2020 Abstracts

Dahl, AnnElise; Rich, Emily; Marchant, Amy; Baird, Todd (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Baird, Todd (College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology Department)

The present research examines the effects of content relevance and appropriateness of instructor self-disclosure as well as the sex of the professor and the sex of the student on students' perceptions of instructor credibility (competence, goodwill, and trustworthiness). Participants, consisting of approximately 150 college students, filled out a survey which measured each of these variables. As data collection is in its preliminary stages, results are forthcoming. When gathered, the data are expected to be consistent with previous research in the field which show that appropriateness of instructor disclosure will be positively correlated with instructor credibility. Previous research has suggested that content relevance will be positively correlated with instructor credibility, that content relevance will be positively correlated with appropriateness of instructor disclosures, and that male students will perceive instructor disclosure to be more appropriate than female students. In addition, the authors expect male students to rate instructors as more credible than female students. Finally, students are expected to perceive female professors as more appropriate than male professors and to perceive female professors as more credible than male professors.

Lotulelei, Tiffany; Darowski, Emily; Erekson, David (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Darowski, Emily (Brigham Young University, Harold B. Lee Library); Erekson, David (Brigham Young University, Counseling and Psychological Services)

Social media is becoming an increasingly popular means of communication and content sharing; this rise is especially prevalent among young adults, including university students. We are not aware of any research that has examined the impact, positive or negative, of using social media during study breaks. Current research has shown that mindfulness - defined as being non-judgmentally aware of the present moment - is negatively associated with social media use and is a common intervention for many of the negative outcomes that are associated with excessive social media use. It remains unknown, however, whether a brief mindfulness practice during a study break impacts university students, and how that effect compares to the effect of other study break activities, including social media use. The purpose of this research project was to compare the effect of three different types of study breaks: using social media, participating in mindfulness meditation, or simply sitting (control group). College students were placed in a setting where they were asked to complete a remote associates task (RAT). In the midst of the difficult task, they were given a break period and, depending on the condition, spent the break either practicing mindfulness, using social media, or simply sitting quietly. Pre/post ratings of mindfulness, stress, and anxiety were gathered along with performance measures on the RAT task. Preliminary data shows that the mindfulness break decreases feelings of stress and anxiety compared to the social media break. RAT performance was not affected, but this may represent a floor effect. These findings suggest that compared to social media, mindfulness is a more effective break in reducing anxiety and stress for university students. Students can use this knowledge to help them engage in more effective study strategies. More research is needed to determine whether using social media or practicing mindfulness impacts one's performance.

Black, Justin (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Smith-Johnson, Amber (Utah Valley University, English)

Many American's disagree on immigration policy, especially the southern border. Nobody can agree on what a secure border is, making the task to secure it impossible. When both sides adamantly oppose each other, refusing to compromise, or even listen, it's extremely difficult to compose a solution. Through my research, I hope to provide a realistic method to strengthen the border that would appease the differing views on the subject. The smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal immigration are dire situations that demand action. However, a wall isn't the answer. Esteban Flores breaks down past successful border walls in Egypt, Spain, and Israel, comparing them to the projected wall in America. As proposed, history shows the wall alone will fail. Smugglers have proven capable of getting around the existing border. Whichever means employed, adding more won't deter them. We can learn this from Egypt's wall, which didn't impede contraband at all. Smugglers dug beneath it, until the government added twenty meters underground. Using Spain's wall, we can see that it won't stop those determined to get here. More drastic measures will be taken to bypass the extra security, resulting in an increase of fatalities. Most immigrants now get to America by plane as well. Two-thirds of illegal immigrants residing in America came on a Visa and never left. We don't have the time, nor money, to waste on a wall that history has shown will not work. I propose that we implement technology at the border. Drones, ground sensors, and cameras have the capacity to be more effective and less expensive than a wall. Combining this strategy at the border with new legislation that expands all quotas and caps, illegal immigration will go down, illegal activity at the border will be gridlocked, and lives will be saved.

Mattei, Dustin; Angell, Emma; Truman, Savanah; Wood, Kyle; Holiday, Pam; Gonzales, Veronica; Price, Ashton (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Oxley, Robert (Dixie State university, Applied Sociology)

This presentation analyzes the teaching and acceptance of burnout within the societal contract for children in the Washington County school district in Utah. This study, from the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at Dixie State University, as part of the Quality of Life Initiative, seeks to evaluate burnout among children ages 5-18 in the Washington County School District. Through the literary review, it is suggested that our society creates a culture of burnout, which is taught and accepted at young ages. Such teaching creates a life-long subconscious contract of acceptance of burnout among affected members within our society. Some symptoms of burnout can include; anxiety, depression, headaches, chronic stress, insomnia, forgetfulness, etc. Furthermore, seeking help for burnout symptoms has been frowned upon by society, until recently with the emergence of Wellness Rooms. This response to burnout among children in Washington County School District shows that acceptance has been established. The ISR team has developed a survey instrument currently in circulation at Dixie State University. We expect our data to correlate with the preparatory research conducted by the Institute of Social Research.

Davis, Justin; Hinkson, Kent; Brooks, Malisa; Bryan, Craig (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Hinkson, Kent (University of Utah, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Emotion Regulation is broadly defined as a person's ability to modulate or maintain emotional states in order to achieve a goal. Evidence is mounting that among veterans, emotional regulation is a critical and core component directly related to veterans' abilities to work through clinical protocols for PTSD and suicidality, transition to civilian populations, reintegrate with families, and to experience overall well-being. Several academic, research, and governmental organizations have undertaken the tasks associated with understanding causal and correlative factors associated veteran suicide, and in the milieu this endeavor has shed light on suicidal phenomena more broadly applicable to general populations. As such, clinicians, researchers, and the general public have a stake in understanding emotion regulation in ways that inform development of normative mental health and various etiologies and courses of psychopathology. More specifically, among student veterans with PTSD, emotional dysregulation has been associated with greater psychological distress and higher rates of health-risk behaviors such as binge-drinking, drinking and driving, and physical aggression. Current research shows a moderate inverse relationship between the experience and expression of joy and Criterion D (negative alterations in cognitions and mood) of PTSD such that positive affective experiences may be suppressed or attenuated in those student veterans who endorse moderate to severe symptoms. This emotional reticence, whether personal or public, is likely to reinforce avoidant behavioral schemas, contributing to and maintaining the emotional dysregulation sequelae of PTSD well after military service and into the future across many contexts. The main aim of this study was to better understand and conceptualize the relationship between negative alterations in cognition and mood and emotion regulation among trauma-exposed veterans. This understanding will help support future research, screening, and prevention programs for PTSD and suicide along with conceptualization and application of emotion regulation intervention protocols in clinical veteran populations.

Candiloro, Taelor (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Glass-Coffin, Bonnie (College of Humanities and Social Sciences; Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Department)

Over the past ten years, a growing national discourse about the issue of campus sexual assault has led to an increase in quantitative studies that analyze its prevalence on campus as well as the effectiveness of campus policies that have been institutionalized in order to address the systemic issue. Policies that have emerged to describe sexual assault may use specialized vocabulary that appears distant from the terms used by survivors when self-identifying, which may result in unintended consequences when policies are implemented. Using Utah State University's campus resources as a site of inquiry, this study examines language used by Title IX officers at Utah State University as they describe sexual and interpersonal violence among themselves, when addressing the student body, and among sexual assault survivors. Developed as part of a course in Ethnographic Methods at Utah State University, this qualitative study attempts to provide insight into this dynamic. Through a mixed-methods approach including ethnographic interviews, auto-ethnographic accounts of the author's experiences attending and interacting with various campus institutions, and analyses of contemporary tools of data collection, a network of identity emerges that contributes to a better understanding of how sexual assault policies might be improved to articulate alongside survivor experiences.

Braithwaite, Scott; Bingham, Emilia; Deichman, Conner; Esplin, Charlotte; Evans, Libby; Hileman, Rachel (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Braithwaite, Scott (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Clinical Psychology)

No test has yet been developed to measure academic optimism among college students. This is a critical oversight given the correlation between levels of optimism, mental health, and academic success. In the last 12 months, approximately 40 - 60% of undergraduates have felt anxiety and/or depression to the point of impairment. This distress impacts academic performance, retention, and graduation rates. Students who consider themselves pessimistic are more likely to drop classes. Optimism appears to be protective against the stress of college. Anxiety, depression, and stress have shown negative correlations with optimistic thinking. Measuring academic optimism may bring awareness to students and counselors and be used to determine who may benefit from tertiary interventions.

The Collegiate Optimism Orientation Test (COOT), is a 14-item 4-point Likert scale measure of academic optimism. 437 participants were recruited through a national sample through Mturk.com. Data analysis is pending and will be completed by November 2019. A preliminary analysis of the COOT administered to 142 college students revealed good reliability (α = .85) and two extracted factors (eigenvalues=4.42 and 1.09). In addition to presenting our full findings from our replication of the pilot, we will discuss the potential implications of our measure in clinical settings for college students.

Sanders, Hannah; Graul, Antje; Lavoie, Raymond (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Graul, Antje (Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Marketing and Strategy Department)

It is imperative for institutions of higher-education to understand and meet the needs of their students when teaching in an online environment, specifically, how their enjoyment, attitude and learning outcomes derived from an online class can be predicted. Our research demonstrates the importance of instructor playfulness--defined as the level of which an instructor is gregarious, uninhibited, comedic and dynamic in class--in an online class environment. We suggest that instructor playfulness significantly positively correlates with students' perception of enjoyment, attitude and learning outcomes in an online class.

To test these predictions, we conducted a quantitative study with college students in order to gain insights into their experiences and perceptions of instructor playfulness in online classes and surveyed related student outcomes. Our results suggest that the positive effects of instructor playfulness in an online class are drawn by the extent to which students develop a subject-related identity and improved flow of the online class. Based on our findings, we conclude specific methods and teaching techniques that can be incorporated by online instructors to design their online classes in higher education more successfully.

Together, our research advances the existing stream of literature by examining the concept of instructor playfulness in an online context. We contribute to practical implications by offering guidance for online instructors in higher education.

Davis, Justin; Hinkson, Kent; Brooks, Malisa; Bryan, Craig (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Hinkson, Kent (University of Utah, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Suicide is currently the tenth leading cause of death in the United States (Heron, 2019), and poses a public health crisis which many organizations are attempting to understand, decrease, and altogether prevent. While military service has historically functioned as a protective factor against suicide, the year 2008 marked a turning point with veteran suicide exceeding the demographically-matched rate for that of civilians in the US (Schoenbaum et al., 2014). In 2016, US veteran rates of suicide were 150% higher than civilian rates after adjusting for age and gender (US Department of Veterans Affairs, 2018). Physical and psychological service-connected disabilities such as PTSD, depression, chronic pain, and ambulatory issues influence rates of suicidal ideation, behavior, and attempts. The main aim of this study was to understand which categories of service-connected disability, if any, correlate with increased or decreased rates of suicidal ideation, attempt, and behavior. The findings of this nationwide study involving 487 student veterans suggest that the type of disability is indeed related to not only rates of suicide, but also severity of ideation and behaviors. Additionally, academic accommodations for these disabilities were found to be related to a significant reduction of suicide risk. These findings provide significant implications for the screening and treatment of at-risk individuals, specifically those on campus. Other aims include understanding limitations of this method of inquiry, future directions for research, and potential implications of findings for targeted interventions of physical and psychological disorders specific to the veteran population.

Ashton, S. Jeramy (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Mizell, Karen (Utah Valley University; Philosophy, Ethics)

This presentation will be based off of the Social Construct Theory and more specifically hegemonic masculinity. After expounding upon the Social Construct Theory being a destructive form of gender norms and exploring how men and women are to act, I will be sharing a slam poem featuring many elements of my experience as a rape survivor and the tie between rape and masculinity. The presentation will begin with exploring how time is owned by hegemonic masculinity and throughout the presentation that power will shift, strength will be found and it will become evident in the conclusion �that this is our finest hour.

Bergman, Kyle (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Smith-Johnson, Amber (Utah Valley University, English)

The number of social media users has risen dramatically over the past few years; since 2008, the number of monthly users of social media has risen from 222 million to 2.24 billion. Studies have recently suggested that a correlation exists between this dramatic increase in electronic social behavior and impulsivity. Research suggests that the concept of "Fear of Missing Out" and the desensitizing of exciting behaviors are both possible causes (Baumgartner et al). In addition to the rise in impulsive behaviors, there have been a host of other studies that have shown how social media exposure is affecting the cognitive capacities of developing minds. Among their findings assert that behaviors such as Increased anxiety, depression, narcolepsy, anger, agitation, and internet addiction are increasing at an alarming rate (Bilgin, Tas). I want to take this research further and study how social media usage can cause impulsive views of self-value and worth. To conduct this experiment, I will create a survey designed to measure the impulsive, instinctive responses of college aged students to certain situations that would be commonly found online or actuality. I predict that because social media platforms often contain incomplete information about a post, the questions from the survey that will contribute to either jealousy or lower self-worth will be ones similar to what they would find on these platforms. I hope that these findings will help parents understand the impulsive influences that social media can have on their children.

Walters, Sierra (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Lee, Yoon (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Human Development and Family Studies Department); Johnson, Alena (Emma Jones College of Education & Human Services, Human Development and Family Studies Department)

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between student financial well-being and student life management skills. College is often the first experience individuals have living on their own and manage their own finances. If I can gather data and information regarding the financial understanding, habits, and confidence of students, as a university we can better cater to their financial needs. I will examine through non-experiential survey results how financial well-being such as financial attitudes, habits, behaviors, and knowledge of Utah State University students relate to their life management skills. This survey takes place on the Qualtrics platform. It is anticipated that the data will assess the financial well-being of Utah State Students and the relationship it has on their overall life management. As this study is not the first of its kind, it is exclusively focused on Utah State University. I am confident that this project will provide valuable and useful data for the university. Administrators and faculty members will be able to use this data to further assist the USU student population to develop healthy financial habits, learn management skills such as stress management and health management, and achieve academic success. I am currently in the data accumulation phase of my research. The survey will be closing mid-November, 2019. I will begin data analysis from that point to have the results prepared and ready to present come December 2019.

Blackburn, Dallas (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Green, Richard (College of Social and Behavioral Science, Department of Political Science)

For a long time, both executive orders and the administrative state have been controversial topics since for many they seem antithetical to the constitutional principles that are at the center of American governance. Here I examine the relationship between executive orders and public administration in the context of four constitutional principles: representative democracy, separation of powers, federalism, and individual liberties, with special considerations of the use and abuses of executive orders within this relationship. I consider this relationship in the context of current instances of executive orders that affect the administrative state. For this analysis, I employ a framework based on a constitutionally-grounded theory of public administration developed by John Rohr that I refer to as the "administrative constitutionalism theory." Additionally, I present two different views on executive orders: one framed by the unitary theory of the executive, and the other by the three zones framework developed by Justice Robert Jackson in Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer 343 US 579 (1952). Using that framework, I offer a critique of the unitary theory of the executive as an unacceptable rationale for executive orders in a governmental system built upon constitutional principles. I then present evidence and analysis that the three zones framework offers the proper guidance for the use of executive orders in a way that aligns with these principles, and which is compatible with Rohr's administrative constitutionalism framework. I argue for the use of executive orders in accordance with the three zones framework and administrative constitutionalism as a way of structuring and limiting the use of executive orders to constitutionally appropriate criteria.

Kamimura, Akiko; Zhang, Cathleen (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Kamimura, Akiko (College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sociology)

The role of immigrants and refugees in American economic communities has long been undervalued and degraded. In recent years, however, some businesses have shifted their focus towards serving and employing immigrants and refugees in hopes of building tolerance and integrating migrants into the local economy. One way community economic theory has been implemented has been through culinary incubator kitchens. Incubators offer training and employment to individuals who are often disadvantaged, such as women, people of color, and refugees or immigrants. In Salt Lake City, the International Rescue Committee has operated the S.P.I.C.E. Kitchen incubator since 2012. In this study, customer perceptions on the services that a culinary incubator kitchen provide are used to examine the relationship between the community, the staff at the incubator kitchen, and customers. Data is being collected through short one-on-one interviews with customers who pick meals up at an incubator, which are then transcribed and analyzed for trends. Preliminary findings have shown that while many customers choose to purchase from S.P.I.C.E. Kitchen in order to support the refugee community, not many know much about what the program does or how it prepares its participants for setting up businesses and contributing to the local economy. Many express a desire to know more about the chefs and the inner workings of the program. Examining these preliminary findings through the lens of the Community Economic Development model shows that the disconnect between customers of S.P.I.C.E. Kitchen and its staff could prevent better integration between the individuals receiving training on opening food businesses and their potential employees, customers, or supporters in the community.

Jijon Felix, Karen; Hinkson, Kent; Brooks, Malisa; Bryan, Craig (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Hinkson, Kent (Utah Valley University, Behavioral Science)

Military personnel who are deployed are 1.36 times more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder and 1.14 times more likely to develop a drug use disorder. The most abused substances in the military are alcohol and nicotine, with prescription pain reliever abuse becoming more prevalent. More than half of active duty service members reported binge drinking. Pain reliever use has gradually increased over the years, from 2% in 2002, 4% in 2005 and 11% in 2008 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2013). In 2016, 22% of active-duty soldiers had a least one opioid prescription (Armytimes.com, 2018). Additionally, substance use disorder has been found to positively correlate with the number of deployments. However, some question whether or not this is due to the actual deployment or the time in service (i.e. as a person serves in the military longer, they deploy more often). This study seeks to investigate if the number of deployments and/or time in service is associated with increased substance use, and if so, does the age of the service member or veteran partially mediate the correlation. Findings show no relationship between number of deployments and current alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or illicit drug use. Additionally, when examining the number of years they served, there was a correlation with caffeine consumption. However, after accounting for age, there was no significant relationship between number of years served and caffeine consumption. These findings suggest that among this sample age may be counterbalancing early substance use found in other populations, or that there may be something unique about the population (veterans and service members enrolled in postsecondary education) that make them less likely to abuse substances.

Fox, Kirsti; Solomino, Lauralee; Baird, Todd. (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Baird, Todd (Weber State University: College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology)

Trauma can have a lasting impact on emotional and physical health, but relief is possible. It is important to study which factors of everyday life can alleviate this pain and suffering. Research suggests that social support and resilience both play an important role in helping relieve symptoms of traumatic stress. Each of these can be broken down into sub-subjects and measured to determine the types of resilience and social support provide the most relief. One type of social support that has not been studied in regard to resilience and trauma is religious activity. However, it has been found that religious activity can provide a unique and strong social support system. The present study looks at religious activity, social support, and resilience all in regard to trauma. There are some limitations in the present study that resulted in insufficient data to accurately test the hypotheses. Future directions that control for the limitations may have more reliable results, therefore providing more accurate information on which of these factors helps to best relieve trauma symptoms.

Keywords: trauma, resilience, religion, social support

Birmingham, Wendy; Collier, Emily; Cressman, Mikel; Deichman, Conner; Fitzgerald, Joseph; Graff, Tyler (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Birmingham, Wendy (Family, Home, and Social Sciences, Family Life)

The body of research points to work-home balance having a negative impact on marital satisfaction and quality. However, literature on the quality of marital relationship's impact on work-home balance is limited. With various different factors contributing to marital dissatisfaction, the interaction of poor work-home balance affecting marital quality may work in the inverse direction. Additionally, with family roles shifting from their previous traditional roles to more progressive roles, it is of interest to investigate the interaction of marital quality and work-home balance between genders.

For this study, we used purposive sampling to recruit working mothers and their spouses using online and in-person flyers. In addition, participants were found using snowballing sampling techniques. Filtered by an eligibility study, only working and married mothers were included in the full study. Upon approval of eligibility, the mothers and their spouses came into the lab to complete additional surveys, which included measuring marital quality and work-family balance. Drawing from 220 participants, this study hopes to better define the potential relationship between marital relationship quality and work-family balance.

As family dynamics continue to change, we hypothesized that decreased marital relationship quality will have a negative impact on work-family balance. Additionally, we hypothesized that the impact of marital quality on work-family balance would be more prominent for the women, in comparison to their husbands.

A one-way between subjects ANOVA was conducted to compare the effect of marital relationship quality on work-family balance in working husbands and wives. The data analysis revealed there was not a significant effect of marital relationship quality on work family balance at the p<.05 level (F(3, 216) = 1.66, p = 0.176). As the effect was not significant, it was not appropriate to run an effect size difference by gender. Contrary to the literature, our hypotheses were not supported. We theorize the directionality of our hypothesis may have impacted our results, which may have an indication that work-family balance has a significant impact on marital quality, but not vice versa.

Lant, Christopher; Paudel, Suman (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Lant, Christopher (S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Environment and Society Department)

This project is part of a greater National Science Foundation funded collaboration project designed to detail the food, energy, and water system in the United States. The goal of the project is ultimately to provide, "an empirical basis for advances in theory and scientific modeling of the complete food-energy-water (FEW) system of the United States" (NSF, 2019). My part in the project is connected to the amount of net primary productivity that humans harvest in the United States through major crops. The measurement for the human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP) is in gC/m2/year, and my research aims to visualize this on maps of the contiguous United States.

Data from the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics Service were synthesized to create a final data set that contains harvest data by county, by year, for alfalfa, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat from 1980 to 2017. R programming software was used to clean and disaggregate the data, and GIS Software was used to visualize the results.

The results of this project show changes over time, distributions, and densities of harvests in the United States. The data and visualizations that were made as a result of this project are a part of the greater National Science Foundation project to help understand how much primary productivity humans harvest, and ultimately, where those products are used and consumed.