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Electrical nerve stimulation is a promising drug-free technology that could treat a variety of ailments and disorders. Methods like Vagus Nerve Stimulation have been used for decades to treat disorders like epilepsy, and research with non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation has shown similar effects as its invasive counterpart. Non-invasive nerve stimulation

Electrical nerve stimulation is a promising drug-free technology that could treat a variety of ailments and disorders. Methods like Vagus Nerve Stimulation have been used for decades to treat disorders like epilepsy, and research with non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation has shown similar effects as its invasive counterpart. Non-invasive nerve stimulation methods like vagus nerve stimulation could help millions of people treat and manage various disorders.

This study observed the effects of three different non-invasive nerve stimulation paradigms in human participants. The first study analyzed the safety and efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation in healthy humans using a bilateral stimulation protocol with uniquely designed dry-hydrogel electrodes. Results demonstrate bilateral auricular vagal nerve stimulation has significant effects on specific parameters of autonomic activity and is safe and well tolerated. The second study analyzed the effects of non-invasive electrical stimulation of a region on the side of the neck that contains the Great Auricular Nerve and the Auricular Branch of the Vagus Nerve called the tympanomastoid fissure on golf hitting performance in healthy golfers. Results did not show significant effects on hitting performance or physiological activity, but the nerve stimulation had significant effects on reducing state-anxiety and improving the quality of feel of each shot. The third study analyzed the effects of non-invasive nerve stimulation of cervical nerves on the back of the neck on putting performance of yips-affected golfers. Results demonstrated that cervical nerve stimulation had significant effects on improving putting performance but did not have significant effects on physiological activity. Data from these studies show there are potential applications for non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation for healthy and athletic populations. Future research should also examine the effects of these stimulation methods in clinical populations.
ContributorsHool, Nicholas (Author) / Tyler, William J (Thesis advisor) / Crews, Debbie (Committee member) / Muthuswamy, Jitendran (Committee member) / Helms Tillery, Stephen (Committee member) / Sebold, Brent (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
Attending college is like embarking on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. Education as a heroic journey transforms students in such a way that it will invite them to re-examine their conceptual structures, as well as internalized cultural norms. While heroes make their way through their journey, they are often

Attending college is like embarking on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. Education as a heroic journey transforms students in such a way that it will invite them to re-examine their conceptual structures, as well as internalized cultural norms. While heroes make their way through their journey, they are often viewed as drawing upon different archetypes. By recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each archetype, the Hero can consciously rely on the most beneficial attribute of this transformative journey. Despite the essential role of universal archetypes in students’ educational journey, they have been overlooked and replaced by a more functional approach in which personal development is neglected. Therefore, calling for a transformative educational approach in higher education has been advocated to push against the boundaries imposed by the functional approach and to help students transcend their personal boundaries. The purpose of this study is to discover the dominant Shadow archetypes of first-year college students and to explore the influence of archetypal unconscious traits on students’ self-efficacy. To investigate students’ archetypal personalities, two questionnaires: Pearson-Marr Archetypal Indicator (PMAI) and Sherer’s General Self-Efficacy Scale (SGSES), were applied. To investigate students’ perceptions on the influence of their Shadow archetypes, semi-structured online based interviews through Zoom were conducted. For the quantitative data analysis, statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS; and for the qualitative data analysis, deductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview protocols. It was revealed from the findings that the most active archetypes among first year college students are the Seeker, Jester, and Caregiver archetypes. The most common Shadow archetypes that are active among first year college students are the Idealist, Ruler, and the Warrior archetypes. The statistical analysis indicated that there is a linear relationship between the Shadow archetypes and students’ self-efficacy. The thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that first year college students’ academic self-efficacy is influenced by the traits of their Shadow archetypes in various ways. Some of these influences are lack of motivation, procrastination, inability to set goals, irresponsibility, and negative self-evaluation. Keywords: Shadow, Self-Knowledge, Archetypes, Self-efficacy, Transformative Education.
ContributorsAlqadi, Mona (Author) / Van Gelderen, Elly (Thesis advisor) / James, Mark (Committee member) / Roen, Duane (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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Description

Despite countless research reports, research studies, and studies of human psychology verifying that the Reid Method interrogation tactics used by police in the United States cause false confessions, the method is still heavily accepted and used on suspects everyday. This research paper will look into the Reid Method interrogation tactics,

Despite countless research reports, research studies, and studies of human psychology verifying that the Reid Method interrogation tactics used by police in the United States cause false confessions, the method is still heavily accepted and used on suspects everyday. This research paper will look into the Reid Method interrogation tactics, their connection to false confessions in order to establish a basis for repealing and replacing the Reid Method with an alternative interrogation technique. This paper will show that the guilt-presumptive nature of the Reid Method leads to innocent individuals falsely confessing and spending years in prison. Evidence of this phenomenon will be shown through research papers, studies, case examples, and an interview with a false confession expert Dr. Richard A. Leo. The Reid Method is problematic and jeopardizes the presumption of innocence for every citizen in the United States and should be repealed by an alternative interrogation technique called P.E.A.C.E in order for justice to be renewed.

ContributorsWorrell, Hayley (Author) / Niebuhr, Robert (Thesis director) / Adelman, Madeline (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor)
Created2022-05
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Description
Although social cognitive deficits are considered a hallmark trait of schizophrenia, research on schizotypy and social cognition is inconsistent. The present study examines the associations among schizotypy, aberrant salience, and social cognition. Schizotypy and aberrant salience were assessed continuously using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire Brief Revised (SPQ-BR) and the Aberrant

Although social cognitive deficits are considered a hallmark trait of schizophrenia, research on schizotypy and social cognition is inconsistent. The present study examines the associations among schizotypy, aberrant salience, and social cognition. Schizotypy and aberrant salience were assessed continuously using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire Brief Revised (SPQ-BR) and the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI). Social cognition was examined using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), an audio-visual paradigm that taps into multiple domains of social cognition. Data from 849 undergraduate students was analyzed. Results indicated that schizotypy overall was not associated with social cognitive deficits. However, when schizotypy was analyzed dimensionally, positive schizotypy was associated with social cognitive impairments. Further, aberrant salience was revealed to be consistently associated with social cognitive impairments, except when positive schizotypy was included in the model. This suggests the possibility that positive schizotypy could mediate the association between aberrant salience and social cognition. Overall, this study highlights the importance of focusing on positive schizotypy and aberrant salience in future investigations of social cognitive difficulties in psychosis.
ContributorsArnett, Ciera (Author) / Karoly, Paul (Thesis advisor) / Corbin, William (Thesis advisor) / Brewer, Gene (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
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Description
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a persistent problem around the world, even though antiretroviral therapy has shown to be effective in reducing viral load and limiting transmission of the virus. Due to HIV’s infectious nature, visibility, the populations at risk, and its connections to race, class, and sexuality, it is

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a persistent problem around the world, even though antiretroviral therapy has shown to be effective in reducing viral load and limiting transmission of the virus. Due to HIV’s infectious nature, visibility, the populations at risk, and its connections to race, class, and sexuality, it is more stigmatized than any other illness. HIV stigma has been associated with increased depression, social isolation, and poor psychological adjustment. HIV stigma can influence disclosure and care-seeking behavior. Internet-based interventions have shown to be effective in increasing knowledge on STIs and HIV, however, researchers have tested strategies that include educating participants on HIV to reduce stigma and have found that informational approaches alone are not effective. There is evidence that emotional intelligence and empathy are associated with prosocial behavior and influence attitudes towards stigmatized groups. Thus, this thesis aims to test an online intervention using an informational video from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in combination with an empathy-generating component to reduce stigma. It was hypothesized that the online intervention would increase HIV knowledge scores (H1), but stigma will only be reduced in the group introduced to the empathy-inducing component (H2) and those with high emotional intelligence would show the greatest reduction in stigmatizing attitudes (H3). Results did not support these hypotheses, suggesting that the CDC’s video does not significantly increase HIV knowledge in the general public. Further, the video intended to generate empathy and reduce stigma was also ineffective. These findings stress the need for further research and questions the effectiveness of empathy-generating interventions (e.g., FACES OF HIV, HIV Justice Network) to increase knowledge and reduce stigma. Future researchers should test the effectiveness of personalized interventions to reduce HIV-related stigma.
ContributorsEl-krab, Renee (Author) / Vargas, Perla (Thesis advisor) / Roberts, Nicole (Committee member) / Chen, Angela (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description

American Sign Language (ASL) is used for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals to communicate and learn in a classroom setting. In ASL, fingerspelling and gestures are two primary components used for communication. Fingerspelling is commonly used for words that do not have a specifically designated sign or gesture.

American Sign Language (ASL) is used for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals to communicate and learn in a classroom setting. In ASL, fingerspelling and gestures are two primary components used for communication. Fingerspelling is commonly used for words that do not have a specifically designated sign or gesture. In technical contexts, such as Computer Science curriculum, there are many technical terms that fall under this category. Most of its jargon does not have standardized ASL gestures; therefore, students, educators, and interpreters alike have been reliant on fingerspelling, which poses challenges for all parties. This study investigates the efficacy of both fingerspelling and gestures with fifteen technical terms that do have standardized gestures. The terms’ fingerspelling and gesture are assessed based on preference, ease of use, ease of learning, and time by research subjects who were selected as DHH individuals familiar with ASL.

The data is collected in a series of video recordings by research subjects as well as a post-participation questionnaire. Each research subject has produced thirty total videos, two videos to fingerspell and gesture each technical term. Afterwards, they completed a post-participation questionnaire in which they indicated their preference and how easy it was to learn and use both fingerspelling and gestures. Additionally, the videos have been analyzed to determine the time difference between fingerspelling and gestures. Analysis reveals that gestures are favored over fingerspelling as they are generally preferred, considered easier to learn and use, and faster. These results underscore the significance for standardized gestures in the Computer Science curriculum for accessible learning that enhances communication and promotes inclusion.

ContributorsKarim, Bushra (Author) / Gupta, Sandeep (Thesis director) / Hossain, Sameena (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The body tilt illusion relates to one’s exaggerated perception of body tilt angle in comparison to reality. People tend to overestimate this illusion and feel that they are tilted at 45º when they are tilted less than 45º in reality. This illusion increases with lack of sensory cues and decreases

The body tilt illusion relates to one’s exaggerated perception of body tilt angle in comparison to reality. People tend to overestimate this illusion and feel that they are tilted at 45º when they are tilted less than 45º in reality. This illusion increases with lack of sensory cues and decreases when sensory cues are added. In the present study, distortion in the perception of body tilt was examined as a function of center of mass. There are gender differences in regards to where one’s center of mass lies on their body, with females having a lower center of mass on average compared to males (Elert, 2005). We used a human-sized 3D gyroscope to test participants’ experience of the body tilt illusion. The findings support that perception of body tilt is multisensory and that visual information as well as the tilting plane affects the magnitude of the illusion. This is consistent with the illusion being functional for helping people keep their balance. Yet, we did not find significant differences in the size of the illusion due to differences in center of mass. The pattern of findings supports that the body tilt illusion is relatively universal, and likely functional, but does not vary much due to individual body shape differences like center of mass.
ContributorsOverby, Ashlyn (Author) / Mcbeath, Micheal (Thesis director) / Baia, Sophia (Committee member) / Corbin, William (Committee member) / Cavanaugh-Toft, Carolyn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2024-05
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Description
Greater cross-disciplinary collaboration between the fields of sustainability and clinical psychology could lead to improved outcomes for both. Moreover, some forms of mental disorder, such as PTSD and Moral Injury, constitute serious challenges that require the attention of sustainability’s interdisciplinary, systems-focused, solutionsoriented approach. My research frames the impacts of combat-related

Greater cross-disciplinary collaboration between the fields of sustainability and clinical psychology could lead to improved outcomes for both. Moreover, some forms of mental disorder, such as PTSD and Moral Injury, constitute serious challenges that require the attention of sustainability’s interdisciplinary, systems-focused, solutionsoriented approach. My research frames the impacts of combat-related psychological trauma on military veterans as a sustainability problem according to criteria put forward by Arnim Wiek’s Transformational Problem Solving framework. I also provide a review of studies demonstrating the treatment benefits of agricultural therapy for veterans diagnosed with PTSD or symptoms associated with Moral Injury. I then describe my own efforts investigating the connection between trauma and sustainability using survey measurements, interviews, and participant observation onsite at Growing Veterans farm in Mt. Vernon, Washington. The results strongly suggest that sustainable agricultural can be of powerful clinical benefit to traumatized veterans and that sustainable behaviors and values in general increased as trauma symptoms decreased. More broadly, the project indicates that slight shifts in how we approach solution formulation and how we articulate and disseminate sustainability messages could have profound positive effects on the sustainability’s success.
ContributorsGabriele, Adam (Author) / Hirt, Paul (Contributor) / Cloutier, Scott (Contributor) / Valdez, Herendira (Contributor)
Created2018-03-27
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Description
This thesis details a Python-based software designed to calculate the Jones polynomial, a vital mathematical tool from Knot Theory used for characterizing the topological and geometrical complexity of curves in 3-space, which is essential in understanding physical systems of filaments, including the behavior of polymers and biopolymers. The Jones polynomial serves as a topological

This thesis details a Python-based software designed to calculate the Jones polynomial, a vital mathematical tool from Knot Theory used for characterizing the topological and geometrical complexity of curves in 3-space, which is essential in understanding physical systems of filaments, including the behavior of polymers and biopolymers. The Jones polynomial serves as a topological invariant capable of distinguishing between different knot structures. This capability is fundamental to characterizing the architecture of molecular chains, such as proteins and DNA. Traditional computational methods for deriving the Jones polynomial have been limited by closure-schemes and high execu- tion costs, which can be impractical for complex structures like those that appear in real life. This software implements methods that significantly reduce calculation times, allowing for more efficient and practical applications in the study of biological poly- mers. It utilizes a divide-and-conquer approach combined with parallel computing and applies recursive Reidemeister moves to optimize the computation, transitioning from an exponential to a near-linear runtime for specific configurations. This thesis provides an overview of the software’s functions, detailed performance evaluations using protein structures as test cases, and a discussion of the implications for future research and potential algorithmic improvements.
ContributorsMusfeldt, Caleb (Author) / Panagiotou, Eleni (Thesis director) / Richa, Andrea (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor)
Created2024-05
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Description
Automation is becoming more autonomous, and the application of automation as a collaborator continues to be explored. A major restriction to automation’s application as a collaborator is that people often hold inaccurate expectations of their automated collaborator. Goal alignment has been shown to be beneficial in collaborations and delegation decisions

Automation is becoming more autonomous, and the application of automation as a collaborator continues to be explored. A major restriction to automation’s application as a collaborator is that people often hold inaccurate expectations of their automated collaborator. Goal alignment has been shown to be beneficial in collaborations and delegation decisions among human-human and human-automation collaborations. Few studies have investigated the difference that goal alignment has on human collaborators compared to automated collaborators. In this 2 (goal aligned or misaligned) x 2 (human or automated) between-subjects study, participants complete a simplified triage patient task and then are given the opportunity to stay with their manual task solution or to delegate their decision and go with their collaborator’s recommendation. Participants never delegated to collaborators with goals that were not aligned to theirs. Participants working with human collaborators that have similar goals to them were more often delegated to and more often associated with a better triage performance. These results can inform the design of similar systems that foster collaboration and achieve better team performance. Although goal alignment was crucial for delegation decisions, it was difficult to achieve complete agreement of goals. Future research should investigate effective methods to better communicate goals among collaborators.
ContributorsLee, Jessica Rose (Author) / Chiou, Erin K (Thesis advisor) / Cooke, Nancy J (Committee member) / Lum, Heather C (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024