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.
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- Creators: Daliri, Ayoub
- Creators: Educational Leadership & Innovation, Division
Description
Objective: A recent electroencephalogram (EEG) study of adults with dyslexia showed that individuals with dyslexia have diminished auditory sensory gating compared to typical controls. Previous studies done involving intoxication and its effect on sensory gating and creativity have shown that there is a positive correlation between creativity (divergent thinking problem solving) and sensory gating deficiency. With previous study findings, the link between dyslexia and sensory gating deficiency and the link between sensory gating deficiency and creativity have been shown, but not the link between dyslexia and creativity. This pilot study aims to address this knowledge gap using event-related potentials.
Methods: Two adults with dyslexia and 4 control adults participated in an auditory gating test using tone pairs. Latencies and Amplitudes for the N100 and P200 responses were recorded and analyzed. Participants were also administered the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA), a test of creative ability designed to evaluate divergent thinking in individuals. Results were averaged and compared.
Results: The averaged difference in measured N100 amplitudes between tone 1 and tone 2 was significantly larger in the control group compared to the difference observed in the dyslexia group. In particular, one participant with dyslexia who had low scores on a task of rapid word recognition also showed no evidence of gating at the N100 component, whereas the other participant with dyslexia with good word recognition scores showed evidence of intact gating. The averaged difference in measured P200 amplitude between tone 1 and tone 2 was larger in the dyslexia group compared to the control group; however, the difference was small enough to be considered insignificant. The total average ATTA score for the control group was higher than the average of the dyslexia group. This difference in total average was less than one point on a 106-point scale.
Conclusions: Neural sensory gating occurs approximately 100 ms after the onset of a stimulus and is diminished in adults with dyslexia who also have deficits in rapid word recognition. There is a difference in creativity, in terms of divergent thinking, between those with dyslexia and those without (controls scored higher on average); however, the difference is not significant (less than one point). Dyslexia scores were more consistent than controls.
Methods: Two adults with dyslexia and 4 control adults participated in an auditory gating test using tone pairs. Latencies and Amplitudes for the N100 and P200 responses were recorded and analyzed. Participants were also administered the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA), a test of creative ability designed to evaluate divergent thinking in individuals. Results were averaged and compared.
Results: The averaged difference in measured N100 amplitudes between tone 1 and tone 2 was significantly larger in the control group compared to the difference observed in the dyslexia group. In particular, one participant with dyslexia who had low scores on a task of rapid word recognition also showed no evidence of gating at the N100 component, whereas the other participant with dyslexia with good word recognition scores showed evidence of intact gating. The averaged difference in measured P200 amplitude between tone 1 and tone 2 was larger in the dyslexia group compared to the control group; however, the difference was small enough to be considered insignificant. The total average ATTA score for the control group was higher than the average of the dyslexia group. This difference in total average was less than one point on a 106-point scale.
Conclusions: Neural sensory gating occurs approximately 100 ms after the onset of a stimulus and is diminished in adults with dyslexia who also have deficits in rapid word recognition. There is a difference in creativity, in terms of divergent thinking, between those with dyslexia and those without (controls scored higher on average); however, the difference is not significant (less than one point). Dyslexia scores were more consistent than controls.
ContributorsDuran, Isaac (Author) / Peter, Beate (Thesis director) / Daliri, Ayoub (Committee member) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between acoustic indicators in speech and the presence of orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD). This study analyzed the first and second formant frequencies (F1 and F2) of the four corner vowels [/i/, /u/, /æ/ and /ɑ/] found in the spontaneous speech of thirty participants. It was predicted that speakers with orofacial myofunctional disorder would have a raised F1 and F2 because of habitual low and anterior tongue positioning. This study concluded no significant statistical differences in the formant frequencies. Further inspection of the total vowel space area of the OMD speakers suggested that OMD speakers had a smaller, more centralized vowel space. We concluded that more study of the total vowel space area for OMD speakers is warranted.
ContributorsWasson, Sarah Alicia (Co-author) / Wasson, Sarah (Co-author) / Weinhold, Juliet (Thesis director) / Daliri, Ayoub (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
It is widely accepted that mentorship between people of similar backgrounds and slightly different ages is a mutually beneficial partnership (e.g., Angelique, Kyle, & Taylor, 2002; Yomtov, 2017). Mentoring relationships exist in many forms across the education spectrum, from middle school students interacting with their younger peers to the popular “Big-Little system” adopted by fraternity and sorority groups in U.S. colleges and universities, and beyond educational settings throughout the working world. However, one place where mentoring has received relatively less attention, from researchers as well as from practitioners, is in undergraduate student leadership-focused organizations at the college level.
ContributorsBrown, Tyler (Co-author) / Oetter, Joshua (Co-author) / Ott, Molly (Thesis director) / Marley, Scott (Committee member) / Educational Leadership & Innovation, Division (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Comm (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Ephrem the Syrian was a prominent Syriac theologian and poet of the fourth century. He was born in modern day Turkey where he was likely raised a Christian. In Ephrem’s time, the subordinationist heresy was prevalent. Ephrem’s historical and cultural background are important to understand Ephrem’s theology presented in his work. Ephrem wrote many theological works, being most known for his hymns. Ephrem used many symbols in his hymns including the one and the many, the divinity as fire, and the pearl. The pearl has Scriptural and historical significance to Ephrem. Ephrem uses the pearl as a polyvalent symbol that symbolizes, among other things, Mary, the kingdom of God, and Christ. In this paper, I explore how Ephrem’s Christology in his five hymns on the pearl contrast with that of the subordinationists by highlighting the mystery that is Christ’s nature, the incomprehensibility of Christ’s nature by the human mind, and the attempt to fully understand Christ’s nature as a manifestation of pride.
ContributorsBarakat, Rita John (Author) / Clay, Eugene (Thesis director) / Hartung, Blake (Committee member) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies (Contributor) / Educational Leadership & Innovation, Division (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This thesis investigates the policy surrounding English Language Learners (ELL) on both a federal and state level, with an emphasis on the state of Arizona. Arizona ELL policy and pedagogy have been the subjects of research nationwide; many studies demonstrate that ELLs struggle before, during and after participating in Arizona ELL programs (Lillie et al. 2012; Roa 2012; Office of Civil Rights 2012). Despite this previous research there were limited comprehensive overviews of the data that had been collected as well as recommendations that could be created utilizing the data. This thesis addresses that void of information through 1) A comprehensive literature review of the framework of policies used on the federal and state level, and 2) recommendations provided that are based on the findings of the literature included in the review. Study findings present that there is limited literature to support the English-Only policies currently enforced in the state of Arizona and that students would be better served to utilize other language acquisition approaches that view their primary language as a resource rather than a problem. Additionally, the literature suggests that there needs to be greater oversight in what language is being used to define certain groups so that all students receive proper resources and that there needs to be more communication about federal and state guidelines currently in place. It was recommended that extended research be conducted given recent policy shifts in the state of Arizona that occurred while the thesis was written, that future policy should account for greater inclusivity as well as continuous support, and that the state of Arizona reframe most of its current policies to be more fully aligned with research-based strategies.
ContributorsDalzell, Faith Elizabeth (Author) / Markos, Amy (Thesis director) / Silva, Alexandria (Committee member) / Educational Leadership & Innovation, Division (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Previous research has showed that auditory modulation may be affected by pure tone
stimuli played prior to the onset of speech production. In this experiment, we are examining the
specificity of the auditory stimulus by implementing congruent and incongruent speech sounds in
addition to non-speech sound. Electroencephalography (EEG) data was recorded for eleven adult
subjects in both speaking (speech planning) and silent reading (no speech planning) conditions.
Data analysis was accomplished manually as well as via generation of a MATLAB code to
combine data sets and calculate auditory modulation (suppression). Results of the P200
modulation showed that modulation was larger for incongruent stimuli than congruent stimuli.
However, this was not the case for the N100 modulation. The data for pure tone could not be
analyzed because the intensity of this stimulus was substantially lower than that of the speech
stimuli. Overall, the results indicated that the P200 component plays a significant role in
processing stimuli and determining the relevance of stimuli; this result is consistent with role of
P200 component in high-level analysis of speech and perceptual processing. This experiment is
ongoing, and we hope to obtain data from more subjects to support the current findings.
stimuli played prior to the onset of speech production. In this experiment, we are examining the
specificity of the auditory stimulus by implementing congruent and incongruent speech sounds in
addition to non-speech sound. Electroencephalography (EEG) data was recorded for eleven adult
subjects in both speaking (speech planning) and silent reading (no speech planning) conditions.
Data analysis was accomplished manually as well as via generation of a MATLAB code to
combine data sets and calculate auditory modulation (suppression). Results of the P200
modulation showed that modulation was larger for incongruent stimuli than congruent stimuli.
However, this was not the case for the N100 modulation. The data for pure tone could not be
analyzed because the intensity of this stimulus was substantially lower than that of the speech
stimuli. Overall, the results indicated that the P200 component plays a significant role in
processing stimuli and determining the relevance of stimuli; this result is consistent with role of
P200 component in high-level analysis of speech and perceptual processing. This experiment is
ongoing, and we hope to obtain data from more subjects to support the current findings.
ContributorsTaylor, Megan Kathleen (Author) / Daliri, Ayoub (Thesis director) / Liss, Julie (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the arts (visual arts, music, dance, and theater) in educational settings. It also sought to identify current teachers’ perceptions of the arts as a teaching methodology. Arts in education is an expanding field of research and practice distinguished from arts education due to its investigation of learning through arts experiences. Arts experiences in classrooms can occur through a variety of mediums such as visual arts, music, dance, theater, and more. Specifically, this study examined how teachers perceive using various art forms and activities in the classroom to help students learn and communicate what they know, how frequently on average teachers use various art forms and activities in their classrooms, teacher attitudes and potential concerns about the arts in education, and why teachers would use the arts and what would make them use them more.
ContributorsAnderson, Ellarie Ann (Author) / Farrand, Kathleen (Thesis director) / Kelley, Michael (Committee member) / Educational Leadership & Innovation, Division (Contributor) / Dean, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
In the past, researchers have studied the elements of speech and how they work together in the human brain. Auditory feedback, an important aid in speech production, provides information to speakers and allows them to gain an understanding if the prediction of their speech matches their production. The speech motor system uses auditory goals to determine errors in its auditory output during vowel production. We learn from discrepancies between our prediction and auditory feedback. In this study, we examined error assessment processes by systematically manipulating the correspondence between speech motor outputs and their auditory consequences while producing speech. We conducted a study (n = 14 adults) in which participants’ auditory feedback was perturbed to test their learning rate in two conditions. During the trials, participants repeated CVC words and were instructed to prolong the vowel each time. The adaptation trials were used to examine the reliance of auditory feedback and speech prediction by systematically changing the weight of auditory feedback. Participants heard their perturbed feedback through insert earphones in real time. Each speaker’s auditory feedback was perturbed according to task-relevant and task-irrelevant errors. Then, these perturbations were presented to subjects gradually and suddenly in the study. We found that adaptation was less extensive with task-irrelevant errors, adaptation did not saturate significantly in the sudden condition, and adaptation, which was expected to be extensive and faster in the task-relevant condition, was closer to the rate of adaptation in the task-irrelevant perturbation. Though adjustments are necessary, we found an efficient way for speakers to rely on auditory feedback more than their prediction. Furthermore, this research opens the door to future investigations in adaptation in speech and presents implications for clinical purposes (e.g. speech therapy).
ContributorsLukowiak, Ariana (Author) / Daliri, Ayoub (Thesis director) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Committee member) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Infants partake in a developmental process between birth and 18 months which takes them from small movement while lying on their anterior side, through to walking, running, and jumping. In order to properly progress through this process, infants must learn to crawl before they learn to walk; though this process can be altered by the influence of infant locomotor devices.
The use of infant locomotor devices such as walkers, jumpers, and exersaucers are widely controversial amongst parents and pediatricians. Parents often cite benefits to the child with device exposure, whereas pediatricians often warn against the use of them. The concern of the pediatricians lay within the risk that comes along with increased mobility, as well as the upright position the device puts the child in. The child is often unable to place themselves in this position outside of the device due to not being ready in their developmental pathway. The device places the child upright with their legs hanging below with their feet not flat on the ground supporting weight. This position can place strain on the infants’ hips, lower back, and trunk.
Research shows that infants with prolonged device exposure tend to reach their locomotor milestones later than infants with average to ideal exposure. Infants with prolonged device exposure have also been found to score lower on developmental assessments. To reduce the risk of injury and developmental delay, the American Academy of Pediatrics ban the production and sale of infant walkers, and advised parents allow their children to play in more natural positions, rather than the position the locomotor devices place the child in.
In order to bridge the gap of education provided to parents and caregivers, and the knowledge of the pediatricians, further research should be done to collect up to date data of the impact of these devices and the long-term impact of these devices past the age of three. Working to expand the educational outreach to parents, particularly in the medical setting, would also be beneficial in working to reduce the exposure infants have to these devices and in turn, the number of injuries and developmental delays associated with use.
The use of infant locomotor devices such as walkers, jumpers, and exersaucers are widely controversial amongst parents and pediatricians. Parents often cite benefits to the child with device exposure, whereas pediatricians often warn against the use of them. The concern of the pediatricians lay within the risk that comes along with increased mobility, as well as the upright position the device puts the child in. The child is often unable to place themselves in this position outside of the device due to not being ready in their developmental pathway. The device places the child upright with their legs hanging below with their feet not flat on the ground supporting weight. This position can place strain on the infants’ hips, lower back, and trunk.
Research shows that infants with prolonged device exposure tend to reach their locomotor milestones later than infants with average to ideal exposure. Infants with prolonged device exposure have also been found to score lower on developmental assessments. To reduce the risk of injury and developmental delay, the American Academy of Pediatrics ban the production and sale of infant walkers, and advised parents allow their children to play in more natural positions, rather than the position the locomotor devices place the child in.
In order to bridge the gap of education provided to parents and caregivers, and the knowledge of the pediatricians, further research should be done to collect up to date data of the impact of these devices and the long-term impact of these devices past the age of three. Working to expand the educational outreach to parents, particularly in the medical setting, would also be beneficial in working to reduce the exposure infants have to these devices and in turn, the number of injuries and developmental delays associated with use.
ContributorsMcHale, Annika (Author) / Nolan, Nicole Blaize (Thesis director) / Cataldo, Donna (Committee member) / Educational Leadership & Innovation, Division (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Transcranial Current Stimulation (TCS) is a long-established method of modulating neuronal activity in the brain. One type of this stimulation, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), is able to entrain endogenous oscillations and result in behavioral change. In the present study, we used five stimulation conditions: tACS at three different frequencies (6Hz, 12Hz, and 22Hz), transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), and a no-stimulation sham condition. In all stimulation conditions, we recorded electroencephalographic data to investigate the link between different frequencies of tACS and their effects on brain oscillations. We recruited 12 healthy participants. Each participant completed 30 trials of the stimulation conditions. In a given trial, we recorded brain activity for 10 seconds, stimulated for 12 seconds, and recorded an additional 10 seconds of brain activity. The difference between the average oscillation power before and after a stimulation condition indicated change in oscillation amplitude due to the stimulation. Our results showed the stimulation conditions entrained brain activity of a sub-group of participants.
ContributorsChernicky, Jacob Garrett (Author) / Daliri, Ayoub (Thesis director) / Liss, Julie (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05