Architecture

Authors: Grant Cole, Vitaliy Walker, Daniel Adams, Nathan Twitchell, Melissa Lee, Jennifer Mortensen, Brittney Stockholm, Tatiana LeRoy. Mentors: Claudia Jorgensen. Insitution: Utah Valley University. When exposed to stressful situations, the human nervous system reacts with the fight or flight response activation. Physiological indicators of the activation of the fight or flight response include a change in body temperature, increased heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating (Sriram et.al, 2012). There is mounting evidence implicating stress as physiologically and psychologically harmful. For example, recent research has found a correlation between chronic exposure to stress and the development of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Furthermore, chronic stress has the potential to change the anatomy of the brain along the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA), which is an important part of the neuroendocrine system, plays a role in the release of stress hormones, and helps regulate moods, emotions, and sexual behaviorisms (Ramirez, et.al., 2013). As college can be quite stressful, developing healthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress might positively influence the students’ academic performance and it might improve and maintain their psychological and physiological well-being (Skowronek, 2014). Various research studies have been conducted to reveal the therapeutic qualities of music. Music can effectively relieve nervousness, promote mental health, and positively affect students' psychological state (Chi, 2020). Current research on stress-related outcomes shows that music interventions play a significant role in stress reduction on physiological levels (de Witte et. al, 2020).  Preliminary results indicated that physiological responses (including heart rate, electrodermal skin response, and body temperature) to a mathematical calculation task were not impacted by the type of background noise (control, calm music, or upbeat music). Therefore, the current study is while being exposed to various music genre types (Kirschbaum et al., 1993). We hypothesize that calmer music might reduce stress response, while faster and more upbeat music might increase the stress response. The study will employ a between-subject measures design. After obtaining the baseline physiological measures when no music is played, the participant will either be exposed to two segments of relaxation/mediation music or two segments of fast-beat music. While exposed to different music conditions, the physiological response will be used to compare the impact of music genre (calm meditation music versus techno music) as well as practice (music segment 1 versus music segment 2) on the human stress response. Findings on the effects of music manipulation on the human nervous system can be used as additional tools for the management of stress.

Authors: Minh Nguyen, Eugene Leung. Mentors: Ming Yu. Insitution: Utah Valley University. A rapid, non-invasive method of disease detection method is vital for diagnosis or prevention. Many recent studies suggest that biomarker proteins that are associated with certain diseases were often found in urine samples of the patient. Quantum dots (QDs), a type of nanomaterial, have been investigated in previous studies, revealing their fast response in fluorescent properties when interacting with biomarker proteins. In this study, we examined the impact of QDs’ fluorescent properties in complex solutions by utilizing various concentrations of artificial urine samples. The results of this study provide insight into the possibility of using QDs as an alternative method of disease detection.

Authors: Vince Rossi, Spencer Brown. Mentors: Vince Rossi. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Current systems of generating 3D fluorescent images of samples require scanning of a sample or multiple exposures to acquire a series of images. Collecting a 3D fluorescent image in these fashions is timely, ranging from minutes to tens of minutes. This is not ideal for imaging live, dynamic samples that change as time progresses. The use of holographic techniques allows for the collection of a 3D image on the scale of milliseconds, therefore negating motion artifacts. Combining the speed of digital holography with fluorescent imaging will allow for identification of labeled biological components within a sample as well as the ability to view the sample in a 3D space thus offering greater detail and information on the sample. This process is called Holographically Informed Fluorescence Imaging (HIFI). Simulations have been run using MatLab in which a sample is imaged using Phase Shifting Digital Holography. The 3D reconstruction of the image is propagated using Huygens Convolution Method, and then all of the pixels of the image are brought into focus numerically. This image is then overlayed with the fluorescence image obtained. Each pixel of the fluorescent image is propagated to the depth of focus for each pixel within the 3D holographic image and a 3D fluorescent image is obtained. Simulations of this process have proved successful. A proof of principle experiment is currently underway as to prove the effectiveness of this fluorescent imaging method.

Authors: Sadie Jensen, Nellie Bowman, Nick Jeffery, Heather Wilson Ashworth. Mentors: Heather Ashworth. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The STEM career field has been found to be particularly unwelcoming to women and minorities resulting in attrition of these demographics in STEM degrees and careers.2 To address this problem, the National Science Foundation awarded Utah Valley University a grant to fund undergraduate research opportunities with faculty. This preliminary research project explores the effect of mentored undergraduate research opportunities on student retention and success in the UVU Biology Department. Each year for the last 4 years, 10 students were accepted each year into a research cohort. The following factors are known indicators of student success and retention in the STEM fields: self-efficacy1, effort control4, and teacher immediacy3. These factors were qualitatively measured with reflection questions. Students were surveyed at the end of each academic semester. There are two completed cohorts and data is still being collected on the remaining two cohorts. A coding scheme was developed, and reflection questions were coded to consensus. The Pearson's coefficient was greater than 0.76. The preliminary coding results show themes of positive or very positive effects of the research experience on self-efficacy, effort control, and teacher immediacy. The greatest gains were observed in self-efficacy and teacher immediacy. This preliminary data supports the role of undergraduate research in retaining women and minorities in STEM majors. Sources: Kalender, Z. Y., Marshman, E., Schunn, C. D., Nokes-Malach, T. J., & Singh, C. (2020). Damage caused by women’s lower self-efficacy on physics learning. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevphyseducres.16.010118 White, J. L., & Massiha, G. H. (2016). The retention of women in Science, Technology, engineering, and Mathematics: A framework for persistence. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v5i1.4515 Micari, M., & Pazos, P. (2012). Connecting to the professor: Impact of the student–faculty relationship in a highly challenging course. College Teaching, 60(2), 41-47. Pintrich, P. R., & De Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of educational psychology, 82(1), 33.

Authors: Jennifer Mortensen, Melissa Lee, Jessica C Hill. Mentors: Jessica C Hill. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The prevailing assumption in academia has been that outstanding researchers would naturally be outstanding teachers. However, this notion began to face scrutiny in the late 1950s and early 1960s (Cruz et al., 2023). The societal upheavals of the 1960s had a profound impact on American colleges and universities, leading to students demanding and obtaining a more significant role in campus life. One notable change was the introduction of student evaluations of teaching, which were virtually non-existent before the 1960s but became standard practice by the late 1970s. In response to these shifts and faculty requests for support to enhance teaching, Centers for Teaching Excellence (CTEs) were born, with the inaugural centers established at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University (Bakutes, 1998; Miller, 2002). This marked the beginning of a nationwide initiative to strengthen teaching in higher education, culminating in the formation of over 1,000 such centers by the mid-1970s and general coverage across the United States by 2020 (Wright, 2023). In today's academic landscape, CTEs play an instrumental, mission-driven role in enhancing learning and teaching. The primary mission of most CTEs is to improve student learning, support faculty, encourage innovation, and support scholarly and creative work (Wright, 2023). While there is a wealth of literature on CTE organization, function, and impact, there is a noticeable gap in knowledge regarding the most frequently utilized programming and services offered by CTEs. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational landscape has undergone significant changes, necessitating a shift in the learning and teaching needs of students and faculty. This research seeks to address this evolving dynamic within Utah by examining the prevalent programming and services provided by CTEs across the state. The findings from this research will provide valuable insights into these changing needs and will inform future programming and strategic directions for CTEs in Utah. Bakutes, A. P. (1998). An examination of faculty development centers. Contemporary Education, 69(3), 168-171.Cruz, L., Parker, M. A., Smentkowski, B., & Smitherman, M. (2023). Taking flight: Making your center for teaching and learning soar (2nd ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Murray, J. P. (2002). The current state of faculty development in two-year colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges, 118, 89–98.Wright, M. C. (2023). Centers for teaching and learning: The new landscape in higher education. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Authors: Taelyn Stinson, Kaicee Postler, Racel Arocho, Julie Nelson. Mentors: Kaicee Postler. Insitution: Utah Valley University. The Stronger Families Project (SFP) is an established FLE program at Utah Valley University (UVU) that is taught by undergraduate student interns to families in the community. The current study aims to examine the efficacy of SFP among Fall 2023 participants. A pre- and post-program evaluation of survey data from participants enrolled in SFP during the Fall 2023 semester will be used to evaluate changes in communication, problem-solving skills, and general family functioning. Several subscales from the program’s own established evaluation tool (Family Wellness, 2023) and the General Functioning Subscale from the Family Assessment Device (FAD, Epstein, 1983) were used. A total of N = 25 participants completed the pre-program surveys in September 2023 and will be asked to complete post-program surveys in November 2023. Results from the pre- and post-test analysis of change will be presented. Implications for future research and Family Life Education (FLE) programs will be discussed.

Authors: Lauren Hammond, Hailey White, McKayla Pittman. Mentors: Brandon Burr. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Public opinion has largely moved away from traditional notions of marriage and religion, particularly for emerging adults (Gubernskaya, 2010; Pew Research Center, 2019). Data shows 44% of those ages 18-29 believe marriage is obsolete (Helimlich, 2011), and 40% of emerging adults are religiously unaffiliated (Pew Research Center). Emerging adults are more likely to explore diversity in relationships and express more openness to various relationship arrangements such as cohabitation and polyamory (Levine, 2020; Trask & Koivunen, 2007; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020), and many emerging adults may not find the structure and rules of organized religion agreeable with their perspectives and chosen lifestyle (Drewelies et al., 2018). Various reports also show strong connections between relationship health and physical and emotional health (e.g., Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001; Miller et al., 2013), with some connections between religiosity and health (Weaver et al., 2006), but very little information exists on how relationship and religion trend perspectives affect various aspects of health and well-being. Marital paradigms theory suggests that marriage attitudes are shaped by varying “marital contexts,” including religious beliefs, socioeconomic factors, public opinion, and changes in attitudes and beliefs over time (Willoughby et al., 2013). Thus, current relationship, marriage, and religiosity facets are likely interrelated and likely influence health aspects, perspectives, attitudes, and practices. This study extends the current literature exploring how various relationship and religion perspectives connect with various aspects of well-being (e.g., emotional and physical health, self-esteem, stress, general happiness), and how these connections may differ by demographic factors such as age. References Drewelies, J., Agrigoroaei, S., Lachman, M. E., & Gerstorf, D. (2018). Age variations in cohort differences in the United States: Older adults report fewer constraints nowadays than those 18 years ago, but mastery beliefs are diminished among younger adults. Developmental Psychology, 54(8), 1408–1425. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000527 Gubernskaya, Z. (2010). Changing attitudes toward marriage and children in six countries. Sociological Perspectives, 53(2), 179–200. https://doi.org/10.1525/sop.2010.53.2.179 Heimlich, R. (2011). Marriage is obsolete. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2011/01/06/marriage-is-obsolete/ Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K. & Newton, T. L. (2001). Marriage and health: His and hers. Psychological Bulletin, 127, 472–503. Levine, N. (2020). This is how many young people are open to a polyamorous relationship. Retrieved from https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/young-people-polyamorous-relationship-study Miller, R. B., Hollist, C. S., Olsen, J., & Law, D. (2013). Marital quality and health over 20 years: A growth curve analysis. Journal of Marriage and Family, 75, 667-680. doi: 10.111/jomf.12025 Pew Research Center. (2019, October 17). In the U.S. decline of Christianity continues at rapid pace. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/ Trask, B. S., & Koivunen, J. (2007). Trends in marriage and cohabitation in culturally diverse families. In B. S. Trask & R. Hamon (Eds.), Cultural diversity and families: Expanding perspectives. Sage Publications. U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Estimated median age at first marriage, by sex: 1890 to the present (Historical Marital Status Tables, Table MS-2). Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/families/marital.html Weaver, A. J., Pargament, K. I., Flannelly, K. J., & Oppenheimer, J. E. (2006). Trends in The Scientific Study of Religion, Spirituality, and Health: 1965-2000. Journal of Religion and Health, 45(2), 208–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-006-9011-3 Willoughby, B. J., Hall, S. S., & Luczak, H. P. (2013). Marital paradigms: A conceptual framework for marital attitudes, values, and beliefs. Journal of Family Issues, 20, 1-24.

Authors: Anna Trollmann. Mentors: Chris Anderson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Past research has found positive correlations between childhood abuse and the likelihood of developing eating disorders later in life. Much of the research previously composed primarily focuses on specific categories of abuse, including sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and witnessing domestic violence. Feelings of loneliness are often studied in relation to eating disorder behaviors, specifically binge eating disorder (BED). Scarcely any research delivers studies of former college students with a specific focus on introspection regarding feelings of being unloved. The goal of this research project is to understand the correlation between feeling unloved and neglected with eating disorder behaviors. This UVU IRB-approved study (IRB Protocol #939) will use data from 6,000 randomly selected UVU current and former College of Humanities and Social Science (2014-2021) that were sent an email with a survey link. The survey assessed the past Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) related to feeling loved in childhood and their eating habits. The large sample size of this study will help support any findings in this research. Using former Utah college students in this study creates limitations as they are likely to be higher educated and younger than the general population. The results of this research could be relevant to the treatment of eating disorders, the detection of children at risk of eating disorders, and the consequences of feeling unloved in childhood.

Authors: Allison Perkins, Aubrey Hawks, Talia Karasov. Mentors: Talia Karasov. Insitution: University of Utah. Over the past two decades, studies have documented a 20% decline in Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) populations in western North America (Worrall et al., 2015; Stanke et al., 2021). This phenomenon has been fittingly characterized Sudden Aspen Decline (SAD), and is an increasingly pressing issue as the role of aspen as an ecologically irreplaceable keystone species impacts the health of the surrounding forests (Singer et al., 2019). SAD has been attributed to the interplay of climate change-driven drought and other biotic and abiotic factors that are less well characterized (Anderegg et al., 2013a). One potential contributor to SAD is biotic pests and pathogens (Marchetti et al., 2011; Anderegg et al., 2013a; Worrall et al., 2015). My study system includes both natural populations of aspen representing a precipitation gradient and a controlled garden experiment. The field experiments span five distinct sites across Utah & Colorado, selected and montintered by the Anderegg lab of the University of Utah. The experimental garden contains approximately 300 tree saplings subjected to various levels of drought stress, managed by the Anderegg lab on the University of Utah campus. Through the integration of both controlled and natural experiments, my research aims to comprehensively evaluate the impact of drought exposure on pathogen abundance and chemical defenses in aspen trees.Over the past two decades, studies have documented a 20% decline in Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) populations in western North America (Worrall et al., 2015; Stanke et al., 2021). This phenomenon has been fittingly characterized Sudden Aspen Decline (SAD), and is an increasingly pressing issue as the role of aspen as an ecologically irreplaceable keystone species impacts the health of the surrounding forests (Singer et al., 2019). SAD has been attributed to the interplay of climate change-driven drought and other biotic and abiotic factors that are less well characterized (Anderegg et al., 2013a). One potential contributor to SAD is biotic pests and pathogens (Marchetti et al., 2011; Anderegg et al., 2013a; Worrall et al., 2015). Recent investigations have indicated a link between SAD and specific microbial diseases, suggesting that the increasing frequency and severity of droughts due to climate change might make aspen more vulnerable to certain pathogens, even though many of the most common pathogens of aspen in general require more abundant water (Aung et al., 2018). For example, the foliar Melamspora fungal pathogens require abundant water and are not frequently observed in drought stressed trees.On the other hand, Cytospora, which causes a devastating canker disease in aspen trunks, occurs at higher frequency in plots of trees suffering damage from drought (Guyon, 1996). Lin et al. (2023) shows changes to phyllospheric microbiome in aspen during drought, but far less is known about the leaves specifically. Could drought lead to an altered microbiome in aspen leaves? If different or possibly opportunistic pathogens are better able to colonize the leaf tissue under drought stress, this may be the case.It’s known that plants with a reduced diversity of microbiomes are more susceptible to pathogens (Zheng et al., 2020), but the there is little understanding how drought may reduce microbial diversity in aspen. Aspen have two main groups of chemical defenses (SPGs and CTs) that occur in relatively high levels in the leaf (Lindroth et al., 2023). It is well established that these defend against insect herbivores and that they come with a trade-off for plant growth (Marchetti et al, 2011). There is some observational evidence that these secondary compounds have an effect on pathogens (Jacoby et al., 2021), but there are few controlled studies on this idea. Additionally, Metlen et al. 2009 describes how trees in North America produce higher rates of these metabolites under wetter conditions, attributed to possible UV protection. However, the impact of additional environmental changes have of on the abundance of these compounds is understudied. Aspen are an ideal system to study forest disease and drought because the genus’ (Populus) genomes are easily sequenced and relatively tractable, aspen generally exhibit rapid vegetative growth, their defensive chemistry is relatively well known, and most importantly, they grow in cloned groves that reduce the genetic variation in experiments (Lindroth et al., 2023, Luquez et al., 2007).

Authors: Braxton Bird. Mentors: Sarah Franklin. Insitution: University of Utah. Heart disease ends the lives of nearly 700,000 people each year and has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1950. Around this time researchers discovered that some modifications involving our genetic code could be altered to affect gene expression but leaves the DNA intact, which was later termed epigenetics. Today we’ve discovered that these epigenetic modifications, including post translational modifications (PTMS), regulate genes linked to cardiovascular disease. We recently examined the histone lysine methyltransferase SETD7, which is most prominently known for its ability to methylate histone H3K4. SETD7’s expression is upregulated in multiple types of heart disease in both humans and mice and is essential for cardiomyocyte differentiation in embryonic development. In addition to its ability to methylated H3K4, SETD7 has been shown to methylate 8 other histone residues. To further characterize the histone residues methylated by SETD7, we carried out an unbiased analysis of lysine residues methylated by SETD7 using an in vitro methyltransferase assay coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We hypothesized that SETD7 may modify additional sites than those that have previously been identified. Our analysis determined that SETD7 monomethylates two novel residues on histone H3: lysine 36 (K36) and lysine 122 (K122). These sites of modification were also confirmed by western blotting for site specific antibodies to these methylation marks. Although our understanding of both these residues is limited, we do know that K36 methylation is linked to DNA replication and genomic stability while K122 methylation is downregulated in drug-resistant MCF-7/ADR cancer cells. These two novel methylation sites suggest that this lysine methyltransferase plays a more complex role in regulating epigenetic modifications and gene expression than previously recognized. Although the identification of this new enzymatic activity for SETD7 is important for understanding the dynamic function of methyltransferases, additional studies will be necessary to fully elucidate the role of SETD7 in cardiac physiology and gene regulation.

Authors: America Cox, Kendra Autumn , Bryn Dentinger. Mentors: Bryn Dentinger. Insitution: University of Utah. Neotropical ants of the Attini tribe evolved the innate ability to farm fungi. Agaricomycetidae contains two clades that are cultivated by ants: the lepiotaceous and pterulaceous cultivars. However, there are free-living relatives phylogenetically distributed throughout each cultivar clade. Comparison between the free-living relatives and attine system cultivars may identify the evolutionary differences caused by, or initially enabling, agricultural symbiosis. Our research compares free-living relatives and cultivars through genomic and metabolic analysis. Attines undertake significant cultivar maintenance through the regulation of pathogenic contamination of their fungal “gardens” as well as the provision of specific growth substrates, including insect frass. Noting the apparently specialized substrates cultivars receive from the ants, we conducted a pilot test for a growth media preference between a lepiotaceous cultivar, a pterulaceous cultivar, and a free-living pterulaceous relative. We placed the fungi on regular PDY media and PDY media infused with caterpillar frass, and the cultivars either changed structure or had improved growth on the frass-infused media. Following the pilot test, we will run metabolic assays on the cultivars and free-living relatives on different media types. This may indicate a media preference which gives further insight to the attine-fungal symbiotic relationship opposed to the fungal free-living relatives revealing pieces of the fungi’s evolutionary history. We performed DNA extraction, PCR testing, Sanger sequencing of the ITS region, and then whole genome sequencing on the cultivars and their free-living relatives. Sanger sequencing allowed us to build phylogenetic trees to examine the relationship between the free-living fungi and cultivars. The whole genome sequencing allowed us to use antiSMASH software to generate predicted secondary metabolite clusters in a fungi species that “escaped” cultivation, a cultivar, and a free-living relative. This preliminary data suggests a diversification of fungal secondary metabolites occurs after attine domestication. By looking at fungal metabolic and genomic data, we hope to gain insight into the fungi’s evolutionary history and agricultural symbiosis.

Authors: Dua Azhar, Alexander MacKenzie, Sophie Caron. Mentors: Sophie Caron. Insitution: University of Utah. The mushroom body of the Drosophila melanogaster is a structure in the brain that is necessary for learning, but much of how it functions remains unknown. In this model organism, D. melanogaster’s mushroom body neurons, known as Kenyon cells, and input projection neurons have connections that are random and biased—in which some projection neurons connect with Kenyon cells more than others—allowing the fly to potentially prioritize the learning of particular odors. I investigated the functional consequences and characterizations of these biases in order to understand the biological role they play for the fly using a theoretical and experimental approach. With a computational model of the D. melanogaster olfactory system, how biased connectivity to the mushroom body influences its ability to form associations with various odors and distinguish between similar odors was explored. Experimentally, the morphological features of olfactory circuits were characterized by low to high connectivity rates to the mushroom body, allowing us to see the unique features in these circuits that are beyond the different connectivity rates. Through a combination of immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, high-quality images were generated of these different neuronal olfactory circuits and their morphological qualities, such as the number and volume of boutons they project to the mushroom body. Altogether, these findings demonstrate how neural connectivities behind learning shape the representation space in D. melanogaster and impact its learning outcomes.

Authors: Alexa N Gormick, Adam M Zahm, Justin G English. Mentors: Justin G English. Insitution: University of Utah. Recent advancements in gene therapy have pushed towards the prevention and treatment of a diverse spectrum of disorders and diseases that are caused by misregulation of gene expression programs and their transcriptional regulators. However, the profoundness of the field means that much of the mechanisms and effects of regulation are unknown and understudied. Here, we explore the limits of flexible exogenous gene expression and its potential use in optimizing efficacy and specificity in gene therapy interventions while minimizing the possible associated risks. This is made possible by exploiting the Tet-On system of inducible transcriptional regulation, which allows the expression of any target gene to be reversibly, specifically, and differentially controlled. In this system, the tetracycline repressor (TetR) binds the tetracycline operator (TetO), impeding transcription of any downstream gene embedded by the researcher; tetracycline dosing causes TetR to adopt a new conformation that removes it from TetO, inducing gene expression on command (Das et al., 2016). Because of the diverse utility of this system, we are in pursuit of developing novel TetR-TetO orthologous pairs that do not interfere with this wild-type circuit and can be used to regulate gene expression in parallel. As a first step to generating TetR-TetO orthologs, we mapped the usage of TetO by TetR in a massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA) by engineering an extensive library of mutant TetOs and quantified the resulting range of TetR regulation through reporter gene expression. From this screen, we identified candidate TetO mutants to direct the evolution of the wild-type TetR towards complementary states to those TetO mutant sequences. Our preliminary findings indicate that the engineering of distinct synthetic expression cassettes based on the TetR-TetO operon is feasible. These novel tools may ultimately allow us to build a synthetic genetic circuit to model regulatory feedback loops that can help discover malfunctions in cell growth, reproduction, and cycling that can arise from genetic disorders and can lead to disease.1. Das, A. T., Tenenbaum, L., & Berkhout, B. (2016). Tet-On Systems For Doxycycline-inducible Gene Expression. Current Gene Therapy, 16(3), 156–167. https://doi.org/10.2174/1566523216666160524144041

Authors: Soren Pearce. Mentors: Jacob Hickman. Insitution: Brigham Young University. Conversations about conspiracy theories have become prevalent in contemporary Western society, reaching through all levels of private, academic, and governmental discourse. Part of this discourse revolves around the question of what exactly conspiracy theories are and how they occur within a population; much of the recent academic treatment of conspiracy theories identifies them as a kind of propaganda whose purpose is to promote particular political agendas, especially those with apocalyptic concerns (Cassam 2019). While conspiracy theories certainly have been and continue to be used to further certain political aims, this understanding of them as totally propaganda provides only a narrow insight that fails to capture the scope of how conspiracy theories occur in the real world and how they are experienced by the people who believe in them. Philosophy and political theory can only be so informative, and they lack an ethnographic perspective to instruct on the lived reality of conspiracy theories (Hickman & Webster 2018). During my fieldwork in Belfast, Northern Ireland, I conducted ethnographic research with a group of people who could easily and accurately be labeled conspiracy theorists; my experiences with them provide insight into how conspiracy theories actually operate in the lives of living people. Contrary to popular claims, conspiracy theories—especially those that deal with the end of the world as we know it—are not experienced as primarily political phenomena. Instead, they are experienced as religious truths, and the millenarian activism that often surrounds them is enacted because of a conviction of personal obligation to the truth. Framing conspiracy theories as mere propaganda or dismissing them as the effects of cognitive dissonance incorrectly discounts the empirical reality of these beliefs for the people who have them.

Authors: Danielle Black. Mentors: Chris Anderson. Insitution: Utah Valley University. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder diagnosed in children, characterized by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. It is frequently co-morbid with eating disorders, primarily bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED). Impulsivity is an important factor in increasing the risk of binge-eating and subsequent feelings of guilt, which may prompt purging behaviors. This often manifests early in childhood as loss of control while eating and can indicate future development of an eating disorder. The current project aimed to assess the link between ADHD symptoms and disordered eating in Utah Valley University alumni. After obtaining IRB approval, 265 alumni responded to an email survey containing nineteen questions regarding ADHD symptoms and three items related to disordered eating. Pearson correlations revealed a significant association between ADHD symptoms and binging (r=.22, p <.01) as well as guilt about eating (r=.17, p <.01). Limitations of the study include the absence of a clinical ADHD diagnoses, relying instead on self-report, and the homogeneous sample, restricting its generalizability. The study was bolstered by its comprehensive coverage of ADHD symptoms and an adequately large sample size to detect statistical significance. This study provides valuable information for those suffering from eating disorders and the clinicians that treat them. Future research could assess the interplay between treating ADHD and reducing the risk of eating disorders. Notably, purging and ADHD symptoms were not significantly correlated, and future research could further explore that relationship. In conclusion, the relationship between binge eating and ADHD symptoms should be acknowledged by clinicians.

Authors: Cari Monson, Julie Pynn. Mentors: Julie Pynn. Insitution: Southern Utah University. Background music refers to music that is played while the listener’s attention is focused on another task (Radocy & Boyle, 1988). Research suggests that the effect of background music on performance during a cognitive task showed improvements in episodic memory. Music activates the limbic system which is involved in controlling memory(e.g., Blood et al., 1999). The purpose of this study is to predict the relationship between music and performance on a cognitive task. It is hypothesized that students who listen to white noise while studying a text will recall more information, than those listening to classical music or pop music. In particular, the lyrics in pop music will be especially distracting(Cheah, 2022). Studying the relationship between music and performance on a cognitive task has implications for understanding memory. Results are forth coming

Authors: Ivelynn Noel. Mentors: Julie Johnson Pynn. Insitution: Southern Utah University. High levels of sexual satisfaction have been correlated with higher levels of marriage satisfaction (Litzinger & Gordon, 2005), relationship satisfaction (Santilla et al., 2008), and mental health and general well-being (Brody & Costa, 2009). While we know that sex frequency and frequency of orgasm affect sexual satisfaction (Barrientos & Paez, 2006), we also need to explore nonsexual factors that affect sexual satisfaction. The existing literature of the effects of religiosity on sexual satisfaction is contradictory, and may have mediating factors such as sex guilt or marital status (Hackathorn et al., 2016). The proposed study aims to examine the effects of religious identity and marital status on sexual satisfaction by measuring sexual-spiritual integration. We predict that unmarried individuals will score higher than married individuals, which indicates a lower sexual-spiritual integration. The findings of this study will add clarity to the convoluted findings in the existing literature , and will help identify nonsexual factors that affect sexual satisfaction. The findings of the study will also provide insight that may help healthcare workers, pastoral counselors , and therapists to better service their clients. Results are forthcoming.

Authors: Vanessa Lozano. Mentors: April Reber. Insitution: Brigham Young University. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, “the total foreign-born or immigrant population in the U.S. hit 47.9 million in September 2022- a record high in American history. When non-English immigrant families arrive in the United States they face the challenges of new customs, rights, and practices in their new home. In the United States various NGOs, government aids, and non-profit organizations are available to immigrants to help them navigate these challenges. Evaluations about the efficacy of these resources should be considered with the increasing number of immigrants in the United States. In this research, we focus on one of these resources, a mental well-being support group geared to immigrants but attended mostly by Latina women. The support group is currently held at a non-profit community center the South Franklin Community Center (SFCC) in Provo, UT, and sponsored by the organization Inciativa Latina para el Bienestar Emocional [Latino Initiative for Emotional Well-being]. To consider the efficacy of this support group in this research we explore the following questions 1) How does support get produced in the context of this support group at the SFCC? 2) Does (and if so, how does) participating in these support groups expand the agency of participants? (By agency, I refer to the capacity or condition of someone to have control or power to act).