2020 Abstracts

Mulliniks, Charlotte; Nate, Haley; Smith Julianne; Gudino-Cuevas , Loraine (Westminster College)
Faculty Advisor: Ellis, Lesa (Westminster College, Neuroscience)

Directed attention is an important process involved in cognitive functioning. Mental fatigue from daily tasks often leaves a persons directed attention depleted. According to Attention Restoration Theory (ART), exposure to natural stimuli can restore directed attention. Although many studies have investigated the ability of natural visual stimuli to restore attention, research exploring the restoration provided by natural auditory stimuli is lacking. With an abundance of sounds found in nature, bird sounds are among the most prevalent. This study aimed to investigate the differences in restoration experienced after listening to sounds from different avian species compared to a control of listening to silence. It was expected that different species would provide varying measurements of attention restoration due to differences in the sounds each species makes. Two species of birds, the common house sparrow (P. domesticus) and the black-billed magpie (P. hudsonia) were selected based on their perceived restoration potential (PRP) score determined by Ratcliffe et al. 2016. All participants first took the sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) to place a demand on attention. Participants then listened to a recording of one of the two species or silence and immediately took the Attention Network Test (ANT) to measure the restorative effects on directed attention. Another group of participants took the ANT to serve as a baseline measure. There was no significant difference of attention interference observed between groups who listened to bird sounds or silence however, the group who only took the ANT exhibited greater interference from distractions that the group who sat in silence. These results indicate that listening to bird sounds may have a positive influence on attention restoration and spending an equal amount of time in silence may have a similar effect.

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

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

Anderson, Taylor; Lancaster, Alex; Rezaei Shrireen; Goepper, Bradee (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Lancaster, Alex (Weber State University, Communication)

The Weber Morgan Health Department reports that there is a noticeably high rate of opioid overdoses occurring in the respective counties. Current research shows that opioid addiction and opioid related deaths are increasing across the nation. "Between 2013-2015 Utah ranked 7th in the nation for drug chemical related deaths" (CDC, 2017). The purpose of this study is to assess the influence mental health and religiosity have on opioid use and abuse in the Ogden Community. In conjunction with Ogden Civic Action Network (CAN) the Weber State University Community Research Team circulated a cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire. Findings will be utilized to better determine the needs of the Weber State University students and the members of the surrounding communities. The expected outcome of this study is findings that indicate significantly higher rates of abuse and misuse of prescription and street opioids among those who self-identify as having one or more mental disorders.

WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System)|Injury Center|CDC. (2019, September 18).

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.

Palmer, Ali; Raby, K. Lee (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Raby, Lee (College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Developmental Psychology)

This study explores the relationship between maternal sensitivity and physiological reactivity in children across time. Maternal sensitivity is the appropriate response of a caregiver to their child's needs, while physiological reactivity describes the body's response to stressors. Physiological reactivity in this case is measured by Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. Previous studies show a relationship between parental sensitivity and RSA during the same procedure; however, this relationship across time has yet to be explored. It was expected that maternal sensitivity would be associated with lower physiological reactivity to stress, or a lower RSA value. This relationship is plausible based on research about sensitive caregiving predicting attachment behavior later on.

Women were recruited during pregnancy for this study beginning in October 2018 through University of Utah associated clinics, flyers, brochures, and social media posts (Lin, et al., 2019). They then have the opportunity to continue through the study with visits at successive time points: a prenatal visit, a birth visit, a visit when the child is 7 months old, and a visit when the child is 18 months old. Data coded for maternal sensitivity was collected at 7 months during the Still Face Paradigm, a commonly used procedure for assessing infant reactivity. RSA data showing physiological reactivity was collected at 18 months during the Strange Situation Procedure, widely accepted as a measure of attachment security in infants.

Establishing the existence of the relationship between these two variables is an important first step toward helping children in less than ideal situations. This could lead to a greater knowledge of how to develop interventions, for example, with children or adolescents struggling with issues related to heightened physiological activity. Understanding these biological patterns could help them handle high levels of physiological reactivity in a productive way.

Hurley, Jazime; Izampuye, Elizabeth; Trinh, Ha (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Abunuwara, Kim (Utah Valley University, integrated Studies); Dunn, Paul (Utah Valley University, Biology); Oliveira, Andre (Utah Valley University, Economics)

Globally, college students have the highest rates of unintended pregnancies. In Vietnam, the social stigma against pregnancy and against sex education is prevalent enough that college students turn to less reliable sources for information. Women often face scrutiny, criticism, and sometimes violence if they try to talk about contraceptives. In the United States, stigmas show in different forms. Male and female college students are informed as to what contraceptives are. But, when it comes to knowing where to access contraceptives and how to use them, resources are scarce. Paper administered surveys were distributed to college students at the University of Vietnam and the University of Utah. Questions were divided to assess the following: 1) Knowledge of basic contraceptive facts, 2) awareness about the significance of contraceptive use, 3) attitude about contraceptive use, 4) demographic information. These questions varied from "yes" and "no" to "agree" and "disagree." Results suggest that students from each university had knowledge about basic contraceptive information, as 95% of students knew at least one contraceptive method. In general, Vietnamese students were more likely to believe that contraceptive methods are more harmful than beneficial to health, use of contraceptives will increase risk of fertility in the future, and discussion about contraceptives with spouse is embarrassing. Utahan students were more likely to believe that only women take responsibility for using contraceptives, contraceptives can protect the health of family and society, and contraceptive pills do not 100% guarantee avoidance of pregnancy. These results suggest the Vietnamese students were warier of contraceptives due to limited knowledge of side effects. Students in Utah were more aware of the benefits of contraceptive use, but only to an extent. Overall, both males and female students need well-rounded education about contraceptives that I hope to implement with future projects.

Birmingham, Wendy; Macintosh, Janelle; Vaughn Allison; Graff, Tyler (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Birmingham, Wendy (Brigham Young University, Psychology)

Background: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is transmitted between sexual partners. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease, affecting the majority of sexually active adults at some point. HPV can lead to various cancers, including anal, vaginal, vulva, cervical, penile and oral. Despite the prevalence of HPV within the population, vaccination rates for this virus are extremely low. This could be due to the fallacy that vaccinations are ineffective or unnecessary. Specifically, the misconception that HPV solely impacts women. We hypothesized that parents who do not vaccinate their children are more likely to believe these misconceptions, which could impact vaccine compliance in their boys.

Method: In this study, we surveyed 210 parents to gage their perceptions of the rarity of HPV viral infection among the sexes, the efficacy of vaccines in preventing disease, and the reported vaccination uptake of their children.

Results: We conducted several analyses using SPSS. In line with our hypothesis, results revealed that parents who do not believe that vaccines are effective do not vaccinate their children against HPV. While many parents agree that vaccines protect against disease, nearly half of these parents reported that they have not vaccinated their children against HPV. Contrary to our hypothesis, analysis regarding both boys and girls' necessity to be vaccinated did not show statistically significant results.

Conclusions: Taken together, these results show that parents who do not believe in the efficacy of vaccines indeed do not vaccinate their children against HPV. Furthermore, even though parents may believe that the HPV vaccine is effective, adherence to recommended vaccination is severely low. We hypothesized that this adherence gap would be related to the perception that HPV is a female issue; however, this belief was not shown in our results. Further study into parental justification behind their choice not to vaccinate is needed.

Birmingham, Wendy; Graff, Tyler; Fitzgerald, Joseph; Fuller, Shayla; Seipert, Shelby; Ballard, Emily (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Birmingham, Wendy (Brigham young University, Psychology)

Family roles are increasingly shifting, and more married mothers work outside the home. Indeed, only 19% of married couples reported the husband as the sole wage earner (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Previous research on labor divisions among spouses has examined marital relationship quality in the context of equity theory, which posits husbands and wives are most likely to be satisfied in a marriage where both partners are equally benefited. That is, relationships tend to flourish when both spouses perceive domestic and financial responsibilities are fairly divided, regardless if these responsibilities are evenly split. Under this assumption, dual income households may foster better relationship quality than single income households, as both the husband and wife feel they are contributing equally to the family's economic security. The present study seeks to compare reported relationship quality of wives who are either part of a dual-income household (both husband and wife work) or single-income household (only husband works). 225 female participants were recruited from BYU, the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, and the community via SONA, fliers, social media, and word of mouth. Participants were required to have children living in the home, and the participant's spouse also working outside the home. Analysis is currently being conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

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

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

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

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

Van Kuren, Scott; Dahle, Wendy (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Allison Jim (Family Life Sciences, Anthropology)

I am researching individuality in the design on Pinedale Polychrome Vessels from Fourmile Ruin. Specifically, I will be researching individuality through brushstroke execution based off the research of Scott Van Kuren. According to Van Kuren, variation in the execution of the design can organize pottery style into non-local and local designs, with a specific focus on the individual or specific potter group that created these vessels. Individuality can be seen through choice in variation in design, brushstroke placement and layout. This project is meant to mimic this research on Pinedale Polychrome from Fourmile Ruin to see if this can be applied to a different type of White Mesa vessels. If Van Kuren's theory is correct, then this research should present a variation of individual choices present in this set of Pinedale Polychrome vessels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson, Gregory (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Jackson, Gregory (Humanities and Social Sciences, Integrated Studies)

Samir Saleh Abdullah, known better as Ibn Al-Khattab or Emir Khattab, is one of the most famous foreign fighters of the First and Second Chechen Wars. Between 1995 until his death in 2002, Khattab's jihad in the Northern Caucasus was "comparable, if not more ambitious" than famed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden, recruiting members from nearly everywhere he went. His role in the Chechen insurgency and participation in Islamic extremism would land him on Russia's FSB most wanted list and designated as a terrorist by the United States due to his communication and association with Osama bin-Laden. Khattab's impact on the First and Second Chechen wars was not a military one; his forces' effect on the insurgency itself was negligible. The legacy Khattab left behind instead was an ideological one, based on a unique hybrid of experiences and philosophical stances he used while fighting and participating in the administration of Northern Caucasian religious life. Despite being in contact with Osama bin-Laden and having been inspired to take up jihad by another co-founder of al-Qaeda, Abdallah `Azzam, Khattab's jihad remained exclusively centered on Russia and its oppression of Muslims in the Northern Caucasus, barring Khattab's jihad in the Northern Caucasus to be considered globalist-Salafist. In addition, Khattab was not strictly irredentist, and called on Muslims from around the world to participate in the struggle. Khattab employed the rhetoric much akin to other global jihadist groups like al-Qaeda, all while waging a strictly territorially bounded jihad in the Northern Caucasus, which necessitates an in-depth analysis of his approach to jihad in a modern context.

Nielsen, Kate (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Thompson, Greg (Brigham Young University, Anthropology); Nuckrolls, Janis (Brigham Young University, Linguistics)

Ecuadorian Quichua-speaking people, also known as Runa, are deeply connected to the rainforest. It is their subsistence, culture, caretaker, and responsibility. The intimacy and depth of their connection with the land is reminiscent of familial ties. The language with which they refer to their environment reflects this familial relationship. In traditional beliefs, all things created by God have some element of life force. The ability to speak, think, and choose is given to rocks, trees, the ground itself. These aspects of nature are bestowed with humanlike personalities and motivations. I propose that Runa personify aspects of nature in order to explain the agency ascribed to them. Runa bestow familial ties, such as spousal ties, upon natural objects or animals/plants to emphasize their personal significance. Runa believe that they came from the land. They believe that when they take care of the land, it takes care of them. By ascribing their land with agency, emotion, and thought, Runa strengthen their ties to the land by adopting it as a member of their family.

Alee Washburn, Allie Peery, Hal Svien, Cameron Alldredge, Gary M. Burlingame (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Burlingame, Gary (Brigham Young University, Psychology)

Aims: There has been an increased interest in shame among psychological researchers lately. Furthermore, there is little agreement among the two most common measures of shame in psychology (Eterović et al. 2018). This systematic review will evaluate various psychometric characteristics of identified shame measures used in psychological research. Methods: A literature search of common databases in psychology (e.g., Ovid, Web of Science) pinpointed ~4,000 articles mentioning shame measures. These will be systematically reviewed to identify all self-report and interview-based measures of shame in psychology. Psychometric properties rated will include state versus trait shame, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability, among others.

Results: Preliminary results are still being reviewed. Newer measures of shame identified have identified factor structures related to their theoretical bases, something not necessarily seen in older measures. Shame measures are commonly separated into state and trait measures, which might not be appropriate to different research questions (Ogles, 2013). These and other considerations will be presented to identify promising measures of shame for future research. Discussion: Discussion of results will be framed in relation to current reviews of shame as a construct, particularly how it is measured (Eterović et al. 2018). It is likely that older measures of shame do not have demonstrable psychometrics (e.g., clear theoretically-linked factor structures), making them unlikely choices for use in psychological research. Further, each measure should be considered in relation to its change sensitivity and the research question. Keywords: measurement, psychometrics, shame

Garrison, Mackenzie; (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Graul, Antje (Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Marketing and Strategy Department); Thompson, Greg (Brigham Young University, Anthropology)

The means of transportation is forever changing and just recently multiple means of electric transport have emerged in our cities. People are taking full advantage of all means of transportation but the framework for decision making has not adapted to include all means of transport. Current frameworks are largely utilitarian based and do not account for a large portion of travel mode choice behaviors. The goal for this project was to identify alternate decision frameworks for understanding and modeling consumers' personal travel mode choices and determine the appropriateness of a non-compensatory Maslow-like framework for explaining consumers decision making processes for travel mode choice. To complete this goal, we followed two objectives:
1) Qualitatively determine the structure and contents of consumers' pre-consumption perceived satisfaction of needs for understanding the personal transportation mode choice decision-making process and consumers' intention to engage into a particular mode of transport from a consumer behavior perspective, and
2) Quantitatively validate the proposed framework by taking both pre-consumption perceptions and post-consumption evaluations into consideration.
To collect data, we used two means of research: conducting focus groups and collecting surveys. This allowed us to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. From this data we concluded that travel mode decisions are influenced by a number of factors ranging from convenience to environmental concern. Depending on the type of transportation, some factors were considered more than others. Some factors included health when bicycling, traffic when driving an independent vehicle, and relationship building with bicycle and scooter share. As we predicted, there are many factors, both utilitarian and non-utilitarian, that drive transportation decision making.

Kortesmaki, Victoria (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Nagaishi, Garrett (Utah Valley University, I Am First)

This research addresses the limiting labels and language attributed to first-generation college students and the stereotypes imposed upon them. Stereotypes such as belonging to low-income families, having little family support as they are the first in their family to go to college, little academic preparation, and little commitment to a college education. The "first-generation" label itself is something that has been discussed more in recent years and has brought these stereotypes into the light. This has prompted us, as first-generation students ourselves, to study what continuing-generation college students think of first-generation college students' potential and educational choices. We used Utah Valley University's definition of first-generation college student for this research, "if neither parent/guardian has completed a U.S. bachelor's degree" the student is considered a first-generation college student. Previous research indicates that first-generation college students have different learning and career outcomes. We created and distributed a survey among Utah Valley University students asking them a series of questions that related to first-generation college students and the stereotypes associated with them. We also surveyed first-generation college students about their perceptions of themselves. Our study found that while there are stereotypes associated with first-generation college students, not all of them are consistent with how first-generation college students perceive themselves.

Garner, McKenna (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Haug, Jordan (Brigham Young University, Anthropology); Thompson, Greg (Brigham Young University, Anthropology)

Homeschooling has long existed as somewhat of a countercultural alternative to educating children in the United States, and it has grown in popularity nationwide since the beginning of the modern homeschool movement in the 1970s. As of 2016, there were about 16,085 school-age children being homeschooled in Utah (Utah State Board of Education Superintendent's Annual Report 2016), though this number has likely increased as the homeschool movement has continued to sweep the nation. While there exists a sufficient amount of research on the educational outcomes of homeschooled children, the research lacks the perspectives of the mothers who are taking on the responsibility to homeschool their children. This project is focused on understanding why mothers, specifically those of the Latter-day Saint faith, choose to homeschool and what their individual experiences look like. Using ethnographic methods such as participant-observation and person-centered interviews, I sought to understand the experiences of 28 different homeschooling mothers in Utah. The data from interviews suggest that, from the perspective of my informants, there is a clear connection between the responsibilities of homeschooling and the responsibilities of motherhood. My observations also show unique methods of homeschooling within each family that echo unique approaches to mothering. While some arguments exist about the gendered inequalities that homeschooling may perpetuate, I argue that homeschooling mothers demonstrate a great deal of agency and autonomy within their homes, which in turn supports the religious ideologies of these women related to their "divine" roles as mothers and "equal partnership" with their husbands (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).

Bostick, Aubrey; Hill, Huiying (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Hill, Huiying (Weber State University, Sociology and Anthropology)

Infant mortality rates for black women are significantly higher than white women. More specifically, during high risk pregnancies. These include pregnancies for women before the age of 20, and between the ages of 40-54. Through quantitative and qualitative secondary analysis utilizing conflict theory, the research indicates environmental and socioeconomic impacts derived from eugenicist practices that uniquely impact black pregnant women. Eugenicist practices are at the root of infant mortality rates for pregnant black women as a consequence of exploitation that formulates modern reproductive care. First, environmental factors to be explored include food deserts, gentrification, geographic location to healthcare centers, and pollution. These factors are essential to explore because they directly create internal factors. Which is why the second area of exploration is the stress of being a pregnant black woman. These factors include societal pressure, medical pressure, and a lack of preventative reproductive and post pregnancy care. Both environmental and internal factors stem from cyclical poverty, and produce chronic healthcare conditions that yield infant mortality. This research offers the unique consideration of diet, and disproportionate access to medical care while encompassing the history of modern reproductive care. This research has the capacity to create a dynamic approach to reducing infant mortality rates specifically for at-risk pregnant black women.

Shipley, Samantha (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Stevenson, Dr. Mark (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology); Arkush, Dr. Brooke (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology); Yoder, Dr. David (Social & Behavioral Sciences, Sociology & Anthropology)

This study evaluates the ways that gender and women's roles are interpreted in Utah rock art. Over 750 rock art images in the following six counties in Utah were evaluated: Box Elder (47 images), Carbon (488 images), Juab (16 images), Millard (100 images), Tooele (33 images), and Utah (73 images). Along with a review of relevant literature, the study drew on rock art site forms to review any indication of sex/gender attributes. Though some rock art can be more easily interpreted, most is open to interpretation and requires extensive knowledge on the culture and ethnographic analysis. There were not many panels that displayed gender attributes. However, we cannot be sure that anthropomorphic figures did not represent both males and females. Though some rock art motifs can be more easily interpreted, most require extensive knowledge on the culture and ethnographic analysis to reach a probable conclusion. Identifying sex and gender within rock art motifs can be difficult without understanding the cultural construction as we oftentimes have biases and cultural assumptions of our own. Understanding social roles in native Utahn populations is beneficial for furthering anthropological research in the area.