ASU celebrates start of new academic year

August 9, 2013

Welcome back, Sun Devils! This fall, ASU is continuing to be the university of choice for students from Arizona and elsewhere as it welcomes a record number of students, including more than 12,500 students who will be moving into campus residence halls Aug. 16-21. (Visit the Fall Welcome site for more details.)

Once students have settled in, they can check out more than 100 individual events during ASU’s Fall Welcome, Aug. 15-20. These events are specifically aimed at helping new Sun Devils become familiar with the university, leading up to the first day of classes on Aug. 22. Download Full Image

Over the years, ASU has become one of the best universities in the world – noted for excellence of its academic and research programs, the quality of its graduates, prestige of its faculty and its commitment to important initiatives like entrepreneurship and sustainability. ASU is continuing its commitment to providing an environment that is conducive to intellectual growth and healthy living. Beginning Aug. 1, the university joined nearly 800 schools across the nation by going completely tobacco free. The initiative was spearheaded by students and supported by the University Staff Council and the faculty Academic Senate as part of a larger effort to promote health and wellness in the ASU community. Students at the Tempe campus will also notice the university’s recent introduction of Walk-Only Zones, designed to increase pedestrian safety and reduce vehicle congestion on heavily travelled campus malls.

To learn more about everything you need to know for the new year, check out the stories below.

West campus move-in

More than 12,500 students set to move in Aug. 16-21

Arizona State University welcomes the class of 2017, including more than 12,500 students moving into campus residence halls Aug. 16-21, for the 2013-2014 academic year. read more

Sun Devil Welcome

Fall Welcome celebrates class of 2017

Join Arizona State University in welcoming new students and their families to campus by attending Fall Welcome activities, Aug. 15-20. read more

tobacco free logo

ASU is now tobacco free

Arizona State University is now tobacco free, joining approximately 800 colleges and universities nationwide that have kicked the habit. read more

Cady Mall

Walk-Only Zones make your campus trips safer

Starting this fall, Walk-Only Zones will be enforced to increase pedestrian safety and reduce vehicle congestion. From 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday, no one may ride, drive or park wheeled vehicles in these designated zones. read more

ASU Alert icon

Start the semester with safety in mind

ASU’s Police Department, the Tempe Police Department and several officers from other agencies are conducting a joint awareness campaign during the first weeks of school to enforce traffic laws and alcohol violations. read more

students walking on palm walk

asu welcomes record freshman class

This fall, Arizona State University welcomes a freshman class that sets new records on many levels. The new class includes 10,149 academically distinguished, diverse Sun Devils from 50 states and 71 countries. read more

students walking on tempe campus

record number of students choose ASU

ASU continues to draw record numbers of academically qualified students who are eager to learn and make their mark on the world. As the fall 2013 semester begins Aug. 22, the university anticipates an enrollment of slightly more than 76,000 undergraduate and graduate students. read more

Manzanita Hall

university housing welcomes students to campus residential living

ASU welcomed more than 12,500 residents across four of ASU’s locations this week, including more than 800 students into the newly renovated 215,000-square-foot Manzanita Hall. read more

Camp Solera 2013

camp solera welcomes West campus freshmen

More than 200 freshmen participated in Camp Solera, a three-day experience designed to build class unity among West campus students. read more

NROTC freshmen

Naval ROTC welcomes freshmen to ASU

Arriving before most other students at Arizona State, more than 60 prospective Navy and Marine Corps midshipmen were introduced to college and military life during four intense days of physical fitness training, personal and professional development classes, swim and drill instruction. read more

Lisa Robbins

Assistant Director, Media Relations and Strategic Communications

480-965-9370 lisarobbins@asu.edu

Are Republicans more open to new product choices?

August 12, 2013

Some people may think of political conservatives as having a desire to maintain traditions, but a new study shows they also have a more adventurous side that seeks out variety in products.

The new research from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University was recently posted online by the Journal of Consumer Psychology. It includes three experiments in which political conservatives prove they are more likely to choose a variety of consumer products than their liberal counterparts. Professor Naomi Mandel Download Full Image

“Although political conservatives have been found in previous studies to have a higher desire for control, they have an even stronger motivation to follow social norms when there is no threat to the system or individual,” explains Naomi Mandel, professor in the W. P. Carey School of Business, one of the study authors. “Since we have a very individualistic culture in the United States and Europe, people tend to think of others more favorably when they include more variety in their consumption choices. Therefore, political conservatives may seek out that approval and positive evaluation.”

In a series of experiments, Mandel and her co-author – Daniel Fernandes, assistant professor of the Catholic University of Portugal – found political conservatives wanted more variety in their products than liberals.

For example, the researchers first used several established scales to question and determine the political leanings of 192 college undergraduates. Then, they told the students to imagine four consecutive weekly grocery shopping trips during which they could select from four brands of snack chips. Overwhelmingly, the politically conservative students chose more variety in their chips for the month than the more liberal students did.

In another experiment, 111 undergrads were polled for their political leanings. Then, they completed other tasks before ultimately being asked to select three candy bars from five options as a reward for participating. Again, the political conservatives exhibited much more variety in the candy bars chosen.

“Differences between liberals and conservatives are rooted in basic personality dispositions that reflect and reinforce differences in fundamental psychological needs and motives,” says Mandel. “We wanted to understand how and why a consumer’s political ideology could affect his or her consumption choices.”

Mandel explains the findings could help marketing managers with future ad placements. For example, if a company wants to introduce a new product, it might decide to target politically conservative neighborhoods and outlets like Fox News and The Wall Street Journal.

To read the full study, go to http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740813000478.