2020 Abstracts

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.

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.

Hellstern, Rylan; Fauth, Elizabeth; Aller, Ty (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Fauth, Elizabeth (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Human Development and Family Studies Department); Aller, Ty (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Human Development and Family Studies Department)

Mental health literacy (MHL), defined as knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid in recognition, management, and prevention of mental health disorders, is crucial in promoting mental health prevention rather than just intervention (Jorm et al., 1997). MHL is low among the public (Klineberg et al., 2011), varying demographically (Reavley et al., 2011), and is low in college populations (Vasquez, 2016). This is concerning, considering rates of mental health issues among students (Storrie, et al., 2010). One interesting population are students who have had mental health diagnoses and/or who receive therapy. These students may be vulnerable due to their own mental health issues, but also may have increased MHL due to experience and educative supportive services. I hypothesize that students with prior diagnoses and/or therapy will be more likely to recognize mental health issues, feel confident about helping others, and act on that confidence (high MHL). In the current study, Amazon's Mechanical Turk was used to collect MHL data from college students across the US (N=306; ages 18-25; 52.6% female; 44.8% male, 2.6% other). Nineteen percent (N=58) reported receiving therapy over the past three months, while 113 (36.9%) reported having a mental health diagnosis over their lifetime. MHL was measured via the Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy Assessment Tool (MHAA-AT), assessing MHL Knowledge (subscales Identifying, Locating resources, Responding), MHL Self-efficacy, and MHL Responding behaviors. Independent samples t-tests (p<.05) indicated that students in therapy had higher average MHAA-AT Knowledge [Identifying], Self-efficacy, and Responding behaviors. Students with history of a mental health diagnosis had higher MHAA-AT Knowledge [Identifying, Locating], Self-efficacy, and Responding behaviors. In conclusion, students with history of diagnosis or in therapy may be a resource to universities, due to their higher MHL, including greater knowledge about mental health issues, confidence surrounding MHL, and the willingness to respond and refer.

Hall, Anna; Fauth, Elizabeth (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Fauth, Elizabeth (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Human Development and Family Studies Department)

Objective: Fine motor abilities (FMA) are essential to activities of daily living (ADL) that help older people remain independent. While some older adults with reduced FMA are aware of their impairment, others are not aware, which can be problematic if they do not seek ways to compensate for losses. I hypothesize that most older adults living in the community are aware of their losses, and self-reported FMA ability will correspond to actual performance of FMA tasks. Method: Data came from OCTO-Twin, a population-based dataset of twin pairs in Sweden aged 80 and older. We randomly selected one twin from each pair because twin status was not of interest to this study, and only included people who completed fine motor tasks (N = 262, 66.4% female; Mage = 83.27, SDage=2.90). Within a large battery of self-report and performance tasks, participants were asked their perceived ability to manipulate things with their hands (Cannot do at all, Big problem, Some problem, No problem). They were also timed (in seconds) on performing FMA tasks via ADL apparatus (putting coins in a slot, screwing in a light bulb, etc.). We defined someone as "slow" in FMA tasks if they were more than one standard deviation from the total mean (nslow=38, taking 80+ seconds). Results: Cross tabulations indicated, of "slow" participants, n=1 (2.6%) self-reported "cannot do at all", n=2 (5.3%) reported "big problem", n=10 (26.3%) reported "some problem", and n=25 (65.8%) reported "no problem". In comparison, of participants who were average or fast, 193 (85.8%) reported "no problem." Implications: Surprisingly, nearly 2/3 of people who were slow on FMA tasks self-reported that they had "no problems" with hand manipulation. Being unaware of deficiencies may lead to adverse effects via lack of compensation in ADL, but may also be mentally protective to help cope with physical losses.

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.

Taylor Cline, Kent D. Hinkson Jr., Malisa M.Brooks, Craig J. Bryan (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Hinkson, Kent (University of Utah, Psychology)

Abstract:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a debilitating and exhaustive disorder that has been under official observation since the first World War and has received attention from Psychologists in both research and clinic settings. In a study by Spoormaker and Montgomery (2008), they determined that disturbed sleep in PTSD is a core feature of the disorder rather than a secondary characteristic. Spoormaker et. al (2008) also indicated that treatment for insomnia for persons with PTSD would be beneficial by offering brief sleep hygiene education, and stimulus control methods in treatment with persons who have PTSD.

This study examines the scores from Item #20 of the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5; “How much were you bothered by trouble falling or staying asleep?”, rated from 0 – 4) and compares them with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) sum score to determine if Item #20 has a sufficiently strong relationship with respect to the ISI sum score so as to be useful in screening for insomnia in individuals with PTSD. Three hundred twenty-one (n = 321) student veterans participated in the nationwide study. Among the participants, 94.1% of those who marked “1”, “2”, “3”, or “4” on PCL-5 Item #20 met ISI criteria for insomnia, while those who endorsed “0” (“Not at all”) scored substantially below the criteria for insomnia on average. While the eight-item ISI gives more information on the nature of the sleep disturbances, Item #20 of the PCL-5 appears to do a good job at screening for those likely to meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia; this could allow clinicians and primary care staff to reduce the burden during routine mental health screenings among potentially traumatized individuals.

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.

Valencia-Garcia, Nelson Omar (undergraduate student); Coles-Ritchie, Marilee (faculty) (Westminster College)
Faculty Advisor: Coles-Ritchie, Marilee (Westminster College; School of Education, DUMKE Center for Civic Engagement)

This study contributes to the literature on the impact of service-learning on students of color by intentionally centering their experience within the critical service-learning courses. We align with critical service-learning framework that highlight "collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity" (Driscoll, 2008, p. 39). This work contrasts volunteerism or philanthropy as it aims to be grounded in reciprocity where students, faculty, and community partners work toward a common goal through sharing experiences, knowledge, networking, and resources. Historically, one of the founding principles of higher education is serving the public good often by applying academic expertise to society's needs rather than scholars being givers of receptacle knowledge. Also, research demonstrates that first-generation college students benefit from community service (Ting, 2003). Because graduation rates of low-income, first-generation, SOC continue to be lower than middle- and upper-class students, pedagogy that addresses the needs of SOC is vital, and it is crucial that instructors in institutions of higher education learn how to design service-learning that highlight their strengths.

Recently, higher education stakeholders have renewed efforts to develop more connections between the community and institutes of higher education. These efforts have included institutional mission statements that strengthen the emphasis on community engagement, promoting the legitimacy of community-engaged scholarship and developing centers for civic engagement to support faculty creation of service-learning courses. Despite this renewed effort, some aspects of the role and purpose of pedagogy in higher education are often overlooked (Berrett, 2012), especially for SOC (Boyle-Baise & Langford, 2005).

This study contributes to the literature on the impact of service-learning on SOC by intentionally centering their experience within the critical service-learning courses. This study contributes to the literature on service-learning pedagogy for SOC. Our findings demonstrate that well-designed pedagogy can enhance critical consciousness and community relationships while facilitating deep learning of the material. In contrast, the data also highlighted aspects of service-learning courses that were not culturally sustaining or effective and even harmful to SOC. These data could benefit educators in higher education with specific tools for creating meaningfully designed, critical culturally sustaining service-learning courses by connecting the SOC's strengths and demonstrating a keen awareness of their lived experiences.

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

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects roughly 1 in 10 Americans with as many as 1 in 4 Americans suffering from pre-diabetes, which often leads to full-blown T2D within five years. The role of the physician in managing diabetes is especially crucial, as this is a chronic illness. Because of its long-term impacts and comorbidities, successful treatment of the condition requires the development of effective and on-going provider/patient partnership. The physician must not only thoroughly and accurately assess the patient's condition and recommend the appropriate treatment options, but also guide and motivate patients in ongoing lifestyle changes relevant to each patient's individual circumstance. And, they must do this while working in a system that creates significant barriers and obstacles for creating and maintaining these physician/patient partnerships. Although there is no shortage of research on T2D, there are very few studies that focus on physician insights about these barriers nor are there many studies that analyze the specific strategies, aims, perspectives, and challenges physicians face when juggling the many dimensions of managing T2D over a patient's lifetime. This study adds to what we know about diabetes care by conducting in-depth interviews with a local physician at the Logan Clinic who has been treating T2D for 20 years. Developed in the context of an Ethnographic Methods class in the Anthropology program at Utah State University, this study thus provides new insights on the challenges of approaching type 2 diabetes from the physician perspective.

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.

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

This presentation analyzes burnout and how it is created and reinforced contractually within our campus at Dixie State University. This is a study from the Quality of Life Initiative who is part of the Applied Sociology. This portion of the analysis focuses on burnout among the university staff and administration. Through literary review, it has been suggested that on school campuses, regardless of level and grade, there has been in increase in burnout among school counselors, administration, and staff. Burn out itself has many symptoms and suggested sources. Symptoms range in physical, emotional, mental, and socially. These symptoms include; chronic fatigue, insomnia, forgetfulness, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, depression, anxiety, and much more. Our research suggests that some sources that create burnout in the staff are; an increase in students who also are afflicted with burnout, a lack of resources available to manage the increase in student cases, the requirement of participation within the university, and also the compounding stress in their personal lives. The independent research team has also developed a survey instrument which is in circulation. The information that is gathered through the instrument has not yet finished being recorded and consolidated. However, we expect there to be information coordinate to the information that we have found through research.

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.

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.