Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
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.
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a four-week martial arts program implemented once a week on children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between the ages of four and seven. This was a single group, pre- and post-intervention assessment pilot study. The total sample of…
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of a four-week martial arts program implemented once a week on children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between the ages of four and seven. This was a single group, pre- and post-intervention assessment pilot study. The total sample of the study was four children (n=4) and the martial arts classes were based on the Duke Kenpo Little Tiger Program by Jonathan Duke of Mesa, Arizona. Change was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, 2nd edition (BRIEF-2) parental form and participants were encouraged to record at-home practice. Data were collected pre-intervention and four weeks afterwards. Limitations included small sample size, measurement limitation (e.g., ceiling effect), data based on parental report, a short intervention period, potential instructor bias, and uneven gender distribution. Given the small sample size (n=4), this study did not complete statistical analysis and alternatively described the changing patterns of the participant's ADHD symptoms from BRIEF-2 measures pre and post intervention. The results of this study could not generate the power to detect significance to state significant implications. However, the trends suggested that some participants declined in executive function in certain areas (e.g., task-monitoring and planning) and improved in other areas (e.g., working memory and organization of materials). All participants demonstrated improvement within the cognitive (CRI) scale of the BRIEF-2 and future studies may explore the potential for martial arts interventions in children under seven as a means to improve the cognitive aspect of executive function development. In addition, future studies may consider exploring the role of frequency versus time for at-home martial arts practice for children with ADHD under the age of seven.
