2020 Abstracts

Abdulla, Munawwar; Bovingdon, Gardner; Brophy, David; Cabras, Giulia; Dillon, Michael; Friedrichs, Jorg; Hess, Steve; Holdstock, Nick; Ingram, Ruth; Langfitt, Frank; Roberts, Sean; Schluessel, Eric; Shapiro, Ari; Smith-Finley, Joanne; Torrey, Zachary; Veselic, Maja; Yuan, Zhenjie; Zang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Shawn (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Larsen, Kirk (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; History); Schill, Steve (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Geography)

The westernmost Chinese province of Xinjiang has in recent years become a hotbed of turmoil. The largest ethnic group in the region, the ethnically-Turkic Uyghur people, has been facing a systematic persecution by the Chinese government; most notably, this includes their forcible placement into "reeducation camps" across the province. Out of the more than eleven million Uyghurs in Xinjiang, it is estimated that up to a million are currently interned in one of these camps ("China's repression", 2018). One especially defining feature of the Uyghur people is their practice of Islam; it is said that they have traditionally practiced Islam since the 15th century, and mosques are prevalent across the cities of Xinjiang (Veselic, 2011; "Authorities in Xinjiang", 2017). The Uyghurs and religion of Islam are tied in such a tight ethnoreligious way that in this review the term Uyghur may generally be used to refer to a Uyghur Muslim in specific (Veselic, 2011). Islam, along with other defining characteristics, set the Uyghurs apart in stark contrast from the Han Chinese majority that makes up over 91% of China's total population (Zang, 2015; Roberts, 2018). In this presentation, I will look at a variety of factors that the Chinese government uses to justify the internment of the Uyghur people. I will also use ArcGIS Pro technology to examine satellite images and camp records to map the current extent of the reeducation camps, in an effort to follow what has already taken place and what the future will have in store for the Uyghur people.

Greaves, Aspen (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Felt, Jon (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; History); Hegstrom, Valerie (Humanities, Global Women's Studies and Spanish/Portuguese); Chase, Zach (Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Anthropology)

While Mongolian women face high rates of domestic abuse and low political empowerment, overall, they are more highly educated and have better health rates than men. Oppression does exist but does not neatly fit in western models of feminist thought; there is a great need to understand the historical roots of this discrepancy. The Mongol Empire is highly susceptible to great-man history, placing all credit and blame on the figure of Genghis Khan and ignoring the contributions of others. Modern historians often read the primary texts through a patriarchal lens in assuming all decisions are made by men. The primary sources support a more feminist approach in emphasizing the importance of individual women, particularly Hö’elün, Börte, and the three regent-empresses. This research looks at the primary sources, most importantly The Secret History of the Mongols and how they have been interpreted in regard to individual women and a more general depiction of women. Further, I helped excavate burials from the same period in the Darkhad region of Mongolia, and so compare the materials in female graves with the historical model in the primary sources. Material culture that is present in the archaeology helps to ground the interpretation of gender roles from the inevitable highly biased sources. Overall, this research helps to understand who a Mongolian woman is expected to be in the Mongol Empire in order to inform humanitarian interventions in the present.

Allred, Madison; Otterstrom, Samuel (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Otterstrom, Samuel(Brigham Young University, Family, Home and Social Sciences, Geography)

Over the past 20 years the behavior of dictatorial regimes have been studied in various social science fields, but so far the extension of analysis into the field of Geography has been minimal. I show that not only can Geography shed valuable light onto these issues, but it is essential to incorporate geographical findings into the global discussion of protecting the sanctity of life and promoting peace.

I aim to show how dictators use the geographic principle of memorialism and change the urban and human landscape to build nationalism in fractured states. I have narrowed the scope of my research by using the reign of Saddam Hussein as a case study. He is the perfect focus for this case study because his reign had a definitive beginning and end, his works are relatively well documented and his name is well known in academic communities as well as by the general populus. Since I want my research to make an impact and grab the attention of academia as well as policy makers, choosing a person that held the fascination of the American public for years was critical.

By examining the available data and utilizing GIS, we are able to come to conclusions of Saddam Hussein's behavior and find correlations only observable by mapping and spatially analyzing the data. My research is relevant not only to the field of Geography, but can be useful to decisions on US Foreign Policy. If it can be proven that Saddam Hussein and other similar dictators utilize memorialism, can evidence of memorialism be used as a key indicator in various foreign policy decisions? If dictators use memorialism to build nationalism, can memorialism be used preventatively in fractured states to prevent the rise of potentially bloody dictatorial regimes? The results of my research call for further action and analysis to be taken by academics and subsequent political action based upon their findings.

McFarlane, Amanda (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Haug, Jordan (Brigham Young University, Anthropology); Thompson, Greg (Brigham Young University, Anthropology)

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Church) have been partners for over hundred years, with the Church chartering Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops in each of its American congregations for their boys ages 8-11 and 12-18 respectively. Within the Utah National Parks Council (UNPC) of the BSA, the high concentration of members of the Church has led to the BSA being thought of synonymously with the Church and its involvement. In May of 2018, however, the Church announced that, starting January 1, 2020, they would no longer be chartering troops through the BSA for their male youth, leading to confusion about the role of Scouting in Utah and how it would change or if it would continue. The analysis of this ethnographic data, gathered at BSA events across Utah County and Camp Maple Dell in Payson, seeks to address the ways that Scouting has been influenced by its close relationship with the Church in the UNPC, the benefits and challenges it has presented, and how those that are highly involved in Scouting (employed by the UNPC) have been dealing with the impending transition and their optimism about having a better environment for Scouting without the direct influence of the Church.

Alvord, Margaret; Dinehart, Claire; Holdeman, Alexis (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Kamimua, Akiko (College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sociology)

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the factors that affect levels of patient perspectives of autonomy in clinical decision making among uninsured patients utilizing a free clinic. Patient autonomy in clinical settings is important because it can lead to more successful outcomes as well as an overall increase in patient satisfaction with their health care. Uninsured primary care patients tend to experience barriers to autonomy in clinical decision making due to limited choices of health care facilities and low health literacy. However, patient autonomy among underserved populations is an under-studied topic because ensuring access to care is usually the top priority for the populations. This proposed study will fill the gap and contribute to reducing disparities in health care. Data has been collected from patients of the Maliheh Free Clinic in Salt Lake City using a self-administered survey in fall 2019. Patients who are aged 18 or older and speak English or Spanish are eligible to participate in this study. As of October 29, 2019, 254 patients participated in the survey. Preliminary results suggest that older patients and non-US born patients were more likely to believe that providers should decide (less patient autonomy). Older patients were more likely to believe that they should be informed of potential risks in treatment. These results have potential applications for free-clinics to increase patient satisfaction and informed health care decision making. Informing patients of their right to autonomy can also lead to more trusting physician-patient relationships and therefore better health care.

Brewster, Melissa; Conradt, Elisabeth. (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Conradt, Elisabeth (University of Utah, Psychology)

Stress exposure in the early years of life is a public health concern since this exposure can lead to a variety of illnesses ranging from diabetes to depression. More specifically, previous research has emphasized the importance of understanding the impact of stress exposure on an infant. However, there is limited research linking in utero stress exposure to later infant development, more specifically, on newborn self-regulation and neurobehavior. We examined whether newborn neurobehavior was associated with prenatal maternal psychophysiological signs of stress. Pregnant women (N=162) during their third trimester were invited to the child adaptation and neurodevelopment (CAN) laboratory to acquire hair cortisol concentrations, baseline heart rate (HR), baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and baseline electrodermal activity (EDA) parameters: skin conductance response (SCR) and skin conductance levels (SCL). Subsequent to this visit was the hospital visit. We assessed newborns between twenty-four hours and two months of age using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS) which measures the dimensions of attention and arousal. We conducted correlations and ordinary least squares regression analyses. Maternal hair cortisol levels were not significantly associated with newborn attention (r= -.026, p=.77) and arousal (r= -.077, p= .382). However, exploratory analyses demonstrated that hair hygiene may affect these results. Baseline HR was not associated with attention (r= .012, p=.879) and arousal (r= -.002, p=.979). Baseline RSA was also not associated with attention (r= -.106, p=.192) and arousal (r= .071, p= .381). Lastly, baseline SCR and SCL were not associated to newborn attention (r=-.094, p=.247; r=-.013, p=.874) and arousal (r=-.077, p=.342; r=-.12, p=.138), respectively. These results suggest that having naturally high or low psychophysiological measurements has little-to-no impact on infant well-being, as opposed to stress reactivity.

Bradee Goepper (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Lancaster, Alexander (Weber State University, Communications)

This study is a collaboration between Ogden Civic Action Network (CAN) and the Weber State University CCEL Community Research Team, investigating opioid addiction within the Weber State community. Weber Morgan Health Department reports an increased rate of opioid overdoses within Weber County. The purpose of this study is to examine religious beliefs, mental health, and the subgroup of women ages 24-44, in terms of reported opioid use and abuse. According to data from the Weber County Health Department, the specific demographic of women ages 24-44, exhibits a higher rate of opioid abuse when compared to other demographic groups. Current research also indicates that the Utah women's opioid death rate is four points higher than the national average (Weber County Opioid Death Statistics). We can expect that the results from this study will support these previously reported trends.

"Weber County Opioid Death Statistics." LiveStories, https://www.livestories.com/statistics/utah/weber-county-opioids-deaths-mortality.

Marston, Clarissa; Garrett, Patrick I.; Barraza, Allyson; Allen, Nicole ; Hillhouse, Todd M.; Honeycutt, Sarah (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Hillhouse, Todd (Weber State University, Psychology)

Over the last decade, electronic-cigarettes use has substantial increased. E-cigarette usage in high school aged Americans has increased 78% from the year 2017 to 2018, with a total of 20.8% of all teenagers reporting regular usage as of 2018. The adolescent population is particularly attracted to the nicotine-free e-liquids that are currently on the market. While current research has focused on examining the behavioural implications of nicotine vapour inhalation but little has been devoted to evaluating the effects of nicotine-free vapour administration. The present sought to examine how nicotine-free vapour inhalation would impact locomotor behaviour. To accomplish this, mice were placed in a vape apparatus and administered the selected puff (1, 3, 6, or 10 seconds) of unflavoured 50/50 oil blend of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine of vaporised e-liquid every 2 minutes during a 10 or 30-minute session. Following administration, mice were placed in open field arenas to measure locomotor activity as well as record time spent in thigmotaxis, a known measure of anxiety. Vapour administration produced significant sex differences on locomotor activity and thigmotaxis time. Specifically, all puff durations significantly decreased locomotor activity and increased thigmotaxis time in female mice. For male mice, the 6 and 10 sec puff decrease locomotor activity and increase thigmotaxis time. Results of this study indicated that there are dissociable behavioural effects following administration of nicotine-free vapour inhalation in mice that are dependent on sex, puff duration, and administration session length.

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)

Burnout, defined by the World Health Organization as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed," is the Quality of Life research topic for the Institute of Social Research Team Fall 2019. A literature review of past research regarding the topic burnout has been conducted to understand the effects it has on society. The effect of burnout on college students is a subtopic of the research by the ISR Team. The research team has a survey developed and disbursed to students of Dixie State University (DSU) to gather burnout indicators among college students. The data will show how burnout affects students of different backgrounds, and if they see burnout as a normal part of their college experience. People are socialized into norms and values that represent a quality life. College students are subconsciously taught that burnout is accepted as a societal norm. Though burnout is a popular topic to discuss there are questions that remain. Does it affect aspects of their social, academic, and career life? After the survey data is gathered, sociological theories will be applied to answer the question and to gain a better understanding of burnout among DSU college students.

Farstead, Brian; Williford, Tanner; Schow, Hunter; Muldowney, John; Stewart, Victoria (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Lundwall, Rebecca (Brigham Young university, Psychology, Cognitive and Behavioral Nueroscience)

Reflexive and sustained attention are important components of daily functioning, and those who exhibit attention deficits typically have problems in school, work, and relationships. Previous studies have measured sustained and reflexive attention using different tasks with disparate stimuli. Because the stimuli are different, it is unclear how reflexive and sustained attention are related. There are some indications in the literature that individuals tend to be better at one or the other type of task.

We measured reflexive and sustained attention in a sample (N=185) of children who completed two computer tasks that recorded response time and accuracy. We developed the two tasks so that all stimuli were identical, but the reflexive attention task used peripheral stimuli and the sustained attention task used central stimuli. Parents also completed questionnaires reporting demographics (e.g., age and sex) and the child's usual sleep habits, behavior at home, and behavior at school. Asking about sleep, home behavior, and school behavior allows us to identify predictors of individual variability in computer-task scores.

We anticipated that children who have a better reflexive attention (lower response times and higher accuracy) would score lower on sustained attention. Furthermore, we expect the relationship between reflexive and sustained attention would be moderated by aspects of behavior related to sleep, home-life, and school. Determining the relationship between different components of attention is important because it will help us to understand the underlying factors that contribute to different deficits in attention. Furthermore, it is important to understand how these different components of attention manifest by age, sex, behaviors at home and behaviors in school. Understanding the relationship between reflexive and sustained attention and their association with child characteristics could potentially contribute to interventions in individuals who have symptoms of attentional deficits.

Hamilton, Emily; Voss, Maren Wright; Swenson, Kira; Lichfield, Lana (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Voss, Maren (Emma Eccles Jones College of Education & Human Services, Kinesiology and Health Science Department)

We interviewed rural individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) to get a better handle on opioid misuse disorders causes and solutions.
To minimize bias in the conducting of interviews, we followed a community engagement model of training community members to interview participants. Two community members were recruited from the recovery community to receive training as a community scholar. Each community scholar completed CITI training which meets National Institutes of Health standards for the Responsible Conduct of Research for human subjects. Each community scholar completed two additional sessions of training on qualitative data collection and interviewing skills. Interviews were scheduled and participants were provided with an Institutional Review Board-approved informed consent form. Given the sensitive nature of the topic, the consent form stressed the option to use a pseudonym and the opportunity to withdraw participation and interview content at any time. The participant was also informed of community resources if at any time during the interview they should become distressed. The community scholar conducted interviews using semi-structured interview prompts, with the freedom to ask clarifying or exploratory questions at will. A member of the IRB approved research team served as the recorder for each interview to ensure sound quality, ethics and safety.

The interviews collected by community scholars provide insight into the unique elements of dealing with an opioid addiction in rural Utah. Themes identified include the tendency toward isolation, the strength of the addiction and fear of withdrawals, and the utility of the criminal justice system as a pathway to recover. Interviews have been extended to an open forum of community conversations, to discuss difficult subject matter in a constructive way. The goal is to reduce stigma and engage community partners to collaborate on bringing in more available resources to help those who struggle.

Hansen, Rebecca; Spencer, Todd; Brosi, Matt; Hubler, Daniel (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Spencer, Todd (Utah Valley University, Behavioral Science)

There has been a wealth of research examining the negative influence of stress on relationship outcomes. Additionally, research indicates the quality of communication between couples strongly influences their overall satisfaction in marriage (Fletcher, 2002). While stress has been associated with poorer communication quality among romantic partners (Bodenmann, 1997), little is known how relationship efficacy modifies that relationship. The purpose of the present study is to examine the extent relationship efficacy mediates the association between stress and communication quality. Our sample consists of 939 individuals who are between 18-70 years old and currently in a romantic relationship. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale - short form (PSS-4; Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), Active-Empathetic Listening Scale (AELS; Bodie, 2011), and Relationship Efficacy Measure (REM; Fincham, Harold, & Gano-Phillips, 2000). Following the mediation analysis outlined by Baron and Kenny (1981), we found that relationship efficacy did mediate the relationship between stress and communication quality, F (2,901) = 111.39, p=<.001. Results provide empirical support for the potential relationship efficacy holds to ameliorate the detrimental effects of stress on communication quality among romantic partners.

Loveless, Emily; Mack, Brittney; Squire, Jenna; Turner, Haylee; Nicholls, Emily; Luke, Steven; Cabbage, Kathryn (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Luke, Steven (College of Family Home and Social Sciences, Psychology); Cabbage, Kathryn (McKay School of Education, Communication Disorders)

Language impairment affects approximately 7-9% of all children and puts children at risk for long-term negative impacts on academic performance, development of social relationships, and even vocational outcomes in adulthood (Clegg, Hollis, Mawhood, & Rutter, 2005). Preschoolers with language impairment have reduced vocabulary, use less complex oral language structures, have difficulty comprehending grammatical structures in spoken language, and poor social communication (Paul & Norbury, 2018). At present, a common recommendation to improve literacy skills in typically developing children emphasizes exposing children to stories through shared book reading from a young age. When being read a storybook, preschoolers without language impairment are more likely to focus their attention on the objects and people specifically mentioned in the text (Luke & Asplund, 2018), suggesting that they are connecting storybook images with oral language comprehension. It is unknown, however, whether children with language impairment benefit in the same way from recommended exposure to shared book reading to improve language and literacy outcomes. Prior research with older children with language impairment has shown that these children initially attend to the appropriate object or person in the text but do not sustain their attention to items that are relevant to what they're hearing (Nation, Marshall, & Altmann, 2004), suggesting they may need support learning what to attend to when integrating oral language with visual images. In this study, we aim to see if a similar pattern emerges for preschool-aged children with language impairment. This study has a strong potential to significantly improve our understanding of how to support language development processes during storybook reading, specifically with children with language impairment.

Buchanan, Shayne; Estevez, Angel (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Chapman, Heather (Weber State University, Psychology)

Abstract:
Poverty is a major epidemic throughout the world. Being in an impoverished state is extremely difficult as it makes living that much more stressful. Those lacking the ability to attain basic needs such as food are at high risk of suffering physical and mental complications, along with environmental and social issues.
One of the biggest issues regarding poverty is the problem malnutrition presents. Among many complications that malnutrition creates, the most concerning is impairments in cognitive development. This can lead to children performing poorly in school. While malnutrition is a problem among those suffering from impoverished circumstances, there are organizations that provide some relief.
Foundations and organizations that provide such assistance include food banks, charities, and churches, etc. This alleviates some of the difficulties surrounding a life in poverty. If participants are not willing to return or do not continue receiving support for various reasons, poverty will persist. One of these reasons may be user satisfaction.
It can be difficult to know how parents and families feel about the satisfaction of certain aspects these foundations provide. Families receiving assistance from food pantries may discontinue participation if they feel their needs are not met. Satisfaction of various aspects of food is an important determinant in regards to overall usage for food banks. To identify levels of satisfaction from assistance programs, we set up a user satisfaction survey for participants to complete in order to measure their overall satisfaction. To be specific, we are measuring satisfaction of the quality, quantity, and ease of process in acquiring food from Granite Education Foundation food banks.

Christensen, Kate; Hinkson, Kent; Brooks, Malisa; Bryan, Craig (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Hinkson, Kent (Utah Valley University, Psychology)

Rates of suicide, suicidal ideation (SI) and self-harm are reaching new record highs inside the U.S. military. Studies have found that there is a relationship between these self-destructive behaviors and the number of deployments served. The more deployments served in and experienced by military personnel, the higher the chance of suffering a service-connected disability. This demographic, individuals who have a service-connected disability, have greater rates of self-destructive behaviors such as intentional self-harm, suicidal ideation, suicidal intent, and plans. There are multiple reasons for the relationship between a service-connected disability and self-destructive behaviors such as the increased risk of depression, mental health diagnosis, type of injury, and opioid dependence. With each additional deployment there carries with it the potential of falling victim to a service-connected disability, which in turn lends itself to a higher risk of self-destructive behaviors. A survey conducted with 315 veterans demonstrated this relationship. There was a strong relationship between the number of overseas deployments and an individual's rates of suicidal ideation, specific plans for suicide, suicide attempts, and self-harm. Additionally, while there was a relationship between number of deployments and an individual having a service-connected disability, the disability only partially mediated suicidal ideation and behaviors. This information carries with it significant implications moving forward. Linking self-destructive behaviors to a service-connected disability acquired during a deployment stresses the importance of these individuals receiving mental health treatment in tandem with their recommended medical treatment. Additionally, understanding the risk associated with participating in multiple deployments will give more impetus to the military to decrease eligibility after the first few deployments.

Larsen, Alexander (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Sotomayor, Maritza (Utah Valley University, Woodbury Business)

It has been said by critics of environmental protection that industrialized countries should not be held to global standards of conservation if less industrialized countries do not improve their conservation efforts. Though this argument is generally stated to avoid talking about the environment, it is true that all countries need to be concerned with conservation. In 2015, one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals was to improve management of the world's oceans, rivers, and coasts. This paper will highlight Mexico and show how it can improve in that area. A goal for this paper is to convince the Mexican government to place funds into a water treatment plant in Sonora and environmentally conscientious coastal developments in Veracruz. Through analysis of previous empirical evidence, we have found that the coast of Veracruz is showing bad signs of erosion due to large developments build on the coast. This has damaged the habitat there and leaves the area particularly susceptible to natural disasters. The San Pedro River, which runs through Sonora, has untreated sewage and industrial runoff flowing through it, which pollutes the habitats and farms downstream of it. These are problems that can be fixed and will help Mexico show its dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals.

KEYWORDS: (Mexico, Environment, Pollution, Construction, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 14: Life Under Water, Positive Externalities)

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.

Abbott, Jessica; Henry, Kayla (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Abbott, Jessica (College of Humanities & Social Sciences, Applied and Behavioral Sciences)

There are many factors that contribute to a police officer's job satisfaction. This research explored the elements that determine an officer's positive or negative job perceptions. Policies, regulations, and job responsibilities in any police department can greatly influence an officer's relative level of satisfaction. Such policies, regulations, and responsibilities can be determined based on the geographic elements. Police officers from a Northern Utah police department were selected for this research. The researcher conducted interviews with 13 police officers, each from day, swing, and graveyard shifts. Interviews were held with officers who have been on the job for a long period, along with newer recruits. Such information gathered can help agencies understand what aids in improving job satisfaction, and what contributes to a negative job experience. The research can also be applied to turnover rates, and to determine what could be done to help the well-being of police officers in their line of work. However, limitations do apply to this research. Job satisfaction can be greatly affected depending on the different jobs performed within an agency and job location. However, this research only looks at one police station.