Capstones

By Leslie Blackburn

This capstone investigates how positive psychology, through some of its key concepts like mattering, belonging, self-efficacy, and resilience, can support flourishing in individuals with neurodivergence and intellectual disability. It diverges from the deficit-focused frameworks which have historically been used with these populations by proposing a different way to conceptualize assistance. Through a two-part structure the paper repositions flourishing as not only possible, but deeply necessary for people often overlooked in well-being and flourishing research. Part I synthesizes existing literature to examine how green-cape skills, or those skills which build strengths and abilities, manifest in neurodivergent individuals, as well as those who have cognitive or mental challenges. Part II investigates whether these green-cape skills can help address real problems, such as the dental fear and anxiety, by applying them in a practical dental intervention called the Staging Program. Drawing on mixed-method pilot quantitative data and inductive interview analysis, the paper demonstrates the efficacy of integrating positive psychology green-cape skill building into service settings for these marginalized populations. The findings suggest that deliberately nurturing green-cape skills not only enhances well-being, autonomy, and possibly flourishing, but may catalyze broader systemic shifts in how support is conceived and delivered. The paper advocates for a balanced, dignity-centered approach that affirms all individuals’ right to flourish.

See Leslie’s full capstone on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

By Donnell Brown

Public speaking research and subsequent speaking models have long revolved around the needs of the speaker: how to overcome anxiety and build confidence, project credibility, craft persuasive arguments, and master delivery techniques to command attention. This capstone instead explores the audience experience; specifically, how public speaking can become a deliberate tool for co-creating moments of connection and human flourishing. Drawing on broaden-and-build theory, emotional contagion, and narrative immersion, it introduces the ECHO model: a framework for enhancing emotional resonance through Expression, Connection, Human Story, and Orchestration. The project also includes a structured five-session workshop designed for semi-experienced speakers, guiding them to amplify positive emotional impact, deepen audience connection, and improve message retention. While the ECHO model underscores the speaker’s power to shape emotional climates, it equally highlights the responsibility to do so transparently and with care through ethical orchestration. This work suggests that when speakers design their delivery with intention and authenticity through the lens of positive psychology, they build relational bridges that can inspire, elevate, and resonate long after the final words are spoken.

See Donnell’s full capstone on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

By Cameron Madill

This capstone examined how an entrepreneur’s passion for their business may impact their life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and subjective business success, along with relationship processes as possible mediators. Study 1 was a qualitative study (n=24) of couples who were interviewed where at least one was an entrepreneur. Two coders reviewed the results and found statistically significant positive correlations between relationship satisfaction and harmonious passion (HP), self-regulation during conflict, and perceived partner support; a negative correlation between obsessive passion (OP) and relationship satisfaction was also found. Study 2 was a quantitative study (n=391) of entrepreneurs that explored their relationship with their business (as a harmonious or obsessive passion) as the key predictor variable, life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and subjective business success as outcome variables, and perceived partner responsiveness, destructive conflict behaviors, and reparative behaviors after conflict as possible mediators. Regression analysis found that HP positively predicted all three outcome variables and OP predicted greater subjective business success. Path analysis found that HP indirectly predicted greater relationship satisfaction through perceived partner responsiveness, OP indirectly predicted lower relationship satisfaction through destructive conflict behaviors, and that HP predicted greater life satisfaction both directly as well as indirectly via perceived partner responsiveness. These results suggest that while both types of passion may promote business success, they have diverging implications for interpersonal and personal well-being.

See Cameron’s full capstone on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.

By Jessie Reese

Executive well-being is deteriorating under intensifying post-pandemic demands. While burnout has received substantial attention, a quieter and often overlooked phenomenon, brownout, characterized by chronic, low-grade depletion that erodes performance, health, and purpose, poses an equally critical threat. Despite increased investments in preventative wellness programs, coaching, and leadership benefits, most organizations lack accessible, practical tools to help senior leaders identify and address brownout once it has emerged. The human and economic toll is significant: global productivity losses due to anxiety and depression total approximately $1 trillion annually (World Health Organization & International Labour Organization, 2022), highlighting the urgent implications for executive effectiveness and well-being. This capstone introduces the Environmental Alignment Model (EAM), a research-informed, actionable diagnostic tool designed to support senior executives experiencing brownout or burnout. Unlike traditional interventions, the EAM facilitates real-time self-assessment of misalignment across three critical life domains: Work, Self, and Home. It provides immediate, strategic guidance toward recovery and sustained performance. Grounded in positive psychology, leadership development, and performance science, early pilot testing suggests the model catalyzes meaningful short-term recovery while promoting long-term executive sustainability. Future empirical validation is recommended to assess longitudinal impact, enhance intersectional relevance, and explore broader organizational applicability.

See Jessie’s full capstone on Penn’s Scholarly Commons website.