Social and Behavioral Sciences

Sarai Holbrook; Sierra Browning; Amanda Miller; Cortney Hoffman; Natalie Johnson; Sierra Southwick, Utah State University

Hailey Sommerfeld, Utah Valley University

Kevin Toney, Brigham Young University

Devan Reische; Cecily Froerer; Serina Mumford; Teigan Beck; Sarai Holbrook, Utah State University

Emily Demke, Utah Valley University

James Keyes, Utah Valley University

Stephanie Parsons, Brigham Young University

Christopher Neu, Trevor Alder, Brigham Young University Nonverbal communication or body language is a large part of how humans interact, especially in relationships. However, prior research has reported varying conclusions about if there is a relationship between nonverbal communication decoding(NCD) and marital satisfaction, and if there is, the strength of that relationship. We believe this is because of underlying moderators. Therefore, we hypothesized that empathy, self-worth, and sexual satisfaction would moderate the aforementioned relationship. We believe that empathy moderates this relationship because it provides incentive to decode and pay attention to a spouse’s body language. Similarly, sexual satisfaction and self worth would increase attention to body language both of one’s self as well as that of the partner and therefore moderate the relationship between NCD and marital satisfaction. We gathered responses from 500 participants through Amazon’s Mturk. We found that NCD was significantly related to marital abuse when sexual satisfaction was low, and additionally that NCD was related to marital interaction when empathy was low. All other relationships between NCD and marital satisfaction measures were insignificant.

Aubrey Keeler, Brigham Young University

Logan Winder; Reggie Gates; Jessica Cerchiari; Katie Erbe; Sophie A. George, Dixie State University

Venice Jardine, Brigham Young University

Scot Sweet, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Imagine a world where a revolutionary model of healthcare was created at an affordable cost offering higher quality care. This niche can be filled with a concierge approach. The concierge medical model allows patients 24/7 physician access by paying physicians a monthly retainer fee. In turn, physicians are able to take on fewer patients and spend more quality time with them. This research examines innovative approaches needed in order to successfully market and standardize the concierge model. Because many potential clients and companies seeking health insurance plans for their employees are unfamiliar with the concierge model; educational marketing strategies are required to achieve the paradigm shift in health care delivery modes. Successful marketing of the concierge model relies on the customers understanding of their ability under the concierge model, to be proactive instead of passive when it comes to their health. Taking the time to teach them to utilize a concierge model allows them to believe in a system built around the patient’s needs. This model has been successfully marketed to business owners with 5-15 employees. By educating owners on the cost savings combined with quality service. Offering a free trial allows the skeptics to understand the model. In current healthcare systems physicians treat patients from a legal perspective. Government regulations and third party insurance billing controls the services patients receive. This perception can be broken when people understand that insurance is used for big catastrophic accidents, not day-to-day needs.

Sydney Willis, and Caren Frost, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Thousands of refugees come to the United States each year. As they become accustomed to life in the United States, immediately they face a new challenge, the health care system. There are not many accessible resources for refugee women when they first arrive, so women’s healthcare, specifically, family planning gets forgotten. It is one of the most important aspects of reproductive health; it impacts the mother, the current family members and the future family members. The current family planning curriculum is not comprehensive for refugee women of every demographic because each culture has different needs and background. Working with two refugee populations, Congolese and Somali, in Salt Lake City and incorporating the seven domains of women’s health, we created a cumulative family planning curriculum that will increase accessibility to services and positively impact the women and their family’s health. This curriculum will give the state of Utah a culturally cumulative family planning curriculum that will positively affect the health of all members of refugee families and help improve the healthcare of Utah as a whole. Curriculum outlined: Offers a wide selection of planning methods that are accessible to all, Reflects high standards of medical practice, Remains sensitive to cultural ideals and conditions. Provides sufficient information about proper use or possible side effects, Addresses women’s other reproductive health needs, Emphasizes benefits and importance of family planning. Curriculum aims: Have a full range of services and education available in a safe environment. Enhance information and acceptance among communities. Strengthen referral system for follow up and improve long term care. Train local women to be family planning advocates for educators and advocates: Refugee profiles, Staff training, Community education maps, Clientele follow up charts, Outline of supply chain system.

Stephen Anderson and Cat Stewart, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Research shows that infant temperament can serve as a predictor of childhood, adolescent, and to some extent, adult social behaviors. Because infant temperament is thought to be the foundation for personality and behavior, it is important to understand factors that influence the development of infant temperament. At the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), infant rhesus macaques undergo a bio-behavioral assessment used to evaluate temperament. Infants are evaluated on multiple behaviors, which are used to determine temperament ratings for temperaments such as confidence, gentleness, nervousness, and vigilance. We used data collected from over 2700 infant rhesus monkeys born at the CNPRC between the years of 2001 and 2012. Our goal was to measure whether infant temperament is modulated by “culture”, as measured by differences in the infant’s temperament stratified by home cage (a large open field cage that houses about 100 to 150 animals). Twenty-two cages were included in the analysis, with each cage housing from 25 to 210 infants .We hypothesized that based on difference in treatment between cages, infants would display temperaments related to cage culture. Our analysis showed that the cage social environment significantly predict infant temperament across each of the temperamental traits measured. Our findings suggest that social environment and culture influences temperament and likely predicts future behavior.

Madeleine Clark, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Traditional diets consumed by Congolese refugees are healthier than those consumed by Americans. Their traditional diet is made up of fresh foods that they cook themselves rather than processed foods or take-out. Unfortunately, Congolese refugees quickly adapt to the fast and processed food culture here in the United States and their diets become Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research 2015 113 unhealthy. The specific variables and choices that lead to this shift are not well studied. The purpose of my research is to find out what foods they initially buy when they come to the US and how their food selection gradually changes. When the research is complete, a food plan will be constructed to encourage preservation of the traditional diet, as well as warn against unhealthy food habits. My method of inquiry is to observe the Congolese refugee population in the environment of the supermarket. By going with them to the markets, I observe how they navigate an unfamiliar food market and choose what foods that to eat. In exploring dietary habits, it is essential to consider social, economical, as well as nutritional aspects. What I have found thus far is that children have a major influence on the processed foods that parents purchase. The kids are rapidly integrated into the schools and are exposed to the junk foods that other kids bring. Another factor is the expense of fresh foods versus cheap frozen pizzas. Food prices make it difficult for preserving traditional diets. Food is an essential element in social bonding, and expressing a positive identity. With more than 40,000 refugees in Salt Lake City, it is important for these people to keep this part of their culture upon immigrating to Utah. Food education for immigrants will preserve healthy habits from their food traditions as well as strengthen community bonds.

Tessa Reber, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Music education can be used to help students with autism control emotion and build cognitive, behavioral, social and communicative developmental skills. By achieving musical ambitions, autistic students develop self-efficacy that leads to confidence which reflects in their lifestyle and attitude. This paper draws upon primary and secondary research for evidence of conducted cases with autism spectrum disorder students and the implications of music involvement. Methodology focuses on providing the student with a safe environment for learning in the following ways: (1) Teaching the basics of musical grammar aides in cognizance of areas such as math and reading; (2) The embodied affective symbolism that music possesses provides an opportunity for the student to indicate internal emotion; (3) Sharing and performing of music builds self-efficacy and suitable behavior of physical boundaries; (4) Social and communicative effects of music provide the student with the ability to build relationships of similar interests. This includes an increase of appropriate verbal interactions and coping with frustration or anxiety. The summative effects of these combined efforts allow individuals of all ages and abilities on the Autism Spectrum discover the inspirational power of music and the influence it has in their lives.

Sami Safiullah, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates almost exclusively rely on foreign and migrant workers to supply the demand for work in their private sectors, particularly in the construction and domestic labor industries. These countries primarily utilize imported labor from emerging economies in South and Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Although there are some attempts on the government level in both labor-host and labor-home countries to regulate how these workers are distributed and treated, there are many other factors that contribute to this regulation on a much stronger level. These include consumer preference in the GCC host countries, private employer minimum wage caps, and recruiting agency actions in the labor-home countries. This paper examines these factors in depth, beginning with the private employers who operate under the Kafala temporary-worker system, and then studying the private recruitment agencies in the laborhome countries who survey and assess their worker supplies to meet demands in the GCC private sectors. To better understand this complex and nuanced dynamic, and how it impacts the migrant labor market on both microeconomic and macroeconomic levels, the paper will then discuss the relationships these private entities have with both labor-host and labor-home governments, individual contract-bound workers from the labor-home countries, and consumers in the labor- host countries. After considering a proposed minimum-wage model from the Philippines and a tourism expansionary policy from Sri Lanka, the paper will summarize a series of proposals for how to more effectively regulate this migrant labor market in order to provide workers with higher quality and humane provisions while working abroad, without adversely affecting the strict financial decision making processes in the GCC private sector, and the delicate relationships between these labor-host and labor-home governments.

Kirsi White, Tracy Clemans, and Craig Bryan, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Sexual exploitation is correlated with high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a well-established risk factor in suicidal thoughts and behaviors, but to date there are few studies examining these issues among survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. The purpose of the current study is to assess the relationships among suicidal ideation and suicide attempts with trauma among adolescent female survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in Cambodia. We plan to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation within a sample of commercially exploited children. Data are being collected as a part of a pilot study evaluating the feasibility of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for the treatment of PTSD among 13 adolescent female survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in Cambodia. We will collect data from baseline interviews with 13 female adolescent participants with ages ranging from 14 to 19 years old, using the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (SITBI; Nock et al., 2007). To see if there is change in suicidal ideation from the baseline assessment to the completion of the study, we will look at the 13 participants’ responses to SITBI items at the 1 week follow up and the 3 month follow up assessments. The results in the current study will provide information on rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in a unique sample of adolescents, and will provide preliminary information about the effectiveness of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in this population.

Catherine Cragun, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Sibling relationships play a critical role in healthy development throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood (Dunn, 1983; Jensen, Whiteman, Fingerman, and Birditt, 2013; Stocker, Lanthier, and Furman, 1997). The quality of the relationship matters as well: a predominantly warm relationship is linked to less antisocial behavior, yet if there is mostly conflict it can be linked to depression and anxiety (Padilla-Walker, Harper, and Jensen, 2010). While the influence of the sibling relationship is well documented, much less is known about what influences it. Marital conflict is one likely deterrent to positive sibling relationships (Stocker and Youngblade, 1999), but there has been little attention to the effects of marital conflict and intimacy over time. Our study will analyze how changes in marital conflict impact future warmth and conflict between siblings. Data for this study come from the Family Relationships Project (FRP). The FRP surveyed two parents and two children from 200 families 13 times (phases) from 1995 to 2012. During in-home and web-based interviews parents and children reported on their family relationships and personal development. Using SAS we are conducting a series of lagged multi-level models to examine how the marital relationship at an earlier phase relates to sibling relationships of the next phase. We will then juxtapose our analyses from the first seven phases with the final six to observe any long-term correlations. Preliminary analyses have revealed a negative correlation between marital conflict and siblings’ levels of intimacy during childhood (r = -.17, p < .05), but not in adolescence (r = -.10, p < .05). In conclusion, we anticipate that our complete analysis will support the hypothesis that marital relationships play a role in the development of sibling relationships but that those links vary across the developmental periods of childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood.

Catie Nielson, Alyssa Ashton, Alexis Grow, Christian Kindt, and Jay Homewood< Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Studies have found co-morbidity of ASD and social anxiety disorder, but it is unclear how the anxiety experienced in ASD is socially mediated. In this study, we measured psychophysiological reactivity during socially stressful (performance evaluation) trials compared to unevaluated trials. We aimed to understand how anxiety in people with ASD is mediated by fear of negative social evaluation. We hypothesized that the ASD group would show elevated stress to both types of threat while the control group (CON) would be more affected by social evaluation than non-social contexts. Twenty adults aged 18-29 diagnosed with ASD were compared to age- and IQ-matched controls on modified Stroop and Multi- Sensory Integration tasks. We measured stress with impedance cardiography and skin conductance response. In a computerized task, participants were instructed for each block whether or not the research assistant and computer would evaluate them. We examined within subjects differences for evaluated and unevaluated trials, as well as between subjects with ASD and CON groups. We found that adults with ASD had higher physiological responses, relative to controls, during stress conditions. Parasympathetic activity during recovery periods was reduced in the ASD group. There were significant group X evaluation condition interactions, with the evaluated trials adding substantially more to the stress response in the CON but not the already elevated ASD group. Response to social evaluation was significantly correlated with scores on the Fear of Negative Evaluation and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire in both groups. Increased sympathetic activity during stress and decreased parasympathetic activity during rest confirm other recent studies that show ASD adults are out-of-sync with fear versus safety contexts, which may underlie their everyday anxiety. Interventions for anxiety in ASD should focus on helping individuals recognize physiological stress responses and develop situation-specific coping skills.

Sarah Nagel and Allyson Brome, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Communication between family caregivers and hospice nurses is important in caring for cancer patients at end-of-life. However, little systematic research has been done to determine what topics are discussed, how much communication occurs in different topics, and helpfulness for caregivers. This study aims to assess caregivers’ perception of these variables. As part of a larger study of nurse-family caregiver communication in home hospice cancer care, caregivers completed a survey assessing how much caregivers wanted to talk about 6 different topics, how much they actually talked about each topic, and perceived discussion helpfulness. Descriptive statistics were calculated and paired-samples t-tests were conducted to determine differences in the actual versus desired amount of topics’ communication. 209 family caregivers of home hospice cancer patients completed the survey. 95% of caregivers were white, 124 were spouses, 66 were children, 61 were men. Average caregiver age was 58.71 (SD=13.91). Average length of hospice enrollment was 25.5 days (Median= 12.00; SD=30.07). The most common topic for both actual and desired communication was symptom discussions, followed by coping with care; death/dying; coping with stress; memories/reminiscing; religion/spirituality (Mean Range Actual=4.53-1.89; Desired=4.58-1.89). Communication was seen as helpful regardless how much they wanted to talk about specific variables (Mean Range=3.00-4.62). Paired samples t-tests revealed no significant differences between actual and desired variables for any topic except for coping with stress, which was discussed less than the caregiver would have liked (t=2.38, df=207, p=.018). This study found that caregivers desired more or less communication about varying topics, and for the most part, this was reflected in actual conversation. All conversations between nurses and caregivers were considered helpful by caregivers. Though based on retrospective self-report data, study findings support current hospice nurse communication with family caregivers. However, nurses could improve on addressing caregivers’ coping with stress, which has implications for nursing education.

Kara Henrie, Stacia Bourne, and Cecilia Wainryb, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences People draw conclusions about themselves from personal experiences; these are self-event connections (McLean, Pasupathi, and Pals, 2007). Little is known about children’s and adolescent’s self-event connections. The present study examined the types of connections 5-, 10-, and 16-year-olds formed in accounts of two types of moral transgressions: those in which they thought “it was my fault” and those which they thought “it was not my fault.” We hypothesized that connections made with “it is my fault” events would be more negative than those made with “it is not my fault” events and that children and adolescents would form self-event connections that differed with age. We expected 5- and 10-year olds would form morally relevant connections proportionately more often than 16-year-olds, and we expected the 16-year-olds would form proportionately more connections that described a stable sense of self. Forty children in each age group provided two narrative accounts of doing harm: an “it was my fault” experience, and an “it was not my fault” experience. Following these accounts, participants were prompted to construct a self-event connection. Types of self-event connections were coded as follows: (a) temporal scope: back then, now/across time, or going forward; (b) valence: negative or non-negative (e.g., “I am a bad person,” “I am friendly”); (c) relevance: moral or non-moral (e.g., “I am caring,” “I am forgetful”); and (d) generality: general or contextual. Preliminary results indicate that all age groups make negative connections equally frequently and make morally relevant and negative connections more often in “my fault” than in “not my fault” transgressive experiences. Sixteen-year-olds make connections describing the self as continuous across time more often than the other age groups. Finally, 5-year-olds are more likely to make no self-event connections and make connections that are morally relevant.

Taylor Pike Casara Reeves, Jennifer Sroka, Snow College Social and Behavioral Sciences There is a lot of information about how women’s bodies are portrayed in comic books, we are researching the voice that women have in comic books through time. In our research, we are attempting to find out what women have to say in comic books. We are accomplishing this by taking varying comic books from different publishers, using different teams or superheroes, and analyzing the contribution that women have in each edition. We will also be examining how other characters respond to what the women have to say. Our hypothesis is that women in modern comic books have more to contribute to the plot and the dialogue than women in earlier comic books. However we also suspect that women in comic books will not be given the same input or value as males in the comics.

Ty Palmer, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences With productivity in the U.S at an unexpected low for the last quarter, it is apparent that employers and employees alike are struggling to meet the financial demands of their companies. Similar to the critical situation Chrysler was facing in 1979, the right leader, Lee Iacocca was all that was needed to save the company from going under. Researchers have studied effective leaders such as Lee Iacocca and their qualities for many generations, but little research has been conducted to gauge employer’s leadership abilities from the perspective of employees. Personality theory has been a topic well researched in the field of Psychology. A personality classification tool generally accepted by most Psychologists today is the Big Five personality characteristics, which are agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, extraversion, and neuroticism. Many studies have utilized this tool in gathering valuable data about individuals, but few studies have used this tool to evaluate a second person. The Big Five Inventory (BFI) is composed of 50 questions designed to evaluate behavior to determine personality type. The BFI utilizes a 4-point Likert scales, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree to further gauge the prevalence of certain personality traits in a person. The BFI has been created for self-evaluation, so an adapted personality assessment will be constructed to measure a second persons personality. The proposed research would ask employees to take the personality test in behalf of their boss to determine the type of person they are. Participants will also be asked basic questions about their relationship with their boss and how satisfied they are working for them. Specific questions will be asked to determine how productive they want to be at work, and why. Through this study we expect to see a common trend among employees who appreciate one personality characteristic above others. Based on past analyzed studies regarding effective personalities, we anticipate that conscientiousness will be rated to make employees to feel more productive, but less satisfied with their work. The insight gained from this research may provide valuable information and instruction to all employers regarding what characteristics make employees want to be more productive at work.

Alexandra Butler, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Utah’s policy of abstinence only sexual education is often discussed as a contentious issue. Some worry that, if not taught in school, young people will not obtain accurate information on sex, contraceptives, and sexually transmitted diseases. Others fear that talking about sex will encourage young people to have premarital sex, breaking norms of society. As a result sex education in Utah excludes essential issues like contraceptive use. However, with today’s technology providing easy information access to all matters, including sexuality, is policy concerning sexual education even a relevant concern? The central questions for this project are how young people in Utah today learn about sex, contraceptives, and STI’s, from whom they learn (school, parents, friends, internet etc.) and how accurate and compete is the information they gain. This was done through a series of qualitative open-ended interviews with Utah High School graduates ages 18 and older, equally representing both sexes. Later, answers from the interviews for key questions were coded for quantitative analysis on how Utah teens obtain their sexual education. This project has greater implications concerning what is taught in Utah sexual education classes. If most teens obtain accurate health information from outside sources, then sexual education classes could be utilized to focus on other areas of information, such as relationships. The information from this study may help educators to structure sex education courses in such a way as to fill the gaps and engage students in discussions that are appropriate and relevant for today’s changing society.

Rachel Schwartz, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Within the field of economic development, specifically microfinance institutions, research has suggested that women are safer economic risks than men due to gender cultural differences. In Latin America, this stems from the “machismo” stereotype stating that men are irresponsible and selfish. I seek to prove the cultural stereotypes of “machismo” as an incorrect perception of Paraguayan male culture in Asuncion. Studies have been conducted in Asuncion stating that young Paraguayan males do not identify themselves with the “machismo” culture. Fleming (2013) found that this stereotype was given to men “due to social and cultural expectations and not to actual male identity.” This is of particular interest in showing how Hispanic notions of masculinity may contradict the gendered ideologies implicit in these types of organizations and within their own society and culture. I am finding within my own research findings that this perception is incorrect, and if so, can be used to dispute the notion that male entrepreneurs are bad investments. I conducted in-depth formal and informal interviews and vignettes with 10 male and female business professionals. I created a map of store types and the gender of the store owner of two prominent business locations, Mercado 4 and Avenida Eusebio Ayala. I conducted participate observations at various locations including: the businesses of the informants I interviewed, local hospitals, church schools, bus stations and families (in and out of their home environments).

Camila Trujillo Medina, and Daniela Barriga, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences When given a choice, low-SES parents enroll their children in low-performing schools even when reporting “academic quality” as a highly important factor in their decision making. While this disconnect has frequently been observed in the academic literature, additional research is necessary to determine the reasons for it and how race/ethnicity influences these reasons. Our study includes 59 semi-structured, qualitative interviews of low-SES parents of young, school-aged children. Our interviews include Pacific Islander families and white families from similar social class backgrounds. Based on these interviews, we find that race/ethnicity shapes parents’ conceptualizations of “good schools” and how they use these conceptualizations to discuss the decisions they make about their children’s schooling.

Devin Petersen, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences A previous meta-analysis conducted by Holt-Lunstad, Smith, and Layton (2010) indicates that social relationships have an inverse association with risk for mortality. The more friends and family that surround any particular person, the smaller their risk of mortality and the longer they live. Unfortunately, not everyone has a rich social network to draw on. The purpose of the current meta-analysis is to inquire as to whether certain social interventions might be utilized to prolong life expectancy and whether some social interventions result in better outcomes than others. We searched a number of major databases including Medline, Psycinfo, CINAHL, Medic, Social Work Abstracts, Family and Society Studies Worldwide, Alt Health Watch, and Google Scholar using specific search strings to search for articles with social intervention mortality data. Articles were excluded if they did not contain mortality or social support, if the social support was not implemented, if mortality and social support were not compared, or if they contained suicide/violent death data. Review/qualitative studies were excluded, as were studies with non-human subjects, and articles not in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French. Several smaller meta-analyses that we have come across suggest that social interventions do not significantly increase survival time. However, these studies on average draw from under 10 studies, our meta-analysis analyzes of 50 articles. Our preliminary findings suggest that there is substantial variability in findings across studies. Although the overall average indicated a mild benefit from the social support interventions (OR = 1.44, p < .01), the heterogeneity of effect sizes was substantial. Under some circumstances the intervention actually was associated with increased rates of mortality, even though on average, odds of survival increased 44% relative to control groups. This meta-analytic review provides support for the general use of social intervention groups.

Emily Hartung, Sarah Higbee, Jordan Sgro, Sarah Hanni, Wendy Kohlmann, Maija Reblin,

Alexis Ross, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The new Wee Care Center at Utah Valley University opened its doors to students in January of 2014 with an increased capacity, serving 110 children at any given time, double the number of children the old facility could service. Because Utah Valley University has the lowest women success rate in the state (based on data provided by the Women’s Success Center), one of the primary purposes of expanding the Wee Care Center was to increase women’s success and degree completion at UVU. Currently, the Wee Care Center serves approximately 120 students, however, it is unknown how many other Utah Valley University students need childcare services and are not being served by the Wee Care Center. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the current services of the students being served by the Wee Care Center, with targeted focus on women, and also to identify the students that could be served, the degree to which their current childcare needs are being met, and how these needs are impacting their student success. This study is a collaborative effort between the Department of Student Leadership and Success Studies, the Women’s Success Center, and the Wee Care Center. The Women’s Success Center will email a digital survey, using Qualtrics, to all Utah Valley University students with children, targeting students with children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, the current population serviced by Wee Care Center. This survey will gather information that will help assess the unmet childcare needs and their influence on student success, including emotional, physical, educational and financial challenges that are commonly presented while simultaneously pursuing a degree and raising children. In addition, the Wee Care Center will administer a paper survey to students being serviced by the center while the students are on site, which should increase the response rate. This survey will explore the ways the Wee Care Center contributes to the student success of those being served by the facility.While it may be too early to determine long-term effects of the Wee Care Center expansion, the objective of this study is to measure the immediate impact on those students who are being served by the new Wee Care Center since its opening, to assess the increased success of students pursuing their educational goals with access to the Wee Care Center, and to explore the level of student success from students with children that are not using the Center.

Holly Clegg and Charles Yeager, Snow College Social and Behavioral Sciences Economic growth can be defined as an increase in the amount of goods and services produced per capita over a period of time. Basically, economic growth, from a geographic perspective, can be summed up as what types of businesses grow where – and why. Logically, improvements in quality of life [QOL] accompany economic growth. This research focuses on three measures that represent QOL: poverty, education, and access to health insurance, and measures them as they relate to economic growth at the county level in Utah. Data was mapped using a geographic information system, and correlations between economic growth and QOL variables were determined. The purpose of this research is to determine if economic growth necessarily produces measurable increases in QOL variables, or if economic growth tends to occur in areas where QOL is already higher.

Ho Yan Mok, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Game research is troubled with utilizing a number of different concepts used to forecast the often negative outcomes of playing games (Utz, Jonas, and Tonkens, 2012). These concepts often extend over each other and frequently put too much emphasis either on negative consequences or game-specific aspects that makes it lack comprehensiveness. This paper will argue that the field of gaming addiction can benefit from using concepts that are already well-established in alternative domains and extending earlier work to also cover the different benefits of gaming. Based on previous research on gaming, the dualistic model of passion is recommended in the current study to give a better understanding of antecedents and positive outcomes of gaming. This model proposes that gaming promotes flow experience, which consequently results to higher level of achievement in school, less anxiety, and higher self-esteem, to mention a few (Sherry, 2004).

RonJai Staton, Lyndsey Craig, Christy Fiscer, Michelle Hammon, Deborah Decker, Tina Boren, Zac Olson,

Jessica Andrus, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Himba, a traditional-living tribe in Namibia, have only recently been introduced to formal education. Formal education has a tremendous influence on their culture, as it is starting to drastically efface their traditional way of life. As they are increasingly sending more and more of their children to school, it appears that their traditional culture is becoming less practiced and more of a conceptualized object, or as I call it: formalized. By formalizing it into this conceptualized object, they are able to hold on to their traditional culture and embrace education at the same time, but they have to forsake many of the regular everyday practices of their traditional culture. As the Himba are striving to maintain their traditional culture and embrace formal education they are transforming their traditional culture into this formalized object.

Spencer Waters and Hannah Page, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Variations in the μ-opioid-receptor (OPRM1) gene have been shown to affect most mammalian species mother-infant relationships and more recent studies show it may also modulate it in at least some primates Macaca mulatta (rhesus monkeys). Research shows that variation in the OPRM1 SNPs in rhesus macaques (C77G) is linked to relational behavioral differences, specifically within mothers and infants. Individuals homozygous for the ancestral C allele exhibit more “normal” behaviors, attachment, and oxytocin (OT) levels, whereas individuals heterozygous for the G allele exhibit greater variation in OT levels, as well as the type and quality of bonding1. Behavioral data was collected by the National Institute of Health (NIH) between 1996 and 2005. Individual monkeys in the study were genotyped for the previously characterized OPRM1 genotype. Repeated measures analyses were run using weekly measures of mother-infant behaviors across the first 24 weeks of the infants’ lives, using the mother’s genotype and infant’s sex as between-subject factors. A second series of analyses were performed using the infant’s genotype and infant sex as between-subject factors. Leave by mother (LVMO) and Reject by mother (REJM) was associated with mother genotype and infant sex at p<0.05. Passivity (PASS) was associated with infant genotype and infant sex at p=.04. Four other behaviors (Restraint, receive groom by mother, receive groom by infant, and approach by mother) were found to be nearly significant (p> 0.05<="" a="" allele="" and="" at="" behavior="" behavioral="" bonding="" by="" compared="" copy="" div="" environment="" evidence="" female="" g="" gene="" genotype,="" greater="" her="" infant="" infants="" infants,="" infants.="" infant’s="" influenced="" interact="" interaction.="" is="" least="" lower="" male="" more="" mothers="" mother’s="" of="" one="" our="" positive="" quality="" results="" sex,="" show="" specifically,="" tend="" that="" the="" their="" these="" to="" toward="" treatment="" variability,="" with="" x=""> .entry-content 2015-UCUR-Abstracts

Kody Myers, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Reaction time (RT) represents the amount of time it takes to process a stimulus and program an appropriate response. An increase in the complexity of a response can yield an increase in RT indicating the need for greater preparation (Christina and Rose, 1985). Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) typically exhibit impairments in motor control such as opening the hand in advance of a grasp (Fabbri-Destro et al., 2009; Schmitz et al., 2003). These deficits may arise from impairment in the sequencing aspects of motor acts (Cattaneo et al., 2007). Impairment in action preparation may be reflected in increased RT when compared to typically developing (TD) children. Five children with ASD and three TD children were tested on a joint-action motor planning task that required them to reach for, lift and hand an object to a researcher. Some trials required the subject to manipulate the object in order to aid the researcher. RT was measured from the start of the command word used to the lifting of digits #2-4. We hypothesized that RT would be longer for the trials that required manipulation of the object and when ASD trials were compared to the controls. RT was longer for the ASD subjects compared to the controls. However, in the trials that required manipulation versus those that did not, the RT was smaller for the control group but similar for the ASD group. In addition, for tasks where the object needed to be used, the hammer object elicited a quicker reaction time than the stick for both control subjects and those with ASD suggesting that motor planning issues in ASD (Eigsti, 2013; Fabbri-Destro et al., 2009) might be facilitated by using tools with inherent action properties (e.g., the handle of the hammer facilitates grasping).

Marshall Grimm and Stacia Bourne, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Despite youth’s efforts to act in morally acceptable ways, it is inevitable that they will hurt or cause harm to others (Wainryb and Recchia, 2013). Hurt feelings may be caused by purposeful misdeeds, but they also may be caused through accidents, pursuit of instrumental goals, or misunderstandings. Most older children and adolescents seem to consider both their justifiable reasons and the hurt that they caused when they judge their harmful actions. This dual focus leads many youth to evaluate their transgressions as not entirely negative (e.g., as mixed – both wrong and not wrong). Some children may be less likely to see that there are justifiable reasons that underlie some transgressive actions. For instance, it is likely that children and adolescents who feel excessive guilt for their transgressive actions will make moral judgments that are more exclusively negative. Some youth are dispositionally more guilt prone than others (Tangney 1990). Therefore, we expect that guilt prone children and adolescents will judge their transgressions more negatively than those that are not guilt prone. To examine the relationship between youths’ guilt proneness and their moral judgments of their own transgressions, we assessed 80 children and adolescents (M age = 12.86). Guilt proneness was found to be a significant predictor of moral judgments. Specifically, youth who were more guilt prone made more negative judgments. Having a clear picture of the relationship between guilt proneness and moral judgments can help parents of guilt prone kids to scaffold their children to consider the many complex features of moral transgressions and to understand it is sometimes appropriate to judge their actions as simultaneously both wrong and not wrong.

Chalise Carlson, Jason Watson, David L. Strayer, Eve Miller, and Ashley Pyne, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Attention Restoration Theory (ART) promotes the concept that attentional resources requiring focused thoughtfulness are revitalized by the easy or “soft” inherent captivation we experience in natural surroundings. Oppositely, loud urban settings are considered attentional resource eradicators. Atchley, Strayer and Atchley (2012) strengthened the ART premise in an experiment using the Remote Associates Test (RAT), a measure of creative cognition. In their experiment, the RAT scores gathered from backpackers on the last day of a four day hike sans technology were significantly higher than those of a separate group of backpackers before embarking on a similar excursion. In our experiment, we controlled for extraneous variables by presenting the experiment indoors utilizing videos of attention depleting (urban) and attention stimulating (nature) environments. Early trials employing pre-video, post-video RAT scores as the measures of restoration found comparable results to the outdoor studies with a 12% increase in the nature group’s scores and a 5% increase in the urban group’s scores. However, our attempt to increase the effect by doubling the video viewing time resulted in a loss of effect, slanting the data toward the urban group as the most improved. F(1,208)=3.22, p=.07. Moving forward with Attention Restoration Theory, we feel there is validity in outdoor experiments. Immersion into the outdoors likely produces a sufficiently powerful influence which overcomes the RAT’s indirect measure of cognition. Additionally we exert that potential exists for the indoor studies as well. Indoor experiments, lacking the immersive quality, would likely benefit from a more sensitive, direct measure of attention. Further, future studies should also consider utilizing representative stimulus shown to maximally induce restoration, such as scenes evoking “mystery” or “fascination” (ie. a winding path disappearing into a dense forest.) Future application of these specific attributes may intensify indoor results.

Arthur Wardle, Matthew Crabtree and Melissa Funk, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The 18th amendment arose out of a larger temperance movement in which alcohol was commonly viewed as the root cause of a litany of social problems. However, following the passage of the 18th amendment, neither alcohol consumption nor the related social problems dissipated, demonstrating the failure of the amendment, and eventually leading the U.S. to the 21st amendment, undoing the prohibition. Interestingly, the 18th amendment took effect only one year before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints made the “Word of Wisdom,” a church scripture which, among other things, bans the consumption of alcohol, an absolute requirement for full participation in the religion. This religious prohibition enjoyed far greater success than the legal prohibition of the 18th amendment. We analyze the quantitative differences in the efficacy of each prohibition, as well as the various incentive changes caused by each institution. To do this, we will examine historic drunkenness arrest records in both the U.S. as a whole, and Utah specifically, which has been demonstrated by previous research to be an accurate way of estimating alcohol consumption. Then, by taking a look at historic documents, we will examine the incentives of changing behavior, and discuss the efficiency of legal versus non-legal restrictions when attempting to change behavior. We will also examine the contrast in reactions to external regulation stemming from the government, and regulation stemming from a religious organization, and the powerful social implications that follow a restriction that is both external and internal. We find that a religious organization, with its ability to alter the basis of a group’s value system, can change a group’s behavior more easily than legal regulation alone.

Mira Reynolds, Craig Bryan and AnnaBelle Bryan, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Objective:

Frank Robertson, Diego Flores, Marcia Ventura, Jordan Sgro and Veronica Taite, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Behavioral research has often focused on the impact of reinforcers on behavior. Punishers are occasionally used alongside reinforcers, and the relative strength of the two is a question of major importance in behavioral psychology. The matching law is a mathematical formula that attempts to evaluate the relative influence of two sets of reinforcers and punishers. The generalized matching law contains two parameters, sensitivity, which indexes how quickly participants respond to differences between reinforcement frequencies, and bias, which indicates how much one reinforcer is preferred over another. We have developed a new method for data analysis in situations containing both reinforcers and punishers, which expands the generalized matching law by a single parameter. The new parameter is punishment bias, where a value between 0 and 1 indicates the relatively greater effect of reinforcers (versus punishers) on behavior. A value greater than 1 indicates that behavior is impacted more by punishers. If this variation on the generalized matching law is valid, it would provide a simple metric for use in situations where negative and positive events both occur. Ten participants were asked to play a video game in which they moved a submarine around obstacles and collected coins. They could choose to do so on either the left or right side of the screen. Variable- interval reinforcement schedules were operative on both sides of the screen and changed every six minutes. Punishers were added to the left-side reinforcers in half of these schedules. We recorded each participant’s mouse clicks on each side, as well as the reinforcers and punishers they received. We analyzed this data using both the new method and the generalized matching law. We found that the new version fit the data better than the standard version and present it as a possible tool for future studies of the joint use of reinforcers and punishers.

Samantha Chandler, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Families are a key element in helping children develop into properly functioning members of society. The relationships that individuals have with the members of their family will greatly influence them throughout their lives. Past work highlights the roles families, and siblings in particular play in the development of antisocial behavior, but it is also important to consider the ways in which the intensification of antisocial behavior (i.e., the initiation of substance use) in adolescence changes and alters trajectories of siblings’ relationships with one another. Thus, in the current study we are examining the longitudinal links between antisocial behavior and adolescents’ sibling relationships. Data for our study come from the Flourishing Families Project, a seven phase longitudinal study of 700 families. Both parents and adolescents reported on the adolescent’s antisocial behavior and adolescents’ reported on their relationship with their closest aged sibling. We are using SAS to conduct growth curve models of sibling relationships over time as moderated by patterns of antisocial behavior. Preliminary analysis suggests that in many cases antisocial behavior is linked to less sibling warmth (r = -.11, p < .01) and greater sibling conflict (r = .22, p < .001). In conclusion we anticipate that our analysis will support the notion of the complexity of family life and that the choices and behavior of an individual family member may have implications for the development of family relationships.

Tyson Winder, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The purpose of this research is to evaluate various influences that social networking sites can have on families, with a particular focus on adolescents within the family. The research focuses primarily on the social networking site Facebook for the evaluation. The information evaluated will be viewed through the lens of structural functionalism. Structural functionalists place strong emphasis on the role of the nuclear family in society. In this perspective the family is viewed as the primary source for socialization and as a result any exterior or interior influences on the family can drastically alter that socialization process. Studies will be presented for the advantages and disadvantages of social networking sites on the family. Possible future implications of such influences will be taken in to consideration as well.

Grant Holyoak, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences While extensive research has been performed on the effects of climate change on water resources, little analysis has been performed that examines how a population’s belief about climate change affects its residential water use behaviors and its support of local water resources policies. This study, as an appendage of the extensive NSF-funded “iUtah” Project (innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability), seeks to fill this gap in the research through statistical analysis of a household survey distributed to over 2,000 Utah households during the summer of 2014. Surveys were distributed and collected through a revolutionary “drop-off/pick-up” methodology yielding a highly representative response rate. The project analyzes Utahan responses in both an analytical and an explanatory fashion, demonstrating how belief or disbelief in anthropogenic climate change is predictive of specific residential water use behaviors. The effects of climate change beliefs are also examined as predictors of resident support of potential local water conservation policies. Enormously beneficial to the arena of water conservation policy, this project leads to a better understanding of how climate change beliefs predict water use, allowing for more efficient strategy in the implementation of specific water conservation practices across American communities.

Grant Holyoak, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Extant research has identified a number of gaps in the social services available to immigrants in the U.S. and, relatedly, the impacts of these gaps on immigrant well-being. Less research has analyzed the factors that impact how social service organizations respond to the needs of immigrants. Understanding the constraints and opportunities such organizations face is key to identifying ways to successfully remedy critical resource gaps. Data for this study were collected through in-depth interviews with leaders from two dozen Utahan agencies, which offer services ranging from educational promotion to religious humanitarianism. Drawing on organizational theory, this research advances the field by identifying the coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures that social service organizations face and how these pressures shape organizations’ responsiveness to the needs of immigrant communities. Cultural, organizational, and legal variables are identified as inhibitors to the ability of these agencies to meet the needs of this population, and recommendations are given regarding the abatement of these pressures. The policy implications of this analysis are applicable on the local, state, and national levels, and prove essential to the continued debates surrounding the service of this marginalized demographic.

Thomas White and Jason Woodruff, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Exercise has been shown to be an effective adjunct to therapy in combating depression symptoms (Josefsson, Lindwall, and Archer, 2014; Seime and Vickers, 2006; Stathopoulou, Powers, Berry, Smits, and Otto, 2006). However, it can be difficult to motivate individuals who experience depressive symptoms to begin and maintain an exercise routine (Seime and Vickers, 2006). Here we investigate which motivations might help those who demonstrate symptoms of depression to begin and maintain an exercise regimen. This study examined Frequency and Duration of exercise as well as motivation to exercise and relationship to scores on a Depression scale. A sample of 184 BYU undergraduate students taking psychology classes participated in the study. Controlling for gender, we collected data regarding participants’ current Depression symptoms, exercise regimens, and motivations for exercising (for Sociality, Competition, and Fitness). Multiple regression analyses showed Duration and Frequency of exercise were negatively correlated with Depression. Furthermore, motivation for Fitness was positively correlated with Depression scores and Competition was negatively correlated with Depression scores. We also found that Motivation for Sociality was negatively correlated with Depression scores. We explore possible reasons for these findings. Overall, we show that Sociality and Competition may be the most potent motivators in helping college students maintain motivation to exercise. To our knowledge, there are few studies that have examined motivation to exercise in junction with depression symptoms. The results have practical implications for clinicians who may recommend exercise to their clients to encourage exercising to reduce depressive symptoms.

Stéfanie Morris, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences This study seeks to explain intergenerational changes in reference and selfhood for Telugu parents and for their emigrant children and grandchildren. I argue that individuals have indexical worlds—landscapes of familiarity, signs, meaning, material, and experience. These worlds are open systems, ever changing and growing as the universe and all things in it act and are acted upon (people, animals, rocks, trees, ideas, and more). Challenges often arise when individuals leave an area where they can easily connect to other individuals’ similar indexical worlds. An inability to fully understand the signs and meanings of other contexts or people often causes individuals to feel a sense of dissociation. I argue that for all people, referential worlds connect to feelings of selfhood, or belonging, as well as influence relations between generations as traditional customs and practices are syncretized with their new environment.

Frederic Van De Water, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences In the Fall of 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson chose to escalate American participation in the Vietnam War Conflict based on false intelligence information about the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Once Johnson realized the full truth of the event, he was caught in a public relations trap since he had already announced that the United States had been attacked. Throughout the Johnson administration, there was a large discrepancy between public relations messages to the American people and internal statements about the actual mission, objectives, and success of the war. In the early days of the Nixon administration, Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, a senior consultant from the RAND Corporation, leaked thousands of pages of classified documents about this phenomenon to the New York Times in hopes of bringing an end to the Vietnam War. Since this time, many historians and policy analysts have utilized this limited collection to study the war. In 2011, the Obama Administration had the National Archives release the complete set of documents online. Utilizing this expanded collection, I will compare and contrast how the Johnson administration’s message either conflicted or at times coincided with what was being done in Vietnam as part of wider Department of Defense policy.

Braxton Larson, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences In 1962 President John F. Kennedy publicly praised President Ngo Dinh Diem for his leadership “to the defense of freedom” and protecting the Vietnamese from “unprovoked subversion and terror.” Ironically within the year, after Buddhist monks started setting themselves on fire in protest of Diem, Kennedy ordered his assassination for his role as an oppressor of his people. Was this change of policy based upon a change in Diem, or a change in the intelligence information President Kennedy was receiving? If his previous information had been correct, was President Kennedy intentionally lying to the American people? Questions like these plagued politicians, military leaders, and the general public during the Vietnam War. Now with the release of the full collection of the “Pentagon Papers,” researchers can definitively document most discrepancies between the rhetoric and the reality of that controversial conflict. This paper will explore these questions about the Kennedy administration, more specifically asking the vital question if the entire origins of the conflict were based upon lies.

Dakota Wilson, Snow College Social and Behavioral Sciences Ambiguity in language throughout history has always caused problems. In every field there are instances where words mean different things to different people. There seems to be more and more instances today where there is ambiguity in romantic relationship terminology and it is causing confusion and dissatisfaction. In the beginning of the 20th century words like “calling” or “going steady” were popular to describe romantic relationships whereas today “hooking up” and “hanging out” are the dominant terms. Although there have been studies that are very similar to this subject, there is little to no research exactly like it. This study has been made to assess what terminology is being used today to describe relationship terminology, why it has changed over (generational and cultural influences), and how these changes affect the satisfaction of the relationship. Methodology comprised creating a survey, a portion of which was taken from pre-validated tools such as the MSI-R to assess relationship satisfaction. Other portions included basic demographic information, current relationship terminology used, short answer where the participants were asked to describe situations in which they would use particular terms now and in middle school, in which social situations they would use certain terminology, and domains as to what each relationship term entailed in regards to behavior (these were based off of the categories in the MSI-R). The last section asked about terminology that was used in the participants youth to avoid disapproval of cultural or religious leaders if an exclusive relationship was unacceptable but was occurring regardless. Results are in the process of being analyzed.