Research on parenting is increasingly being studied from a biological perspective. An understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to individual differences in maternal behaviors can help direct research toward more focused intervention resulting in closer mother-infant attachment relationships, and therefore, positive child outcomes. This research was a preliminary study that tested mothers' ability to taste a harmless chemical, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), in relation to their responses to a questionnaire about the emotional investment they experience towards their infant. Although research attempting to relate these two variables together has not been carried out before, individual studies show potential links between these two. The model underlying this research is that the hormones involved in parent investment, such as oxytocin and estrogen, are mediated on a cellular level by second messenger systems which vary in individuals, and that the ability to taste PROP, a chemical that some people can taste and others can not, has genetic connections to this second messenger system. Although the lack of previous research limited strong predictions, it was expected that tasters of PROP would possess a hormonal milieu that would relate to more invested parenting, compared to non-tasters. This study tested 220 low-income mothers of one-year-old infants enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Early Head Start (EHS) program for their ability to taste PROP, and correlated their taste sensitivity with parent investment as measured by a questionnaire. Additional questionnaires assessed adult attachment, breastfeeding, and close physical contact as possible mediators and moderators in the association between parent investment and PROP taste sensitivity. Findings were statistically significant, although in the opposite direction than hypothesized. Non-tasters of PROP, rather than tasters, had higher overall parent investment responses than tasters. Non-tasters also rated higher than tasters in secure adult attachment attitudes. Close physical contact related to increased parent investment. There was no relationship between taste sensitivity and duration of breast feeding or between taste sensitivity and close physical contact.

Comparisons were made to determine which appliances owned by homemakers were used often and which appliances were used seldom or never and to relate areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction to the amount of appliance use. The sample consisted of 123 homemakers from Cache and Weber counties in Utah. Five hypotheses were tested. The amount of appliance use was significantly related to method of acquisition, performance, design and knowledge factors. The amount of appliance use was not significantly related to storage factors.

Adolescent parenting research has typically focused on the mother and ignored the father . Researchers have suggested that adolescent fathers are disregarded as the child's other parent because their parenting role is devalued. An emerging body of literature indicates that adolescent fathers are excluded from the pregnancy and parenting services provided to adolescent mothers because they are viewed as unnecessary to the parenting process and unimportant to the child's development. Moreover, researchers have alleged that service providers treat adolescent fathers as outcasts based on stereotypical beliefs that they are uncaring, irresponsible victimizers who disappear at the first mention of pregnancy. However, there is no empirical evidence to support these claims. The purpose of this thesis is to question these allegations and provide some evidence to either support or refute them. A survey of northern Utah agencies and the personnel who provide pregnancy and parenting services to adolescent mothers was conducted as the means to investigate this issue. The results of the survey do not provide conclusive evidence although they do suggest that the participating agencies and their personnel do not have policies or attitudes that intentionally exclude adolescent fathers from receiving services. Those surveyed consider fathers to be important to the pregnancy experience and the child's development. However , they do not make a deliberate effort to encourage adolescent fathers to take advantage of their services, nor do they employ effective strategies for making adolescent males aware of their services.

The purpose of this study was to examine the types, frequency, and meaningfulness of connection rituals and the relation ship between these items and marital satisfaction. Past research has shown that rituals correlate with marital satisfaction. Three research questions guided the study: ( I) What connection rituals do couples participate in and with what frequency? (2) How meaningful are the connection rituals to the husband or wife? and (3) Are some connection rituals more strongly associated to marital satisfaction? The research questions were tested with data from eighty couples who completed a survey designed specifically for this study. The top three reported rituals in each category among men and women were obtained. Results found that men and women participate in many different types of rituals, with daily greeting being used most often and love rituals having the most meaning on ave rage for participants. A modest relationship was reported among husbands' report of meaningfulness in regular talk time, religious/spiritual activities and other categories and marital sat isfaction. A modest relationship was also reported among wives' report of meaningfulness in regular talk time and love rituals and marital satisfaction. Implications and suggestio ns for future research are also presented.

Implementation science is a relatively new field focused on ensuring that programs are planned well and then delivered as planned. This thesis describes the implementation process for a nursery-level charity school in Kigali, Rwanda, focusing on the facilitators and difficulties encountered in establishing this school. The research process consisted of interviewing 13 individuals that are a part of the school in question. The researcher transcribed the interviews using an implementation science framework and found trends in their statements that shed light on the establishment of the school. With the help of three coders, the researcher assessed their comments for evidence of helps and hindrances through the implementation process. This thesis presents the results and the implications for implementation science. It will provide valuable information for those wishing to start and maintain grassroots, charitable programs for children in the developing world.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine children's perceptions toward teachers, as related to the child's social class background, and to investigate the influence of social class upon their perceptions. A projective pictorial test, which consisted of nine pictures concerning teachers and children, was administered individually to forth fourth grade school children in two Ogden, Utah, public schools. The findings of this study were that there are differences between middle and lower-class children in their perceptions toward teachers. Children of middle-class backgrounds showed more positive perceptions toward teachers, and lower-class children were found to have a more negative perception of teachers.

Many factors affect the growth, nutrition, health and general well being of school children. It is necessary to secure data in order to study these factors and to determine, if possible, their relative merit. The purpose of this study was: first, to collect, tabulate and analyse data which would add information to the knowledge of seasonal height weight variations in growth of school children; second, to study the seasonal diet as a possible factor in influencing seasonal growth; third, to study the food and health historics and dietary habits of these children; fourth, to determine their present physical condition as shown by dental and medical examinations.

In this Master’s thesis, I describe a study to understand the role that sexual communication plays within committed couple relationships. I collected data from 142 couples who completed an online survey consisting of a battery of quantitative assessments measuring relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, communication processes, and sexual communication. Using dyadic data analysis within path analysis, I observed the significant paths of influence that different types of sexual communication has within couple relationships. Findings revealed that couples who discussed sex more were more likely to be relationally and sexually satisfied. I also observed the differences in sexual communication and general communication due to the differences in their associations with sexual and relationship satisfaction, respectively. With these analyses I expand the current literature to broaden and deepen our understanding of the role that sexual communication plays in committed relationships.

This research examined husband and wife attitudes toward menstruation and how these attitudes related to certain behaviors within marriage. The sample consisted of 48 Married couples, some living in Davis, California and some living in Salt Lake City, Utah . Specifically, four objectives were persued: Assess husbands' and wives' perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles. Assess husbands' and wives' attitudes toward menstruation. Examine how husband's and wives' attitudes toward menstruation might be associated with perceptions of how behaviors within marriage vary over the wives' menstrual cycles. Examine how wives' perceptions of differences in behavior over the menstrual cycle are associated with their reporting of perceived menstrual symptomology. It was discovered that husbands and wives had varying attitudes toward menstruation and these attitudes were related to their reporting of the occurrence of certain male and female behaviors within marriage. Husbands and wives who had more stereotypic attitudes toward menstruation reported greater behavior change in themselves and their spouses due to menstruation within marriage than those who had less stereotypic attitudes . In addition. the wives' reporting of menstrual symptomotology was related to their reporting of behavior change in marriage due to their menstrual period. Women who reported the greatest menstrual symptomotology also reported the greatest amount of behavior change within marriage due to menstruation.

This study was devised to determine the readiness of preschool children to learn about basic concepts of nutrition. Sixty preschool children enrolled in the Utah State University Child Development Laboratory, comprised the sample. Twenty children were taught at home by parents, 20 were taught at the Laboratory, and 20 received no instruction. The curriculum 1 was based on the concept of nutrient density and used the Index of Nutritional Quality (INQ) in developing instructional mate rials. INQ is an index for comparing the amount of nutrients to the amount of calories in a food. Food Profile Cards, visual representations of this information for non-reading preschoolers, were the main teaching tools. Findings indicate that preschoolers are capable of learning about nutrition using the INQ concept. Mean comparisons of pre and posttest scores on a 12-item nutrition test were significant in the classroom and home-taught groups. Children in either treatment condition improved at significant levels in ability to recognize foods, identify nutrients in foods, and identify nutrient functions in the body.