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American democracy is perishing, and in order to address this trend, we must improve our perceptive and communicative abilities. To begin, this thesis examines the different influences that affect the behavior of American voters, some of which are innately political and some that are not. American polarization, social media, the two-party system, human hardwiring, and a general lack of incentive to engage are all examined at length to set the table for solutions. Solutions, in the context of this thesis, are not policy solutions but rather internal solutions. Given that democracy is such a participatory process, it appears most useful to provide tangible, personal takeaways. By exploring how to harness the power of influence, epistemic humility, open-mindedness, and appropriate media consumption, we have the tools necessary to pursue a more refined free speech society and democracy. If democracy is something the American collective is interested in preserving, we must adjust the way we process the world, and in this thesis, the foundations are set for a more productive democracy.
ContributorsMulder, Jordan (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Eric Ramsey, Ramsey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
ContributorsGnerer, Rhiannon (Author) / Sturgess, Jessica (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This qualitative project will begin with a general literature review on the topic of social-emotional readiness in the transition to college, with a specific lens on gifted students. Once that is completed, using first-person interviews of teachers and surveys of current students this project will seek to find out if students graduating from HYSA feel prepared socially and emotionally for the rigors of college.
ContributorsLeech, Kathleen (Author) / Hanish, Laura (Thesis director) / Lansdowne, Kimberly (Committee member) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2021-12
Description
Financial literacy is an important aspect of human life, and understating and gaining knowledge about how to budget, invest, and successfully save is essential in order to experience a fulfilling life without the burden of debt. This thesis seeks to raise awareness of financial literacy and to understand the way it is formed and conveyed. It first describes the different forms and amounts of debt Americans take on: consumer debt, credit card debt, and student loan debt. It next examines four currently popular financial curriculums: Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover, Suze Orman’s The Nine Steps to Financial Freedom, Robert T. Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez’s Your Money or Your Life. The thesis then discusses the psychological aspects of financial literacy, particularly happiness studies. It then examines financial literacy from the micro perspective of a Reddit forum content analysis and concludes by turning to American philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s ideas on how to live in a financially beneficial way.
ContributorsSimental, Veronica Mari (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Arce, Alma (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
A student’s sense of belonging at a higher education institution can have a profound impact on their ability to persist through college and complete a degree program. First-year students enrolled in NEW 101 classes at Arizona State University’s (ASU’S) West campus were evaluated to determine if the Solera Experience, a program designed to help first-year students integrate into the ASU community, had an impact on first-year students’ sense of belonging at ASU. Although the Solera Experience was not found to have a large impact on students’ sense of belonging, it is worth noting that a majority of the first-year students felt like they belong at ASU. Additionally, a student’s short-term and long-term belief in their own academic success did influence their perception of belonging at ASU, which suggests, overall, that the programs ASU has in place to establish sense of belonging seem to be effective.
ContributorsMurray, Abigail (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Gordon, Karen (Committee member) / Aska, Cassandra (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
For the sake of this thesis, two scholarly collections edited by Dr. Robin S. Rosenberg – Our Superheroes, Ourselves (2013) and The Psychology of Superheroes: An Unauthorized Exploration (2008) – were reviewed. From these two collections and the multitude of psychological theories they cite, those most relevant to adolescent character development are considered. Three broad theories are examined first: positive psychology, equity theory, and attachment style. Then, six additional specific theories that define temperament (behavioral activation system and behavioral inhibition system), personality theory, duel identity, media identification, parasocial interaction, and comparison theory are reviewed. After reviewing each theory, Heroes in Crisis (2019) , a recent bestselling DC offering that addresses superhero trauma, is analyzed through the lens of these psychological theories in order to provide insight into the psychology or both superheroes and their adolescent fans.
ContributorsGutierrez, Jairo Gerardo (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Amparano, Julie (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Common treatments for substance addiction in the United States (U.S) are the twelve-step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). However, there is a lack of evidence indicating the effectiveness of AA and NA as substance addiction treatment methods. The U.S. is currently grappling with one of its worst-ever alcohol and drug crises, illustrating that now more than ever it is necessary to examine alternative treatment methods for substance addiction to successfully treat this type of addiction. Thus, Buddhism can be seen as both a complement to and alternative for AA and NA treatment programs for treating substance addiction. The Buddhist teachings and practices of the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, mindfulness, and meditation can be used to treat substance addiction. Although only recently utilized in the U.S. to treat substance addiction, Buddhist teachings and practices offer a nontheistic approach to recovery which research has shown to be successful in treating substance addiction in countries with established Buddhist cultures. By determining what treatment method is most successful in treating this type of addiction, the U.S. will be able to effectively reduce substance addiction rates -- which is crucial to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all.
ContributorsArmstrong, Megan (Author) / Gruber, Diane (Thesis director) / Huntington, Patricia (Committee member) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
ContributorsArellano, Kiana (Author) / DeCarolis, Claudine (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor)
Created2022-05
ContributorsArellano, Kiana (Author) / DeCarolis, Claudine (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how the music and rhetoric of Rage Against the Machine is co-opted and delegitimized through internet memes. After a thorough internet search, I chose five memes that express opposing viewpoints to that of RATM’s anti-capitalist, liberalistic messaging and examined their appropriation of lyrics from their popular hit “Killing In the Name.” as well as the accusations of hypocrisy levied against the band for being inauthentic protest musicians. I also draw comparisons between the structure of these five memes and other politically centric internet memes such as Pepe the Frog and his appropriation by the alt-right, and the attacks against the hashtag Black Lives Matter through the antagonistic hashtag All Lives Matter. I observed the way internet memes use cultural icons to distort and shape narratives about the images’ meanings, in certain cases dissolving an icon’s original message or context entirely. I also propose the idea of internet memes as “ideological capital” that internet users exchange to bolster hegemonic thought and a national identity.
ContributorsBrown, Joshua H. (Author) / Walker, Michael (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2022-05