Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Capstone Projects
The MAPP Capstone is an independent project that integrates what the student has learned in the program and advances the application of Positive Psychology.
If you are a MAPP graduate and would like to have your Capstone project uploaded onto this site, please submit your Capstone. If you are the only author on your Capstone project, your decision to upload the document will serve as your agreement to the terms (individual authors do not actually have to submit an agreement form). If you completed a Capstone project with multiple authors, each author will need to submit an Author Agreement form. Please send the completed forms to Aaron Boczkowski (aaronb2@sas.upenn.edu) and Kenny Whitebloom (libraryrepository@pobox.upenn.edu). Once received, one of the authors can upload the Capstone.
Papers from 2022
Virtue Resonance: Friendship in the Context of Adversity, Christopher J. Baccash
Psychedelics, Positive Psychology, and Positive Humanities, Hamide Eygoren
The New Hollywood: A Producer’s Approach to Positive Production Through Enhanced Relationships, Capella Fahoome
Organizations as Agents for Well-Being: How an Organizational Orientation to “Do Good” Could Lead to Flourishing, Andrew Frick
Well at Work: A Leader’s Positive Psychology Guide to Managing Stress and Manifesting Well-Being, Katherine Johnson
Coping With the Unforeseen: An Investigation of Character Strengths of Parents who Have Children with Life-Altering Diagnoses, Rabiya Karamali
Lunch: A positive intervention in the workplace?, Michal Levison and Michal D. Levison
Improving Residents’ Well-being Through Mindful Interventions and Character Strength Amplification, Hasan Mabry
Posttraumatic Growth and Primal World Beliefs among People Who Have Caused Accidental Death or Serious Injury, Mark L. O'Brien
Be the Change: How Living With Virtue Contributes to the Collective Good, Joseph N. Okleberry
Building Belonging, Jacob M. Ross
How Parental Beliefs About School Can Potentially Influence Student Engagement, Charmaine Skepasts
Raising Flourishing Adults: How Positive Psychology Can Help Adolescents Rise Above Stressful Life Events to Lead Flourishing Adult Lives, Devon J. Still
OurStory: Leveraging College Admission Essays to Reframe Beliefs and Shape Positive Personal Narratives in African-American Adolescents, Abimbola O. Tschetter
Communitas: Building Community through Leisure and Collective Joy, Louise Wo
Papers from 2021
Connecting Theories of Emotional Intelligence and Emotion Regulation with Positive Psychology, Nadia Almheiri
Interactive Journaling as a Positive Intervention: Examining an Established Practice Through the Lens of Positive Psychology, Valerie Bagley
Moving Forward with Purpose: Increasing Physical Activity for School Wellness, Karen Bailey
Unmasked: COVID-19 and the Crisis of Well-Being in College Students, Paige DeLacey
The Revolutionary Force of Self-Compassion for Girls and Women, Erin E. Dullea
The Underview Effect: Awe Under the Sea, Diving for Well-being, Cheryl L. Eisen
Revealing Hidden Strengths at Work: Unleashing Your Employees’, Stakeholders', and Organization's Greatest Potential, Duncan Ferguson
Auditor Strong: A C.P.A. Plan for Resilience; How Character Strengths, Purpose, and Adapting to Stress Can Help Public Accountants Survive and Thrive, Wesley R. Hitchcock
The The Pearl Effect: African American’s Continuous Push for Well-Being, Frank Jackson
Improving employee well-being through workplace contexts and behaviors, Kristin Jonason
Peloton as a Positive Intervention: Using Values, Character Strengths, Language, and Agency to Promote Sustained Engagment, Heidi S. B. Kaufman and Pia Dalal
Positive Rituals for Motherhood: Pain Points and Practices for Maternal Well-Being, Kelsey Klinefelter
How to Enhance Curiosity in Early Childhood: A Curiosity Toy Kit, Michelle Kwan
Increasing Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Through Positive Interventions for Human Flourishing, Michael J. McCarthy
People, Place, and Pokémon: How Location-Based Games Enhance Well-Being, Rachel B. Peterson
Healing the Hearts of Healers: A Framework to Cultivate Flourishing and Combat Burnout in Healthcare, Brittany Sutton
Papers from 2020
The Ten Principles of Highly Meaningful Work: A Qualitative Study of Leading Organizations, Wesley Adams and Tamara Myles
The Protagonist: Using Artificial Intelligence & Storytelling to Make Value-Based Career Decisions, Iris Cai
Micromoments Matter: Finding Agency and Connection Through a Micromoments Mindset, Cindy Chou and Amanda J. Masters
ADHD, Willpower, and Interest: A Positive Approach, Roger DeWitt
"Yes And": Exploring and Heightening the Positive Psychology in Improvisation, Bridget Erica Elam
Making Time for Friends: A Scientific How-To Guide for Maintaining and Strengthening Friendship in Adulthood, Kristin Elinkowski and Madison Romney
Set Up to Succeed and Set Up to Play: Cooperative Games as a Pathway for Adolescent Girls in High-Achieving Schools to Be Well and Lead Well, Emily M. Entress Clark
The Call of the Wild: The Transformative Nature of Nature, Karen E. Fetzer
When Words Matter Most: Positive Psychology Perspectives on Condolence Letters, Sarah Francois-Poncet
When Words Matter Most: Positive Psychology Perspectives on Condolence Letters, Sarah Francois-Poncet
The Art of Flourishing: Integrating Positive Psychology with Art Therapy to Promote Growth from Trauma, Sophia R. Heiser
The Great Plan of Happiness: The Intersections of the Restored Gospel of Christ and Positive Psychology, Robin Litster Johnson
More Than Just an Athlete: A Model For Character Strengths To Enhance Well-Being During Retirement From Sport, Eliza J. McDevitt
A Measure of All Minds: A Classification of the Artificial Intelligence Strengths and Virtues & the Creation of the THETIS Dimensions of Cybernetic Wellbeing, Seth Robin Norman
Leadership After COVID-19 [Spoiler: There is Something Beyond Recovery and Resilience for Individuals and Organizations], Thomas Payne
Everyday Heroes: Making a Case for Compassionate Behavior toward Strangers, Christina J. Pippen
Peloton as a Facilitator of Hope: Pathways to Initiate and Sustain Behaviors that Enhance Well-being, Lisa R. Richardson
Metacognition and Living Above Zero, Mary Margaret Rogers
Belonging: The What, Why, and How for Working Mothers, Caitlin J. Satterfield
Guerrilla Altruism: Maximizing Acts of Kindness for Well-Being, Elizabeth Sheeler
Positive Leadership on Campus: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Enhance Collaboration and Well-Being Among University Staff, Diane J. Trif
Memento Mori: Reflecting on Mortality to Inspire Vitality and Meaning in Life, Jodi Wellman
Papers from 2019
Flourishing Partners: Leveraging Positive Psychology in a Peer Support Model to Promote Well-being for Recovering Addicts, Carolyn Biondi
The Physiology of Social-Emotional Learning: Integrating Biomarkers of Self-Regulation into the Assessment and Implementation of Programs, Martin E. Blank
Empowering Student Leaders as Catalysts for Positive Culture, Elizabeth Blaum
Happy Brain, Healthy Body: Cultivating Vitality to Drive Sustainable Weight Loss, Alexandra Bono
When Thoughts Get in Our Way: Removing Cognitive Barriers so College Students can Thrive, Amanda J. Carreiro
Moral Excellence: A Study of How Business Leaders Stay True to Themselves, Kellie Cummings
Weaving a Colorful Life Tapestry: Serene Gratitude, Post-Traumatic Growth, and Breast Cancer, Courtney B. Daly
What's Next for Career Services: Increasing Well-being and Preparing Students for the Future of Work, Allyson M. Dhindsa
The Case for Character Strengths In College Admissions Advising: The Way You Are is a Great Way to Be, Lisa Downing
Infusing Well-Being Into Public Education: A Case for Living It, Dana Fulwiler
Why Did Gen Z Quit?: Reorienting Toward Long Term Employment in Social Justice, Owen J. Harrison
Thriving Cybersecurity Professionals: Building a Resilient Workforce and Psychological Safety in the Federal Government, Rephael Houston
Making Our Time Together Count: How to Use Workshops to Increase Well-Being through Connection, Sydney Kastner
Self-Permission and Well-Being: Self-Permission as a “Key” to Flourishing in Therapy and Positive Interventions, Cecilie Kran Løvestam
Finding Flourishing: The Well-being Discovery Framework, Devon G. O'Malley
Reviving Recovery: A Supplemental Approach in Treating Eating Disorders, Amy E. O'Sullivan
The Alchemy of Acceptance: How Accepting Emotions Enhances the Ability to Flexibly Work with Them, Jennifer Overall
Positive Jewish Education: A Pathway to Thriving in 21st Century Jewish Education, Sarah E. Rosenblum
A Model for Transformational Change: Linking the Modern Workforce with Modern Adolescence, Alisha Slye
Either Perfect or Meaningful: Identity Development, Perfectionism, and Emerging Adults’ Search for Meaning in Selective Higher Education Institutions, Elizabeth M. Sutton
Are All Happy Families Alike? Conceptualizing a Dashboard of Family Flourishing, Joel H. Treisman
The Happy Saint: The Call to Holiness is a Call to Happiness, Sari Wilson
Papers from 2018
Well-being in the United Arab Emirates: How Findings From Positive Psychology Can Inform Government Programs and Research, Noof Mohammed Aljneibi
Posttraumatic Growth and Residential Therapy: Cultivating Environments that Support and Facilitate Posttraumatic Growth and Positive Well-being., Tracey Bachrach
Intentions: The Beginnings of an Empirically Derived Typology, Jennifer F. Beatty
Purpose In Adolescence: A Review of the Literature and an Intervention Plan, Yvonne Biggins
Monasteries of the Future, Miles G. Bukiet
Positive Education in Hong Kong: Opportunities, Challenges and Recommendations for Implementation, Carl M. S. Chung
From Surviving to Thriving: How Colleges Can Use the Science of Positive Psychology to Enhance Student Well-Being, Sharon F. Danzger
Creative Problem Solving as a Positive Intervention and Approach to Career Development, Laura DelPrato
You Only Live Twice: Midlife as a Creative Transition Into Our 'Second Act', Erik Otto Driessen
So Others May Live: Enhancing Resilience and Performance for United States Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer Candidates to Help Close the AST Body-to-Billet Gap, Joseph E. Glaser-Reich
Positive Technology, Alex Glass
Positive Altruism: Helping that Benefits Both the Recipient and Giver, Anna S. Irani
Better Together: Enhancing Team Collaboration in Science (ETCSi) to Improve Well-being and Medicine Discovery, Lara S. Kallander
Becoming the Rising Generation: Uncovering the Path to Thriving for the Next Generation in Ultra-high Net Worth Families, Kristin Keffeler
Work Namaste: The Importance of Mattering at Work, and How a Leader Can Create an Environment Where Employees Feel They and Their Work Matter, Rebecca J. Lamperski
A Well-Being Ranking of US Colleges: Enabling Students to Choose a Life of Flourishing and Encouraging Schools to Measure It, Krista M. Larson
Promoting Well-Being Among Adoptees During the Search and Reunification Process, William Love
Be More: Buffering Against Gender Stereotypes by Building Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Erica Mohr