2014 Abstracts

Chase Jenson, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences In May of 1940 Britain demilitarized the island of Guernsey which created the opportunity for German occupation. Some of the citizens left the island, but those that remained became imprisoned for the next five years. While there is a significant amount of research that is done on the topic of extreme circumstances during World War 2, the archived data of the events and social interactions of the people of Guernsey remains unexplored despite being the only part of Britain under German rule. To address this, final stages of conducting an exploratory study are in progress to discover reasons for resistance and collaboration of the imprisoned island inhabitants by content analysis of secondary data including government records, interviews, and journals.

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.

Anthony Hoffman, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences During World War II, the Germans occupied two places that have often been overlooked in the history books since: Guernsey in the Channel Islands and the nation of Denmark. Both are strikingly similar in terms of World War II history and overall treatment by the Germans. In contrast, both are strikingly dissimilar in terms of reaction to the Germans, treatment of each other, treatment of other minority groups within their own countries, etc. It is the similarity that provides the ability for these two places to be compared, which in turn provides a context for the dissimilarity to be studied within. The bulk of information for this research comes from the written histories about those countries during World War II, as well as available individual and personal accounts within each group such as diaries, histories, memoirs, etc. The framework that will be used for interpreting the dissimilarities will take a psychological/social psychological approach, drawing on works from researchers such as Milgram, Darley, Latane, and Shergill, to name a few. The focus of this research is centered on the following question: why do people in very similar circumstances have drastically different reactions? It is expected that this research will shed more light on the reasons for why one individual or group of people reacts one way under bad circumstances, while another individual or group under the same circumstances reacts differently. A better understanding of this phenomenon can help individuals, groups, and nations know how to best help those suffering in the world both today and in the future.

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.

Morgan Williams, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences My research intends to answer the question, are the youth today more polarized than they were 25 years ago, and does increased polarization in youth attitudes lead to a higher percentage turnout among youth voters. This is an important area to research because elected officials have never been more polarized on both sides of the ideological scale. It is important to examine possible causes for this polarization, one of which is that these elected officials are catering to the attitudes of the emerging youth voters, causing them to take more polarized stances. Polarization in this research will mean that the divide between the two core ideologies, liberal and conservative has grown wider. This will be measured by looking at an individual’s placement on the ideological scale, if they are liberal learning they will be classified and liberal and the same applies for the conservatives. I will then compare these two groups and there stance on certain issues, such as government spending and abortion, overtime to see if the divide has grown larger. I will be using the American National Election Studies data set to look at youth voting patterns and attitudes from the 1988 presidential election until the 2012 presidential election. I will be defining a youth voter as a voter between the age of 18-29, meaning they could have voted in no more than 2 presidential elections. This research will be done in January and February of 2014, therefore the results of this research are not currently available. I hypothesize that the polarization in the youth voting bloc has not grown wider over time, but fluctuated throughout the years. I also hypothesize that years with a higher level of polarization will lead to a higher turnout among the youth.

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.

Helen Jones, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The events of the past often colors how observers interpret current events. Past interaction between two countries sometimes influences current events as well. Recently reported stories concerning United States agents spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel through information provided by Edward Snowden (Cohen, 2013) from his exile in Russia impact three nations. The release of information concerning American actions regarding German chancellor by Russian exile Edward Snowden could be a link between current events and the trust issues of the past. The relationship between the United States and Germany could resolve in time because people are aware of the issue. The relationship between Germany and Russia relative to the information Snowden provided could also be difficult as Germany evaluates whether it can trust Russian leaders who granted Snowden exile. The interaction between German and Russian leaders prior to and during World War II had a trust issue. The pact between Germany and Russia in 1939 was an attempt to keep the battle focused on one front for the Nazis. For Russian leader, Josef Stalin, the pact was a way to delay Russian force deployment in the event of world war. The Nazi invasion of Russia in June 1941 violated the trust Josef Stalin placed in the pact signed with Adolph Hitler. This misplaced trust blurred the vision of the Russian leader when advised of the Nazi presence on the western Russian border. Russia had many resources Hitler wanted bad enough to break the treaty with Stalin. The experience between Germany and Russia during World War II illustrate how important trust becomes between countries, leaders, and people. Tom Cohen, “Top Senator: Obama didn’t know of U.S. spying on German’s leader,” CNN, October 29, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/28/politics/white-house-stopped-wiretaps/ (accessed 10-30-2013).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lucas Lloyd, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences The high cost of air quality monitoring stations makes it difficult for citizens or local governments to monitor air quality in their own neighborhoods. For example, Utah County, Utah, with an area of 2141 mi2, has only four air-quality monitoring stations: (1) north Provo close to both Provo High School and Brigham Young University (2) Spanish Fork Airport (3) near State Street in Lindon (4) just south of SR-92 on 6000 W in Highland. The air-quality stations monitor levels of CO, NO2, O3, PM-2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns), and PM-10. The objective of this study is to find a much cheaper method of measuring air quality. The objective was addressed by measuring the magnetic susceptibilities of 10 replicates each of the leaves of 12 species of trees (cypress, crab apple, elm, flowering pear, green ash, honey locust, linden, Norway maple, pine, red maple, Russian olive, spruce) collected within a two-mile radius of each of the four air-quality monitoring stations in Utah County. After air-drying and crushing the samples, both low-frequency (0.46 kHz) and high-frequency (4.6 kHz) magnetic susceptibilities were measured with the Bartington MS3 Magnetic Susceptibility Meter. The best correlations between tree leaf magnetic susceptibilities and air-quality parameters were between the three-year average of PM-2.5 and the high-frequency magnetic susceptibility of leaves of pine (Pinus aristata) (R2 = 0.87) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) (R2 = 0.86). The correlation was used with measured high-frequency magnetic susceptibilities of pine to estimate PM-2.5 in two unmonitored locations heavily impacted by highway traffic (corner of 800 N and I-15 and corner of University Parkway and I-15, both in Orem, Utah) on one day in August 2013. It was found that estimated levels of PM-2.5 were 9.5 µg/cm3 and 8.9 µg/cm3, respectively, which were within the EPA PM-2.5 Standard of 12.0 µg/cm3.

Benjamin Pound, Utah State University Physical Sciences Carbon Nanotube (CNT) Forests are vertically grown carbon nanotubes. They can be as tall as millimeters, with radii from less than one nanometer (single-walled) to tens of nanometers (multi-walled). Their high surface area to volume ratio provides a unique material system for biosensor applications. However, the CNT surface does not provide covalent bonding sites to many antibodies of interest. One approach is to attach linker molecules with aromatic rings via π-stacking to the CNT surface and activating the linker molecules to bind covalently to specific antibody molecules. Unfortunately, the conventional solution-based functionalization approach often leads to collapse of the CNT forest and hence a significant loss of binding sites. In this presentation we demonstrate that CNTs can be lithographically defined to form various structures that are resistant to liquid-induced collapse. We show that the CNT forest can be functionalized with 1,5-diaminonaphthalene as a linker molecule and its coverage can be characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy.

Buchanan Kerswell, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences This project is designed to investigate anthropogenic impacts on the geochemistry and physical characteristics of Utah Lake-Jordan River transition zone, in Utah Valley, Utah. The zone has experienced dramatic, multifaceted shifts since European settlement in 1847, especially in recent decades. Our chosen study location is uniquely situated to capture changes recorded in the sediment cores due to land use, nutrient enrichment, vegetation shifts and river dynamics since pre-settlement.

Nathaniel Wells, Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Previous research with bottle-shaped thermoacoustic prime movers has revealed hysteresis with transitions to higher modes as the cavity length is varied. A string with an abrupt change in mass density was studied to investigate potentially similar behavior. Three base guitar strings were studied at three different tensions with weights of 25, 30, and 35 lbs. Each string consisted of a “thin side” that was stripped to the stainless steel core and a “thick side” with an outer wrapping of nickel around the core. The strings studied had diameters of 0.65, 0.45, and 0.50 mm on the thin side and 2.14, 1.31, and 1.24 mm on the thick side, respectively. An anchor was attached on one end of a short board with a pulley at the other for hanging the weight. The end of the thick side of the string was attached to the anchor, and the string was guided over the pulley, with the change in mass density occurring approximately 12 cm from the pulley. Measurements were taken after placing a glass jar under the thick end of the string, between 42 cm and the position of the change in mass density, in 3-cm steps. The string was plucked and the dominant frequency was recorded with a microphone at each location. Frequency data is generally consistent with a solution to a 1D wave equation. Preliminary results indicate mode transitions occurring for all strings, with several hysteresis region candidates.

Bruce Chiarelli, Brigham Young University Mathematical Sciences A Gallai coloring of the complete graph on n vertices is an edge coloring such that no triangle has edges of three different colors.

Samantha Smiley, Brigham Young University Mathematical Sciences Dementia is a clinical syndrome characterized by an overall loss of cognitive ability. There are multiple forms of dementia with various causes and various impacts on the suffering individuals. Accurate diagnosis is essential to effective intervention and treatment. Currently, clinicians lack a biological marker that definitively distinguishes the different forms of dementia. Hence, they rely on physical exams, neuropsychological tests, and patient report to provide a diagnosis. Recent advances in brain imaging make it possible to obtain detailed maps of brain activity, which in turn may offer insight into many conditions such as dementia. Developing a predictive model from patient data, including brain scans, would greatly enhance the ability of clinicians to provide accurate diagnosis, and hence appropriate treatment, to their patients. Doing so, however, is not trivial as patient data is heterogeneously and non-uniformly distributed across sites, where some sites have far more data than others and calibration varies among scanners used. We report on the development of novel predictive models based on distributed learning for the effective diagnosis of dementia.

Steffan Larsen, Brigham Young University Mathematical Sciences The popularity of metamaterials has exploded with in the last decade. Metamaterials are materials that exhibit interesting properties not found in nature; one of the most widely known features being a negative refractive index. Metamaterials are composites different types of materials that give them their interesting properties. In addition to being composed of several element types, metamaterials also contain certain inclusions that influence their electromagnetic properties. Among these are space filling curves. Space filling curves are curves that are entirely contained within a specific area and yet can become infinitely long. In my research I investigated the properties of space filling curves and their application/benefit to the research surrounding metamaterials, specifically metamaterial antennas.

Brennon Bauer, Southern Utah University Mathematical Sciences We study the Lotka-Volterra competition model. This model can be applied to Math Biology. We propose a Semi-Implicit numerical scheme, which guarantees that the populations are always positive. Also we prove that the numerical scheme is uniquely solvable, and is unconditionally stable.

Ariel Herbert-Voss, University of Utah Mathematical Sciences A typical problem in numerical analysis is finding a smooth interpolation of a given data set such that information at extended positions can be evaluated. When extended to higher dimensions, there are few such algorithms available for practical use. Drawing from techniques used in geometric modeling we developed a practical algorithm with improved complexity by implementing the techniques in a query model as part of a MATLAB software package. From initial input data the algorithm builds a d-dimensional cell complex using Delaunay triangulation. Each cell has an associated interpolation function that satisfies Lipschitz continuity for each new point. During query time the user specifies a query point and the algorithm returns the interpolated function value. To reduce complexity related to point location within the cell complex, we implemented a binary tree search based on hyperplane decision criteria. Efficiency analysis completed using benchmark data sets indicated that the decision tree algorithm improved the efficiency from O(N) to O(N log N). This algorithm is the first of its kind that can be used on actual data sets and is the first implemented as a MATLAB package.

Nirdosh Chapagain, Brigham Young University Mathematical Sciences Rainbow is an optical phenomenon created by reflection and refraction of light at the boundaries of water droplets. Descartes was the first to provide a geometric explanation for the optics of the rainbow. We use Descartes’ method to examine if rainbow effect is possible with metamaterial droplets. Metamaterials are artificial materials whose permittivity and permeability can be simultaneously negative hence, giving them negative index of refraction for certain frequencies. The recent extraordinary level of output in the field of metamaterials has resulted in examinations of applications of these substances to a variety of fields, including the arrow of time and cloaking. Many applications of metamaterials can create physical effects that were previously assumed impossible. In this study we have considered that our hypothetical droplet has negative refractive index for visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum. We also examine the effect of using composite metamaterial droplets.

Ammon Washburn, Brigham Young University Mathematical Sciences In many problems with seepage flow, there are non-linear problems that don’t have an easy analytical solution. There is already good research on what can be done in certain situations with these problems. I will present on numerical methods that have been proven to solve certain conditions and then present other solutions for similar problems where the numerical method isn’t so readily available in past research. I will implement the algorithms and compare results.

Emma Penrod, Brigham Young University Communications A newspaper is the catalog of a community’s past. I spent about three years researching the impact of industrialization on Tooele from a variety of angles, primarily by reading archived newspapers from 1905 to 1970. During this time, I also collected and scanned nearly 200 original photographs. Industrialization came to Tooele in force in 1908, with the construction on the International Smelter and the Tooele Valley Railroad. Prior to the railroad and the smelter, Tooele was a small, predominantly Mormon community with an agrarian economy. Construction of the railroad, the smelter, and several affiliated projects could have employed 72 percent of every man, woman and child living in Tooele City in the early 1900s. An influx of immigrants changed the social landscape dramatically, reshaping Tooele as one of Utah’s most diverse communities. Through the early 1900s, conflict between the original Mormon settlers and the transplants embroiled the community in something of a perpetual identity crisis. Temporarily, a sort of physical segregation solved the problem-Mormons lived west of Main Street, and the immigrants set up shop east of Main Street. But it wouldn’t be long before the Tooele newspapers came to accept the newcomers and the advertising revenue they had to offer. The Great Depression and football, of all things, finally brought the community back together, and throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the immigrant families were invited to fly their native colors at important community events that celebrated Tooele’s heritage.

Sydney Tycksen, Utah Valley University Communications An award winning research project, this summary highlights research conducted by Communication students at Utah Valley University of a grassroots public relations campaign created to increase awareness among middle school students, parents, educators, and community leaders of the serious short and long term consequences of youth bullying. The study also demonstrates how the campaign informed audiences of the steps they should take to help prevent bullying. The goal of the research was to understand the short-and-long term effects of bullying, types of bullying, and the prominence of bullying in the surrounding community where the research was conducted. A public relations strategic communication plan was developed based on the research to change bullying behavior in the community. The campaign aimed to spread awareness of the short and long term effects of bullying and outline the steps to report and prevent bullying through the development of strategies and tactics. These steps help students, parents, educators, and community members understand bullying, recognize the signs and types, and know the appropriate authority to whom to report the behavior. This presentation will show how the research provided the students with the information needed to establish measureable objectives for the campaign, reach their key publics and provide an evaluation of the strategies and tactics used to meet campaign objectives. The document reviews the outcome and evaluation of each strategy and tactic implemented during the campaign, including media relations and social media tactics, The summary concludes with an overview of how campaign objectives of teaching key publics how to take steps to prevent bullying were achieved due to thorough research and understanding of how to effectively use messaging to generate behavior changes within the key public.

Emma Josey, Dixie State University Communications Romance novels seem to be a staple in the devoted reader’s array of books and have remained an extremely popular genre throughout the centuries. Not only are the actual stories appealing to the readers, but some readers go a step further and interact with or create a relationship with characters themselves. A phenomenon called parasocial interaction. This research study seeks to discover if the parasocial interactions female romance novel readers experience relate to a practice of a particular attachment style and jealousy in their romantic relationships. These characteristics are important to the health and sustainability of people’s romantic relationships, and this study seeks to learn whether or not the quasi relationships romance novel readers create with characters influences those relationships.

Indigo Klabanoff, Dixie State University Communications With globalization and the minority population changing, it is extremely important to learn the real statistics that are out there when it comes to single parenting. The most important thing though, is to figure out is which communication styles work in healthy communication, with single parent families.

Michelle Fordham, Utah Valley University Education A Family Write Night is an opportunity for teachers, students, and parents to come together to learn about the different stages of writing development and what writing does for the student at any level. Since writing will strengthen and enhance the student in other literacy skills and knowledge, bringing these students and families together in a friendly, casual atmosphere to provide enjoyable, non-assessed activities builds confidence in a writer’s sense of who they are, their voices as writers, as well as developing critical thinking skills. Parent and family involvement is a key component of this activity. Having families, students, and teachers working together to encourage writing at home builds strong family bonds while strengthening writing skills.

Chelsey Funk, Utah State University Education High school English as a Second Language (ESL) students often feel separated from their schools and communities. These feelings of separation can lead to low engagement and low achievement despite the students’ desire to do well in school. One method used to counter low engagement in mainstream classes is service learning, but there is little research on service learning with ESL students. In this study, an existing group of 9th grade ESL students was taught and observed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of using service-learning methods. The project endeavored to tie academic work to community involvement and therefore increase student engagement and academic confidence. Throughout the implementation of the service-learning project, students displayed increased classroom involvement and reported improvements in attitudes and self-assurance. The methods and procedures described in this study can be adapted to larger class sizes and a variety of projects in order to increase engagement and academic confidence in ESL students.

John Lorz, Utah Valley University Education How about a 20% increase in the class average on the mid-term exam compared with the previous two academic years of the same course? In this session two students share their experiences as (newly piloted) peer mentors in a low-performing, upper division genetics class. Student attitudes towards genetics improved and both mid-term and final grades increased by double-digit percentages. Not only did these peer mentors increase student success, but also experienced a personal developmental opportunity in preparation for graduate school, including this conference presentation and an anticipated peer-reviewed publication to follow.

Stone Samantha, Utah State University Education The present study investigated language growth over the course of 3 years for 50 Spanish-English Bilingual children who were learning English as their second language. Children were asked to retell a story in English and in Spanish at 6 time points (before and after Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades). The stories were transcribed and utterances were coded as to whether they contained mazing behaviors such as revisions, false starts and corrections and also coded for the level of syntactic complexity (simple or complex) they contained. Simple sentences contained one main verb, and complex sentences contained two or more main verbs. The presence of mazing is thought to indicate hesitation or difficulty in lexical retrieval and might be expected to occur more in complex than simple sentences. Further, we hypothesized that children would evidence more mazing behaviors in their non-native language (English) than their native language (Spanish). Ultimately, we theorized that children’s use of mazes in English would decrease over time, as they became more proficient in their second language (English). Some of the children were receiving instruction in schools classified as “English Immersion” models, and others were in schools that incorporated a “Transitional” approach to instruction. Results are discussed in terms of current theoretical models of bilingual language acquisition and variations in outcomes as a function of current instructional models.

Skylar Larsen, Utah Valley University Education In science education, greater learning gains have been associated with engaged learning strategies over traditional lecture formats. This approach facilitates development of higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS; critical thinking and application of knowledge) which are not only imperative for all successful scientists but necessary for every citizen functioning in our society. Development of these HOCS, however, is not accomplished in some classrooms due to lack of alignment of learning objectives and evaluation, or lack of assessment of these skills entirely. Specifically, we asked how do learning goals and objectives align with assessments, and are learning gains on HOCS better achieved by students in more aligned classrooms tested with higher-cognitive level assessments?