2020 Abstracts

Goodrich, Ellie; Seaboch, Melissa (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Seaboch, Melissa (University of Utah, Anthropology)

Alouatta palliata (the mantled howler monkey) form large, cohesive multimale multifemale groups. Within these groups there are prominent male dominance hierarchies and both males and females disperse from natal groups. Although A. palliata groups are cohesive, interactions among individuals are rare. Spatial relationships in primate groups aren't random and are often telling of the underlying social structure within a group. This project compares three adult dyads in the A. palliata groups of La Selva Biological station, Costa Rica, to examine group cohesion and if there is variation in spatial patterns between the dyads. The dyads include male-male, female-female, and male-female. Data were collected from May 11-May 22 , 2017 and May 11- June 19, 2018. Instantaneous scan samples were taken at two-minute intervals, and for each scan the sex of each individual, the nearest neighbor's sex, and proximity to closest neighbor were recorded. Proximities were visually estimated to the nearest half meter and sex was determined by body size and the presence or absence of scrotum. The data showed that males maintained closer distances with females than with other males, and females maintained closer distances with females than males. The average male-male distance was 4.2 meters, female-female 1.51 meters, and male-female 2.68 meters. The results suggest that sex plays a role in the spatial organization of a group. In A. palliata adult males have been found to rarely interact with other males and will often employ avoidance strategies, explaining the distances observed between males in this study. Female-female dyads tend to maintain closer and more affiliative proximities due to the presence of infants and the lack of competition for mating and food resources. There are also more females present in A. palliata troop than males, increasing the likelihood that males would be in proximity to females rather than other males.

Patrick I. Garrett, Andrew N. Maloy, Allyson G Barraza, Braxton Tonks, Ashley M. Peterson, Sarah C. Honeycutt, Todd M. Hillhouse (Weber State University)

Current opioid drug treatments for acute and chronic pain have problematic side effects (e.g. addiction and respiratory depression). In general, preclinical studies use assays of pain-stimulated behaviors, which are defined as behaviors that increase in frequency, rate or intensity after delivery of a noxious stimulus. However, pain-stimulated behaviors can be reduced by drugs that suppress motor activity but lack analgesic properties. Novel assays of pain-depressed behaviors are defined as a decrease in frequency, rate or intensity after delivery of a noxious stimulus. Pain-depressed behaviors are used in complement to pain-stimulated behaviors because drugs that suppress motor activity will not produce analgesic properties in these assays. The present study sought to evaluate sex differences in C57BL/6 mice in assays of pain-stimulated (i.e. hot plate and acid-induced stretching) and pain-depressed behaviors (nesting, rearing, and locomotor activity). No sex differences were found in the hot plate test, or acid-induced stretching, as the noxious stimulus increased behavior in both sexes. During control conditions, male mice exhibited greater nesting behavior and rearing activity. However, treatment with 0.32% and 0.56% lactic acid depressed nesting, rearing, and locomotor activity to the same degree in male and female mice. These results suggest that some pain-depressed assays, such as nesting and rearing, might be more sensitive to sex difference; however, these sex differences are not expressed in pain-stimulated behaviors. In recent years the National Institute of Health (NIH) required the use of male and female animals in all studies. This study provides evidence on which pain assays will require separate groups to address behavioral sex differences.

Hoopes, Holly (Salt Lake Community College)
Faculty Advisor: Seaboch, Melissa (Salt Lake Community College, Anthropology)

Documenting primate sleep sites is a useful way to census troop composition because recording the troop's arrival to and dispersal from a sleep site can offer a better understanding of the whole troop, especially for species that are fission-fusion foragers. My goal was to understand sleep site selection by Alouatta palliata. Past studies suggest that howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) sleep in or near food-source trees. Alouatta species are the most folivorous of all Neotropical species with a preference for trees in the Moraceae family (e.g. Brosimum, Ficus). I predict Alouatta palliata will sleep most often in trees in the Moraceae family. This research took place at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. La Selva consists of 1,600 ha with both primary and secondary forests. This research was conducted at the start of the wet season (May and June) in 2018. I followed A. palliata to their nightly sleep site and recorded the trees they were sleeping in, at the Family level. The Family of the tree was identified with the use of the online OTS Plant Database in combination with the physical samples in the herbarium archives. I was able to record 27 nocturnal sleep sites with a total of 47 trees used for sleeping. Of the 47 trees, 18 were in the Fabaceae family (38%) and 11 were in the Moraceae family (23%). They also slept in Myristicaceae, (4%) and Malvaceae trees (2%). Fifteen sleeping trees were unidentified. Thus, my hypothesis that howler monkeys would sleep most in Moraceae, was refuted. However, Fabaceae trees are a commonly known food resource for howler monkeys, so my results are similar to prior research which found they sleep in or near food-source trees. Interestingly, I never observed them eating in the trees in which they slept.

Kristianna J. Radley - Department of Psychology, University of Utah. u1119263@utah.edu. Rebecca R. Steed - Population Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute; Department of Geography, University of Utah. Dr. Huong Meeks - Population Science, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. Dr. Ken R. Smith - Utah Population Database, Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute; Department of Family and Consumer Studies, University of Utah. (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Smith, Ken (University of Utah, Department of Family and Consumer Studies)

How is your risk of mortality as an adult affected by your living circumstances, your family and your neighborhood that existed earlier? In the state of Utah, we have a historical collection of data on individual circumstances early in life and death records for the entire population through the Utah Population Database (UPDB). This work began by creating geographical representations of the longevity in Utah by neighborhoods based on residential location in 1940 to determine if certain areas are associated with higher, or possibly lower, adult mortality rates. The 1940 census was used because it represents the most recent census year where specific identifiers are available that allows us to follow individuals until their deaths or their current age. We found that mortality risks vary based on an individual's location residence in 1940, specifically adults living in urban areas. This research is being extended by exploring individual characteristics that may explain these spatial longevity differentials. For this work, it will also be important to explore how individual and neighborhood characteristics may interact, where certain combinations serve to either increase or decrease the risk of adult mortality. We are continuing this research by adding a third level of analysis by including a familial component in relation to mortality risk. This additional component allows us to determine if family members share a risk of mortality which might be associated with neighborhood clustering (since family members may be more likely to live near one another) or because of shared genetics. By studying all three levels of mortality risk, this research will lead to a more comprehensive assessment of the social and geographic origins of mortality risk (at the level of the individual, family, and community). This work may have the ability to identify community characteristics that will promote healthier and longer lives.

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.

Geist, Claudia: Rodriguez, Johnny (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Geist, Claudia (Sociology, Gender Studies)

Previous research has demonstrated variation between racial and ethnic groups in the patterns of access to, and use of highly effective and long-lasting contraception. There has been a lack of research on how race and ethnicity interact with social and economic predictors of contraceptive method use. Specifically, this research project identifies the variation in the effect of social and economic factors on contraceptive use patterns across ethnic/racial groups. We use data from the HER Salt Lake initiative, a prospective study that provided family planning clients in the state of Utah with various contraceptive choices, while also removing cost barriers. We first summarize social and economic characteristics, potential barriers, and ethnic/racial group. We next replicate existing research that predict usage of effective and long-lasting contraception (IUD and Implants) as a function of social, economic, and demographic characteristics, and more importantly, whether the impact of social and economic factors on contraceptive choice varies across racial and ethnic group. In a final analytic step, this project looks at how the impact of pregnancy intentions on contraceptive method choice varies across racial/ethnic group. Preliminary findings suggest that women of color face significantly higher health care barriers (both social and economic), yet there are no significant differences in the usage of IUDs and implants. By acknowledging social and economic factors as possible barriers to health care more broadly, and contraception specifically, and highlighting racial and ethnic variation in the impact of these factors, we hope to increase access to a wide range of contraceptive choices for all consumers.

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.

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

As part of Dixie State University's Institute for Social Research, this paper will identify questions pertaining to burnout. Recently, the World Health Organization has deemed burnout as a recognized syndrome. Building off of this new information, the ISR is looking at the overall social acceptance of burnout and how, as a society, it teaches individuals to accept it. Through the lens of symbolic interaction, the ISR looks at how the modern age of technology is affecting this acceptance. Specifically, the modern reliance upon technology is something that is looked at as contributor. The transfer of culture through common symbols is now faster than ever with the emergence of social media platforms. These meanings are portrayed through language, pictures and even trends that reveal societies acceptance of the feelings and symptoms associated with burnout. A great example of this would be the famous picture of the "don't give up!" frog in the stork's mouth. Even though the frog is being eaten, it's still trying to choke the stork. This picture may change, but the point behind the message is always clear, one must keep going even if it seems they are done. This social acceptance of burnout through the means of social media content is one part of the multiple facets the ISR is researching under the subject of burnout.

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)

Nye, Brandt; Fellows, Anthony (Weber State University)
Faculty Advisor: Chapman, Heather (Weber State University, Psychology)

Child hunger is a prevalent problem America is currently facing — or not facing. According to Merriam Webster, hunger is defined as: "a weakened condition brought about by prolonged lack of food". Naturally, a child whose basic need is going unmet is likely to experience difficulty with other aspects of life: Schooling, recreation, sleep, etc. To make matters worse is the fact that some of these children are starving needlessly, going without food when such resources are available in the very area they live in. Furthermore, Lynn Mclntyre and Jeanne Williams found child hunger to be a "robust predictor of depression and suicide ideation" amongst children as they grow into adolescence and adulthood. Children are of course powerless in this situation, as they depend upon parents for their needs.

Perhaps those equally experiencing the negative effects would be the parents — those who are solely responsible to provide for their children. It's a maternal instinct for a mother to feed ones child. When this instinct is frustrated or damned, a variety of feelings can result in the parent themselves. Feeling such as depression, failure, anger, sadness, hopelessness, and fears become prominent when such an occurrence takes place. If left unresolved, feelings within parents can escalate to: "Uncontrolled weeping, fierce crazy anger, and lashing out even at those who may be of assistance". (Lou-Marie Kruger, Marleen Lourens). Unfortunately, such feelings only tend to worsen the situation as it develops into a vicious cycle, failing to break the routine.

This being the case, we will be conducting a survey on parents to measure the beneficial effects that take place within their mental well-being as a result of being able to access the food pantry at their childrens schools.

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.

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.

Gottschalk, Jake; Miller, Zachary; Liebich, Katrina (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Miller, Zachary (S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources, Environment and Society Department)

Salmonid populations are an important cultural, recreational, and economic resource throughout Alaska that are threatened by multiple sources. One often-overlooked source is damage to streambeds from recreation, especially from motorized recreation. OHV (off-highway vehicle) use can increase turbidity, nutrient loads, and erosion in these streams, which is harmful for juvenile salmonids. Stream crossings are common in the Mat-Su borough of Alaska, and enforcement for approved low-impact crossings is almost nonexistent. This study focused on developing a model, based on interviews and survey data, that explained OHV user's motive-driven stream crossings. Preliminary randomized interviews were conducted to focus survey questions, which revealed that approximately 90% of OHV users didn't know about approved crossings. Interview results showed strong motive for crossings that had low environmental impact and even stronger motive for crossings focused on safety. These interviews lead to refinements in the survey instrument, which focused on the importance of specific motives such as safety, environmental impacts, congestion, etc. and support for possible management actions, loosely based on the theory of planned behavior. Reliability analyses were conducted on the factors for the generalized linear model (GLM) to simplify the model and reduce collinearity. The model showed that safety and environmental responses were the most important predictors of crossing best practice behaviors. Signage and other indirect management methods were favored over direct management methods by survey respondents at this site. Signage focused on safety in conjunction with low-impact crossing locations was suggested to management as the best course of action. The results from this study will help inform managers in designing stream crossings and their supporting signage as OHV use continues to increase.

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.