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  Development of BYU's Teaching Museum: A History of the Museum of Peoples and Cultures

  Carlee Reed and Paul Stavast

  The Museum of Peoples and Cultures (MPC) has been a part of BYU since 1966. The MPC’s mission is to “inspire students to life-long learning and service and [mentors] them in collections-focused activities.”As the MPC has developed, it has influenced many students as they gain experience for later careers, in addition to educating them on different cultures. As of 2008, there was not a thorough recording of the progression and development of the museum. Over the past five years, the archives have been organized and made easily accessible. In addition to the archives, I researched into the history of the museum, and interviewed past directors to uncover the full development of the MPC and the effects it had on BYU and Provo.

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  Aspiring Higher: The Role of Objective Manager-Employee Work Values Fit in Employee Brand Movement Intentions

  Brian P. Reschke, Joseph Olsen, and John B. Bingham

  Multinational corporations attend to the unique challenge of managing employee mobility across various brands. While high tenure and high organizational commitment have been shown to increase retention attitudes, the organizational behavior literature has been notably silent regarding the factors contributing to employees’ aspirations to work in ‘bigger and better’ brands. Brand movement intentions of employees of a large, international professional services corporation were studied. Findings support the introduction of an objective measure of manager-employee work value fit and suggest employee brand movement is propelled in part by need for prestige.

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  Conflicting Influences: A study of emerging adults and their mothers’ marriage attitudes.

  Adam E. Rogers, Justin Hendricks, and Larry Nelson

  Emerging adulthood is a period of change and discovery in which young people are able to explore themselves and their world. In particular, Arnett (2000) has suggested that emerging adulthood is a period of identity exploration. Thus, young people, between the ages of 18-25 are at a critical stage of personal development. Recent research suggests that parents and religion are among the factors that contribute to their development (Willoughby et al., in press; Roestet al. 2009; Ebstyne, 2003).

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  Pornography Addiction: Shedding Light on Internet Help Resources

  Joshua Ruchty and Sam Hardy

  The purpose of this pilot study is to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of the Candeo Program by collecting self-reported improvement data from Candeo subscribers. Candeo is an online, subscription-based recovery program for pornography addiction. Candeo guides subscribers through 10 levels of instruction --including text, video, and interactive exercises –all aimed toward reshaping thought processes in order alter addictive behaviors.

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  The Effects of Music on Memory Retention

  Taylor N. Scott, Meghan Dixon, Katie Wiscombe, and Erin D. Bigler

  Popular belief indicates that music aids in memory retention. However, Gray and Della Sala (2007) found that music does not have a significant effect on memory. A similar study indicated that music only aids memory when it is used as an association (mnemonic device; Moore, Peterson, O’Shea, & Thaut, 2008). Given this background, we hypothesized music would not influence retention on a standard clinical measure of short-term memory retention like the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT; Rey, 1995).

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  Media Increases Narcissistic Tendencies in College Students

  Megan Sheldon, Melanie Johnson, Brady Morris, and Brittany Stevenson

  In the recent decade, society has seen more and more cases of narcissistic entitlement (NE) (Twenge, Konratin, Foster, Campbell, & Bushman, 2008). An increased emphasis on celebrity worship, material wealth, physical appearance, media styles, and attention seeking in recent years may account for this shift in NE (Chen, 1998), (Ashe, Maltby, McCutcheon, 2005). NE occurs when people believe themselves to be entitled to certain privileges and have an obsessive self-love rooted in an insecure self-esteem. Individuals with NE may also be more prone to go into debt than those without it because they feel entitled to certain things even though they may not be able to afford them.

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  Child Agreeableness as a Buffer Against Depression

  Megan Sheldon, Curtis Pollard, Jonathan Kersh, and Natalie Gariby

  There is a clear correlation between the quality of family life and adolescent depression; the more conflict within a home, the more likely adolescents are to become depressed (Sheeber, Hops, Alpert, Davis, & Andrews, 1997). Another factor that is positively correlated with increased levels of adolescent depression is parental depression. Specifically, continuous maternal depressive behavior wears on an adolescent’s psychological well-being and leads to reaction of depression or a behavior disorder (Tully, Iacono & McGue, 2008). Adams, Abela, Aerbach, and Skitch (2009) found that negative personality traits were correlated to a distinct vulnerability to depression for adolescents. Because of this correlation, we hypothesize that positive personality traits would buffer adolescents from depression. An adolescent’s risk of developing depressive symptoms can be predicted by examining the factors of parental conflict and depression. We hypothesize that adolescents whose parents exhibit low amounts of conflict and depressive symptoms will themselves beat a lower risk for depression.

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  The Impact of Religiosity on the Drug Use of High School Athletes: Can Parents Really Make a Difference?

  Lance C. Shuldberg and Sarah Coyne

  There are mixed findings on the impact of parents on adolescent drug use. Parents including adolescents in athletic programs reduce some but not all drug use. Parents’ religiosity is the number one predictor of adolescent religiosity.

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  Rising to the Top (and Hitting Rock Bottom): A Look into the Relationship between Promotion and Depression

  Karen Spence, Cori Murphy, Blake Torgerson, and Jessica Thompson

  A job promotion or an increase in supervisory responsibility is typically seen as something to be congratulated; but could there actually be a dark side to it? Due to few previous studies regarding this topic in relation to women and mothers, the subject was of great interest to us. Our findings revealed that job change and increased supervisory responsibilities had a negative association with depression levels. Marriage, number of children, and dual-earner households were also negatively associated with levels of depression. Women with more children also had significantly lower levels of depression than men or women without children. Further research into the topic may reveal other hidden factors affecting depression levels that may still be lurking underneath the corporate ladder.

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  Pathways to Marriage...Or Not: A Study on the Emotions of Dating in LDS Young Adults

  Stephanie L. Standage, Melissa S. Kuhlenhoelter, and Thomas B. Holman

  The “Pathways To Marriage…Or Not” study was preformed to gain a greater understanding of the dating attitudes and experiences of LDS young adults while dating. It has become apparent through the course of this study that dating has changed from what it has been in the past. We have seen a greater amount of hanging out, and not as much casual dating. We have seen a lot of dissonance between what people say and what they do. We are wondering why this is. Why is it that young adults seem to have a harder time dating these days? We feel that one possible answer could be that young adults are afraid to be hurt emotionally. We have focused on the emotions that these young adults go through as they are dating. In this study we have found that the emotions felt in dating go through a cycle. A cycle we call the Cycle of Dating Emotions. We believe this cycle happens to everyone who is dating, regardless of if they are involved in a relationship or not.

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  Peasants and the Russian Revolution: the Affects of the Russian Peasantry on the Revolutionary Outcomes of the Revolution of 1917

  Katie Stuart, Jessica Godfrey, Zachariah Young, and Elsa Nickerson

  The Russian Revolution was one of the most influential events in the twentieth century. It created a state that was far different than any other in the world at the time. The Bolsheviks that came into power used high-minded rhetoric to garner support for their cause. This project examines the relationships between the communist movers and shakers that fought for the proletarians and the rural peasants of Russia. Our study seeks to understand how peasants that did not fit within the Marxist model were able to influence the revolutionary outcomes of the Russian Revolution. This is a study of the intersection of the harsh social conditions of the poor former serfs and the political changes that resulted from the Bolshevik revolution. Our research will demonstrate that Russian peasants' economic situation forced Lenin to adapt Marxist ideology that in turn led to the particular revolutionary outcomes of the Russian Revolution.

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  Just How Independent is the Fed?

  Brenton Swenson and Sven Wilson

  The Federal Reserve has a duel mandate to fight inflation while keeping unemployment low. The Fed is designed to be largely independent from political influence. Just how independent the Fed actually is remains an open question. According to Political Business Cycle Theory, presidents who want to maximize their chances for re-election will attempt to fight inflation early in their term, while allowing inflation to rise before the election with the goal of boosting the economy.

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  Religiosity and Achievement: The benefit of religious schooling for religious youth

  Brett Taylor, Michael Peterson, and Benjamin Gibbs

  Parental religious involvement and its effects on child math achievement in Catholic and public settings was examined at various age categories in the National Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Cohort (NCLS-K). A mother’s attendance at a religious service was found to have a significant, negative impact on student achievement overall, varying by the degree of maternal religious involvement and the religious affiliation of the child’s school. From the data, we conclude that children with very religiously involved mothers are at greatest disadvantage in non-religious schools, and further conclude that children of very religious mothers would benefit most from religious educational environments.

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  Neither Foster nor Orphanages

  Tami Thayne and Judy Norman

  Clearly, there are circumstances requiring out-of family placement for children. Foster care in the U. S. and orphanages in numerous countries remain available or the only alternative for care of some children at-risk. The mental status of children while in alternative care has received little research attention while much research has focused on the post-care, long-term negative consequences of such care, including developmental delays or impairment (Norman & Park, 2009; Pearce & Pearce, 2001). Research suggests a significant negative psychological impact for children raised in orphanages. While foster care has been viewed as an improvement in the care of vulnerable children, research also indicates long-term psychological problems for children raised in foster care. Neither foster nor orphanage care provide the conditions for adequate social and emotional adjustment of children later in life. Renewed attention must focus on improving the care of vulnerable children.

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  Saving the Surfer Identity: The Paddle-out Ceremony

  Charles R. Thomas and John Hawkins

  The circle has many forms within Surf Culture, including the lei. The Circle in the Paddle-out is known as the Symbol of Eternity.

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  Evaluating the impact of HIT resources on Patient Welfare: Evidence for the ARRA

  Evan S. Thomas and Mark Showalter

  Using differencing, OLS, and probit modeling techniques, demographic and performance information for more than 1,600 U.S. hospitals was used to test whether Electronic Medical Record (EMR) usage had any effect on both outcomes and processes of patient care. The findings showed that EMR use did not have a significant impact on patient mortality rates, 30-day readmission rates, or clinical procedures in treating patients suffering from Acute Myocardial Infarctions (AMI). Additional research into the correlation between EMR usage and average Medicare reimbursement rates found that healthcare facilities using an EMR received lower reimbursements on average than those hospitals using a paper-based recordkeeping system.

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  The Paradox of English in Tonga: Attributed Status vs. Social Aversion

  Pauline Tuitavuki and John Hawkins

  My research took place among young adult Tongans, ages 18-30 on the main island of Nuku'alofa in the last remaining Pacific Kingdom of Tonga where Tongan and English are both recognized as official languages. Previous research in Tonga shows that robust sectors of the economy, involving business, tourism, and education, requires English language proficiency for good employment. Consequently, Tongans highly esteem English proficiency, although my experience revealed English practically non-existent in daily communication. Why? Divulging, interviewing, and surveying the impacts of English, past, present, and future, presented three main reasons for social aversion toward speaking English which for them, often outweigh the positive connections of it. Those reasons: (1) public mockery, even for minuscule mistakes; (2) linked with snobbery as speaking English flaunts connections outside of Tonga, and most importantly; (3) speaking English differentiates you from the community which opposes a core Tongan value of group orientation.

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  Daily Health Experiences of Vietnam Veterans

  Rachel VanWickle and Jeremy Yorgason

  Research about war veterans has shown that they suffer from more physical and mental health problems than the general United States population (Singh et al, 2005). Even more health problems have been reported by veterans living in rural areas, as opposed to urban populations (Weeks et al., 2004; Weeks, Wallace, Wang, Lee, & Kazis, 2006). As the Vietnam veteran population is aging, and soon entering later life, researchers are examining the daily health need of these veterans. The current study will be looking at health in Vietnam era veterans and their civilian counterparts. Variables that will be examined in relation to their health are: individual factors, marital interactions, family and social support, as well as rural and urban settings.

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  Towards Measuring Relational Embeddedness: 2 Factor Analyses of TRENDS Pilot Survey Data

  Tim Walker, Joseph Olsen, and Julie Hite

  Relational Embeddedness. A theoretical construct that attempts to describe reasons why per-sons maintain certain interpersonal relation-ships. The specific theory of interest was formulated by Hite (2001). Simply stated relational embeddedness is a function of the level to which an individual’s relationship involves more or less of three components: Dyadic Interaction: The extent and quality of interpersonal interaction. Personal Relationship: Amounts of the emotional connections in the relationship. Social Capital: The level of mutual and communal reciprocity affecting the relationship.

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  Marital Quality and Risk Factors for CHD

  Rebecca Wallace, Nicole Barber, Bryan J. Jensen, and Paige Vella

  Epidemiological research indicates that marriage may significantly protect individuals from various causes of morbidity and mortality including cardiovascular disease6,7. There is also growing evidence that marital quality may be equally if not more important than marital status. While married individuals have greater health benefits relative to unmarried individuals, unhappily married individuals may be worse off than unmarried8-10. For instance, marital distress has been associated with a 2 to 3 fold increase in the risk of heart disease11and for recurrent coronary events12.

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  TRPV1 Modulation of Plasticity in the Hippocampus

  Curtis Walther, M. Mors, J. Blickenstaff, and B. Nelson

  Learning and memory are phenomena made possible via physical changes at neuronal synapses in the brain, a process known as synaptic plasticity. Dysfunctions in synaptic plasticity contribute to such diseases and disorders as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and retrograde amnesia (Brunetal., 2001). Recently, TRPV1 activation was shown to mediate synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus (Gibsonetal., 2008). TRPV1 is a presynaptic ligand-gated calcium (Ca2+) channel located throughout the CNS, including in the hippocampus. TRPV1 channels are activated by the binding of capsaicin, which is responsible for producing the “heat” of red peppers. Several studies implicate a role for TRPV1 in contextual fear learning (Marschetal., 2007), recall of spatial memory (Lietal., 2008), and anxiety-related disorders (Santosetal., 2007), including depression (Kasckowetal. 2004). Using field electrophysiolgical recordings in CA1 stratum radiatum we measured high frequency stimulation or the taburst-induced LTP in the presence and absence of TRPV1 agonists, TRPV1 antagonist and picrotoxin. Our data suggest that TRPV1 receptors mediating increased LTP are not expressed at theCA3-A1synapse, but possibly at the CA3 interneuron synapse. Further, we propose a novel mechanism by which TRPV1 activation enhances hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell LTP via modulation of an inhibitory interneuron circut.

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  Public Transportation Decision Making

  Benjamin Y. Warner and Sven Wilson

  People make decisions regarding whether they will use public transportation based on many factors. I create a logistic binary response model where one’s decision about whether to use public transportation is a function of the size of a city that the person lives in, number of vehicles the person’s household has available, household income, working status, and day of the week. Workers may find public transportation more convenient if the transportation is close to their home. This is more likely to occur in an area with high population density.

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  Marketing To The Middle Class: Tourism In The 20th Century

  Abby Wheatley, Emily Melear, Candace Workman, and Brynn Riley

  Advertisements and promotional material from the 1950s to the present give unique historical insight into American middle class travel patterns. We researched how advertising of Route 66, State Slogans, Colorado Ski towns, and the Walt Disney Company focused on marketing experiences to families as opposed to marketing the site location itself. We aim to discover how advertising portrays a certain image and whether that portrayal is accurate with the experience in reality.

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  An ethnology of tillage: the role and bearing of land a societal force in Midwest agricultural communities.

  Olivia Wilkinson and Sheila Bibb

  Literary novelists have long revered the steady and resilient people of the plains. Sociologists and economic researchers have analyzed the drastic changes of the farming business in the recent decades of upheaval. Biochemists take sample after sample of dark brown earth to advance the science of crop growing.

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  Are All Sports Created Equal?

  Tiffany Wright and Benjamin Gibbs

  Extra-curricular activities have become the norm rather than the exception at public high schools around the country. Sports are particularly high on the list of the most available activities. While studies have shown that different types of extra-curricular activities generally have a favorable impact on student achievement, this study looks directly at individual sports to find that not all sports are created equally. Looking at Peabody Health Scores from waves one and three of the Adolescent Health Survey, I selected two sports, soccer and basketball, with similar structures and similar representation across class and gender to compare their effects on educational achievement. As such, this study shows that different sports resulting in either a negative or positive effects on achievement, showing that mere involvement in sports does not necessarily equal a positive return. Rather, involvement in one specific sport can see an improvement in scores, while involvement in another shows a negative impact on educational achievement. In addition, I show factor that might impact those who are involved in these sports to explore the possibility of a selection effect. Few of these factors show a significant impact and alone still do not entirely account the opposite effects of soccer and basketball. Further study into the networking of these sports is needed to see if there is an impact from the interactions of those who play these sports that will explain the effect on educational achievement.