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.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 78
Description
Since the inception of what is now known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1970s, criminal profiling has become an increasingly prevalent entity in both forensic science and the popular imagination. The fundamental idea of which profiling is premised – behavior as a reflection of personality – has been the subject of a great deal of misunderstanding, with professionals and nonprofessionals alike questioning whether profiling represents an art or a science and what its function in forensic science should be. To provide a more thorough understanding of criminal profiling’s capabilities and its efficacy as a law enforcement tool, this thesis will examine the application of criminal profiling to investigations, various court rulings concerning profiling’s admissibility, and the role that popular media plays in the perception and function of the practice. It will also discuss how future research and regulatory advancements may strengthen criminal profiling’s scientific merit and legitimacy.
ContributorsGeraghty, Bridget Elizabeth (Author) / Kobojek, Kimberly (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
This research endeavor explores the 1964 reasoning of Irish physicist John Bell and how it pertains to the provoking Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox. It is necessary to establish the machinations of formalisms ranging from conservation laws to quantum mechanical principles. The notion that locality is unable to be reconciled with the quantum paradigm is upheld through analysis and the subsequent Aspect experiments in the years 1980-1982. No matter the complexity, any local hidden variable theory is incompatible with the formulation of standard quantum mechanics. A number of strikingly ambiguous and abstract concepts are addressed in this pursuit to deduce quantum's validity, including separability and reality. `Elements of reality' characteristic of unique spaces are defined using basis terminology and logic from EPR. The discussion draws directly from Bell's succinct 1964 Physics 1 paper as well as numerous other useful sources. The fundamental principle and insight gleaned is that quantum physics is indeed nonlocal; the door into its metaphysical and philosophical implications has long since been opened. Yet the nexus of information pertaining to Bell's inequality and EPR logic does nothing but assert the impeccable success of quantum physics' ability to describe nature.
ContributorsRapp, Sean R (Author) / Foy, Joseph (Thesis director) / Martin, Thomas (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
GEICO Insurance offers a wide range of insurance options to consumers nationwide. The company has experienced exponential growth over the past 15 years largely due to their low rates, ease of purchase, online business model, and their industry-revolutionizing approach to advertising these competitive advantages. Operating primarily within the enormous Property and Casualty sector of the insurance industry, GEICO faces extremely high levels of competition from many well-resourced companies. The most dangerous of which have begun to respond to GEICO's humorous, charming, and often detached advertising strategy through the employment of one of two general strategies; either imitating and attempting to improve upon GEICO's brand image and advertising practices, or else attacking it, insinuating that a company with this appeal does not truly care about its customers or its services. As GEICO has already solidified their low price point and ease of purchase in the minds of consumers, a tactical shift in response to competitive actions is now optimal. To avoid being labeled as a "cut-rate" insurance provider who cares little about the safety or well-being of their clients, and provides them with low quality insurance products and services; the following integrated marketing campaign is proposed. Spearheaded by the slogan "As long as you have GEICO, Things are looking up.", this campaign will focus on raising awareness of the plethora of customer service programs and initiatives already offered by GEICO that are unknown to the general public. The humorous, lighthearted appeal will remain, but the focus on highlighting customer service benefits and the high quality associated with GEICO's product will serve to shift the public perception of GEICO. As a result of this campaign, GEICO will appeal to a broader segment of the market, retain customers for longer period of time, raise awareness of their helpful customer service products and services, and differentiate themselves from the competition.
ContributorsGood, David Gregory (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Currently, the medical industry employs an acute treatment process centered on responsiveness and restoration. This method fails those with chronic illness who require disease management and proactivity. As a solution, the medical industry has implemented programs focused on providing integrated, coordinated care. This project examines two primary models to accommodate chronically ill patients: Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs). Specifically, this paper examines the data from Pioneer and Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs. In the aggregate, the data indicate that these programs have been unsuccessful due to several key issues: a lack of patient and physician engagement, failure to incentivize medical professionals and failed collaboration between both ACOs and PCMHs. Remedying these issues would improve the ability of both ACOs and PCMHs to provide integrated, comprehensive care to patients with chronic illnesses.
ContributorsWoods, Cassie Marie (Author) / Ketcham, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Multiracial individuals are the fastest growing demographic group in the United States. In order to explore and gain insight into how mixed-race individuals understand and negotiate their identity, this project includes a documentary of compiled interviews with multiracial individuals. These interviews seek to address both positive and problematic notions associated with identifying as mixed race/multi-ethnic, including issues that these individuals encounter if, and when, the dominant culture rejects their blended racial heritage. The video format allows individuals to convey the complicated nature of belonging to different groups of people that are hierarchically divided in the United States.
ContributorsCavazos, Amanda Catherine (Author) / Elenes, C. Alejandra (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
Research on teamwork has shown that teams are more productive and produce better results than individuals working on their own. Yet, research on individuals' work preferences makes it clear that not everyone prefers working in teams. In order to improve teamwork and achieve better results in both the collegiate arena and in the professional world, this study was designed to research different factors that affect a group's performance and creativity: satisfaction, familiarity, and the behavioral styles of individual team members. Additionally, this study addresses if the group's composition of Keirsey types \u2014 temperament patterns \u2014 also play a role in the group's creativity and performance. In this study, students created teams of four to seven students and completed specific in-class activities called Applied Insights. Groups composed mostly of Guardians, one of the four Keirsey temperaments, are able to adapt to the task at hand, which is demonstrated here with creativity. Further, groups who perceive themselves as sharing similar traits with many members are more satisfied and achieve a higher overall performance. Lastly, groups comprised of individuals who were least familiar with their teammates they had not previously worked with, produced more creative results in the short run. Whereas groups comprised of individuals who were least familiar with their teammates they had previously worked with, produced better overall results in short run.
ContributorsPinto, Linda (Co-author) / Hulse, Christopher (Co-author) / Vaughn, Michael (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
This project researches the potential effects of retail design and layout and how it affects consumer-purchasing behavior. The research can be broken down into three large segments as well as a case study. The first focuses on the consumers and the target market. The second examines store layout in terms of walkways, wall placements, and major pathways throughout the space. Third, the overall aesthetics and design are studied, focusing on color, texture, shapes, and lighting. Lastly, a case study on a popular women's retail store, Antrhoplogie, is examined based on the above research. This project gives interesting insight into the minds of the consumer in retail environments as well as the effect of design and overall experience the consumers have in many types of retail stores.
ContributorsAndes, Katie Marissa (Author) / Brandt, Beverly (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Zingoni, Milagros (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This thesis was conducted in order to determine the role played by food miles metrics in making the agricultural industry more sustainable. In an effort to analyze the importance of eat locally this study utilizes a partial life cycle assessment. This study looks at oranges grown in Arizona and California and inputs such as water, energy, fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, frost mitigation, and distance in order to conduct the partial life cycle assessment. Results of this study indicate that food miles are not as significant, in relation to overall energy input, as the locavore movement claims. This is because production processes account for a larger portion of the total energy used in the food chain than what these claims suggest. While eating locally is still a significant way of reducing energy use, this thesis shows that decisions about eating sustainably should not only focus on the distance that the products travel, but place equal, if not more, importance on energy use differences due to geographic location and in-farm operations. Future research should be completed with more comprehensive impact categories and conducted for different crops, farming, and locations. Further research is needed in order to confirm or challenge the results of this thesis. With more research conducted regarding this topic, ecological labeling of agricultural products could be improved to help consumers make the most informed choices possible.
ContributorsMaggass, Melissa Gail (Author) / Manuel-Navarrete, David (Thesis director) / Martin, Thomas (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The aim of this thesis project was to conduct a brand analysis for a local juice company, Kaleidoscope Juice. Through this brand analysis, Kaleidoscope's current branding and marketing strategies were assessed as well as their narrow positioning strategy within the juicing industry. As such, the primary focus of the research and field work was Kaleidoscope's positioning, and how expanding their current target customer group would be advantageous for the brand both financially and operationally. Both primary and secondary sources were utilized to help identify key factors and pricing in the juicing industry as well as the competitive marketplace. Additionally, an online survey was created and approved by the IRB that was used to help understand consumer's perceptions of the industry, as well as the brand and brand elements. The questionnaire was distributed online, and a group of 91 participants were sampled for the purpose of the study. The results were extremely useful in understanding price sensitivity, as well as preferred distribution methods for consumers. Additionally, the data supported much of the research and field work conducted in the analysis and helped to solidify branding recommendations for Kaleidoscope. It was concluded that although Kaleidoscope does have a strong target customer base, expanding and educating a new target consumer would be extremely beneficial for the brand going into the future.
ContributorsTremel, Sarah Anne (Author) / Montoya, Detra (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
As the student union on Arizona State University’s main Tempe campus, the MU should be a model of building sustainability. After a fire engulfed the MU’s second floor in 2007, the building underwent major renovations and achieved LEED v2.0: Commercial Interiors (LEED CI) Gold certification. Since then, more up-to-date building certification programs have been established, including the Green Globes (GG) green building rating system and a more recent version of LEED that suits the MU’s situation—Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED EB:OM). This paper performs a cost-benefit analysis of these rating systems, specifically looking at 1) national recognition, 2) ease of use, 3) amount of resources needed to invest, 4) length of time of the certification process, 5) certification fees and costs, 6) pre-requisites and system structure of point allotment, and 7) flexibility of the systems. A review of the previous LEED CI certification of the MU addresses 1) solar panel installation and renewable energy achievements, 2) improvement of indoor air quality, 3) application of sustainable construction practices, 4) missed opportunities since renovations were not performed on the entire building, 5) water efficiency scoring, and 6) lack of significant Energy & Atmosphere improvements. A proposal for the university to consider LEED EB:OM certification for the Memorial Union will be presented, analyzing the points already secured by campus-wide programs and policies, credits that are possible with minimal funding, and elaborating on opportunities already planned for completion, including 1) the Power Parasol project, 2) “Zero Waste by 2015” and “Carbon Neutrality” programs and goals, and 3) plans for alternative transportation methods through the Tempe Campus Access Management Plan. In conclusion, my recommendation to pursue LEED EB:OM and achieve Silver level will be presented. With the majority of LEED points already secured and several on the horizon, certifying the MU under LEED EB:OM will set an example and increase the amount of existing buildings on campus to pursue LEED certification. University-wide policies on green cleaning, sustainable purchasing, alternative energy sources, carbon neutrality, and LEED for Multiple Buildings all contribute to simplifying the LEED certification process for ASU buildings campus-wide.
ContributorsHeppner, Mary Catherine (Author) / Brown, Nicholas (Thesis director) / Martin, Thomas (Committee member) / Bogart, Brooke (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor)
Created2013-05