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 113
Filtering by

Clear all filters

133346-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The advertising agency, in its variety of forms, is one of the most powerful forces in the modern world. Its products are seen globally through various multimedia outlets and they strongly impact culture and economy. Since its conception in 1843 by Volney Palmer, the advertising agency has evolved into the

The advertising agency, in its variety of forms, is one of the most powerful forces in the modern world. Its products are seen globally through various multimedia outlets and they strongly impact culture and economy. Since its conception in 1843 by Volney Palmer, the advertising agency has evolved into the recognizable—and unrecognizable—firms scattered around the world today. In the United States alone, there are roughly 13.4 thousand agencies, many of which also have branches in other countries. The evolution of the modern advertising agency coincided with, and even preceded, some of the major inflection points in history. Understanding how and why changes in advertising agencies affected these inflection points provides a glimpse of understanding into the relationship between advertising, business, and societal values.

In the pages ahead we will explore the future of the advertising industry. We will analyze our research to uncover the underlying trends pointing towards what is to come and work to apply those explanations to our understanding of advertising in the future.
ContributorsHarris, Chase (Co-author) / Potthoff, Zachary (Co-author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
133382-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This paper explores how changing the color of chocolate can affect its perceived taste. While color psychology and its effects on food industry marketing are widely studied, this experiment focuses on blue, red, green, and purple striped chocolates. The study conducted for this paper focuses on these four colors based

This paper explores how changing the color of chocolate can affect its perceived taste. While color psychology and its effects on food industry marketing are widely studied, this experiment focuses on blue, red, green, and purple striped chocolates. The study conducted for this paper focuses on these four colors based on their utilization in previously conducted experiments. Each color of chocolate involved 25 participants, for a total of 100 total individuals, who each taste tested one piece and immediately filled out a survey. The survey asked demographic questions, colored chocolate preferences, and questions ranking the chocolate's appeal. While the outcome showed that blue, green, red, and purple was indeed the order of appealing colors, the study results indicate the participants' color preferences did not affect their perceived taste of the chocolate they sampled. Rather, their preference was based on experiences they associated with the color of the chocolate they tasted.
ContributorsChan, Sydney (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
133917-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Health and fast food are seemingly on two opposite ends of the spectrum, yet healthy fast food is quickly growing in popularity. As many fast food brands are adjusting their menu to accommodate to this trend, this study explores how health claims used in fast food advertising affect college students'

Health and fast food are seemingly on two opposite ends of the spectrum, yet healthy fast food is quickly growing in popularity. As many fast food brands are adjusting their menu to accommodate to this trend, this study explores how health claims used in fast food advertising affect college students' perceptions of health and their likelihood to purchase healthy fast food products. To test this, a survey gathered quantitative data to assess student's perceptions of health and fast food, as well as qualitative data of when eating healthy is appealing and unappealing. An ad manipulation was employed to test student's likelihood to purchase the product shown in the ad. Though the study did not yield significant results, the results collected indicate that health claims may not be enough to influence someone to purchase, but that taste is of student's highest priority when making food purchase decisions. Thus, the study opens the door for future research in this realm of health and fast food, and concludes with recommendations for both marketers and future researchers.
ContributorsMigray, Emilee Catherine (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
135217-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Women dominate in terms of purchasing power and spending. They hold 60 percent of all US personal income, and those aged 50 years or older have a combined net worth of approximately $19 trillion. Of this group, women between 50 and 70 years old, in particular, are the biggest spenders

Women dominate in terms of purchasing power and spending. They hold 60 percent of all US personal income, and those aged 50 years or older have a combined net worth of approximately $19 trillion. Of this group, women between 50 and 70 years old, in particular, are the biggest spenders (Barmann, 2014). More important than their spending power, however, is how satisfied (or dissatisfied) they are with their current purchases. Though women make 85 percent of all consumer purchases, 91 percent of women say, "...advertisers don't understand them," (Barmann, 2014). This makes sense, considering that 50 percent of the products marketed to men are actually purchased by women (Barmann, 2014). Successfully targeting women, especially Baby Boomers (women between 52 and 70 years old), would be a lucrative endeavor, and to better understand the unmet needs of that demographic, exploratory research was needed. In-depth interviews of Baby Boomer women reveals a problem that \u2014 even on a macro level \u2014 has gone unresolved, and has perhaps worsened, throughout written history: the Generation Gap (Bengtson, 1970). To illustrate the depth of the problem, there exist starkly different impressions of younger generations, namely Millennials (born between 1980 and 1995). According to The New Generation Gap by Neil Howe and William Strauss (1992), Baby Boomers view Millennials as unintelligent, entitled "pleasure beasts." In Millennials Rising, also by Howe and Strauss (2000), Millennials are characterized as a generation that is, "...beginning to manifest a wide array of positive social habits that older Americans no longer associate with youth, including a new focus on teamwork, achievement, modesty, and good conduct." These contradictory opinions further support the substantial misunderstanding between generations that surfaced during in-depth interviews. Using the results of in-depth interviews and follow-up questions for idea validation, this thesis presents a potential method for "closing the gap." The goal of this business offering is not to homogenize older and younger generations of women; the goal is to cultivate empathy and connection \u2014 Intergenerational Cohesion \u2014 between them.
ContributorsSeefus, Cole Hawk Gillette (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135220-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This thesis discusses the creation of a new brand of wine. We noticed new trends in packaging and wine labels from different wine producers, and decided to take a deeper look into the current state of the wine industry. We found millennials are growing consumers of wine, and being part

This thesis discusses the creation of a new brand of wine. We noticed new trends in packaging and wine labels from different wine producers, and decided to take a deeper look into the current state of the wine industry. We found millennials are growing consumers of wine, and being part of the millennial generation ourselves, we decided our own personal insight could be used in our research efforts to come up with a new concept for wine. Through primary and secondary research, we were able to find relevant trends in the wine industry in regards to millennials. The focus was to create a unique marketing plan for a new wine brand concept that would eventually be sold to an established winery or wine distributor. Key questions we wanted to answer with our primary and secondary research included: What consumer segment in the wine industry is the most attractive to enter? What are the current trends in regards to wine within this consumer segment? What are this consumer segment's preferences for branding in the wine industry? What are this segment's habits in regards to drinking at social occasions? Are there social constructs in regards to what container wine can be served in? What is the ideal container to pursue other than the standard wine bottle for this consumer segment? This paper aims to find related research to support our idea of creating a new brand of wine. We will discuss the background and related readings that we used to create our target market and branding idea, the methodology in which we conducted our surveys, and analyze the data from these surveys in order to finally conclude with our thesis recommendations for how to proceed with a marketing plan.
ContributorsSeeley, Carissa (Co-author) / Haagen, Jenna (Co-author) / St. Peter, Katie (Co-author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Eaton, Kathryn (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135357-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Dressler Makes Things (DMT), as a thesis project, explores the viability of DMT as a monetized blog. DMT is a life improvement blog with a focus on cooking. Its blog niche sits between nostalgic, sensory food blogs and professional, actionable life improvement blogs. Because blogs that bridge this gap are

Dressler Makes Things (DMT), as a thesis project, explores the viability of DMT as a monetized blog. DMT is a life improvement blog with a focus on cooking. Its blog niche sits between nostalgic, sensory food blogs and professional, actionable life improvement blogs. Because blogs that bridge this gap are rare, DMT aims to fill this need by making cooking easy, affordable, and attainable for anyone, but particularly females in their early twenties. This thesis explores marketing topics like brand, blog niche, unique value proposition, current viewers, and user personas, as well as information about the current blogging environment and an analysis of relevant competitors. It also develops marketing objectives for DMT, as well as positioning, conversion, referral, content promotion, and partnership strategies to reach these goals. Finally, it discusses distribution, pricing, and promotional tactics, as well as an operational plan and financial projections.
ContributorsParsons, Dressler Eileen (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Bitter, Gary (Committee member) / School of Art (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
135662-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This study examines the differences in presence and perception of the Samsung and Apple brands in Spain compared to the United States. Primary research was collected on-site in Spain and comparatively analyzed to experiences in the United States from the perspective of an American citizen. Qualitative data in the form

This study examines the differences in presence and perception of the Samsung and Apple brands in Spain compared to the United States. Primary research was collected on-site in Spain and comparatively analyzed to experiences in the United States from the perspective of an American citizen. Qualitative data in the form of observations and interviews was collected as well as extensive secondary research. The study will conclude international implications of these two brands in Spain.
ContributorsNeerhof, Samantha Noel (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Giard, Jacques (Committee member) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
136643-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Often learning new skills, such as how to throw a basketball or how to play the piano, are better accomplished practicing with another than from self-practice. Why? We propose that during joint action, partners learn to adjust their behavior to each other. For example, when dancing with a partner, we

Often learning new skills, such as how to throw a basketball or how to play the piano, are better accomplished practicing with another than from self-practice. Why? We propose that during joint action, partners learn to adjust their behavior to each other. For example, when dancing with a partner, we must adjust the timing, the force, and the spatial locations of movements to those of the partner. We call these adjustments a joint body schema (JBS). That is, the locations of our own effectors and our own movements are adapted by interaction with the partner. Furthermore, we propose that after a JBS is established, learning new motor skills can be enhanced by the learner's attunement to the specifics of the partner's actions. We test this proposal by having partners engage in a motor task requiring cooperation (to develop the JBS). Then we determined whether a) the JBS enhances the coordination on an unrelated task, and b) whether the JBS enhances the learning of a new motor skill. In fact, participants who established a JBS showed stronger coordination with a partner and better motor learning from the partner than did control participants. Several applications of this finding are discussed.
ContributorsMunion, Amanda Kathleen (Author) / Glenberg, Arthur (Thesis director) / Knight, George (Committee member) / McBeath, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05
136451-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
The Latino population is the fastest growing minority group in the United States (U.S Census Bureau, 2003). Such a rapidly changing demographic stresses the importance of implementing strategies into the community social framework to accommodate for cultural and language differences. This research paper seeks to answer: what factors influence the

The Latino population is the fastest growing minority group in the United States (U.S Census Bureau, 2003). Such a rapidly changing demographic stresses the importance of implementing strategies into the community social framework to accommodate for cultural and language differences. This research paper seeks to answer: what factors influence the sense of community among Latino families in Phoenix? The following questions will help to assess the dynamic relationship between sense of community and literacy 1) what is the perceived importance of literacy among Latino families living in Phoenix? 2) How is language development reflected among the family dynamics within a predominantly collectivist culture? It is hypothesized that both collectivism and literacy are the main influences on sense of community among this population.
ContributorsBennett, Julie (Author) / Glenberg, Arthur (Thesis director) / Restrepo, Laida (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This project, which consists of a review article and an applied creative project, proposes mirror neurons as being a physiological mechanism for motor imagery. The review article highlights similarities between motor imagery research and research on mirror neurons. The research is roughly divided into three types of studies: neuroimaging studies,

This project, which consists of a review article and an applied creative project, proposes mirror neurons as being a physiological mechanism for motor imagery. The review article highlights similarities between motor imagery research and research on mirror neurons. The research is roughly divided into three types of studies: neuroimaging studies, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electromyography (EMG) studies, and electroencephalography (EEG) studies. The review also discusses the associative hypothesis of mirror neuron origin as support for the hypothesis and concludes with an assessment of conflicting research and the limitations of the hypothesis. The applied creative project is an instructional brochure, aimed at anyone who teaches motor skills, such as dance teachers or sports coaches. The brochure takes the academic content of the review and presents it in a visually pleasing, reader-friendly fashion in an effort to educate the intended audience and make the research more accessible. The brochure also prescribes research-based suggestions for how to use motor imagery during teaching sessions and how to get the best benefits from it.
ContributorsNgai, Valerie Christina (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2015-05