Journal of Undergraduate Research

Kelly Erickson and Dr. Alan J. Hawkins, Family In an effort to combat the no-fault divorce era and it=s social repercussions, two states, Louisiana and Arizona, have already passed a Covenant Marriage Law (CM). This law is meant to strengthen the marriage commitment from it=s inception by requiring the following conditions of couples who choose […]

Heather Perkins and Dr. Brian Willoughby, School of Family Life In the last 15 years, a new body of research has emerged looking specifically at the development of individuals between the ages of 18 to 25. Historically, this developmental period has been marked by the emergence of new responsibilities such as marriage and parenthood that […]

Lacey Nielson and Dr. Terry Olson, School of Family Life Moral reasoning is commonly assessed using the Defining Issues Test (DIT) by James Rest which correlates with Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. The DIT presents contrived moral dilemmas with issue statements. In our study, we wanted to see if moral reasoning in real life […]

Brandon McDaniel and Dr. Erin Holmes, School of Family Life Main Text Researchers suggest that marital processes and the father-child relationship are linked (Holmes, Duncan, Bair, & White, 2007). Unfortunately, much of this work focuses on negative marital processes. For example, low marital satisfaction, emotional distance between spouses, and high marital conflict undermine father involvement […]

Benjamin Malczyk and Dr. Jeremy Yorgason, School of Family Life Purpose Although there are many studies examining couple’s financial preparation for retirement, there are relatively few examining how couples expect to use their time in retirement. This does not undermine the importance of how coupes plan to use their time. Research has shown that leisure […]

Mary Kent and Dr. Catherine Burnham, School of Family Life Antimicrobial textiles are on the cutting edge of fiber nanotechnology and are a new concept in the textile industry. Antimicrobial textiles are fabrics covered in a unique silver finish that helps to prevent infection. Research has repeatedly shown their effectiveness to prohibit growth of microorganisms, […]

Alyssa Brown and Dr. Jenet Erickson Main Text The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a United Nations treaty declaring the government’s duty to protect children and to provide for their material and immaterial needs, essentially seeking to protect children’s rights. On a worldwide scale this treaty has been greeted with open arms […]

KayLee Dunn and Dr. Dean Busby, School of Family Life The purpose of this study was to discover whether viewing higher levels of sexual and violent television and video games, negatively influences relationship quality with a significant romantic partner. Additionally we addressed the mediating effects of pornography behaviors and attitudes and individual characteristics to this […]

Sarah June Carroll and Dr. E. Jeffrey Hill, School of Family Life Introduction Most college students take on responsibilities and roles beyond full-time school work. Nearly three quarters of undergraduates work an average of 25.5 hours a week while attending school (NPSAS, as cited by Dundes & Marx, 2006). Between work and school, the working […]

Gregory Nichols and Dr. Laura Walker, School of Family Life Introduction Emerging adulthood is a stage of development encompassing the years between 18 and 25 during which individuals strive for self-reliance despite the instability in their education, employment, and housing status (Arnett, 2007). Identity exploration, though historically associated with adolescence (e.g., Erikson, 1959), is so […]