Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

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Description
The purpose of this study was to provide a foundation for a plan for evaluations of the impact of the Learning Center on elementary school children with respect to academic achievement and school-related behaviors. Exploratory pre- and posttest data were collected and analyzed and recommendations were provided for a broader

The purpose of this study was to provide a foundation for a plan for evaluations of the impact of the Learning Center on elementary school children with respect to academic achievement and school-related behaviors. Exploratory pre- and posttest data were collected and analyzed and recommendations were provided for a broader evaluation plan to be used in the future. The experience from the exploratory evaluation, limitations and the recommendations in this study can be used by Chicanos Por La Causa to strengthen the Learning Center and thereby optimize the benefit to the children served within the San Marina residential community.
ContributorsLodhi, Osman Sultan (Author) / Roosa, Mark (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / Perez, Norma (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
The frontostriatal reward circuit serves an underlying role in reward processing, cognitive planning, and motor control in the context of achieving a goal. Furthermore, research suggests a relationship between the reward circuits and behavior expressed in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); however, the specific structural differences of the reward circuits

The frontostriatal reward circuit serves an underlying role in reward processing, cognitive planning, and motor control in the context of achieving a goal. Furthermore, research suggests a relationship between the reward circuits and behavior expressed in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); however, the specific structural differences of the reward circuits in those with ADHD remain ambiguous. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques were used to analyze diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) data in order to examine the structural connectivity of frontostriatal reward pathways in ADHD adolescents compared to typically developing (TD) adolescents. It was hypothesized that measures of impulsivity would be predicted by white matter tract integrity measures in frontostriatal tracts related to affective processing (ventromedial prefrontal cortex to ventral striatum, vmPFC) in adolescents with ADHD, and that there would be reduced tract integrity in tracts related to executive control (dorsolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortex—dlPFC and ACC, respectively). Frontostriatal tracts as well as the hippocampus and amygdala were examined in relation to age and impulsivity using both correlation and regression models. Results indicated that impulsivity declined with age in the TD group while no significant trend was identified for the ADHD group. The hypotheses were not supported and results for both predictions on the affective and executive circuits showed opposite trends from what was expected.
ContributorsHarrison, Sydney Rae (Author) / McClure, Samuel (Thesis director) / Brewer, Gene (Committee member) / Davis, Mary (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
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Description
There is a widespread inequality in health care access and insured rates suffered by the Latino, Spanish-speaking population in Arizona, resulting in poor health measures and economic burden. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 provided mechanisms to alleviate this disparity, however, many Latino communities lack accessible information

There is a widespread inequality in health care access and insured rates suffered by the Latino, Spanish-speaking population in Arizona, resulting in poor health measures and economic burden. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 provided mechanisms to alleviate this disparity, however, many Latino communities lack accessible information and means to gain access to health insurance enrollment. Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) is a community based organizing that provides many services to low-income communities across Arizona, one of which is the CPLC Insurance Program. In collaboration with the Community Action Research Experiences (CARE) at Arizona State University, the program was studied to help address the need of a LOGIC model and evaluation plan to determine its effectiveness. Interviews with three executives within CPLC were conducted in conjunction with a literature review to determine the inputs, strategies, outputs, and outcomes of the LOGIC model that drive CPLC Insurance's mission. Evaluation measures were then created to provide the necessary quantitative data that can best show to what degree the program is achieving its goals. Specifically, the results indicated the key outcomes that drive the LOGIC model, and an evaluation plan designed to provide indicators of these outcomes was produced. The implications of this study are that the suggested data collection can verify how effectively the program's actions are creating positive change, as well as show where further improvements may be necessary to maximize effectiveness.
ContributorsCunningham, Matthew Lee (Author) / Fey, Richard (Thesis director) / Dumka, Larry (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder categorized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity. The onset of ADHD symptoms begin to appear in childhood, tend to be persistent into adulthood, and are associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes (Caye et al., 2016; Yoshimasu et al., 2018).

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder categorized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity. The onset of ADHD symptoms begin to appear in childhood, tend to be persistent into adulthood, and are associated with adverse physical and mental health outcomes (Caye et al., 2016; Yoshimasu et al., 2018). The current study examined the effects of health-promoting behavior (i.e., diet and physical activity) on ADHD symptoms in middle childhood. The sample consisted of 670 twins (30.1% monozygotic, 36.5% same-sex dizygotic, 32.3% opposite-sex dizygotic) from the ongoing longitudinal study, the Arizona Twin Project. The twin’s (51% female) diet, physical activity, and ADHD symptoms were assessed at age 8 (M = 8.45, SD = 0.69) and ADHD symptoms were assessed again at age 9 (M = 9.70, SD = 0.92). Mixed model regression analyses revealed that aspects of diet (i.e., protein, carbohydrates, and fiber) at age 8 negatively predicted ADHD symptoms at age 9. Similarly, sedentary behavior at age 8 negatively predicted ADHD symptoms at age 9, whereas moderate-to-vigorous activity at age 8 positively predicted ADHD symptoms at age 9. Univariate twin analyses revealed that certain aspects of diet (i.e., sugar, vegetable, and fruit consumption) were influenced by environmental factors whereas other aspects of diet (i.e., protein, carbohydrates, calories, fat, and fiber consumption) were influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Both children’s sedentary behavior and moderate-to-vigorous activity were influenced primarily by genetic factors, with the remaining variance being attributed to non-shared environmental factors. Additive genetic influences explained the majority of the variance in ADHD symptoms. Future research should examine bidirectional effects of activity and diet on ADHD symptoms across childhood.

ContributorsJurek, Emily (Author) / Lemery-Chalfant, Kathryn (Thesis director) / Rea-Sandin, Gianna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2021-12
Description

Activist burnout theory has produced minimal but meaningful literature and research that explores the dynamics of burnout culture, movement in-fighting, marginalized identities, and dimensions of burnout symptoms. Black feminist visionaries and writers such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks have developed theories of love, self-care and community as central to

Activist burnout theory has produced minimal but meaningful literature and research that explores the dynamics of burnout culture, movement in-fighting, marginalized identities, and dimensions of burnout symptoms. Black feminist visionaries and writers such as Audre Lorde and bell hooks have developed theories of love, self-care and community as central to resistance that have informed my research approach. Thus, my study aims to investigate activist burnout from a perspective that marries popular activist burnout theory with these frameworks of self-care and community. I conducted a survey of Arizona State University student organizers and activists (N=34) to address the following research questions: What are the causes and symptoms of burnout for Arizona State University activists and organizers? How have self-care and community played a role in their work and countered burnout? Can working conceptions of self-care and community serve as resistance in ways that feel meaningful to activists? The survey was broken into three dimensions: “Demographics and Experience,” “Burnout,” and “Self-Care and Community.” The results reinforced prior findings on established toxic cultures and burnout symptoms but introduced complications to working theories, such as the connections between cycles of burnout and the cyclical nature of electoral politics along with the roles of chronic and mental illness. Respondents largely demonstrated conceptions of self-care and community as resistance but also demonstrated personal and professional barriers to putting these conceptions into practice.

ContributorsKittridge, Rebecca (Author) / Lee, Charles (Thesis director) / Boyles, David (Committee member) / Krysik, Judy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor)
Created2023-05
DescriptionA proposal for the investigation of help-seeking and help-seeking behaviors in adults with ADHD. Analyzes pre-existing literature in adults and children and adapts model for children that can be generalized to college students. Proposes a statistical moderation effect between predictors and help-seeking behaviors.
ContributorsPlatacz, Jack (Author) / Munguia, Jacob (Co-author) / Loewy, David (Co-author) / Friedman, Lauren (Thesis director) / Kim, Joanna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This pilot study examined aspects of post-secondary education at Arizona State University (ASU) in relation to how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aligned strategies are used to support students, especially those who identify as having Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Students with ADHD have different needs from peers without ADHD, particularly in

This pilot study examined aspects of post-secondary education at Arizona State University (ASU) in relation to how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) aligned strategies are used to support students, especially those who identify as having Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Students with ADHD have different needs from peers without ADHD, particularly in self-regulation and executive function (APA, 2022). UDL strategies are designed to help create educational experiences that are accessible to diverse learners of all backgrounds, and they are implemented through three main principles: multiple means of engagement, expression, and representation (CAST, 2018). UDL guidelines which expand upon the principle of multiple means of engagement were investigated in relation to building a better framework of learning for students with ADHD at a large public university in the Southwestern US. I aimed to better understand (a) student perceptions of ASU faculties' implementation of instructional strategies aligned to UDL’s principle of multiple means of engagement (b) student perception of the benefit of using specific UDL aligned strategies, and (c) the relationship between the engagement UDL strategies used and their perceived benefit to students’ academic success. A survey was used to collect data from a sample within ASU’s population of students. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well as an independent samples t-test to compare variables. Findings from this pilot study can greatly benefit the quality of learning that students receive, could have the potential to inform future studies, as well as provide additional data to faculty members about student perception of the use and benefit of instructional strategies aligned to the UDL principle of multiple means of engagement. With the results of the study, educators can better understand student needs and increase student academic benefit within a college environment.
ContributorsJamieson, Andrea (Author) / Pinkerton, Tanya (Thesis director) / Oakes, Wendy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2024-05
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ContributorsLoera, Cristian Peter (Author) / Autote, Aubreanna (Co-author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Abril, Lauren (Committee member) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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ContributorsLoera, Cristian Peter (Author) / Autote, Aubreanna (Co-author) / Ingram-Waters, Mary (Thesis director) / Abril, Lauren (Committee member) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description
Previous research has shown that there is a significant relation between one’s attentional abilities and one’s motor coordination. However, little research has been done that compares attention’s effects on the two major motor skills and what that could mean for one with significant attention problems. Additionally, there has not been

Previous research has shown that there is a significant relation between one’s attentional abilities and one’s motor coordination. However, little research has been done that compares attention’s effects on the two major motor skills and what that could mean for one with significant attention problems. Additionally, there has not been much research done on this topic among a population of preschool-aged children. The current study sought to explore the relation between attention and motor coordination among a sample of preschoolers. A comparison of gross motor skills and fine motor skills was also assessed in order to address any potential differing effects. A sample of twenty-six preschool children participated in an experiment consisting of completing fine motor tasks, gross motor tasks, and an attention task. Additionally, parent and teacher surveys were collected that asked both parents and teachers to report their child’s behaviors at home. It was hypothesized that attention would have a significant relation with fine motor skills because past research has found that the variable of inattention is highly correlated with weaker fine motor skills. However, the current study found that attention had a more significant relation with gross motor skills. This finding was reflected across the experiments that the children completed and across the parent/teacher surveys.
ContributorsGoldentyer, Gabriela (Author) / Amazeen, Eric (Thesis director) / Kupfer, Anne (Committee member) / Presson, Clark (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05