Matching Items (23)
Filtering by
- Creators: School of Life Sciences
- Creators: School of Accountancy
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Description
The transition from high school to college is associated with considerable life strain for adolescents, including higher reported levels of daily stress and negative affect (NA), and alterations in stress physiology have been linked to poor health. The purpose of this thesis was to use an ecological momentary assessment design to study associations between momentary experiences of negative affect and cortisol levels in a sample of adolescents transitioning to college. I also examined the potential moderating effects of two potential vulnerability or protective factors, alone status and perceived social support from friends. Adolescents provided salivary samples and completed paper-and-pencil diary reports of socioemotional experiences and alone status five times per day for three consecutive weekdays, as well as completed self-report questionnaires on perceived social support from friends. Within-person increases in momentary negative affect were associated with momentary cortisol reactivity. Alone status significantly moderated this association such that the association between momentary negative affect and momentary cortisol levels was only significant when individuals were with others and not when they were alone. Perceived social support from friends did not significantly moderate the within-person associations between negative affect and momentary cortisol levels. The findings add to our understanding of physiological correlates of socioemotional experiences, as well as contexts in which these associations may be exaggerated or attenuated. The findings inform our understanding of potential pathways by which physiological reactivity to socioemotional experiences may affect the health of adolescents as well as how prevention efforts could reduce potential poor health outcomes associated with heightened stress reactivity.
ContributorsKomarnisky, Sydney-Paige Milan (Author) / Doane, Leah (Thesis director) / Knight, George (Committee member) / Luecken, Linda (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
The author is an accounting major headed into the public accounting industry. As a tax intern his senior year, he was able to work in the thick of "busy season", when tax returns are due for submission and work is very busy. The author tired of working long hours and continuous talking with his accounting friends how working on Saturdays and long weeknights was generally accepted. Best value principles from Dr. Dean Kashiwagi's Information Measurement Theory were applied to examine how to maximize efficiency in public accounting and reduce the workload. After reviewing how Information Measurement Theory applies to public accounting, the author deemed three possible solutions to improve the working conditions of public accountants. First, to decrease the work load during busy season, tax organizers need to be sent earlier and staff should be assigned to oversee this information gathering. Second, in order to better prepare new hires to become partners, the career path needs to be outlined on day one with a career guide. Finally, in order to more successfully on board new hires due to the steep learning in public accounting, firms should utilize buddy systems and encourage organic mentoring.
ContributorsBohmke, Scott (Author) / Kashiwagi, Dean (Thesis director) / Kashiwagi, Jacob (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The present study investigates the differences in the academic motivation of traditional and non-traditional students according to Self Determination Theory. Additionally, the study explores the relationships between academic motivation and academic, career, and family stress in traditional and non-traditional students according to the Challenge and Hindrance Stress Framework. A survey was administered to 744 undergraduate students at Arizona State University. An independent samples t-test indicated significant differences between several student groups. According to the results, non-traditional students are more intrinsically motivated "to know" and traditional students are more extrinsically motivated by "identified regulation" and "external regulation". Additionally, a correlation matrix indicated that academic stress is positively related to extrinsic motivation, family stress is related to both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in all students, and career stress is related to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in working students.
ContributorsBickle, Jessica Aaron (Author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Clemons, Jamie (Committee member) / Batac, Jo (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
Schizophrenia affects 1.1% of the population worldwide. Schizophrenia is a complex, multifactorial disorder. Stress can trigger psychotic episodes and exacerbate schizophrenic symptoms. For humans, one gene implicated in stress and schizophrenia in humans is the early growth response 3 (EGR3). Patients with genomic variations in EGR3 have reduced levels of EGR3 in the prefrontal brain region compared with healthy patients. Schizophrenic patients also have less serotonin 2A receptor (5HT2AR), which is coded by the gene Htr2a, in their prefrontal cortex. Mice that are Egr3-deficient also have decreased levels of 5HT2AR, suggesting that Egr3 may be involved in the regulation of 5HT2AR. The purpose of the experiment is to determine if EGR3 binds to the Htr2a gene promoter region by using a Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. We will use ECS to increase EGR3 expression. Previously we have identified two upstream sites of interest where EGR3 potentially binds to the Htr2a gene, one which is distal and one proximal to the transcription start site. After ECS, increased binding is seen in the Htr2a distal region with EGR3 via the ChIP assay. Increased binding was not observed at either of the promoter sites; however, the t-test comparing the distal site of the ECS and the No ECS groups to have a p-value of 0.056, suggesting that increasing the number of animals (n=7) could possibly give a more accurate representation to test our hypothesis. However, the experiment still suggests increased expression and that EGR3 may bind to the distal site of Htr2a. Keywords: stress, environment, genetics, schizophrenia, EGR3, chromatin immunoprecipitation
ContributorsMishra, Abhinav (Author) / Buetow, Kenneth (Thesis director) / Gallitano, Amelia (Committee member) / Zhao, Xiuli (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Executive compensation is broken into two parts: one fixed and one variable. The fixed component of executive compensation is the annual salary and the variable components are performance-based incentives. Clawback provisions of executive compensation are designed to require executives to return performance-based, variable compensation that was erroneously awarded in the year of a misstatement. This research shows the need for the use of a new clawback provision that combines aspects of the two currently in regulation. In our current federal regulation, there are two clawback provisions in play: Section 304 of Sarbanes-Oxley and section 954 of The Dodd\u2014Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This paper argues for the use of an optimal clawback provision that combines aspects of both the current SOX provision and the Dodd-Frank provision, by integrating the principles of loss aversion and narcissism. These two factors are important to consider when designing a clawback provision, as it is generally accepted that average individuals are loss averse and executives are becoming increasingly narcissistic. Therefore, when attempting to mitigate the risk of a leader keeping erroneously awarded executive compensation, the decision making factors of narcissism and loss aversion must be taken into account. Additionally, this paper predicts how compensation structures will shift post-implementation. Through a survey analyzing the level of both loss- aversion and narcissism in respondents, the research question justifies the principle that people are loss averse and that a subset of the population show narcissistic tendencies. Both loss aversion and narcissism drove the results to suggest there are benefits to both clawback provisions and that a new provision that combines elements of both is most beneficial in mitigating the risk of executives receiving erroneously awarded compensation. I concluded the most optimal clawback provision is mandatory for all public companies (Dodd-Frank), targets all executives (Dodd-Frank), and requires the recuperation of the entire bonus, not just that which was in excess of what should have been received (SOX).
ContributorsLarscheid, Elizabeth (Author) / Samuelson, Melissa (Thesis director) / Casas-Arce, Pablo (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder with poorly understood genetic and environmental factors. An allelic variant of complement component 4 (C4), a protein first identified in innate immune response is strongly associated with schizophrenia. In the brain, activity of C4 leads to dendritic pruning, a process that may be causal in disease progression. Environmental factors, such as early life exposure to significant stressors also associate with increased risk of schizophrenia in later life. My hypothesis is that these factors do not act independently, but rather in tandem to influence disease etiology.
This hypothesis is supported by previous studies demonstrating that stress-induced elevation of glucocorticoids increases the transcription of C4. I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors directly increase C4 protein expression as a transcription factor activator. Additionally, I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors inhibit the expression of the transcription factor nuclear factor-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), thereby leading to decreased expression of the C4 inhibitor CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1).
Glucocorticoid receptors and C4 are richly expressed in the hippocampus, a region critical in memory consolidation, spatial, and declarative memory. I propose that stress-induced upregulation of C4 activity in the hippocampus promotes excessive synaptic pruning, contributing to specific deficits and hippocampal shrinkage seen in schizophrenia. Stress exposure during fetal development and adolescence likely acts through the proposed mechanisms to increase hippocampal C4 activity and subsequent schizophrenia risk. These mechanisms may reveal novel interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors in the etiology of schizophrenia through complement activation.
This hypothesis is supported by previous studies demonstrating that stress-induced elevation of glucocorticoids increases the transcription of C4. I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors directly increase C4 protein expression as a transcription factor activator. Additionally, I propose that activated glucocorticoid receptors inhibit the expression of the transcription factor nuclear factor-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), thereby leading to decreased expression of the C4 inhibitor CUB and Sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1).
Glucocorticoid receptors and C4 are richly expressed in the hippocampus, a region critical in memory consolidation, spatial, and declarative memory. I propose that stress-induced upregulation of C4 activity in the hippocampus promotes excessive synaptic pruning, contributing to specific deficits and hippocampal shrinkage seen in schizophrenia. Stress exposure during fetal development and adolescence likely acts through the proposed mechanisms to increase hippocampal C4 activity and subsequent schizophrenia risk. These mechanisms may reveal novel interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors in the etiology of schizophrenia through complement activation.
ContributorsHoegh, Emily Marie (Author) / Orchinik, Miles (Thesis director) / Newbern, Jason (Committee member) / Talboom, Joshua (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether viewing videos of dogs had an effect on the stress response of college students. While there is strong support in the literature for demonstrating the beneficial effect of human-canine interactions on human stress indicators, there is very little to no literature on whether or not this phenomenon translates across a digital medium. We hypothesized that when exposed to a video of golden retriever puppies after a stress-inducing task, an individual would experience an increase in blood pressure recovery rate and a decline in perceived stress. In order to study this, we put together several surveys to test our participants' perceived stress, and we measured blood pressure several times in order to obtain a physiological measure of stress. Additionally, in order to produce a guaranteed stress response in our participants, we gave them 2 minutes to prepare a 4 minute video-recorded speech that they were not made aware of prior to entering the testing facility. After the speech task, the experimental group quietly viewed a pleasant 4 minute video containing imagery of dogs, while the control group sat silently for the same duration of time. During this time, the control group was asked to mentally review their performance and to focus intently on the feelings they experienced while giving their speech. Through these measures we found a significant recovery rate in systolic blood pressure and a trending difference between groups for the decline in negative affect. The data demonstrated that the experimental group had blood pressure levels that were significantly closer to their baseline levels when compared to the control group, whose blood pressure did not decline at the same rate. Additionally, the experimental group experienced a higher level of change in negative affect when asked to self-report their level of stress before the speech task and after the conditional recovery period. Interestingly, these findings can be applied to recent literature suggesting that systolic blood pressure is the most important factor of cardiac health to consider when assessing an individual for risk of heart disease or cardiac arrest. While the sample size of this study was small, the significant reduction in systolic blood pressure within the experimental group could indicate the possible efficacy of utilizing digital media containing imagery of canines as a form of therapy for systolically-hypertensive individuals as a means of managing their condition.
ContributorsDiModugno, Maria (Co-author) / Barbera, Joseph (Co-author) / Luecken, Linda (Thesis director) / Lemery-Chalfant, Kathryn (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
This paper will highlight the ways that Chinese students handle stress due to different reasons and how they solve their stress. The main reasons include different education styles, cultural differences between the US and China, food, language, entertainment ways and religious. Chinese students have many methods to solve stress that include both positive and negative ways. I will provide more details about the ways in the third part in which I report the findings of my survey. My study is relevant because of the large numbers of Chinese students who are studying internationally.
ContributorsHuang, Qin (Author) / Valderrama, Jamie (Thesis director) / Reckers, Philip (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
Given its impact on the accounting profession and public corporations, Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002(SOX) is a widely researched regulation among accounting scholars. Research typically focuses on the impact it has had on corporations, executives and auditors, however, there is limited research that illustrates the impact SOX may have on average Americans. There were several US criminal code sections that resulted from the passing of SOX. Statute 1519, which is often referred to as the "anti-shredding provision", penalizes anyone who "knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to" obstruct a current or foreseeable federal investigation. This statute, although intended to punish behavior similar to that which occurred in the early 2000s by corporations and auditors, has been used to charge people beyond its original intent. Several issues with the crafting of the statute cause its broad application and some litigation even reached the Supreme Court due to its vague wording. Not only is the statute being applied beyond the intent, there are other issues that legal scholars have critiqued it for. This statute is far from being the only law facing these issues as the same issues and critiques are found in the 14th amendment. Rewriting the statute seems to be the most effective way to address the concerns of judges, lawyers and defendants regarding the statute. In addition, Congress could have passed this statute outside of SOX to avoid being seen as overreaching if obstruction of justice related to documents was actually an issue outside of corporate fraud.
ContributorsGonzalez, Joana (Author) / Samuelson, Melissa (Thesis director) / Lowe, Jordan (Committee member) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Schizophrenia risk is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The immediate early gene early growth response 3 (Egr3), is regulated downstream of several schizophrenia risk genes and encodes a zinc-finger transcription factor protein. Previous studies from our lab indicate that Egr3 deficient (Egr3 -/-) mice exhibit schizophrenia-like phenotypes. We also discovered decreased serotonin 2a receptors (5-HT2AR) in the Egr3 -/- mice, similar to studies that reported decreased 5-HT2ARs in schizophrenia patients. We previously reported that sleep deprivation, a mild stress, causes the over expression of Egr3 and the serotonin 2a gene (Htr2a) in the cortex. To determine whether EGR3, a transcription factor, regulates Htr2a in the prefrontal cortex after sleep deprivation, Egr3 -/-and Egr3 +/+ mice were sleep deprived for eight hours. Transgenic mice were used that expressed enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) under control of the Htr2a promoter via a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC). Immunohistochemistry was performed to identify EGFP containing cells. Data analysis revealed no significant interaction between genotype and sleep deprivation in 5-HT2AR/EGFP containing cells within the prefrontal cortex. Based on the findings of this study, more data is needed to better determine the relationship between sleep deprivation and its effect on the regulation of Htr2a through in an EGR3 dependent manner.
ContributorsReznik, Derek Lee (Author) / Wilson-Rawls, Jeanne (Thesis director) / Gallitano, Amelia (Committee member) / Anderson, Karen (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12