Allostatic load in students, commonly referred to as student burnout, is extremely detrimental to emotional, mental, and physical health. Recent studies are finding an uptick in allostatic load in students, as academic pressures continue to rise. In order to meet the changing needs of students, universities should address the effects of overwhelming academic stress and student burnout. My thesis aimed to provide college campuses with the tools they need to do so, particularly through the implementation of Talking Circles. Talking Circles are structured discussions aimed to address specific issues, problems, or talking points. I had the opportunity to design, create, and facilitate Talking Circles with the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) Chapter at Arizona State University. The focus of these circles were designed to have specific emphasis on reducing allostatic load in ASU’s student population. Thus, the Talking Circle prompts, following the principles of positive psychology, focused on emphasizing individual strengths in regards to handling stress. Through individual participant feedback, students felt “empowered, strengthened, and safe” after participating in the Talking Circles. In addition to facilitating these psychosocial support groups, I created a digital toolkit that allows for easier accessibility and distribution of Talking Circles. This allows for not only more students at ASU to feel ‘empowered and strengthened’ but for college students across the U.S. to have the tools, resources, and access to manage stress and reduce allostatic load.

The Wonderbox research project was the product of a creative health collaboration between the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University, as well as the Childsplay AZ theater in Tempe, Arizona. This ongoing project began in the summer of 2021. It was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, and IRB approval was obtained for the project. Each participant signed informed consent documents prior to the start of the survey and the intervention. This research project aimed to explore ways in which stress can be alleviated in parents and caregivers who have medically complex children using creative play and interactive theater interventions. This study used surveys to determine how the Wonderbox activities impacted the perceived stress, well-being, overall family functioning, and quality of life of parents who have medically complex children. This study consisted of parents or caregivers of children between the ages of 6 and 17 with any type of medical complexity who spoke English. There were 31 families who participated in this study. The family APGAR (family functioning), perceived stress scale, quality of life evaluation, and the WHO-5 well-being index were measured before and following the intervention. The quality of life evaluation post-test measure was shown to be statistically significant, and the perceived stress increased but was not statistically significant. The Family APGAR had no change. In qualitative results, only five families reported their results in ClassDojo, and there was no communication between the researchers and the parents of these children. Overall, the study was successful in significantly improving quality of life and caused no harm to the participants in other areas of evaluation. Future studies should consider broadening the size of the population of the next cohort, as well as promoting better communication among these families to obtain more qualitative results.

Colonial mentality is defined as the perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority as a form of internalized racial oppression as a direct consequence of colonialism. It promotes the notion that being lighter equates to more economic value and an increase in privilege. This psychological phenomenon is prevalent in the Filipinx community, both on the mainland and in the diaspora. Many Filipinx are encouraged to use skin-lightening products or undergo other procedures that aim to erase their ethnic features. Some experience constant microaggressions from family members about being “too dark”. And the lack of representation of darker-skinned individuals in the entertainment industry further perpetuates the notion that being lighter leads to more success. This honors thesis aims to show that Filipinx on the mainland and diaspora share similar mental and social repercussions of growing up in such an environment, frustrations regarding their identity, and a desire to reclaim their roots. These factors bond the community together. Finally, it also aims to present the extent of feeling represented in media and being accepted for the color of your skin has on one’s self-esteem and mental health. The zine accompanying this honors thesis will feature poems, interview excerpts, art, and other creative pieces done by me or the participants that describe our experiences with colonial mentality, colorism, and Westernization. It will also feature a spotlight interview with one participant.

Colonial mentality is defined as the perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority as a form of internalized racial oppression as a direct consequence of colonialism. It promotes the notion that being lighter equates to more economic value and an increase in privilege. This psychological phenomenon is prevalent in the Filipinx community, both on the mainland and in the diaspora. Many Filipinx are encouraged to use skin-lightening products or undergo other procedures that aim to erase their ethnic features. Some experience constant microaggressions from family members about being “too dark”. And the lack of representation of darker-skinned individuals in the entertainment industry further perpetuates the notion that being lighter leads to more success. This honors thesis aims to show that Filipinx on the mainland and diaspora share similar mental and social repercussions of growing up in such an environment, frustrations regarding their identity, and a desire to reclaim their roots. These factors bond the community together. Finally, it also aims to present the extent of feeling represented in media and being accepted for the color of your skin has on one’s self-esteem and mental health. The zine accompanying this honors thesis will feature poems, interview excerpts, art, and other creative pieces done by me or the participants that describe our experiences with colonial mentality, colorism, and Westernization. It will also feature a spotlight interview with one participant.

The purpose of this study is to explore birth order effects on personality and how they influence field of study, academic self-efficacy, and future self-identification. The research aims to replicate past findings on birth order and personality variation while further exploring how birth order affects field of study, academic self-efficacy, and future self-identification. Furthermore, the research study will examine if personality variation mediates the relationship between birth order and field of study, academic self-efficacy, and future self-identification. The research sample (N=90) was used to explore these concepts. Lastly, the research will investigate within families, if birth order predicts differences in personality, academic self-efficacy, and future self-identification using 13 sibling pair results. The researchers recruited participants to complete self-reports of birth order, variable measures, and demographics using a survey on Qualtrics survey software through social media channels during the Fall and Spring of 2022 - 2023. The study yielded very few implications for birth order and personality variation, and how they influence fields of study, academic self-efficacy, and future self-identification. Further exploration of birth order and personality as they relate to field of study, academic self-efficacy, and future self-identification is necessary as it may positively contribute to parental expectations, parent-child relationships, and parental understanding of differences of goals and interests among siblings. Furthermore, future studies should investigate factors that may change birth order effects on personality such as evolving social standards, family size, and culture shifts.