How Does the Legality of Polygamy Affect Domestic Violence?: A Case Study of Nigeria

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Jenah House and Dr. Darren Hawkins, Political Science Department Do the presence and legalization of polygamous relationships affect domestic violence in developing countries? While there is some evidence that polygamous relationships influence domestic violence rates, present research on the subject is sparse. Even less discussed in the field is how the legalization of polygamy affects […]

To Vote or Not to Vote: The Effect of Using All-mail Election on Probability of Voting

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Rehtaeh Beers and Dr. Jay Goodliffe, Political Science Department All-mail elections are rare within the United States of America. Currently, only Oregon, Washington, and Colorado use mail-in ballots. Alaska will join that list during the 2018 midterm election as they adopt an all-mail ballot mode of voting1. All-mail election ballots require no more effort than […]

The Role of Interleukin-1 Beta in Methamphetamine Mediated Increases in Dopamine Release within the Mesolimbic Pathway

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Anneke Klomp, Ben Lee, and Dr. Scott Steffensen, Neuroscience Department Introduction In this study we wanted to determine the effect that Interleukin-1 Beta (IL-1𝛃) would have in changing the effects that methamphetamines have on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (reward center of the brain). It has been well established previously that methamphetamines increases dopamine […]

Better Together: Proposing participatory evaluation to NGO’s

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James Hodgson and Dr. Daniel Nielson, Political Science Department Rigorous evaluation has become the gold standard in international development. However, evaluations are limited to NGO’s that are willing to potentially be proven wrong and advised to adjust their strategy. Do characteristics of a proposed evaluation make it more or less appealing to an organization? This […]

The Involvement of the IP3 Receptor in the Rewarding/Addictive Properties of Methamphetamine

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Mark Woodbury and Dr. Scott Steffensen, Neuroscience Department Introduction Methamphetamine (METH) is a very powerful psychoactive drug that is highly addictive and toxic to the brain. Its use and abuse has been rising in recent years, and certain reports indicate that amphetamine-like drugs are the second most abused drugs worldwide. The side effects of METH […]

Modern Morality: Understanding Secular Purity in Moral Foundations Theory

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Sarah Curry and Dr. Christopher Karpowitz, Political Science Department Political psychologists Jonathan Haidt, Jesse Graham, and Brian Nosek argue in their influential study that morality is not a “one-dimensional spectrum” with individuals being moral or amoral.1 Rather, moral foundations theory allows people to be explained across five dimensions: harm/care, fairness/reciprocity, ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, and purity/sanctity. Individuals […]

Does Ideology Trump Party Loyalty? Utah, McMullin, and the 2016 Election

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Soren Schmidt and Dr. Michael Barber, Political Science Department Introduction Do voters prioritize party loyalty or personal ideology when casting a ballot? In the contemporary political climate, it is nearly impossible to tell because the two go hand in hand: almost all Democratic candidates are liberal, and almost all Republican candidates are conservative. Consequently, it […]

It’s No Accident: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Vehicle Safety Inspections

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Alex Hoagland, Trevor Woolley, and Dr. Lars Lefgren, Economics Department Introduction As technology improves, vehicle manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to make and distribute vehicles that are far safer and more reliable than in previous years. In fact, traffic fatalities are on a steep decline in the U.S., with a total of only 32,850 […]

The Bishop of Boston: What the Archives Have to Say About a Hero of Religious Tolerance

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Marie Johnson and Dr. George Ryskamp, History Department French and American historians have been writing about Bishop Jean Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus for almost a century. However, when I discovered this man, I noticed that an element of his life remained in the shadows—how he united the Catholic and Protestant communities. He was a Catholic […]

HPV Vaccinations in College Students: Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Intention with Religious Attitudes and Behavior

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Christian Kindt and Dr. Wendy Birmingham, Psychology Department Introduction Most religions promote abstinence of sexual intimacy prior to marriage. This ideology may discount the use of vaccinations that religious individuals consider only applicable to those who are sexually active. These individuals may not take the time to investigate the benefits of such vaccinations and indeed […]