2020 Abstracts

Richardson, Harriet (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: George, Daniel (Brigham Young University, Photography)

I am a Utah woman studying photography, and therefore many of my subjects are also Utah women. As I have gotten to research, interact with, and create art with so many unique women, I have come to learn of their stories and experiences. Woman are not only beautiful, but strong and capable beyond comprehension. In my little corner of Utah, many people come and go and presence can be fleeting. Despite this, the similarity between all these women, including myself, is that no matter how much or how little time we spend here, Utah becomes a part of our story and our womanhood. What we learn here, who we meet here, what we create here comes together to enhance us as individuals and the community as a whole. Whether it be through politics, arts, family, or just general life experience – being a Utah women sticks with us and our stories.

Sommers, Taryn; Veon, Raymond (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Veon, Raymond (Caine College of the Arts, Art and Design Department)

A literature search of research and academic journals suggests that there are few critical examinations of LDS visual culture in visual culture research. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the types of gender roles portrayed in contemporary LDS visual culture, the visual codes used to represent these gender roles, and the degree to which the representations of gender used in LDS visual culture align with findings in related visual culture studies. The result of this study will be a description of the current visual strategies used by the LDS church to represent gender roles, a thematic analysis of these visual strategies, and suggestions for future research into the ways that the LDS church visually defines gender in relation to existing trends and themes in visual culture research. The scope will include: “Mormon Ads,” images used in the LDS magazine, “Ensign,” and conference memes used during the years 2016-2019. This will contribute to the field of visual culture and gender studies by examining the visual codes used by the LDS church to portray the role and status of males and females as represented in current LDS visual culture, determining the strategies used in these representations, and discussing the potential research implications of these findings in light of themes in visual culture gender studies. Some research questions are: What visual codes are used in the representation of males, females, and mixed-sex groups in current LDS visual culture? What types of roles and status do these visual codes convey pertaining to the representation of males, females, and mixed-sex groups in current LDS visual culture? What extent do the results of investigating the above research questions align with other research findings in gender and visual culture studies? The methods used in this research will be 1) an inventory of discrete visual codes (e.g. color use, affect/expression, clothing/dress, setting, etc.) used in the LDS visual culture samples, and 2) a separate thematic analysis of the sample will also be conducted. The results of both methods will be compared, analyzed, and discussed in light of current trends in visual culture gender research. While the results of this research are expected to demonstrate that LDS visual culture will emphasize and reinforce traditional gender roles of females as mothers and homemakers and males as leaders and providers, it is hoped that this study will reveal strategies related to gender role representation unique to LDS culture.

Larsen Gibby, Ashley; Crockett, Kaelie (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Larsen Gibby, Ashley (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life)

Past research has found a strong association between sibling characteristics and academic achievement, but very few studies have considered the impact of adoption. Family theories, such as resource dilution, stress, and compensation theories, suggest that adoption may negatively impact biological children's educational outcomes by reducing the resources available to these children and introducing stress and complexity into their family. However, despite its likely importance, no representative studies have investigated the impact of adoption on biological children, to our knowledge. Using the American Community Survey Data from 2013-2017, we test the relationship between having an adopted sibling and being held back in school among 1,684,608 biological children. We use logistic regression and included several child and household characteristics as controls. We find that having an adopted sibling is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being held back but that this association is almost entirely explained by family size and socioeconomic status. Therefore, we conclude that although our findings suggest a negative impact of having an adopted sibling on non-adopted children, this impact may actually be capturing differences in socio-economic status, rather than adoption itself. Further investigations of the differences among children with or without adopted siblings are needed to understand the associated classed nuances.

Reschke, Peter; Clayton, Colter; McLean, Ryan; Cordon, Hallie (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Reschke, Peter (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; School of Family Life)

Recent research has demonstrated that context plays a significant role in categorizing facial expressions of emotion (Aviezer et al., 2008). However, it is unclear which aspects of "context" drive this phenomenon. The current study sought to tease apart two unique sources of context (posture and background scene) using a fully crossed design with 6 emotions (Anger, Disgust, Fear, Sadness, Joy, and Neutral) expressed using 3 modalities (Face, Posture, Background Scene) featuring 48 different actors from 4 racial/ethnic background (Asian, Black, Hispanic, White). Seventy-two participants (Mage = 20.28, SD = 2.18, 48 female, 30 male) each viewed 216 randomly selected Face-Posture-Scene composites and were asked to select from a list an emotion that best described what the person in the image was feeling. Participants' categorizations matching the face (i.e., accuracy) were analyzed using a full factorial repeated measures Generalized Linear Mixed Model with face emotion, posture emotion, and scene emotion as factors. There were significant main effects of face emotion, F(4, 9968) = 89.602, p < .001, and posture emotion, F(5, 11574) = 34.830, p < .001, as well as significant interactions of Face Emotion X Posture Emotion, F(20, 12380) = 41.454, p < .001, and Face Emotion X Scene Emotion, F(20, 13682) = 8.066, p < .001. Post hoc analyses of the Face Emotion X Posture Emotion interaction indicated that certain face-posture combinations, such as disgust-anger and joy-anger, resulted in complete changes in emotion perception, with categorizations overwhelmingly matching the posture instead of the face. Taken together, these results suggest that face and posture play individual and interactional roles in emotion perception. Implications for theories on emotion and emotion perception will be discussed.

Hunter, Jacob; Wood, Elizabeth; Jarman, Parker; Lindell, Stephen; Schwandt, Melanie; Goldman, David; Suomi, Stephen; Barr, Christina; Higley, James (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Higley, James (Family Home and Social Sciences, Plant and Wildlife Sciences)

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are commonly used as a translational model to investigate human behavior and biology, largely due to shared evolutionary history and genetic similarities. Within rhesus monkeys, there are two distinct subgroups: Indian-derived and Chinese-derived monkeys. It is surprising that research has not compared the behavioral differences in these two subgroups. While there are anecdotal reports indicating that the Chinese-derived monkeys exhibit more aggression than the Indian-derived population, the only studies to investigate differences between them investigated infants, a limitation as infants rarely exhibit significant levels of aggression. This study investigates the relationship between DCA and several behavioral measures of aggression in adult subjects. We hypothesize that rhesus monkeys with higher DCA would exhibit more aggression than monkeys with lower DCA. The subjects were n = 130 adult female rhesus monkeys, housed in indoor-outdoor runs at the National Institutes of Health Animal Center, located in Poolesville, Maryland. Observations were made while the subjects were in their home cages, using five-minute focal observations, twice weekly for six months by trained staff. Subjects were behaviorally scored for a variety of behaviors that reflect rhesus monkey aggression. DCA was determined using genealogical data tracing each subject's ancestry back to the colony's founding in the 1940s. Based on the pedigree, the subjects were divided into pure Chinese-derived, pure Indian-derived, or hybrids. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that 100% Chinese monkeys exhibited higher rates of aggression (F(2,125) = 14.02, p < .0001), when compared to the Indian-derived or hybrid monkeys. These results suggest that, consistent with anecdotal reports, monkeys with 100% DCA exhibit higher levels of aggression than Indian-derived or hybrid subjects. Aggression may have played a pivotal role in the evolutionary success of the Chinese rhesus, allowing them to cross the Himalayas, disperse throughout China, establish territory, and successfully compete with other species.

Schiek, Haley; Thompson, Audrey; Rugo, Kelsi (Westminster College)
Faculty Advisor: Rugo, Kelsi (Westminster College, Psychology)

Background. College students face a myriad of well-documented mental health issues, including anxiety (American College Health Association, 2018), depression (Ibrahim et al., 2013), and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (Yozwiak et al., 2012). Many of these mental health issues are laden with negative social stigma and go untreated (Corrigan & Kosyluk, 2013). While most college campuses offer free mental health resources for students, a striking number of college students are unaware of resources available on their campus (Michaels et al., 2015).

Research Aims. The Abnormal Psychology class at Westminster College hosts Wellness Screening Days (WSD) on campus once per semester to provide outreach, psychoeducation, and resources for students struggling with mental health issues in the campus community. In the near future, we plan to submit an IRB application to formally collect data at WSDs with the primary aim of increasing mental wellness on our campus.

Methods. At each Wellness Screening Day, Abnormal Psychology students erect tables at 2-3 highly trafficked locations on campus. WSD banners, balloons, and free snacks are placed around the screening area to draw student interest. Abnormal Psychology students are stationed near each table to assist their peers in completing, scoring, and interpreting their wellness screener. Wellness screeners are then returned to each student with a full page of resources printed on the back for students to utilize, if desired. Additionally, mental health professionals are stationed at each table for further support.

Discussion. We are proposing a poster to present our idea to turn the Wellness Screening Day into an IRB-approved research project on our campus at UCUR 2019 in order to garner scholarly feedback from colleagues in attendance. In particular, we plan to engage other professionals in discussions on (1) prioritization of constructs to screen, (2) risk management considerations, and (3) innovative ideas for institutional collaboration. We believe UCUR 2019 will offer a unique opportunity for us to interface with other professionals in the field to refine our research methodology.

Implications. Using the Wellness Screening Day to identify, connect, and track at-risk students on our campus has the potential to decrease negative mental health stigma in our campus community, improve mental wellness of our student body, and increase awareness of free mental health resources available on campus.

Coy, Rachel; Macfarlan, Shane J. (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Macfarlan, Shane (University of Utah, Anthropology)

United States war veterans suffer from a variety of negative outcomes, including suicide and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These negative outcomes may be due in part to how modern militaries treat moral trauma associated with war — as a transaction leaving warriors with minimal psycho-social support. Scholars have noted many cultures employ post-combat rituals to help reintegrate war veterans back to civilian life and these may be designed to treat PTSD specifically; however, none have ever systematically tested this. We test the hypothesis that post-combat rituals function to mitigate war-induced PTSD by extracting data from the electronic Human Relations Area Files, a repository of digitized ethnographic materials spanning 300 world cultures that are fully searchable by keywords, in conjunction with diagnostic criteria used in the DSM-5. Consistent with diagnostic criteria for PTSD, our analyses reveal that seclusion and sexual abstinence were frequent post-combat rituals (40% and 37.5%, respectively). Interestingly, we find a high prevalence of warrior contamination beliefs following war (80% of cultures). Strangely, food taboos were the most prevalent (42.5%) ritual yet were not represented in the DSM-5 PTSD criteria; this could be explained by comorbid depression affecting warrior's appetites and will be important in future work. These findings were consistent with the view that some war rituals are designed to treat PTSD. However, it appears some rituals have nothing to do with it. This suggests that war rituals may have another purpose such as warriors gaining cultural rewards to help with the transition back to civilian life. I highlight the importance of these findings as 1) an alternative treatment option for veterans suffering from PTSD and 2) as a therapeutic mechanism for reintegrating U.S. soldiers back to civilian life.

Green, McKay (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Smith-Johnson, Amber (Utah Valley University, English)

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that "Six in ten adults in the U.S. have a chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more" ("About Chronic Diseases," n.d.). This means that over half the U.S. population is trying to manage a chronic illness with their daily tasks. Those with chronic illnesses start with a shorter supply of energy. They are forced to focus solely on the basic necessities while ignoring the majority of their desires, since they do not have the energy. Because of this, they face serious problems when they put off managing their symptoms to manage society's perceptions instead. My main research question is this: "Are those with chronic illness essentially (mis)managing their illness due to the perceptions of society? And if so, how do we change this problem?" The impact of perception on chronic illness management has not been studied adequately. However, in spite of the paucity of research, I have confirmed through my own primary and secondary research that many with chronic illnesses abandon their required treatment regimens in favor of perception management. Society has this image of disability that is very appearance driven — wheelchair, crutches, etc. And because the vast majority of those with chronic illnesses appear outwardly healthy, they are expected to actually be healthy and function like everyone. In this process they typically push themselves too far and cause debilitating and painful flare-ups. Studies have shown that if those with chronic illness have hope for a productive life, their illness is easier to manage. This hope is best nourished by focusing on treatment management instead of perception management. The goal of my research is to introduce hope into the lives of those with chronic illnesses so that they can manage their symptoms instead of society's perceptions.

Sassra Dobson; Loren Larsen; Matthew Tidwell; Chris Anderson Ph.D.; Ron Hammond Ph.D. (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Hammon, Ron (Utah Valley University, Behavioral Science: Sociology)

This UVU IRB approved study (Control #35) included a UVU IRI randomly selected sample of 9,999 UVU Graduates 2014-2018, solicited via email with a link to an online Qualtrics survey. Results yielded 668 completed surveys of married respondents. The standard Gottman's "4 Horsemen of Divorce" Questions were used to create a summative scale of their divorce risk (Range 0-28). The low and high Quartile Groups were analyzed via: Frequencies, Correlations, Independent T-Tests, & Multiple Regression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how ADHD and other marital quality issues influence higher levels of Gottman's divorce Risk levels among married UVU Graduates. This was evaluated with 21 bivariate correlations between extended family interference and other marital quality measures. It was also evaluated with 37 Independent Sample T-Tests comparisons between Low Quartile (N=143) and High Quartile (N=157) Gottman's Four Horsemen of Divorce Scale (G4HDS) Groups. Finally a Predictive Multiple Regression Model was developed. Results from analyses indicated that at the <= .05 significance level: 20 out of 21 correlations were better for those with higher extended family interference; 32 out of 37 T-Test were better for the Low G4HDS Quartile Group; and the Regression Model was able to identify 4 of the 5 independent variables which predicted higher Gottman Divorce Risks. The somewhat unexpected influence of extended family interference is also discussed.

Dinehart, Claire; Alvord, Margaret; Holdeman, Alexis (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Kamimura, Akiko (University of Utah, Sociology)

Previous studies suggest uninsured individuals in poverty not only experience higher levels of stress than the general public, but also often have a hard time seeking positive coping strategies. If the exposure to an unsafe environment is prolonged, the individual is subsequently exposed to chronic stress as a result of their constant safety concerns. Yet, little is known how home environmental issues affect stress levels among underserved populations. The purpose of this research project is to examine the association between household environmental safety and stress among uninsured primary care patients who live in poverty. Data have been collected from patients of the Maliheh Free Clinic in Salt Lake City using a self-administered survey in Fall 2019. As of October 14, 2019, 195 patients participated in the survey. The preliminary results suggest that while higher levels of concerns about indoor air pollution, lead exposure, pesticide contamination, and water contamination were associated with higher levels of perceived stress, concerns about mold were not related to stress. None of the demographic characteristics such as educational attainment and marital status affected the association between environmental concerns and perceived stress levels. Identifying these stress-related household environmental safety concerns provides a basis from which stress-reducing interventions can be launched. Remedying household environmental issues can range from simple changes, like proper chemical storage, to large scale remodeling projects, like lead abatement. Providing education about household environmental safety and information about local resources to free clinic patients is the first step towards improving stress conditions in at-risk populations.

Caldwell-Gehring, Kailey (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Haug, Jordan (Brigham Young University, Anthropology)

My research focuses on how young adult men and women are interacting and participating in institutionalized religious and educational settings in Utah Valley. Men and women in these settings choose to interact with authority and participation differently when in situations with historical precedence for a higher concentration of male voices, views and interpretations. This research focuses on not only the amount of participation, but also the type of interaction that men and women choose to engage in as part of these institutional settings. The focus on how male and female participation varies is necessary in order to value and give space to the ideas and voices of those who interact in these institutional spaces. Through ethnographic research methods including participant observation and interviewing, I was able to research this topic. I attended religious and educational events in Utah Valley and focused on types of participation (comments vs questions, prefacing comments, use of and appeal to authority, and many others). The general trends that I found reflect the division in passive versus active participation between men and women in these situations. Within my research. men are far more likely to engage in independent thought, comments and interpretation while women are more often participating by volunteering to read or answering direct questions. When a woman is in a position of authority both men and women are more likely to engage in more personal participation and involvement than they do when a man is in a position of authority. My research on gender and participation within institutional spaces for young adults in Utah Valley focuses on how men and women are participating in these areas and how that kind of space can be more balanced in gender based interaction.

Downey, Haylee; Odum, Amy; Haynes, Jeremy; Galizio, Annie (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Odum, Amy (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Psychology Department)

Impulsivity has been associated with a wide range of poor health behaviors including substance abuse and unhealthy eating. Delay discounting, the tendency for more remote outcomes to be devalued, has been used as a measure of impulsivity. Delay discounting is often measured by asking individuals to choose several times between smaller sooner outcomes and larger later outcomes. In delay discounting, the domain effect refers to the tendency for different outcomes to be discounted at different levels (e.g., people tend to be more impulsive about food, alcohol, and entertainment than money). Thus, some researchers have suggested that the different rates of delay discounting for different outcomes reflect different processes (i.e., delay discounting for different outcomes is not necessarily correlated for individuals). Others suggest that delay discounting is a trait. If delay discounting is trait-like, we would expect that individuals who are more impulsive about money are also more impulsive about food, drugs, and other outcomes (i.e., individual degree of delay discounting is correlated for different outcomes). We examined 53 studies using systematic review techniques to examine delay discounting of different outcomes. For the 29 studies included in Analysis 1, we found evidence to support that delay discounting is a trait. Out of the 86 correlations we examined, 83 showed non-zero, positive correlation between delay discounting of money and delay discounting of an alternative outcome. For the 28 studies included in Analysis 2, we also found support for the domain effect, a state influence: discounting of money was lower than discounting of alternative outcomes in most comparisons. In conclusion, delay discounting appears to be a generalizable, unified process, involving both state and trait influences, thus demonstrating its potential as a behavioral intervention target.

Roy, Taylor; Nguyen, Richard; Moffitt, Drew; Bonsrah, Dicken; Fannin, Austin; Yirenya Tawiah, Daniel (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: O'Grady, Kari (Brigham Young University, Psychology)

Outline:
- Anticipating a cosmology episode
- Sense-losing in different levels of trauma
- Outcomes of certain sense-losing methods
Abstract: With significant life-changing events occurring throughout the world on a daily basis--on an individual, societal or organizational level--BYU's Organizational Psychology and Societal Resilience Lab studied the aspects concerning how people have prepared for and maneuver their way through losing a sense of their identity, beliefs, and relationships following a traumatic event. Using O'Grady & Orton's model (2016), we explored different ways that individuals anticipate a cosmological episode and how they react in the sense-losing process. Using 40 interviews with employees from the organization HEALAfrica, we attempted to outline possible methods of sense-losing used by these individuals to attempt to cope with the traumatic event on losing their beloved Co-Founder, Lyn Lusi, who was deemed a mother figure to the organization. We discovered that there are two broad categories of sense-losing that play a factor in how these individuals lose sense of this traumatic event--whether it is on the level of the individual or the organization: Rigid Sense-Losing and Resilient Sense-Losing. The outcomes that each of these two pathways take end in significantly opposite directions, one leading to suicidal ideations, alienation, and hopelessness, while the other leads to improvising, sense-remaking, and a sense of renewing.

Nielson, Madison; Salas, Jessica; Baird, Todd (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Baird, Todd (Weber State university, Psychology)

The reason for shame stems from feelings of inadequacy and that conflicts have become too overwhelming for an individual to handle. This creates emotional dysfunction because the conflict is not aligning with the individual feelings of what is appropriate on a societal level (Kilborne, 2019). Shame is created by an individual thinking about another's perception of them, it is a highly socially involved emotion. Religion is a large cultural proponent adding to an individual's feeling of shame, there are rigid structures of what behaviors are found acceptable and lifestyle standards to achieve the highest level of being and what happens to an individual after death. LGBTQ+ individuals who are religious have unique struggles. They face more internalized heterosexism which reduces self-esteem and life satisfaction and increases distress (Foster et. al., 2017). Religion intermixed with same-sex attraction or gender identification can be linked to shame proneness which leads to lower self-esteem (Green & Britton, 2013) because the nature of the beliefs is strongly against their identification. This is an extremely problematic issue that affects their familial relationships, many do not feel comfortable coming out to their parents in fear that they will be judged. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has stringent policies about same-sex attraction. Policy 21.4.6 the LDS Church states that "homosexual behavior violates the commandments of God, is contrary to the purposes of human sexuality, and deprives people of the blessings that can be found in family life and in the saving ordinances of the gospel". We predict that individuals who are LGBTQ+ and LDS will have more shame, have lower self-esteem, will have greater difficulty in identifying as LGBTQ+, will conceal their sexuality more, and have lower pride in being LGBTQ+ than those who are LGBTQ+ and non-LDS.

Kamhout, Sarah; Eddington, Hyrum; Orr, Taylor; Gilliat, Stephen; Hayward, Tyler (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Lundwall, Rebecca (Family Home and Social Sciences, Psychology Department and Neuroscience Center)

Human stool contains microbiota that impact brain development and behavior through neuroendocrine and neuroimmune systems. Prior studies on adults with autism show differences in microbiota between autistic and control subjects. Since microbiota are normally established early in life, we wanted to know if infants with older siblings with autism had different microbiotal abundance and variety than infants with no first-, second-, or third-degree relatives with autism. We were also interested in sex differences as historically autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been diagnosed more often in boys.

We collected fecal samples from 36 children ages 3-24 months. 18 control samples (no first-, second-, or third-degree relatives with ASD) were matched for age and sex with 18 samples from children with an older sibling diagnosed with ASD. Following triplicate PCR amplification of a single DNA extraction, QIIME software was used to assign operational taxonomic units to each strain. PCoA and PERMANOVA were completed in R. These tests showed gut flora of high-risk individuals was significantly different than controls (p = .008). PCoA showed segregation of experimental from control samples (p = .037), most pronounced in female sub-population (p = .006). A differential abundance test was done with ANCOM. Levels of B. fragilis were significantly lower in the at-risk females (W = 560). One of the taxa groups with the most abundance, Lachnospiraceae, was also significantly lower in the at-risk group (W = 48).

This suggests that microbial markers, including B. fragilis, may help identify individuals at risk for ASD, particularly girls. This is consistent with other research on B. fragilis and ASD. Further study is necessary to determine the predictive accuracy of ASD diagnosis based on biomarkers including B. fragilis. More detailed understanding of the microbiome of at risk individuals may lead to earlier detection, intervention, and ultimately improved outcomes for ASD patients.

James, Marissa; Stevens, Colton; Johnson, Jannea; Gonzalez-Lishman, Diego (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: O'Grady, Kari (Brigham Young University, Psychology)

The awareness of significant global traumas and their impact on future generations has been acknowledged by the scientific community. The degree of consequences from trauma transmission between generations is only recently finding light, and the potential areas for trying to alleviate these consequences is yet to be explored. BYU's Organizational Psychology and Societal Resilience Lab conducted a qualitative meta-analysis on interview data from locals during the Ferguson events, Haiti & China earthquake survivors, and DR Congo sexual trauma victims. Survivors of these traumas carry an altered perception of their trauma and lives in general that distorts their self and cultural place in the world. Patterns of time distortion, poor familial interactions, and faulty processing are major patterns among these cross-cultural samples. The emotionally haunted parent(s) passes on an uncommunicated ghost on to his/her offspring that manifests in ways that often still keep the true, original trauma buried. Each family exists within a community system that often has parallel transmission cycles as well as communal historical experience that creates a large-group transgenerational trauma crisis. The silence becomes the story, and the effects of the trauma lives on. The cyclical transmission can carry on infinitely, without recognition or awareness. Observations of these experiences suggest that there is a critical role for addressing and grounding trauma before, during, and after the time that it becomes transgenerational.

Barton, Melissa. (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Anderson, Chris (Utah Valley University, Behavioral Science Department)

Sex is an important element in the building and maintenance of a successful marriage. The subject of marital sexual relations from a national perspective has been studied (Kinsey, 2010). There also exists much research data specific to conservative Christian populations on this subject (Crosby, 2008). Little research that looks specifically at the sexual beliefs, experiences, and expectations within the community of the active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been conducted. This research provides a baseline and will aid individuals and their clinicians in the support of the health and healing of marriages. This researcher will be presenting what has been discovered in regards to the sexual attitudes and practices among-st the active LDS population.

This research is intended to begin the process of creating a baseline of data that could ultimately change the conversations and even the conventions of the LDS community surrounding elements of sexuality in marriage. This data could assist Marriage Counselors and Sex Therapists in understanding the true nature of sex inside this culture, particularly in regards to LDS women.

This research will be conducted anonymously and with high regard to confidentiality utilizing a Qualtrics survey. This is the first step in a process this researcher is interested in exploring. This report illuminates the sexual attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of active LDS women ages 35-55, it is anticipated that 100 individuals will participate.

Crosby, Cindy. "The Best Sex (Survey) Ever!" Today's Christian Woman, 12 Sept. 2008, www.todayschristianwoman.com/articles/2008/september/best-sex-survey-ever.html.

Kinsey,"FAQs And Sex Information." Historical Report: Diversity of Sexual Orientation, Indiana University, 2010, kinseyinstitute.org/research/faq.php.

Foster, Kathryn (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Child, Curtis (Brigham Young University, Sociology)

Parental involvement in a child's schooling is vital in the academic performance of a child. Malawi, a country in sub-Saharan Africa, passed a law in 1994 stating primary education would be free for the public. However, there are extenuating circumstances that prohibit a child from attending primary school. Currently less than half of children in Malawi finish primary school.

In a qualitative study conducted in Malawi, over 30 parents were randomly selected from different districts throughout the country. Parents were interviewed about their beliefs and attitudes regarding their children's education, and what they believed their role was, or if they had a role in the child's educational success. These parents were also questioned about their own educational journey, such as if their parents helped them with their education and what factors either prevented or facilitated their success as a student.

Over 30 teachers were also randomly selected throughout Malawi to be interviewed about parental involvement in education. These teachers were asked about what they observe with respect to parents in their children's education, as well as what they believe to be important in a student's academic performance.

Through analysis of the data collected, one sees a discrepancy between parents and teachers and their beliefs about a child's education. Of the parents interviewed, it seemed as if their involvement in education revolved more around providing their children with the materials they needed for school rather than caring about their grades and or attendance. Parents seemed to believe that success would not come from education, but rather farming. Teachers believed that parents caring about attendance and grades would improve the performance of students. These findings are important to show where there are discrepancies in parental involvement in a child's education and how this can be changed to improve a child's academic performance.