This thesis is a record of a journey into the pioneer past both literally and metaphorically. The physical journey retracing the Oregon and Mormon trails was made in September of 1993, the year I was a National Endowment for the Humanities/Reader's Digest Teacher-Scholar; however, my intellectual and emotional journey into the lives of pioneer women covers several years of study. I compare my life experiences with those of pioneer women whom I studied, using geographical settings on the trail trip as memory triggers. My husband, as my traveling companion, plays an important role in this journey of discovery. Major themes are the contrast between public images and private attitudes, restoration and reality, independence and dependence, stereotype and individualism. In addition, I explore needs to balance family demands with personal aspirations, to deal with illness and death, to assess the value of material possessions, and to appreciate connections with other women. The trail trip serves as a catalyst for the exploration of a personal journey defining my own womanhood and that of other women as well.

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This study examined the relationship of three types of martial commitment and religiosity factors in a random sample of I ,316 Utah adults. Participants were surveyed to assess attitudes of marriage, divorce, and marriage education. A lack of commitment was cited by 83% of divorced adults as a major factor for their divorce. The level of commitment to spouse, commitment to marriage, and constraint commitment was determined by extrapolating items from the 2003 Utah Marriage Movement Statewide Baseline Survey. Religiosity included measures of the frequency of church attendance, church affiliation, and religious values. Regression analyses that included socio-demographics showed the strongest and most consistent predictor of commitment to spouse and commitment to marriage was religious values. This study confirms the distinct difference but strong interplay between the three types of marital commitment. There was a negative relationship between both commitment to spouse and commitment to marriage and constraint commitment. Premarital cohabitation was positively related to constraint commitment but negatively related to commitment to spouse and commitment to marriage. Frequency of church attendance, conservative church affiliation (particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints religion), and religious values were all significant factors related statistically to marital commitment. Study findings suggest that educators and marriage therapists engaged in helping couples can productively focus on marital commitment, the influence of religious activity, and belief systems in strengthening marriage relationships.

A comparison of perception of locus of control and identification of goals between delinquent and non-delinquent juvenile females was conducted. The delinquent sample consisted of 20 female students at the Idaho State Youth Training Center. The non-delinquent sample consisted of 20 female students from two Idaho Public Secondary schools. The non-delinquent subjects were paired with the delinquent subjects as closely as possible according to age, religion, education, size and composition of family, and size of home town. The instruments used were: (l) a background questionnaire, (2) a goal identification questionnaire, and (3) Rotter's I-E scale. The difference between the mean I-E score of the delinquent subjects and the non-delinquent subjects was not significant. The non delinquent subjects identified significantly more goals, both long-term and short-term, than the delinquent subjects, Both samples identified goals in all five categories, but the non-delinquent subjects identified significantly more goals in the paid employment, individually oriented, and interpersonally oriented categories. The inverse correlation between the number of goals identified and the subjects' I-E score was not significant.

The purpose of this study was to examine how welfare status, gender, and the interaction between welfare status and gender relate to the utilization of counseling services related to marriage (i.e., "marital help-seeking"). This study was a secondary analysis of the Utah Marriage Survey data set from 2003. Two samples were utilized in this study, and generated a total sample of I ,316 participants. The first sample was made up of I, 173 randomly selected Utah households, identified through a random-digit dialing sampling technique. The second sample was obtained from a random selection of current Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. This sample of 143 TANF recipients provided an over-sample of low-income households, thus permitting comparisons with the first sample. Participants were identified through the sampling techniques described and contacted by telephone to complete the survey. The data pertaining to participants' welfare status, gender, and attitudes and behavior related to marital help-seeking were analyzed using chi-square analyses and I tests. The results indicated that welfare status is not significantly associated with marital help-seeking attitudes and behavior. In addition, no significant relationship was found between gender and marital help-seeking behavior. However, results indicated that males have less favorable attitudes than women toward marital help-seeking. Finally, welfare status and gender were not found to have a combined relationship effect on marital help-seeking attitudes and behavior.

This study examined the responses to a sexuality education questionnaire completed by 30 single mothers and 43 married mothers with preschool-aged children. Chi-square analyses were used to examine differences between married mothers and single mothers; mothers of males and mothers of females; and married mothers of males, married mothers of females, single mothers of males and single mothers of females. Age at which their preschool children first exhibited behaviors, frequency of that behavior, and comfort level of mothers' responses to those behaviors were addressed for each topic: male-female differences, reproduction and birth, privacy or modesty, taboo or obscene words, genital play, and sexual exploration play. Very few statistically significant differences were apparent in the comparisons that were made. Married mothers were more comfortable than single mother in responding to their child's questions about male-female differences and their child's use of taboo or obscene words. In addition, some interesting trends emerged. For instance, mothers tended to ex press more comfort when responding to hypothetical situations than when responding to actual situations. Questions about male-female differences, reproduction and birth, and privacy or modesty were responded to more frequently than questions about taboo or obscene words, genital play, or sexual exploration play. Moreover, maternal observation of behaviors that appeared to be more sensitive (and less comfortable, such as taboo or obscene words, genital play, and sexual exploration play) was lower than observation of less sensitive behaviors (male-female differences, privacy or modesty, and reproduction and birth). The implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed.

This is a systematic representative sample study of newlyweds designed to investigate aspects of participation in marriage preparation activities as well as determine what effect participation in activities had on marital satisfaction. A retrospective survey instrument was utilized which included the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. Statistical analysis revealed that the majority of individuals in Utah prepare for marriage by visiting with parents or relatives, visiting with other married couples, and talking with religious leaders, and considered these activities to be helpful in their preparation. The small er percentage of individuals who participated in more formal preparation activities also considered these activities to be very helpful. Wives and husbands who attended a class and talked with religious leaders showed significant increases in marital satisfaction within a year after marriage. In addition, marital sati sfaction was increased for wives who read a book on marriage and for husbands who visited with their parents, relatives, or other married couples. Findings show that bringing children into marriage, parents' marital status, and age are factors associated with marital satisfaction.

This thesis answers the following questions: (a) Is the Play Assessment Scale a true measure of development? (b) Does the mother have a significant, positive influence on the child's level of development? (c) Does the mother's interactional style influence the child's development as measured by the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory? The subjects were 13 visually impaired preschoolers. Development was measured with the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Maternal interactional style was assessed with the Parent / Caregiver Involvement Scale. The study indicated that the Play Assessment Scale is a valid, reliable measure of development in the preschool child. Mother was able to significantly raise the child's developmental level through play. And, maternal interaction style appeared to be sensitive to the child's level of development . To highlight the developmental importance of interaction in the context of play, an interactive paradigm was used to answer the three questions posed by the study.

The acquisition of normal sex-role behavior is one of the fundamental tasks which goes into developing a healthy personality. More needs to be understood about the processes involved in adopting proper sex-role behavior patterns. How does a little girl adopt the feminine role and learn to be a woman? How does a little boy adopt the masculine role and learn to be a man? From the studies in clinical psychology and psychiatry, it is evident that personality maladjustments and certain forms of emotional disorders appear to be related to difficulties in sex-role adjustment. This suggests a close correlation between childhood learning and development in sex-role behavior and adult personality disturbances.