Social and Behavioral Sciences

Clair Talley and Melissa Benavides, Snow College Current research done by Susan Sprecher and Sandra Metts (1989, 1999) discusses the presence of romantic ideals and their effect on the quality of relationships. While this research focused mainly on committed relationships of college-aged students, it did not investigate the influence of these love beliefs on their sexual relationship progression. Other research that does look at why students have sex suggests that it is seen as a right of passage, a gift, a stigma, and even a means by which students can alter their mood. (Humphreys, 2013 and Dawson, Shih, de Moor and Shrier, 2008)

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.

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.

Christian Kindt, Alyssa Ashton, Jay Homewood, and Catie Nielson, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Background: Improved understanding of the neural mechanisms of anxiety in ASD may provide targets for etiological research as well as for better treatment specificity. To date, however, there have been no fMRI studies of such mechanisms. Objectives: We report findings from behavioral and functional neuroimaging studies of potentially atypical function. We hypothesize that such atypical function during extinction of learned fear may contribute to difficulty adapting to changing contexts in ASD and lead to subsequent symptoms of uncertainty and anxiety. Methods: Twenty-one adults with ASD ages 18-29 were compared to healthy controls on a classical conditioning task used by Phelps and colleagues (Hartley et al., 2011) during two functional runs of fear acquisition and two extinction runs. Resulting regions of interest were identified with a 2×2 repeated measures ANOVA comparing diagnostic group (ASD vs. controls) and task condition (threat vs. non-threat stimulus). Results: Analyses revealed greater activation in right amygdala and left insula in controls than ASD for threat compared with non-threat stimuli. ROI analysis across all 4 runs revealed that activation patterns for these ROIs show a statistically significant descrease for the CON group, in contrast to an increase for the ASD group that persists into the extinction period. Left amygdala and right insula showed significantly greater activity in the ASD group compared to controls in final extinction run. Conclusions: fMRI data support that fear learning networks in amygdala and insula are less activated in ASD during fear acquisition, but show increased activation during contexts that should be safe. Rather, they are afraid when they should be feeling safe. We hypothesize that chronic everyday anxiety in many individuals diagnosed with ASD may arise from uncertainty regarding contextual cues for fear versus safety.

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.

Corbin Standley, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The extant research regarding the relationship between religious affiliation and attitudes toward homosexuality is extensive, yet shallow. While some research suggests a significant positive correlation between religiosity and negative attitudes toward homosexuality (Ingelhart, 2000), other studies show different results dependent on religious motivations, affiliations, and activity (Besen and Zicklin, 2007; Burris, 1999). To that end, the current study examines the interplay between religiosity, personality dimensions, and attitudes toward homosexuality. A correlational survey methodology was utilized attempting to measure religious activity and motivations, personality dimensions, and attitudes toward various policy areas as relevant to homosexuality (including marriage, adoption, and military service). A significant positive correlation between religious activity and negative attitudes toward homosexuality is anticipated such that those scoring higher on the religious activity scale will report more conservative views of homosexuality. Moreover, we expect a strong positive correlation between the Openness to Experience personality dimension and positive attitudes toward homosexuality such that those expressing more openness will exhibit more liberal views toward homosexuality. The results of this study will lead to a better understanding of the ways in which religious affiliation and religious activity differ in regard to attitudes toward homosexuality. Further, implications concerning personality traits in relation to such attitudes will be drawn from these results.

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.

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.

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.

Madalyn Page, Brandi Allred, and David Byers, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Relative abundances of small mammals often monitor environmental conditions due to these animals’ high sensitivity to climatic fluctuations. In this study, we document small mammal remains recovered from recently deposited owl pellets collected in Lake Channel, Idaho, located on the Snake River Plain. These pellets were dissected and cataloged according to diagnostic and non-diagnostic osteological characteristics. Following standard procedure, we used the crania and mandibles for MNI calculations, as well as species-level identification of small mammals. After identifying the small mammals down to species level, we compared our results to a habitat profile that suggests the microfaunal remains occupy both xeric and mesic habitats. These results remain consistent with the present day dune and riparian environments found in Lake Channel. Further analyses will compare this present day base-line climatic model to recently excavated small mammal assemblages documenting ancient Lake Channel climates.

Erica Armstrong, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Combat exposure is associated with increased mental health symptom severity among military personnel, whereas unit cohesion is associated with decreased severity. However, to date no studies have examined these relationships among U.S. Air Force pararescuemen, a unique and specialized career field that serves in both medical and combatant capacities. Self-report survey data regarding depression symptoms, post-traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms, perceived unit support, and exposure to traditional combat experiences (e.g., firefights) and medical-related consequences of combat (e.g., injuries and human remains) were collected from 194 pararescuemen from seven rescue squadrons. Levels of combat exposure were comparable to previously-published findings from combat units, and levels of medical exposure were comparable to previously-published findings among military medical professionals. Medical exposure intensity showed a stronger relationship with PTSD severity (β = .365, p = .018) than combat exposure intensity (β = .136, p = .373), but neither combat nor medical exposure was associated with depression severity (β’s < .296, p’s > .164). Unit support was associated with less severe PTSD (β = -.402, p < .001) and depression (β = -.259, p = .062) symptoms and did not moderate the effects of combat or medical exposure. Medical-related stressors contribute more to PTSD among pararescuemen than traditional combat-related stressors. Unit support is associated with reduced PTSD and depression severity regardless of intensity of warzone exposure among pararescuemen.

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

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.

Luz Maria Carreno, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Significance: Patients’ health literacy, or ability to comprehend and understand health information, influences their health status, knowledge about medical care and conditions, and hospitalization and adherence rate (Andrus, & Roth, 2002). Low-English proficiency patients are especially at risk, given they must overcome English and health literacy barriers.

Danielle Jennings, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The popularity of surgical cosmetic procedures continues to climb in the U.S. (ASPS, 2012) and in other industrialized economies (ISAPS, 2011). This includes women in conservative cultures like Morocco and Afghanistan (Women of Afghanistan, 2012). This research was undertaken to examine attitudes towards plastic surgery among women who are members of the LDS Church. Utah boasts one of the highest concentrations of plastic surgeons in the U.S. (Lim, 2011) and is also majority LDS (Phillips and Cragun, 2011), rendering it ideal for this study. Data regarding attitudes towards surgery and levels of religious participation were collected from LDS women [n = 100] and men [n = 25] in Utah through a pilot survey administered in spring, 2013. The sample included women 19 — 81 years of age, 64% of whom were married, and 63% had grown up in Utah. Results indicated levels of religious participation were in keeping with other research involving Mormons (Hill et al., 2008) and 67% of women knew a female member of the Church who had had cosmetic surgery. Attitudes towards surgery varied by age and marital status. A second survey was created and administered via Qualtrics to LDS women [n =473] and men [n = 116] across the U.S. Results suggest variation in attitudes by geographic location, along with variation by gender, age, marital status, and familiarity with surgery. These results suggest aspects of Mormon life in Utah contribute to the popularity of surgery among Church members. These may include the pressures of dating and earlier ages at marriage (Maffly, 2010), coupled with demographic changes (Cragun and Phillips, 2011), as well as earlier ages at first birth of children (Davidson, 2008).

Wendy Hendley, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) passed in 1996 changed welfare dramatically. Meant to stop welfare fraud and dependency, it put into place numerous restrictions and promoted work, which meant that people on welfare, usually single mothers, were forced to participate in job-search activities in order to qualify for benefits. As a result, welfare recipients’ opportunities to attend college have decreased. Research has shown a negative correlation between educational attainment and poverty, the higher a person’s education the less chance they have of living in poverty. The human capital theory proposes that investing in education increases labor market returns. Unfortunately, with PRWORA’s focus on work, welfare recipients are forced to find low-wage jobs, which is not enough to lift them out of poverty. Although numerous studies have focused on welfare recipients’ reduced chances of receiving an education, few have looked at the wishes of welfare recipients themselves. This quantitative descriptive study uses secondary data analysis from a study done by the University of Utah’s Social Research Institute in 2006, and answers the following three questions: (1) what is the current level of completed education of welfare recipients; (2) do welfare recipients have a desire to further their schooling; (3) what barriers do they feel are preventing them from achieving their goals? This study found that a high percentage of welfare recipients had a desire to further their schooling, with the number one obstacle being financial. There is a significant gap between the wishes of welfare recipients concerning higher education and what is actually happening in their lives.

Lindsey Fields, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences For my senior thesis in anthropology, I conducted fieldwork in a small Hmong village in northern Thailand studying the process of religion conversion. Traditionally, Hmong people practice a mixture of spirit rituals and ancestral worship known as Dab Qhuas and classified as shamanism. Within the past fifty or so years, other religious groups have emerged in the village both Christian sects and Hmong messianic groups. Though many in the discipline of anthropology argue that conversion is a break from traditions of the past, I observe that Hmong of this village in Thailand undergo a much more syncretic type of conversion. Though they identify as either Christian or of a Messianic sect, much of their practices and ideology retain elements of their shamanist past. Though they stress their differences in doctrine and practice, much of the ontology permeating shamanism and Hmong culture is still very much present. In order to better examine this phenomenon, I will focus the beliefs and practices in both Is Nbis and Christianity that take on slightly different forms in each religious practice, yet, still maintain some of the same ideologies. Rituals merely shift in order to fulfill the same metaphysical needs. By studying new practices that retain much of the feel of old culture rituals, I hope to illustrate that these Hmong are not as far removed from their traditional roots as they imagine themselves to be.

Daniel Cardoza, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences This paper aims to offer an introductory platform to the correlation between Russian fatalistic tendencies and conversion to Protestantism. It argues that fatalism is a central aspect of the Russian collective conscious, something that is fundamentally at odds with the Protestant temperament as outlined by Max Weber in his book, The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism. What happens when a Russian converts to a Protestant religion? This paper specifically focuses on conversion to one religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Analysis of data gathered through ethnographic interviewing and participant observation shows that a correlation might exist between belief in LDS doctrines and a reduction of fatalistic tendencies. This paper serves an introductory basis for future research on this topic. As such, the paper also presents recommendations for further research.

Peter Busche, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences An undergraduate study on young people in the Channel Islands (near England and France. Such questions will be addressed, such as: What makes growing up in a tiny Island community unique? How does leaving the Island for the outside world affect the young peoples’ transition into adulthood? This project consists of a descriptive outline based on 2 months of ethnographic research, as part of a 10,000 word senior thesis. Current anthropological and psychological theories are part of the overall construction of the data.

Ryan Hill, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences We analyze the presence of two types of framing bias in ballot wordings that affect election outcomes: status quo bias and agent-external loss aversion. Both of these biases are studied extensively in behavioral economics and likely have salient impacts on initiative or proposition measures in state elections. Status quo bias is the tendency of a voter to be more likely to maintain a currently enacted policy rather than passing a new law. Agent-external loss aversion is the tendency for a voter to be more likely to grant a right to a minority population rather than vote to restrict a right. Both of these biases have had important impacts on the outcome of recent ballot initiatives especially on California Proposition 8 that failed to legalize the right of marriage for same-sex couples. We test the salience of these framing biases by conducting a nationwide survey experiment that randomly assigns different ballot wordings for the same policies across different survey respondents. The survey mimics a real voting situation and the randomization of questions ensures that we can identify the specific effect of each bias on the voting outcome. We analyze the treatment effects using difference of means and ordinary least squares analysis. We also extend our analysis to examine whether moderating variables such as political knowledge or opinion have an impact on the magnitude or direction of the bias effects.

Michelle Hammon, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences A caregiver’s ability to meet their infant’s physical and emotional needs is important to development. Infants who are unable to get their needs met are at risk of developing an insecure attachment with their caregiver. The ability of the caregiver to empathize with and appropriately respond to the needs of their infant is dependent on the caregiver’s attachment representation. An online survey collected data from 112 college students. Participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) scale and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Insecure attachment representations were associated with the ability to empathize. Anxious-ambivalent attachment was positively associated with concern and distress and avoidant attachment were negatively associated with distress. These results suggest that attachment representations are important for the development of empathy.

Maximilian Stiefel, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences This paper examines the impacts of sugarcane cultivation on rural community resilience in municipios throughout Brazil. Whether sugarcane cultivation has generated vulnerabilities, such as population diffusion, ecological transformation, and adverse path dependencies, for rural community resilience is the primary focus. Resilience is critical in that it demonstrates adaptation efficacy for a community facing shifting capabilities. Social cohesion and capital also tie into how resilience correlates to meaningful interactions among individuals. Over the past thirty years Brazil became second to the U.S. in terms of global ethanol production, generating robust economic growth. However, sugarcane cultivation expansion has forced some cattle ranchers from southern Brazil to migrate north, resulting in the clearing of Amazon forestland for grazing. Pastureland displacement from sugarcane cultivation generates various concerns for rural economies, social cohesion, and socioeconomic class disparities. There currently lacks abundant examination of impacts to rural communities adjacent to sugarcane ethanol cultivation and production. I formulate a regression analysis to gauge shifts in resilience from sugarcane cultivation that will include a variety of metrics such as employment rates, livelihood diversification, and educational attainment. From this information I will suggest practices that afford a more resilient economic, agricultural, and social model for rural communities. The suggestions I put forth will not be palliative, but will instead be consistent with sustainable practices that foster capabilities, socioeconomic equality, and environmental stewardship. Resilient rural community development models avoid historic deforestation patterns and aid climate change mitigation, which in turn safeguards Brazil’s myriad economic sectors. Robust rural economies support national security by ensuring a healthy agricultural sector, avoiding unsustainable urban migration, and reducing poverty. The models and practices I suggest will inform policies and programs for Brazilian officials, agriculturalists, and conservationists to support rural communities, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and increase national security.

Conor Fishback, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in recent years has seen the majority of its neighbors fall into some kind of violent conflict. Throughout the Arab Spring and the years following, the Jordan state has been one of stability and peace. One possible reason for the stability of the country could be its level of religious tolerance. One way to look at religious tolerance is to look at the geographic landscape of where the religious buildings are located within the cities of that country. This study analyzed the specific location of Christian churches in relation to Muslim Mosques in five different cities with a significant Christian population. Specific points representing the different faiths were gathered using GPS and then analyzed using GIS software. The geographic situation was analyzed for each structure. Geographic situation in this case referred to Christian churches and their proximity to Muslim Mosques, as well as the number of Muslim mosques and how adjacent they are in relation to the Christian churches. Photographs were taken of every location to determine the level of overshadowing or dominance that was taking place in that specific site. Using GIS, the Christian quarters in each city was analyzed. The majority of the cities, including the Jordanian capital of Amman, showed little or no clustering of mosques in relation to churches as well as little evidence of building dominance by either sect. Only one out of the five cities studied showed serious clustering of mosques around the Christian areas. While this study only analyzed a small part of what makes up a country’s level of religious tolerance, it can be expanded to other countries as well – not only Muslim states that are tolerant to Christianity, but also Christian or Western states and their tolerance to Islam.

Kent Hinkson, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences PTSD has become increasingly more concerning to the mental health world over the past few decades. A plethora of events (both acute and chronic) that serve as a triggering moment in the lives of those afflicted by this potentially debilitating condition are beginning to be identified more consistently. Yet, it continues to remain an area of concern because of the manner in which it affects nearly every aspect of its victim’s life.

Ty Martin, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The purpose of this study was to explore the marital and personal life outcome of couples who either had in-law troubles or did not. Using Gottman’s (1999) core principles, this study explored the complex challenges young married couples faced when trying to turn toward their spouse while problematic relationships with their spouse’s parents created a wedge. Data was obtained via a random sample of 3,000 current and 7,000 former UVU students. Of the 11 percent who responded, 488 were in their first marriage. Two types of statistical analysis were used to explore the relationship between the married student’s relationship to their in-laws and other personal and marital factors.

Megan Ward, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Little research has been done on the effect of parental media monitoring on a child’s thoughts and behaviors. This dearth of research is evident when considering the effect of parental media monitoring for a child who consumes Disney princess media. Research suggests that committed parents who heavily monitor their child’s media use are more likely to have a child who uses less media. The aim of this study is to garner a deeper understanding of the impact of parental media monitoring on a child’s stereotypical behaviors. Initial analyses showed a very strong correlation between how much a child identified with a particular princess and the number of female stereotypical traits. Namely, parents who reported that their children more closely identified with a princess showed gender stereotypical traits related to the types of toys they played with, the types of activities they participated in, and types of characteristics they took part in. Our analysis found the correlations to be especially strong when parents also reported low monitoring of their child’s media use, compared to parents who reported higher monitoring. Implications of these findings could influence children’s relationships with others. For example, children with more stereotypical behaviors may be less open to sharing, empathizing, and playing with other children who do not fit the gender stereotypes as accurately.

Joshua Matyi, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences The Neural Efficiency Hypothesis (NEH) states that individuals with higher measured intelligence exhibit less neural activation on relatively simple tasks compared to those with lower intelligence (Haier et al., 1988). While the current NEH literature regarding electroencephalography (EEG) primarily focuses on amplitude measures, differences in peak latency relative to task demands could also indicate processing efficiency. The current study examined the relationship between intelligence and event-related EEG amplitudes and latencies during the third of three task conditions, a visual repetition paradigm. Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III; Wechsler, 1997) were collected on 30 participants, 18 of whom had sufficient numbers of EEG trials for further analysis (FSIQ: M = 111.56, SD = 13.28, range = 91 to 131). During EEG recording, participants were asked to respond to randomized line drawings representing one of three stimulus conditions from the previous two tasks: Repeated stimuli, Once-viewed, and Novel stimuli. Time-frequency analyses were conducted to identify peak phase-locked activity in the theta (4-7 Hz) and alpha (8-12 Hz) bands between 0 and 500 milliseconds post-stimulus. Results demonstrated no significant effects of IQ or stimulus condition on peak theta and alpha amplitudes. However, difference scores between Novel and Once-viewed conditions in peak theta latency showed a strong positive correlation with IQ (r[16] = .712, p < .01). These findings appear consistent with the NEH in suggesting that higher IQ individuals may process previously seen stimuli more efficiently than lower IQ individuals, as evidenced by shorter peak latencies relative to stimulus onset. A direction of future research could involve manipulating visual stimulus complexity, in order to isolate the effects of task complexity on peak latency, and potential interactions with IQ.

Chelsea Pineda Davey, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Sense of community on the island of Guernsey is a cross between organic and mechanical solidarity. I argue that this sense of community is built and maintained through the island’s voluntary sector. The charities and volunteers help to preserve Guernsey’s sense of community and hold the society together. As I do this I use Durkheim and Mauss’s theories along with the McMillan/Chavis definition of sense of community to support my findings.

Natalie Blanton, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences The rates of women interacting with the criminal justice system are increasing steadily—yet little is known about the experiences of these women with/within the system as well as the latent effects that follow them throughout their lives. With a sociological perspective, one comes to understand the immense impact of experiences, inequities, and health/wellness/opportunity disparities in individual’s lives—especially within the criminal justice system. This project takes a multi-pronged feminist perspective/approach to women’s interaction with such.

Chelsea Romney, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Getting adequate sleep is essential for optimal daytime functioning and has implications for both physical and mental health. There are several reasons to believe that social support may influence sleep outcomes. Although certain relationships (e.g., married versus unmarried) have been tied to sleep disturbances, little is known about the association between the quality of one’s overall social network and sleep. Thus, in the present study, we examined how the amount of supportive relationships in an individual’s social network is associated with sleep outcomes.

Andrew Broadbent, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Introduction: Timpanogos is the second highest peak in Utah County, and has the highest visitation in the state, despite having no stand-out features such as being the highest or most technical. Over the years Mt. Timpanogos has been valuable go-to wilderness area for recreating Utahns. It also has developed a unique sense of place in the way that famous locations like Yosemite and Yellowstone have. Now Timpanogos has exceptionally high visitation and trail use relative to other recreation areas in the US. One purpose of this research is to explain what makes this peak special to visitors and what can be done to improve the visitor experience in areas such as littering, trail cutting, and overcrowding.

Brandon Hansen, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Measuring eye movements during reading is an effective and ecologically valid way to investigate dynamic changes in human cognition. The boundary technique (Rayner, 1975) is often employed during experimental reading research by changing text in real-time between eye movements—permitting subtle manipulations which are not obvious to the reader. Frequently, these manipulations include the replacement of a target word (beach) by words that are homophones (beech), semantically related (shore), orthographically related (bench), or by random letter masks (hxnzt). Understanding the differences between text in which the target word is available (beach) and denied (hxnzt) allows a deeper understanding of dynamic cognitive processes. In a real-world sense, such investigations yield findings that assists doctors, clinicians, and educators as they create interventions for those, for example, with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

Chauntelle Gates, Dixie State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) can affect the brain development of the fetus and we know early experiences, even during gestation, shape the way our brain is developed. Since the brain growth of the fetus is rapid, any stressful situation can alter the rate at which the brain develops resulting in an under developed brain at the time of birth. This paper focuses on potential risks associated with prenatal maternal stress to the developing brain throughout gestation and preventive measures to reduce risk. Prenatal care is used throughout the world in a preventive manner to ensure optimum health and welfare of the mother and her baby, throughout gestation. Prenatal care is imperative and should take place during the first trimester to prevent potential risks to the fetus. It detects early signs of abnormalities in the infant, benefiting the mothers’ overall health. Mothers who take advantage of prenatal care, especially when PNMS occurs, have better birth outcomes and overall the brain development of the fetus is less effected. Other life situations could affect the brain development of the fetus but this paper will only focus on the effects PNMS has on the brain.

Chase Jenson, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences In May of 1940 Britain demilitarized the island of Guernsey which created the opportunity for German occupation. Some of the citizens left the island, but those that remained became imprisoned for the next five years. While there is a significant amount of research that is done on the topic of extreme circumstances during World War 2, the archived data of the events and social interactions of the people of Guernsey remains unexplored despite being the only part of Britain under German rule. To address this, final stages of conducting an exploratory study are in progress to discover reasons for resistance and collaboration of the imprisoned island inhabitants by content analysis of secondary data including government records, interviews, and journals.

James Westwood, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expects young adult males to serve a religious mission, and gives young women the same option. Those who choose to serve, do so for two years if male, and 18 months if female. Occasionally, some return home prior to the full term of service due to unforeseen medical, mental health, or adjustment-related issues. Many who return early perceive themselves as failures, ostracized and unfairly judged. This phenomenological study explores the experiences of these young men, gains an understanding from their perspective, and provides helpful insight and understanding to church members, church leaders and clinicians who work with this population.

Branden Nuttall, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Relationship Anxiety Test was developed to find a way to measure the level of Anxiety in Latter-day Saint (LDS) college aged individuals who are currently searching for a future companion. Research has suggested that relationship anxiety was higher in individuals who are currently looking for a future spouse. The goal of our test was to measure this anxiety in LDS individuals because it is believed that these individuals are under more pressure to find a spouse. The test was formatted by using a set of questions to measure the anxiety using two domains cognitive, and behavioral. The test was administered using Qualtrics and was distributed through email and Facebook. The results of the test are currently being measured and will be available within the next month.

Kaylie Carbine, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences There are multiple benefits of physical activity, such as weight maintenance and overall lower rates of morbidity and mortality; however, individuals with sedentary desk-bound jobs may not receive these health benefits due to less time for physical activity. Consequently, an increasing trend in the workplace is for employees to walk on treadmills while working. Although job-related treadmill walking has known health benefits, such as decreasing back pain, alleviating stress, and reducing weight gain, the effect of treadmill walking on cognitive performance is not well known and may affect employee productivity. Our objective was to determine if there are significant behavioral differences in response inhibition (the ability to withhold an overt response) and conflict-related interference between participants walking on a treadmill and sitting controls. Seventy-six neurologically and psychologically healthy individuals were randomly assigned to sitting (n = 39; 17 female) or treadmill walking (n = 37; 23 female) conditions. Participants did not differ significantly in body mass index or overall fitness levels (ps > .20). All participants completed a computerized Go/No-Go and a computerized Eriksen Flanker task. Accuracy and response time data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that there were no significant between-groups differences for individuals walking on a treadmill versus sitting on indices of response inhibition and conflict-related interference (ps > .24). The results suggest that walking on a treadmill does not decrease efficiency in these cognitive tasks and may not impact workplace performance.

Robert Bischoff, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Five seasons of excavation by BYU at the ancient Fremont site Wolf Village, located in what is now Goshen Utah, have exposed a large village with many unusual features, foremost of which was the discovery of the largest known Fremont pit structure. Unusually large structures have been interpreted as central gathering places for the community and the locations of intraregional trade fairs. An examination of trade goods (specifically painted pottery, obsidian, and Olivella shell beads) found in this structure compared to the trade goods found in a different residential structure in Wolf Village sheds further light on the nature of communal structures and the nature of exchange among the Fremont, by providing additional evidence of Fremont trade fairs and community architecture.

Kyle Durfee, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences To promote Self-Reliance, Eagle Condor Humanitarian teaches impoverished communities classes designed to increase their self-reliance in their families, community, and their businesses. This study evaluated what the participants understand, how well they participate in the classes, how well they apply the things they learn, and how well the facilitators teach the program. The community members hold different desires for their future than what Eagle Condor seems to want for their participants, and the participants perceive their obstacles to success as being primarily financial matters rather than things that can be resolved through better understanding and training. Literacy and mathematics problems also hinder the ability of the participants to understand the content received in the classes, all suggesting that Eagle Condor may need to adjust its program, or find populations that can capitalize on its current program offerings more effectively. Participants also struggle to apply the concepts taught, usually as a result of not understanding how to do them, or that they should do them at all. Participants tend to participate well in the classes when they come, but generally miss large portions of the instruction due to tardiness. The facilitators teach the program well, but the current teaching curriculum structure (called the FAMA technique for a process that runs through teaching Facts, Associations, Meaning, and Action) is designed on a more exploratory solution than the rigid and organized structure of Eagle Condor’s program. Overall, a more clearly defined holistic strategy built around either participants or the program may increase Eagle Condor’s efficacy in increasing the levels of self-reliance within the communities that Eagle Condor works.

Benjamin Hardy, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Most approaches to education are done with the teacher giving information to the students, with the teacher having the knowledge and “filling” the empty glasses of the students understanding with knowledge. Although this approach is conventional and has its benefits, a “flipped classroom approach” recognizes the student’s unique abilities and gifts of expounding and teaching aspects of given topics in a synergistic form far beyond what the teacher could do alone. Thus, in a “flipped classroom,” the teacher would give each student assignments to teach as well as using the art of questions to allow the students to become the teachers.

Melanie Long, Westminster College Social and Behavioral Sciences While differences in hourly earnings between men and women have frequently been investigated in gender economics, the gender gap in unemployment rates has received less attention. According to much of the existing research, the reduction in the unemployment rate differential between the genders over the past 30 years indicates that gender no longer plays a significant role in employment outcomes. This regression analysis evaluated that claim using microeconomic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Panel data regressions were conducted to establish whether women are subject to more weeks of unemployment in a year than men and whether this difference represents the influence of direct and indirect (i.e., societal) gender discrimination. After accounting for women’s decisions to drop out of the labor force, the regression output indicates that direct gender discrimination against women may no longer play a significant role in employment outcomes. However, there is evidence that societal pressures continue to encourage women to quit work in response to unemployment more readily than men. These findings speak to the complex gender dynamics that persist in the American labor market despite measures to ensure equal employment opportunities and suggest that unemployment rates alone are insufficient to fully understand those dynamics.

Quinn Linford, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Background: Mt. Timpanogos has been an attraction for the residents of Utah Valley and has become a center of recreation for much of Utah. For many years Mt. Timpanogos was the home of an annual hike hosting a daily crowd of approximately 18,000 people. After being designated a wilderness area in 1984, the annual hike was banned. However, the mountain remains an attraction for many residents of the surrounding valleys and visitors from around the world. Currently one- to two-thousand people hike the mountain on mid-summer weekends. This concentration continues to push the limits of the mountain’s ability to accommodate while balancing the opportunities for solitude and unconfined recreation.

Tyler Moore, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences A fundamental concept in behavioral economics is that of loss-aversion, that is, the differentially greater effect of loss when compared to gain. The law of relative effect (also known as the matching law) provides the framework for precise behavioral measurement of that differential in a hedonic scale. We recently developed a video game by which to achieve that measurement. Participants will be invited to play the game during a series of sessions in which gain and loss contingencies are varied–sometimes the participant will gain points and sometimes lose them. In addition to varying the relative frequencies of gains and losses in order to measure their relative effects on behavioral choice, we will measure the effects of an additional variable by means of a different group of participants. This second group will win or lose points in one condition of the experiment and, in the other condition, win or lose actual money. It is our prediction that the group experiencing the loss of money rather than points will demonstrate behaviors indicative of a greater aversion to loss than their counterparts, who will merely lose points.

Mary Barnewitz, University of Utah Social and Behavioral Sciences Analysis of archaeofaunal remains aids in the understanding of the ecological effects of past human prey-species exploitation. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris), in particular, were intermediate-return prey for late Holocene human populations along the California coastline. At the Yerba Buena Shellmound, on the San Francisco Peninsula, there is significant evidence of sea otter use by the local human inhabitants from 1950-1000 14C YBP. This study aims to investigate the use of sea otters at this site in order to address the implications of human subsistence patterns and the use of natural resources during this time period. The study will examine sea otter epiphyseal fusion and tooth crown height as measures of age, as well as comparative indices with other larger and smaller prey animals, in order to determine the age structure and abundance of this prey species over the time of site occupation. Given the breeding ecology of the sea otter, prey depression is often signaled by an increase in mean age over time. Prey resource depression is also signaled by decreases in the use of large-prey animals, and an increase in the lower return, small prey. Comparing the sea otter remains in the site to other taxa will provide more information regarding the significance of sea otters as prey. In general, a mean age increase in sea otters is indicated by the Yerba Buena sea otter tooth remains, but to a much lesser extent by the fused and unfused sea otter bone specimens. The interpretations of the comparative indices are still in progress. Nevertheless, the preliminary results support other evidence revealing over-exploitation of local resources in the San Francisco Bay area. Understanding the effect of past human behavior and subsistence patterns on local ecology is an important pursuit as it can help guide our management of future ecological resources.

Kathi Beckett, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences The Kallari Association, a group of self-governed organic cocoa producers located in the Napo Province of the Ecuadorian Amazon, is creating sustainable income through cacao farming and the production of organic chocolate bars in Ecuador. Using interviews and participant observation, I conducted fieldwork with six different Kichwa cacao farmers from five different communities in the Amazon area of Ecuador during the summer of 2013. In my research, I focused on the farmer’s reasons for involvement in the Kallari Association, the local community cooperative. These farmers expressed that they were driven by a desire for an increase in profits, agricultural knowledge, and education. At the same time, their involvement in the cooperative seems to have created a dilemma for them. On one hand their participation strengthened the teaching of Kichwa cultural traditions, and increased their access to food and educational opportunities, while on the other hand, the increased educational opportunities appears to have contributed to a loss of Kichwa cultural traditions.

Michael Christensen, Brigham Young University Social and Behavioral Sciences Suicide is a major problem for students in Utah middle and high schools. Since adolescents spend a large portion of their time on social media like Facebook and Twitter, there is a wealth of information we can learn about their personalities, moods, and interests by exploring their online interactions with others and specifically the statuses and messages they post publicly. We have created a Facebook app to mine this data and report the mood of a logged-in user’s entire network based on the individual classification of community members’ posts. We contribute to the Public Health field by aggregating suicide-risk factors and facilitating intervention, the motivation being to help others better identify and help those who are at-risk for suicide based on their online behavior. We contribute to the Computer Science field by creating a machine learning algorithm that can classify text into one of several fine-grained mood categories, learning to identify more than just positive or negative sentiment. In addition, our algorithm has the ability to update online by receiving feedback from the users on how well or poorly it classified the text of their friends’ posts. We describe our algorithm and report on preliminary results about its performance on real-world data.

Anthony Hoffman, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences During World War II, the Germans occupied two places that have often been overlooked in the history books since: Guernsey in the Channel Islands and the nation of Denmark. Both are strikingly similar in terms of World War II history and overall treatment by the Germans. In contrast, both are strikingly dissimilar in terms of reaction to the Germans, treatment of each other, treatment of other minority groups within their own countries, etc. It is the similarity that provides the ability for these two places to be compared, which in turn provides a context for the dissimilarity to be studied within. The bulk of information for this research comes from the written histories about those countries during World War II, as well as available individual and personal accounts within each group such as diaries, histories, memoirs, etc. The framework that will be used for interpreting the dissimilarities will take a psychological/social psychological approach, drawing on works from researchers such as Milgram, Darley, Latane, and Shergill, to name a few. The focus of this research is centered on the following question: why do people in very similar circumstances have drastically different reactions? It is expected that this research will shed more light on the reasons for why one individual or group of people reacts one way under bad circumstances, while another individual or group under the same circumstances reacts differently. A better understanding of this phenomenon can help individuals, groups, and nations know how to best help those suffering in the world both today and in the future.

Lindsey Hall, Utah State University Social and Behavioral Sciences The benefits of physical activity among young adults are widely recognized (Healthy People 2020). However, approximately 50% of college students are physically inactive (Keating et al., 2005). In the case of college students’ physical activity, parents serve as a resource for health information (Vader et al., 2011). In fact, the American College Health Association reported that parents are college students’ primary source for health information, and therefore may impact their physical activity levels. Although parents are often utilized as health advisors, the quality of this communication and children’s reaction to parental advice has not been explored (Romo et al., 2011). Although advice is sometimes perceived as helpful and supportive by parents, children can also view it as ineffective and insensitive. Advice about physical activity that is negatively received by college students might exacerbate stress, damage the parent-child relationship, or inhibit the student’s physical activity. A growing body of research identifies factors that predict more positive evaluations of advice messages and beneficial outcomes from supportive interactions that include advice. To date, research has identified a variety of source, content, style, and context factors that influence advice evaluations and outcomes (see MacGeorge et al., 2008). However, none of these aspects have been examined when considering the parent-child relationship within the context of physical activity. The present study sought to extend research on advice-giving, the parent-child relationship, and college students’ physical activity by surveying college students about their experiences receiving physical activity-related advice from a parent. Participants (N=224, ages 18-24 years) completed an online survey about the physical activity-related advice they received from their parents. Results highlight a range of parent advice-giving strategies relative to children’s physical activity and children report responding to advice based on a number of factors related to the parent, the child, the parent-child relationship, and the advice context.

Emily Jordison, Weber State University Social and Behavioral Sciences Over the last thirty years, millions of dollars in federal funding has been poured into school districts across the nation to promote abstinence among young people. Lawmakers continue to fund abstinence-only education in hundreds of schools, although research has shown that abstinence-based platforms have a lower success rate in reducing teen pregnancies. This study will focus on the opinions of parents residing in Ogden. Currently, Ogden’s teen pregnancy rate is the fourth-highest in the state of Utah. With teens becoming sexually active at an earlier age now than in previous decades, it seems imperative to examine what is being taught in public schools regarding sexual health and how parents feel about it. This study aims to examine the parental attitudes regarding the sexual education being taught in schools in Ogden, Utah to see if the general opinion supports lawmakers’ decisions regarding the sex education policy or if there is a disparity between what parents want and what policy makers have put into place. Sexual education laws in Utah generally lean toward the conservative side; therefore, this study will attempt to broaden the understanding we have regarding how parents feel toward sexual education in schools. Currently, the literature suggests that parents are not happy with the sexual education their children are receiving, noting that it is not as comprehensive as they would prefer (McKay, 1998). A similar survey indicated that parents believe that they, along with health officials, should have more of a say in the sexual education that takes place in schools rather than politicians (Ito, 2006). Further research indicates that local policies overwhelmingly encourage an abstinence-only approach regarding sexual education in schools (Dailard, 2001). This study aims to contribute to the knowledge we have regarding parental attitudes toward the sexual education youth are receiving in schools in Ogden, Utah.

David Anderson, Utah Valley University Social and Behavioral Sciences Purpose