these situations. Without the extra income a child could make working in the fields, on the street, or the diamond mines, the family would suffer. Families in developing countries do not have the same luxuries that already developed countries can afford. Without the full knowledge of the detrimental effects, developed countries attempt to superimpose child labor restrictions on countries. Western societal norms differ from countries around the world; our parental views of childhood are far from the reality of parents in developing nations. Furthermore, children face difficulties outside the exploitation of labor, such as slavery, prostitution, malnutrition and low educational standards. The dilemma to send their child to school or work is an ongoing daily battle for parents, even though the families are aware that the schools are an ineffective way of educating their children. All of those situations are the reality of the lives of children living in a developing country. Even though, the money that they make on a day’s wage is small, and generally smaller than that of an adult, it is still more money than they would have been able to make on the street, selling drugs or sex trafficking.

Jarrod Call, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Homelessness is a critical issue affecting a wide portion of the population. As municipalities continue to struggle with the implications of homelessness, researchers are interested in gauging prejudicial attitudes toward homeless people. Assessing current attitudes towards homeless people is a critical first step in beginning to enact positive social change to help mitigate the effects of homelessness. Current inventories used for assessing attitudes towards homelessness, particularly the Attitudes Towards Homeless Inventory (ATHI), are outdated and fail to examine behavioral indications of prejudicial attitudes. This study seeks to rectify these shortcomings by creating an enduring, reliable, and valid measure that encompasses both cognitive and behavioral aspects and which will provide consistency for further research. Our inventory, the Evaluation of Attitudes on Homelessness (EAH), consists of 10 items that measure negative cognitions and avoidance behaviors in order to ascertain current prejudicial attitudes. The test was administered online to a convenience sample of 211 participants who responded to items using a six-point Likert scale. Statistical analysis was completed and the reliability and validity of the inventory was assessed. Preliminary results suggest that the EAH inventory is a reliable and valid method for measuring attitudes towards the homeless.

Justin Curtis, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The rise of political Islam, or Islamism, across the Muslim world, since the Islamic Revolution in Iran, continues to mystify researchers. While there has been considerable debate about the causes and effects of this discourse, researchers have been unable to operationalize Islamism. This study serves two main purposes: 1. It serves as a description of the founder of modern political Islam, Ayatollah Khomeini, as a populist and an Islamist and, 2. It provides an operational definition for Islamism based on textual analysis. In the wake of ground-breaking work on populism in Latin America that analyzed political speeches using a holistic grading approach to textual analysis to quantify discourse, this study uses the same technique and adds a new textual analysis method for Islamist discourse. These two quantitative methods serve as the basis for a qualitative analysis of the relationship between populism and political Islam in the speeches and declarations of Ayatollah Khomeini from 1963-1983. This analysis reveals insights into the modern used of Islamism and demystifies its origins by placing it within the ethos of populism.

James Westwood, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expects young adult males to serve a religious mission, and gives young women the same option. Those who choose to serve, do so for two years if male, and 18 months if female. Occasionally, some return home prior to the full term of service due to unforeseen medical, mental health, or adjustment-related issues. Many who return early perceive themselves as failures, ostracized and unfairly judged. This phenomenological study explores the experiences of these young men, gains an understanding from their perspective, and provides helpful insight and understanding to church members, church leaders and clinicians who work with this population.

Patricia Dirks, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences While much research has evaluated depression, metacognition, and automatic thoughts through various measurement techniques and within various disciplines, no research to date has explored the relationship between the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI), Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Negative (ATQ-N), and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Positive (ATQ-P). The purpose of this study is remedy this gap and to examine the relationship and interaction between depression, thoughts, and metacognitive processes, and to assess if these factors are valid and significant predictors for participants’ ability to correctly predict and postdict exam performance. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire that includes the BDI-II, MAI, ATQ-N, and the ATQ-P. Participants will also complete prediction and postdiction questions on introductory psychology exams throughout the semester where they will be asked to first declare the score they predict they will receive on the exam they are about to take, and then state what score they believed they received after having completed the exam but prior to receiving the score from the instructor. The relationship between the accuracy of these pre and post-dictions will be analyzed in relationship to the results of each individual participant determined through the questionnaire data. It is expected that students with moderate to severe depression will be less accurate on performance estimations and participants who score higher in metacognitive awareness will be more accurate in their performance estimations than those with lower scores. We also hypothesize that no relationship will be found between positive/negative automatic thoughts and the accuracy of performance estimations.

Rachel LaForce, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences On an island of 65,000 people, Guernsey’s Housing Control Law offers a two-tiered alternative to the free market system. In an attempt to more closely regulate the growing population of their limited area (approximately 25 square miles), the States of Guernsey implemented the Housing Control Law in the late 1940s. With a provision that allows it to be altered and updated every 10 years, there is a distinct change over time in its original purpose and its contemporary companion. This study is based on information gained by using ethnographic methods during a two month field study in Guernsey. Questions focused on how residents perceived the purpose of the law, and how they believe it achieved those purposes. Results suggest that residents accurately perceive the original purpose of the Housing Control Law as described by the States of Guernsey, hoping to preserve the majority of housing opportunities for the indigenous population. Although their view of the modern implementation is much more varied, most point to the benefits that attracting high net-worth individuals brings to the island’s economy and also justify the use of housing incentives for skilled individuals to fill a labor shortage. Resident perception aligns with the original purpose of the Housing Control Law. With change over time, Guernsey residents understand the necessity to increase economic activity and fill labor shortages which can be provided via housing incentives, especially a two-tiered housing market.

Lyndsey Craig, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The ability for caregivers to read infant cues accurately is important for the development of infant regulatory capacities and attachment formation. Caregivers with insecure attachment representations may misinterpret infant cues and respond inappropriately. Anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment representations were examined with accuracy of interpreting infant engagement and disengagement cues. In an online survey, 112 college students completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised scale and interpreted images of infants’ engagement and disengagement cues. Anxious-ambivalent attachment was negatively correlated with accuracy of interpreting engagement cues. Caregivers with anxious-ambivalent attachment representations may respond inconsistently to their infants and promote the intergenerational transmission of insecure attachment. These results suggest a potential target for education efforts for new parents.

Cassandra Southam, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Recruitment and retention are two of the most salient issues in emergency medical services (EMS) today. The National Association of State and regional EMS leaders, has twice identified recruitment and retention as the most important issues facing rural EMS agencies across the nation. The purpose of this study was to predict how Utah EMS personnel reached a point of wanting to resign using a stress model; value of job, self and other harm, spouse satisfaction, formal support as independent predictor variables. This data was obtained from an IRB approved statewide survey of all EMS personnel during the Spring of 2010. Of the 7,000 current EMS employees, 668 completed the survey, resulting in a 9.5 percent response rate. Results. The linear regression model indicated that the model explained 28 percent of the overall variance. A brief explanation of the findings indicates that all the direct paths were significant at the .05 level. The more they harmed themselves and others, the more they wanted to resign (Beta coefficient of .31). The higher their levels of Past Call-related Stress, the more they wanted to resign (.21). The higher their levels of spouse satisfaction, the more they wanted to resign (.07). The more they found value in their job, the less they wanted to resign ( -.18), And finally, the more they valued formal support from the debriefing team, the less they wanted to resign (-.10). Administrators and agency leaders can use these indicators to intervene when an EMS employee reaches a difficult point from the stresses and hardships of the job. Education, training, and available support can be very useful in preventing trained, experienced, and valued EMS employees from leaving the field. Local EMS directors and policymakers may find the results and study methodology useful toward designing and evaluating programs.

Desirae Wood, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Previous research has suggested that genetic polymorphisms may be correlated with specific behaviors and personality traits. The SLC6A4 gene that codes for the serotonin transporter contains a polymorphism in the promoter region that has been associated with anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders. There have been reports linking SLC6A4 polymorphisms to traits such as neuroticism and harm avoidance (HA), but the relationship to novelty seeking (NS) is unclear. HA and NS are personality traits that have been correlated to some forms of risk taking, including casual sex. This present study was designed to explore a potential link between SLC6A4 polymorphisms in relation to novelty seeking, the frequency of casual sex behavior, and the cognitive assessment of how risky such behavior is. Undergraduate students (n=288) completed the Cloninger Temperament and Character Inventory, the Physical Risk Frequency Inventory, and the Physical Risk Assessment Inventory, and provided cheek swab cell samples for genotyping via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and electrophoresis gel. Ongoing data collection and data analysis will be complete by the end of November.

Conor Fishback, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in recent years has seen the majority of its neighbors fall into some kind of violent conflict. Throughout the Arab Spring and the years following, the Jordan state has been one of stability and peace. One possible reason for the stability of the country could be its level of religious tolerance. One way to look at religious tolerance is to look at the geographic landscape of where the religious buildings are located within the cities of that country. This study analyzed the specific location of Christian churches in relation to Muslim Mosques in five different cities with a significant Christian population. Specific points representing the different faiths were gathered using GPS and then analyzed using GIS software. The geographic situation was analyzed for each structure. Geographic situation in this case referred to Christian churches and their proximity to Muslim Mosques, as well as the number of Muslim mosques and how adjacent they are in relation to the Christian churches. Photographs were taken of every location to determine the level of overshadowing or dominance that was taking place in that specific site. Using GIS, the Christian quarters in each city was analyzed. The majority of the cities, including the Jordanian capital of Amman, showed little or no clustering of mosques in relation to churches as well as little evidence of building dominance by either sect. Only one out of the five cities studied showed serious clustering of mosques around the Christian areas. While this study only analyzed a small part of what makes up a country’s level of religious tolerance, it can be expanded to other countries as well – not only Muslim states that are tolerant to Christianity, but also Christian or Western states and their tolerance to Islam.

Sai Samineni, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Introduction: Salt Lake Peer Court (SLPC) is an alternative program to juvenile justice where Salt Lake School District (SLSD) youth are referred for minor offenses such as truancy, disorderly conduct, fighting, theft, etc… The court is mediated by a panel of high school mentors who act as a jury which questions and mentors the referred youth while adult advisers facilitate court. Restorative justice-based contract requirements are used with many options including community service, attendance tracking, tutoring, counseling, and life skills classes. One major area that remains unaddressed among Peer Court’s disposition options is that of career exploration and college preparation. The intent of this research project is to create a new sustainable option that impedes the cycle of juvenile delinquency in families and increases their ability to stay free of crime by providing youth with tools to gain socioeconomic power through self-direction, goal-setting skills, and discovering their passions.

Chelsea Romney, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Getting adequate sleep is essential for optimal daytime functioning and has implications for both physical and mental health. There are several reasons to believe that social support may influence sleep outcomes. Although certain relationships (e.g., married versus unmarried) have been tied to sleep disturbances, little is known about the association between the quality of one’s overall social network and sleep. Thus, in the present study, we examined how the amount of supportive relationships in an individual’s social network is associated with sleep outcomes.

Chelsey Kenney, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The purpose of this study was to compare the stressors and supportive resources found between Utah emergency medical service personnel who divorced after certification to those who did not divorce.