Matching Items (40)
Description
With organizations’ rising interest in creativity as one of the most sought out skill sets for graduates, it has become crucial to infuse creativity training in academic programs. This study evaluated freshmen business students’ perceptions about their personal, everyday creativity and examined the influence of infusing creativity training in their freshmen seminar course.
This action research study drew upon the intersection of three creative self-belief theories from management and education psychology literature: Jaussi, et al (2007) Creative Identity Theory; Karwowski (2014) Creative Mindset Theory; and Tierney & Farmer (2002) Creative Self-efficacy Theory. These theories arguably stemmed from Burke (1991) Identity Theory; Dweck (2006) Mindset Theory; and Bandura (1977, 1997) Self-efficacy Theory, respectively. This approach was used to understand what factors influenced students’ perceptions about their personal, everyday creativity.
Freshmen business students participated in the study. A concurrent mixed methods approach was used to gather data from the students. Quantitative data came from a post- and retrospective pre-intervention survey that assessed four constructs: creative identity, creative self-efficacy, growth mindset, and fixed mindset. The data also came from the quantitative section of a post-workshop feedback survey asking to rate the effectiveness of each workshop. Qualitative data were gathered in several ways. Student interviews focused on asking how they defined creativity, shared reasons that motivated or inhibited them to practice creativity, and explained to what extent the workshops influenced them. Additional qualitative data came from student reflection essays and the qualitative section of a post-workshop feedback survey.
Research results suggested students gained an increased understanding in the importance of adopting a growth mindset, designating ‘creative’ as a critical identity and building confidence in their creative endeavors. The students’ interview and reflection essay data were consistent with the survey data. Finally, research results from the study highlighted the benefit of creativity training as a crucial, complementary, and iterative form of study in an academic setting allowing students to know themselves better and to prioritize their creative performances as part of their program learning outcomes.
This action research study drew upon the intersection of three creative self-belief theories from management and education psychology literature: Jaussi, et al (2007) Creative Identity Theory; Karwowski (2014) Creative Mindset Theory; and Tierney & Farmer (2002) Creative Self-efficacy Theory. These theories arguably stemmed from Burke (1991) Identity Theory; Dweck (2006) Mindset Theory; and Bandura (1977, 1997) Self-efficacy Theory, respectively. This approach was used to understand what factors influenced students’ perceptions about their personal, everyday creativity.
Freshmen business students participated in the study. A concurrent mixed methods approach was used to gather data from the students. Quantitative data came from a post- and retrospective pre-intervention survey that assessed four constructs: creative identity, creative self-efficacy, growth mindset, and fixed mindset. The data also came from the quantitative section of a post-workshop feedback survey asking to rate the effectiveness of each workshop. Qualitative data were gathered in several ways. Student interviews focused on asking how they defined creativity, shared reasons that motivated or inhibited them to practice creativity, and explained to what extent the workshops influenced them. Additional qualitative data came from student reflection essays and the qualitative section of a post-workshop feedback survey.
Research results suggested students gained an increased understanding in the importance of adopting a growth mindset, designating ‘creative’ as a critical identity and building confidence in their creative endeavors. The students’ interview and reflection essay data were consistent with the survey data. Finally, research results from the study highlighted the benefit of creativity training as a crucial, complementary, and iterative form of study in an academic setting allowing students to know themselves better and to prioritize their creative performances as part of their program learning outcomes.
ContributorsHomayoun, Sogol (Author) / Buss, Ray (Thesis advisor) / Henriksen, Danah (Committee member) / Underiner, Tamara (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
This quasi-experimental, concurrent, mixed method, action research study sought to evaluate how an elective 1-credit course informed by mindfulness and culturally sustaining pedagogy influenced honors students’ academic self-efficacy, self-compassion, and their meaning-making about what it means to be an honors student. Theoretical perspectives and research guiding the study included: academic self-efficacy, culturally sustaining pedagogy, mindfulness, and third space. Drawing from these perspectives, the 9-week Creative Compassion course utilized poetry and rap as a way to enact culturally sustaining pedagogy and also as a vehicle for students to practice mindfulness. Findings from quantitative data from pre- and post- surveys of a treatment and control population, as well as qualitative data (open-ended survey questions, focus groups, and student artifacts) from the treatment population are presented here. This study revealed the following: practices informed by culturally sustaining pedagogy positively impacted students’ mindfulness, these same practices allowed for the creation of a third space within the classroom, and improving student self-compassion should be an increased priority. Additional implications for research and practice are also presented.
ContributorsBillbe, Sasha (Author) / McArthur Harris, Lauren (Thesis advisor) / Golden, Amy (Committee member) / Watrous, Lisa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Past research has focused on the important role humor plays in interpersonal relationships; however, researchers have also identified intrapersonal applications of humor, showing that people often use humor to alleviate negative affect, and that humor has generally been found to beneficially influence mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine whether humor-based coping can be utilized as an intrapersonal tool to aid or facilitate creative thinking and problem solving when faced with a distressing situation. The current study posits reduced rumination as the mechanism by which humor facilitates creativity. To measure creativity, a task was devised that had individuals brainstorm under some distress; participants were asked to recall and describe an ongoing, unresolved problem they were facing, followed by a rumination induction, as rumination is characterized by perseverative thoughts that hinder constructive action. After the rumination induction, participants were randomly assigned to a control condition or either of two emotion regulation conditions: positive reappraisal or humor-based reappraisal. Following this, participants were asked to complete an “alternate solutions” task, based on Guilford’s Alternate Uses Task, generating solutions for their own unresolved problem. Results of the study showed that the use of humor was indeed related to a decrease in rumination, but that the humor condition did not outperform either control condition on any measure of creativity (performing worse in some cases). Limits of this study and future directions are discussed.
ContributorsPages, Erika (Author) / Shiota, Michelle N. (Thesis advisor) / Kenrick, Douglas T. (Committee member) / Varnum, Michael E.W. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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 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.
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
Description
Over the course of my undergraduate experience, I have grown significantly as an artist - developing an assortment of strengths in a variety of cinematic disciplines ranging from screenwriting and producing to post-production and cinematography. All the while, I have been giving back to the Sun Devil community by serving in a number of leadership positions around campus which exposed me to a plethora of communities differ from my own. The combination of these experiences allows me to continuously explore new passions in synergy with my art. Two of these standing as the concept of live performance and the work of William Shakespeare. Through this exploration of artistic synergy, I have experimented with integrating the works of the Bard of Avon into the realm of cinema. From the beginning of 2105, I have been drafting a feature-length screenplay which serves as a quasi-prequel to Shakespeare's The Tempest. Under the title of A Kingdom or a Cure, it tells the story of the revolutionary war-hero Miguel Prosperiti as he struggles to save his daughter form a mysterious disease which has baffled the best medical minds while the country he has rebuilt comes crumbling down in post-apocalyptic Italy. Deposed and left to die at the hands of his brother, Miguel must defend his child from the evil witch Sycorax who attempts to kill the pair in order to feed off of their suffering and prolong her own life. Serving to fill the requirements for the Film and Media Production Capstone, A Kingdom or a Cure reimagines the world of Shakespeare's play and creates a new context for the words and actions of its leading characters. Such stands as the foundation of what I have created for what I have created as my applied project - a stylistic re-imagining of William Shakespeare's The Tempest which draws from multiple interpretations of the narrative to be performed as a piece within a larger theatrical presentation staged with only the classical techniques which stand contemporary to the Bard of Avon. The remainder of this document shall lie in six primary sections. The first two establish the project and detail its evolution over the course of the thesis process. Next stands as the production log which chronicles my journey over the Classical and Poetic Drama course as well as the rehearsal process for Mythfest and the Chaucer Festival. Fourth shall consist of a bibliography of all the texts which I have worked with over the course of this thesis experience. Fifth rests A Kingdom or a Cure - the screenplay which inspired me to embark on the grand journey which this thesis has taken me. Sixth shall assume the form of the PowerPoint Presentation which I presented at my thesis defense which contains a collection of images which have provided me with artistic inspiration throughout the thesis process. In conjunction with one another, these pieces serve as the written elements of my applied project.
ContributorsArcaro, Michael Anthony (Author) / Giner, Oscar (Thesis director) / Eckard, Bonnie (Committee member) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / School of Film, Dance and Theatre (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This project focuses on techniques contemporary American poets use in their work. Ten different poetry collections are analyzed for dominant writing styles and techniques, which I then apply to my own poems, concentrating on modeling that particular poet. I then reflect on those poems through an evaluation of my writing process, how those techniques were implemented, and how they affected the poem. In addition to these reviews and reflections, I also wrote three articles about the literary community and what I've learned from my interactions in that community. All these materials are organized into a website, which shows the connections between the different writings via links and menus. Creating this website brings all the materials together to demonstrate my growth as a poet, writer, and designer. This heavy focus on poetry and analysis has helped sharpen my critical thinking skills and has better prepared me for a career in design and journalism.
ContributorsHansen, Elizabeth Sarah (Author) / Murphy, Patricia (Thesis director) / Savard, Jeannine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Research on teamwork has shown that teams are more productive and produce better results than individuals working on their own. Yet, research on individuals' work preferences makes it clear that not everyone prefers working in teams. In order to improve teamwork and achieve better results in both the collegiate arena and in the professional world, this study was designed to research different factors that affect a group's performance and creativity: satisfaction, familiarity, and the behavioral styles of individual team members. Additionally, this study addresses if the group's composition of Keirsey types \u2014 temperament patterns \u2014 also play a role in the group's creativity and performance. In this study, students created teams of four to seven students and completed specific in-class activities called Applied Insights. Groups composed mostly of Guardians, one of the four Keirsey temperaments, are able to adapt to the task at hand, which is demonstrated here with creativity. Further, groups who perceive themselves as sharing similar traits with many members are more satisfied and achieve a higher overall performance. Lastly, groups comprised of individuals who were least familiar with their teammates they had not previously worked with, produced more creative results in the short run. Whereas groups comprised of individuals who were least familiar with their teammates they had previously worked with, produced better overall results in short run.
ContributorsPinto, Linda (Co-author) / Hulse, Christopher (Co-author) / Vaughn, Michael (Co-author) / LePine, Marcie (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Information Systems (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
The relationship between mental illness (or "madness," as Socrates labeled psychosis, as well as a wide range of states of thought and emotion [Jamison, 1993]) and creativity has been noted since before the times of Socrates. The questions that this noted relationship pose are significant. Famous authors, poets, artists, and musicians who suffered from various forms of mental illness are littered throughout history. Edgar Allen Poe himself noted, "Men have called me mad but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence \u2014 whether much that is glorious \u2014 whether all that is profound \u2014 does not spring from disease of thought \u2014 from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect." Only in recent years have researchers begun to classify these disorders of past artists using modern diagnostic measures. While the concept of a relationship between creativity and mental illness is fascinating in and of itself, understanding the implications of a possible correlation is essential to the care and treatment that individuals with the diseases are given. If, indeed, creativity is linked with affective disorders, what does this mean for the treatment of these disorders? By eliminating the symptoms of mood disorders, are we also inadvertently eliminating creativity? It is important to acknowledge the possibility that mental illnesses like bipolar disorder include benefits to those afflicted. How can we treat the negative symptoms of mood disorders while enhancing the positive symptoms? In order to conclude that there is a link between creativity and mood disorders, it is first necessary to reexamine and reestablish the processes by which mood disorders are diagnosed. Although currently diagnosed on a categorical scale \u2014 meaning the patient is diagnosed under the black-and-white category of manic or depressive at a given point in time \u2014 this paper will argue that mood disorders can be better diagnosed and treated on a continuum of mood states. Furthermore, by viewing mood disorders on such a continuum, writers like Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath, whose diagnoses are debated by historians and professionals, can be established as having a diagnosable affective disorder, since both experienced symptoms of depression and mania, if not in the precise timing and manner proscribed by the Diagnostic Manual. Finally, by determining these writers' diagnoses, a relationship can be explored between their creative states and their mood states.
ContributorsKugler, Danica Eileen (Author) / Montesano, Mark (Thesis director) / Holbo, Christine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Letters and Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
As part of the InnovationSpace program, interdisciplinary teams of five undergraduate students from the areas of business, engineering, graphic design, industrial design, and sustainability are responsible for creating a product idea that addresses a societal need. My team, Flo, was tasked with finding a product/service solution that will increase collaboration or creativity in a workplace environment. After deciding as a group how to define collaboration—working with others to achieve a common goal—and creativity—getting to an end goal in a different way than is expected—we spent the fall 2014 semester researching pain points and areas of interest for potential customers and users. We learned that one of the barriers to productivity for our target users in startups and mature corporations is that they often lack the right mix of private and collaborative spaces. From this insight, we created a product system called Trenz.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both collaboration and individual work. Trenz sits at the intersection of both work styles, thus aiming to negate the downsides of both and harness their benefits based on real-time user needs. Holistically, the corporate workplace furniture industry is stagnant, despite several trends that pave the way for future innovation. Even though studies are consistently released on the benefits of natural light, flexibility, and activity in the workplace, the furniture industry has not yet responded with a solution that successfully solves all three while keeping the user in mind. As such, Trenz is a product-service system with the potential to create a new segment in the market because of its user-centric design, the support of individual/group work dynamics, and its feature set that can accommodate a diverse group of users.
There are benefits and drawbacks to both collaboration and individual work. Trenz sits at the intersection of both work styles, thus aiming to negate the downsides of both and harness their benefits based on real-time user needs. Holistically, the corporate workplace furniture industry is stagnant, despite several trends that pave the way for future innovation. Even though studies are consistently released on the benefits of natural light, flexibility, and activity in the workplace, the furniture industry has not yet responded with a solution that successfully solves all three while keeping the user in mind. As such, Trenz is a product-service system with the potential to create a new segment in the market because of its user-centric design, the support of individual/group work dynamics, and its feature set that can accommodate a diverse group of users.
ContributorsDicicco, Ryan Paul (Author) / Peck, Sidnee (Thesis director) / Smith, Jacqueline (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
As the shift to more innovative and open workspaces continues gaining popularity, millennial-heavy trends are now influencing businesses to create a more "Google-ly" and open atmosphere that caters to the needs of different personalities in a quirky, fun and innovative fashion. Millennials are becoming even more central as they begin to dominate the work force and replace more than 75 million older workers who are nearing, or are currently at, retirement age (Twenge et al., 2010). These Millennials have high expectations of their employers and will quickly leave their job if these needs are not being adequately met . One of those expectations is a push for creating spaces that optimize creativity and collaboration among employees. Team n o o d l e aims to address this problem by tackling the issue of underutilized conference rooms that dominate traditional business environments. Team n o o d l e is introducing a product that aims to eliminate the inefficiencies of traditional brainstorming sessions, such as time spent prepping, sticky-note usage and clean up. Otlet is a multi-functional conference table that doubles as a recreational gaming center. Otlet combines work and play by creating an open and engaging environment for sharing ideas. It serves to enhance creativity and collaboration among workers, and in the process may be a catalyst to transform the culture of that workplace. Academic research has begun to validate the importance of fun in the workplace. A number of studies have demonstrated that fun relates to employee attitudes and affective states, such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, engagement, positive mood, and positive emotions . (Fluegge, 2008; Karl and Peluchette, 2006a, b; Karl et al., 2007, 2008; McDowell, 2004). Today, a business's online presence is everything. A 2013 poll by AT&T revealed that 67% of businesses are using their website to market to customers . Additionally, 66% of small businesses are maintaining or increasing their spend on digital marketing . The rise in popularity of digital marketing and the Internet is, for the first time, empowering small businesses to compete with businesses of all sizes. The ability to reach audiences across the world has evened out the playing field and leveraged small businesses to compete on a national and global level. Otlet's success will be dependent on an effective and innovative digital marketing strategy. With that being said, I recommend that team n o o d l e implement an initial digital marketing strategy for Otlet that includes a website, paid ad campaigns, a search engine optimization strategy, landing page development, and content marketing.
ContributorsLynch, Ryan Anthony (Author) / Peck, Sidnee (Thesis director) / Boradkar, Prasad (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2015-05