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: School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
In today’s economy, advertisers understand that sex sells. The foundations of this concept, however, are influenced by patriarchal expectations that women are first and foremost sexual objects for men. Women are sold beauty and demeanor expectations for them to utilize when making themselves attractive for men and men are sold the idea of beautiful, docile women. This dynamic perpetuates strict definitions of acceptable gender displays and reinforces socially permitted gendered behavior. As a society in the 21st century, we understand the damage of sexist ideals, but where we fall short is in the monitoring of channels that perpetuate and maintain those stereotypes and how affected the public really is by the male gaze, and lack of a female gaze, in media. In this paper, I search for a female gaze, but in doing so recognize the inequalities inherent in yet another gendered practice of looking and instead steer the conversation towards personalized perspectives informed by an understanding of the dominant practice of looking and its inverse.
The primary perspective from which people are depicted in media today is shaped by the male gaze. The male gaze is comprised of patriarchal ideals and relies on the understanding that the spectator or viewer is a standard human being, which heteronormativity tells us is a man. From this perspective, the scope of visual representations of men and women in media has been molded after the hierarchized gender displays within which masculinity has primacy over femininity. By presenting a limited spectrum of behavior acceptable for men and women, the media hegemonically manipulates the social constructs of gender and gendered behavior across all levels of society.
This honors thesis applies semiotic and feminist methodologies to engage visual forms of media through art, film, and social media to challenge the social constructs of gender perpetuated and reinforced by dated stereotypes of gender and gendered behavior. First, the theoretical foundation will provide a framework for semiotic and feminist analysis of visual representations of gender in media. Then, I will present data representing the real-world impact that this social construction of gender has on adolescents in America using The State of Gender Equality for U.S. Adolescents, published by Plan International Inc. I will then bring together the explicated methodologies and evidential data alongside my own experiences as a female consumer of visual media to reveal alternative practices of looking that do not revolve around patriarchal norms, looking for a female gaze. In doing so, I hope to present recourse in the face of persistent use of sexist imagery across all levels of our culture and every medium of visual self-expression by providing tools that can be used to interrogate gendered perceptions and inform self-examination in pursuit of a feminist practice of looking.
The primary perspective from which people are depicted in media today is shaped by the male gaze. The male gaze is comprised of patriarchal ideals and relies on the understanding that the spectator or viewer is a standard human being, which heteronormativity tells us is a man. From this perspective, the scope of visual representations of men and women in media has been molded after the hierarchized gender displays within which masculinity has primacy over femininity. By presenting a limited spectrum of behavior acceptable for men and women, the media hegemonically manipulates the social constructs of gender and gendered behavior across all levels of society.
This honors thesis applies semiotic and feminist methodologies to engage visual forms of media through art, film, and social media to challenge the social constructs of gender perpetuated and reinforced by dated stereotypes of gender and gendered behavior. First, the theoretical foundation will provide a framework for semiotic and feminist analysis of visual representations of gender in media. Then, I will present data representing the real-world impact that this social construction of gender has on adolescents in America using The State of Gender Equality for U.S. Adolescents, published by Plan International Inc. I will then bring together the explicated methodologies and evidential data alongside my own experiences as a female consumer of visual media to reveal alternative practices of looking that do not revolve around patriarchal norms, looking for a female gaze. In doing so, I hope to present recourse in the face of persistent use of sexist imagery across all levels of our culture and every medium of visual self-expression by providing tools that can be used to interrogate gendered perceptions and inform self-examination in pursuit of a feminist practice of looking.
ContributorsPreston, Phoebe Jane (Author) / Gaffney, Cynthia (Thesis director) / Kirsch, Sharon (Committee member) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
The purpose of this project is to raise awareness for children with social anxiety. As a book directed to children around the age of 12, it will give them a character they can relate to, so they can feel less alone. Throughout the story, the main character experiences symptoms of social anxiety and is subject to events that exacerbate those symptoms. Despite her challenges, the main character is able to effectively cope with her social anxiety through her own hard work, and help from her family members, teachers, and peers. The intent is to show children with social anxiety that, contrary to what their disorder makes them feel, they are special and have the capacity to develop skills that are relevant to their talents and interests, and overcome their fears. They should know that parents, teachers, and peers will be there to help and support them and will not judge them as harshly as they suspect. The supporting characters in this story show how a strong support base can influence the success of children with social anxiety. By the end of the story, the main character still has social anxiety, but has gained confidence and her symptoms are less severe. This illustrates that, although social anxiety cannot simply be overcome—that is, it doesn’t go away completely—it can be effectively managed with assistance from close others, and perseverance.
ContributorsDillard, Bethlehem (Author) / Lewis, Stephen (Thesis director) / Gaffney, Cynthia (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (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
This thesis poses the argument that abortion is morally impermissible because it causes harm to the embryo/fetus. To defend this, the author argues that the pre-conscious fetus has a level of moral status that warrants protection of its life, even if it is not yet considered a person. She uses the philosophical accounts of personhood and moral status offered by philosophers Bertha Manninen, Don Marquis, and Jack Mulder to situate her own arguments. The author devises a new harm principle to contend that the pre-conscious fetus can be a subject of harm. She then uses this harm principle to argue that the future person can also be a subject of harm and to argue that the pre-conscious fetus necessarily belongs to the future person. The underlying postulation of the thesis is that the pre-conscious fetus and the future person are related such that they cannot be separated in any way that is of moral significance. The person and the body are intrinsically and inextricably tied. The thesis contends that the pre-conscious fetus cannot exist without anticipating the existence of a future person and that it is thus in the fetus’s human nature to become a person. Because the fetus has a valuable future as a person, the thesis concludes that the fetus has a level of moral status equal to that of a person.
ContributorsDelvecchio, Emily Ann (Author) / Ron, Amit (Thesis director) / Manninen, Bertha (Thesis director, Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
Prison dog training programs, which emerged in the 1980s, have been gaining popularity at both a national and international level. The programs allow inmates to train dogs as service animals for veterans and first responders. After reading several different research projects that examined the impact of dog training programs in prison, the majority of them show that there are a lot of benefits and a few challenges. The beneficial impact was examined both with an in-person walkthrough of a prison with the program and through a series of interviews conducted for the purposes of this study. Interviews were conducted with Sister Pauline Quinn, the founder of prison dog training programs; Patricia Barnhart, who previously managed a dog training program at a Florida prison; the director at New Life K9s, Nicole Hern, and all the inmates in the New Life K9s prison program at the Men’s Colony prison in California. Bringing dogs into prisons has created a change in inmate behavior, staff behavior, and a safer, calmer environment for those within the prison. Calming the prison environment allows inmates to develop skills they can take with them when they leave prison, which in turn will help reduce recidivism. The research suggests that starting a dog training program in the state of Arizona could significantly benefit the state prison system, community and everyone involved.
ContributorsMalone, Taryn Amber (Author) / Telep, Cody (Thesis director) / Fedock, Rachel (Thesis director) / Wright, Kevin (Committee member) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor, Contributor, Contributor) / Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (Contributor) / School of Social Work (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12
Description
This study evaluated the differences in male and female representation in six different United States law magazines issued from 2005-2017. The initial prediction was that women would appear less often than men in these journals. Four periodicals came from Republican-dominated states, including the Arizona Attorney, Duke Law (NC), S.J. Quinney’s Res Gestae (UT), and the Notre Dame Lawyer (IN) (no issues published in 2014 through 2016). Two of these magazines were from Democratic regions: Berkeley’s Boalt Hall Transcript (now known as Transcript) (CA) and Richmond Law (VA). Photographic depictions of people within the magazines were recorded, only if text directly referenced the individual(s) as being a lawyer (i.e., attorney, public defender, counselor, associate, and lawyer). The number of male and female depictions in each journal were totaled, and means were compared. The data showed that women were underrepresented in all six of the journals, with effect sizes varying from medium to large. It was also found that although the unequal representation was evident in both red and blue states, the inequity gap was much larger in the red states. Overall, this data supports the notion that depictions of women are underrepresented in law magazines in a profession where they make up half of law school graduates as well as students preparing to enter the legal workforce. However, the gender percentages of those who pass the Bar exam would need to be examined to know more. This lack of parity in gender representations is likely due to society’s stereotypical views of women’s and men’s roles in the context of male-dominated professions, but it also seems to be exacerbated, in part, by a state’s political affiliation. This potential equality issue may have gone unnoticed if it weren’t for research that looks into gender differences, such as this study, which should be taken further by others to gather more data on possible discrimination and produce necessary solutions.
ContributorsReissen, Emily Brook (Author) / Holloway, Steven (Thesis director) / Van Etten, Kathryn (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This thesis analyzes the effects of the United States involvement in its first, and longest, multilateral free trade agreement with its two largest neighbor nations: The North American Free Trade Agreement. The research question which is explored and analyzed here is: How has the North American Free Trade Agreement affected the United States domestic industry and if the United States should involve itself in this type of agreement? With the United States shift from isolationist and protectionist practices it came to accept globalist economic policies, such as free trade. However, as the world's largest consumer the acceptance and implementation of these free trade policies has led to economic harm. This is shown through the historical data of trade between the countries involved in the North American Free Trade Agreement and it is found that there are significant harmful effects on the United State as a result of this agreement. Specifically, the United States heavy loss of domestic industry and loss of income. The United States involvement in the North American Free Trade Agreement is described and analyzed using the logic models of classical and neoclassical trade theories. It is found that these trade theories' inappropriate application could explain the United States involvement in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Finally, using the ideas of classical and neoclassical trade theories it is determined that the best option for the United States to rebuild its domestic industry is to participate in protectionist and isolationist policies.
Keywords: The North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, Classical Trade Theory, Neoclassical Trade Theory, United States Domestic Industry, Domestic Industry, Consumer Nation, Producer Nation, Comparative Advantage, Supply and Demand, Trade Deficit, Protectionism, Globalism
Keywords: The North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, Classical Trade Theory, Neoclassical Trade Theory, United States Domestic Industry, Domestic Industry, Consumer Nation, Producer Nation, Comparative Advantage, Supply and Demand, Trade Deficit, Protectionism, Globalism
ContributorsBenado Smasch, James Antanaychis (Co-author) / Benado Smasch, James A. (Co-author) / Oliver, Jerry (Thesis director) / Ron, Amit (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Public Affairs (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
This study was been influenced from the perspective of clinical psychology. The main research question was: What personality traits and/or characteristics (in this case emotional characteristics) can influence dating violence? Aspects such as gender, age, sexual orientation, and current relationship status were considered. Given the evolving culture of relationship dominance, it has been difficult to detect when, and if, people can become potential victims of relationship violence.
Results of the dating violence assessments were reported as well as the results of a personality assessment. The comparisons between the three relationship assessments were inconclusive. This research should be taken as a guidance into the factors of dating violence by taking into consideration the characteristics and personalities of potential victims. It can also be seen as a snapshot of the current time period on the topic of relationship violence and its ideas and its prevalence.
The research conducted was at Arizona State University in three psychology classes. The results included participants relationships, abuse screening scores, and personality assessments. The True Colors personality test showed that the majority of the participants were associated with being emotion driven.
Results of the dating violence assessments were reported as well as the results of a personality assessment. The comparisons between the three relationship assessments were inconclusive. This research should be taken as a guidance into the factors of dating violence by taking into consideration the characteristics and personalities of potential victims. It can also be seen as a snapshot of the current time period on the topic of relationship violence and its ideas and its prevalence.
The research conducted was at Arizona State University in three psychology classes. The results included participants relationships, abuse screening scores, and personality assessments. The True Colors personality test showed that the majority of the participants were associated with being emotion driven.
ContributorsValadez, Saily (Author) / Lewis, Stephen (Thesis director) / Roberts, Nicole (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Individuals are often susceptible to bias in their given fields; however, they may not acknowledge nor be aware of this phenomenon. Moreover, people typically can recognize bias in others yet fail to realize that they themselves are susceptible to their own bias. This is referred to as the bias blind spot, an unconscious meta-cognitive bias. Unconscious bias can lead to impaired decisions and can cause problems in the field, especially if professionals are defensive about bias mitigation procedures if they see them as unnecessary and threatening. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and examine the perceptions that professional forensic psychologists have about bias in themselves and bias in their colleagues. Eighty-four professional forensic psychologists were surveyed and asked about their perception of bias in themselves, their colleagues, an average adult, and experts in another domain: forensic science. For this study, these forensic psychologists were asked to predict the bias that they themselves might have in their judgment, that forensic scientists might have in their judgment, and that the average adult would have. As hypothesized, and consistent with the bias blind spot, professional forensic psychologists rated their peers in the same field as having a higher amount of bias in their decisions than they themselves. Moreover, they also rated other professionals in similar fields (forensic science) as having a higher bias rate than themselves. In addition, participants rated bias mitigating procedures as being a higher threat to their field than a different domain (i.e., forensic science) – consistent with hypotheses. These results suggest that professional forensic psychologists are susceptible to the bias blind spot and its consequences.
Keywords: implicit bias, bias blind spot, perceptions, judgment, mitigating procedures
Keywords: implicit bias, bias blind spot, perceptions, judgment, mitigating procedures
ContributorsVelazquez, Annelisse Danielle (Author) / Neal, Tess (Thesis director) / Salerno, Jessica (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Different tools have been developed by physicists to detect particle interactions, including one tool called a cloud chamber. A cloud chamber is a device that uses a supersaturated alcohol vapor to outline the paths of subatomic particles. It requires an adequate source of radiation, either background radiation or a radioactive element, that is placed inside the chamber and allowed to decay. The particles emitted from the decaying element form tracks, as a result of the condensation of the supersaturated alcohol. This condensation ionizes the particles as they are being emitted, which creates the visible track. In order to produce curved tracks, which are necessary for data analysis, a suitable magnetic field must also be applied to the moving particles. As these particles come into contact with the magnetic field, their tracks curve, allowing for measurements of the radius of curvature for each track to be deduced. The radius of curvature can then be used to determine the identity of the atomic nucleus that the emitted particle came from. Computer programming can be applied to this process to make it faster and more efficient. This thesis project involved the composition of a software that could control a cloud chamber apparatus set up to view the beta decay of Pb-210 and analyze the tracks produced by emitted electrons to determine their radius of curvature. By the completion of this project, a software was developed that could accurately detect tracks from test images and control several parts of a cloud chamber.
ContributorsBogdanovic, Natalija (Author) / Tucker, Ross (Thesis director) / Solis, Francisco (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05