Presented at Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education - this version includes my slides on design for affiliative emotion and compassion. Presented with Rafael Calvo.

1. 1
POSITIVE COMPUTING
Technology for psychological wellbeing
Prof.Rafael A.Calvo
ARC Future Fellow, Engineering
The University of Sydney
Presented at:
The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education
(CCARE)
Stanford University
January 22,2015
Dorian Peters
Creative Leader, Education and Social Work
The University of Sydney

2. About the University of Sydney
• 50,200
students;
7,500
Staff
• First
University
in
Australia
(1850)

3. Digital Experience timeline.
1970
1980
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2014

4. Are we any
happier?

5. Wealth,technology,happiness
Diener,
E.,
&
Seligman,
M.
E.
P.
(2004).
Beyond
money.
Psychological
Science
in
the
Public
Interest,
5(1),
1–31.

6. We design for…
• ProducOvity
• Efficiency
• Accuracy
• Speed
• Performance
• SaOsfacOon
• Pleasure
• Desire
The Tyranny of Productivity

7. We design for proxies
Why design for proxies
when we can design for the real thing?

8. Technology should be designed to
support psychological wellbeing.
POSITIVE COMPUTING
“The research and development of
technology to support wellbeing
and human potential”

9. Outline
Technologies that change us
Multidisciplinary foundations
Wellbeing measures and factors
Current Projects

10. Technology already changes us...
1. Facebook
Use
Predicts
Declines
in
Subjec8ve
Well-­‐Being
in
Young
Adults.
Kross
E,
Verduyn
P,
Demiralp
E,
Park
J,
Lee
DS,
et
al.
(2013)
PLoS
ONE
8(8):
e69841.
2. Experimental
evidence
of
massive-­‐scale
emo8onal
contagion
through
social
networks
Kramer,
A,
J.E.
Guillory,
and
J.T.
Hancock.
PNAS
2014
3. Detec8ng
Emo8onal
Contagion
in
Massive
Social
Networks.
Coviello,
Lorenzo,
et
al.
PloS
one
9.3
(2014):
e90315.
4. Growing
Closer
on
Facebook:
Changes
in
Tie
Strength
Through
Social
Network
Site
Use
Moira
Burke
et.
al
CHI
2014
5.
A
wandering
mind
is
an
unhappy
mind.
Killingsworth,
M.A.
and
Gilbert,
D.T.
Science
330,
6006
(2010),
932.
(Experience
sampling
using
smartphones)
6. A
61-­‐million-­‐person
experiment
in
social
influence
and
poliOcal
mobilizaOon.
Bond,
R.M.,
Fariss,
C.J.,
Jones,
J.J.,
et
al.
Nature
489,
7415
(2012),
295–298.

11. Cognitive Computing
Understanding
what
people
think
via
wriOng
J.
Villalón,
P.
Kearney,
R.A.
Calvo,
P.
Reimann.
(2008)
“Glosser:
Enhanced
Feedback
for
Student
WriOng
Tasks”.
• essays,
• journals
• CBT

12. Behavioural Analytics
Understanding
what
people
do
and
the
impacts
of
interven8ons
Example:
R.A.
Calvo,
A.
Aditomo,
V.
Southavilay
and
K.
Yacef.
(2012)
"The
use
of
text
and
process
mining
techniques
to
study
the
impact
of
feedback
on
students’
wriOng
processes".
InternaOonal
Conference
on
the
Learning
Sciences.
Faculty Research Award

13. Behavioural Analytics
Understanding
what
people
do
and
the
impacts
of
interven8ons
Example:
R.A.
Calvo,
A.
Aditomo,
V.
Southavilay
and
K.
Yacef.
(2012)
"The
use
of
text
and
process
mining
techniques
to
study
the
impact
of
feedback
on
students’
wriOng
processes".
InternaOonal
Conference
on
the
Learning
Sciences.
Faculty Research Award

14. Affective Computing
Understanding what people feel
Facial Expressions Physiology

15. TeleHealth
Training
applica/on
Affective Computing
Understanding what people feel

16. Affective Computing
Understanding
what
people
feel
Physiology
The Oxford Handbook of
AFFECTIVE
COMPUTING
O X F O R D L I B R A R Y O F P S Y C H O L O G Y
EDITED BY
RAFAEL A.
CALVO
SIDNEY
D’MELLO
JONATHAN
GRATCH
ARVID
KAPPAS

17. Cognition,Behavior & Affect in
Computing
Technology for Wellbeing

18. Research Foundations
for a Field of Positive Computing

19. • HCI & UX
• Human-Centered Design
• Values-Sensitive Design
• Emotional design
• Architecture
• HCI
• Affective computing
• Personal informatics
• Persuasive tehnologies
• Attentive technologies
COMPUTINGPSYCHOLOGY & BRAIN SCIENCE
DESIGN
• Positive psychology
• Subjective Wellbeing
• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Economics
• Personal development
• Learning technologies
• Media Studies
• Social Work
EDUCATION & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Research Foundations
Many areas can contribute to our understanding of wellbeing
and how to apply it to technology.

20. Foundations in Psychology
MODELS OF POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH
1. Clinical
DSM
Global
Assessment
of
FuncOoning
(e.g.
CES-­‐D
<
16)
2. Posi8ve
Psychology
(e.g.
Seligman,
Lyubimorski,
Huppert
)
3. Socio-­‐emo8onal
intelligence
(e.g.
Salovey,
Mayer
&
Caruso)
4. Self-­‐determina8on
Theory
(Ryan
&
Deci)
5. Subjec8ve
well-­‐being
(e.g.
Diener,
Kahneman)
6. Neuroscience
and
Physiology
(e.g.,
Panksepp,
Davidson)
COMPONENTS
Autonomy,
connectedness,
competence
(Deci),
Meaning,
Posi8ve
Emo8ons,
Engagement,
(Seligman)
Mindfulness
(Davidson)
...

21. Population-wide measures
UN’s
first
World
Happiness
Report
(Helliwell,
Layard,
&
Sachs,
2012)
Happy
Planet
Index
which
combines
data
on
experienced
wellbeing,
life
expectancy
and
economic
footprint
First
UK
happiness
report
released
in
2012
with
staOsOcs
on
QoL
and
SBW
Gallup-­‐Healthways
Well-­‐being
Index
undertakes
and
an
impressive
live
daily
assessment
of
health
and
wellbeing
measures
across
the
U.S.
(see
well-­‐beingindex.com)

22.  Experienced
U8lity
-­‐
Average
of
posiOve
&
negaOve
emoOons.
sampled
over
Ome
(Kahneman
&
Krueger,
2006)
 Experience
Sampling
(Csikszentmihalyi
&
Larson,
1987)
or
Day
ReconstrucOon
Method
 Affec8ve
Compu8ng
techniques
The
model
contemplates
accounOng
for
engagement.
Measures of Subjective Wellbeing
Kahneman,
D.,
Diener,
E.,
&
Schwarz,
N.
(Eds.).
(1999).
Well-­‐Being:
The
Founda/ons
of
Hedonic
Psychology.
New
York:
Rusell
Sage
FoundaOon.
Kahneman,
D.,
&
Krueger,
A.
B.
(2006).
Developments
in
the
measurement
of
subjecOve
well-­‐being.
The
journal
of
economic
perspec/ves,
20(1),
3–24.
Layard,
R.
(2006).
Happiness:
Lessons
from
a
new
science.
Penguin.

23. Moving the population towards flourishingPercentage
of
Popula8on
Common
Mental
Disorder
Languishing
Moderate
Mental
Health
Flourishing
Psychological
Resources
Source:
Felicia
Huppert,
Cambridge
Wellbeing
InsOtute

24. Designing to support Determinants of Wellbeing
• PosiOve
emoOons
• Autonomy
• Connectedness
• Self-­‐awareness
• Resilience
• Engagement
&
flow
• Meaning
• Mindfulness
• Empathy
• Compassion
&
altruism

25.  Emotional Design
 Aesthetics
 Fun, “Delighters”
 Casual Games reduce stress &
depression (eg. Rusoniello et.al.)
Positive Emotions
Jane
McGonigal
Game
designer
and
author
Institute
for
the
Future
Don
Norman
One
of
World’s
most
in7luential
designers
(Newsweek)

26. Positive Emotions not Created Equal

27. Seeking-­‐focused
Affilia8ve-­‐focused
Drive,
excitement
Contentment,
connectedness
Gilbert,
P.
(2014),
The
origins
and
nature
of
compassion
focused
therapy.
BriOsh
Journal
of
Clinical
Psychology,
53:
6–41.
Depue,
R.A.,
&
Morrone-­‐Strupinsky,
J.V.
(2005).
A
neurobehavioral
model
of
affiliaOve
bonding.
Behavioral
and
Brain
Sciences,
28,
313–395.

28. Positive Emotions in Technology
 Catching
up
with
email
 Organizing
your
week's
events
on
a
calendar
 Preparing
a
talk
in
powerpoint
 “Meforming”
on
twiser
 Combat
simulaOon
 A
round
of
candy
crush
 Online
shopping
 Searching
for
informaOon
 Tracking
exercise
 Anything
gamified
Striving-achievement
(dopaminergic)
• TexOng
playfully
with
spouse
• GraOtude
journal
app
• Praising
someone
on
facebook
Affiliative-contentment
(opiate system,oxytocin)

31. Empathy
peacemakergame.com
FronOers-­‐game.com
InteracOve
Guide
to
EmoOons
Understanding and experiencing other’s emotions.

32. “I like”vs.“I appreciate this”

33. New Design tradeoffs
example: speed vs.gratitude
Praise
is
valuable
to
both
sides
LinkedIn
&
Yammer:
speed
vs.
psychological
benefits?

34. Payroll as a celebration

35. Reviving,donating & helping in games

36. Opportunities for awe & inspiration

38. Compassion vs.Empathy
1. Addressing
appraisals
of
deservedness
2. SupporOng
feelings
of
agency
3. Providing
opportuniOes
for
the
pracOce
of
altruism
4. Providing
opportuniOes
for
elevaOon
5. SupporOng
compassion
training
pracOces.
Peters,
D,
&
R
Calvo.
"Compassion
vs.
empathy:
designing
for
resilience.”
Interac/ons
21.5
(2014):
48-­‐53.a
Goetz,
J.
L.,
Keltner,
D.,
&
Simon-­‐Thomas,
E.
(2010).
Compassion:
An
evoluOonary
analysis
and
empirical
review.
Psychological
BulleOn,
136(3),
351.

39. Altruism
Developing
helping
behaviors
with
VR
Rosenberg,
R.
S.,
Baughman,
S.
L.,
&
Bailenson,
J.
N.
(2013).
Virtual
Superheroes:
Using
Superpowers
in
Virtual
Reality
to
Encourage
Prosocial
Behavior.
PloS
one,
8(1).
Superhero
experiment,
Stanford
(images
from
Catalyst,
ABC)

40. Envisioning Positive Computing
Current work and future visions

41. Types of integration
Types&of&positive&computing&technologies&
A&4&Not&positive&
computing&
&
Wellbeing(&(human(potential(were(
not(considered(in(the(design(of(the(
technology((
B&–&Preventative&
integration&&
&
Obstacles(or(compromises(to(
wellbeing(are(treated(as(errors.(
C&4&Active&
integration&
&
Technology(is(designed(to(actively(
support(components(of(wellbeing(
or(human(potential(in(an(
application(that(has(a(different(
overall(goal((
(
D&4&Dedicated&
integration&&
A(technology(that(is(purpose=built(
and(dedicated(to(fostering(
wellbeing(and/or(human(potential(
in(some(way.((
• Word
redesigned
to
support
flow
• Social
media
redesigned
to
support
social
intelligence
• Posi/ve
psychology
interven/ons
• Game
for
developing
empathy
Examples
• Redesign
to
prevent
trolling
or
cyberbullying

42. Framework for Research and Practice
Operationalizing wellbeing research for technology design
!
Factor! Literature!&!Theory! Strategies!
Methods!&!
Measures!
Self!
(Intrapersonal)!
Positive!
Emotions!
• Hedonic!Psychology!
(Kahneman)!
• Subjective!Wellbeing!(Deiner)!
• Building!&!Broadening!Effect!
(Fredrickson)!
• Savouring!
• Positive!ruminating!
• Reframing!
• Compassion!
meditation!
PANAS!scales;!General!
wellbeing!measures!such!
as!SWB,!SWLS!and!QoL!
scales.!
Motivation!&!
Engagement!!
• SelfOdetermination!Theory!
(Ryan!&!Deci)!!
• Flow!Theory!Csikszentmihalyi)!
• Intrinsic!and!extrinsic!
rewards!
The!Motivation!and!
Engagement!Scale;!SelfO
Regulation!
Questionnaires!
Self<
awareness!
• Cognitive!Behavioral!Therapy!
(Aaron!Beck)!
• Emotional!Intelligence!(Mayer!
&!Salovey)!
• Life!summary!
• Online!CBT!study!
• TechnologyO
Mediated!Reflection!
Emotional!Intelligence!
measures!(eg.!MSCEIT);!
wellbeing!measures!such!
as!Life!Satisfaction!
Mindfulness! MindfulnessObased!Stress!
Reduction!!(KabatOZinn)!
MinfulnessObased!Cognitive!
Therapy!(Segal,!Williams!&!
Teasdale)!
• Mindfulness!
meditation!
• MBSR!strategies!
• MBCT!strategies!
MAAS;!Freiburg!
Mindfulness!Inventory!
Resilience! psychology!of!resilience!
(Seligman,!Keyes)!!
Building!&!Broadening!Effect!
(Fredrickson)!!
• Positive!psychology!
interventions!
• SuperBetter!
Resilience!Scale;!!
Social!
(Interpersonal)!
Gratitude! Emmons!&!McCullough!
Psychology2of2Gratitude!
• Gratitude!visit!
• Gratitude!journal!
Gratitude!Questionnaire!
Empathy! Emotional!Intelligence!(Salovey!&!
Mayer;!Goleman),!Affective!and!
Cognitive!empathy!(Gerdes!etal;!
Singer)!
• RoleOplaying!
• PerspectiveOtaking!
• Emotion!recognition!
training!
EQ;!Interpersonal!
Reactivity!Index;!
Children's!Empathic!
Attitudes!Questionnaire!
Transcendent!
(Extra:personal)!
Compassion! CompassionOFocused!Therapy!
(Paul!Gilbert)!
• Compassion!
Meditation!
SelfOcompassion!Scale;!
Prosocial!Orientation!
Scale;!Hostile!Attribution!
Bias!Questionnaire!Altruism!
!
Batson!(empathyOAltruism!
!
• Prosocial!games!
• RoleOplaying!helping!
behavior!
From: Positive Computing

43. Expert Perspectives
Multidisciplinary views of wellbeing technology (in the book)
Don Norman
One of World’s most
influential designers
(Newsweek)
Prof.Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi
Founder of the Quality of Life
Research Center.
Prof.Mark Williams
Director,Oxford
Mindfulness Centre,
University of Oxford
Mary-Helen Immordino-
Yang
Brain and Creativity
Institute
USC
Jeremy Bailenson
Augmented Virtual Reality
Stanford University
danah boyd
Social Media researcher at
Harvard & Microsoft
Prof.Felicia Huppert
Director of Cambridge
Well-being Institute
Prof.David Caruso
Yale
Jonathan Nicholas
CEO Reachout Foundation
Prof.Jane Burns
CEO,Young and Well CRC
.

44. Moderator Assistant -Helping those who help others
[Resilience, meaning]
In
Partnership
with:

45. Moderator Assistant
Ming
Liu,
Rafael
A.
Calvo,
Tracey
Davenport,
Ian
Hickie
"Moderator
Assistant:
helping
those
who
help
via
online
mental
health
support
groups".
Social
Technologies
for
Health
and
Wellbeing'
workshop
at
OzChi
2013.
Nov
25
&
26.
Adelaide,
South
Australia

46. Self-management in health
In
Partnership:
In
Partnership
with:
Charles
Perkins
Centre
|
Children’s
Hospital
at
Westmead
|
Asthma
Australia
[Autonomy]

47. MH promotion in emergency services
workplace
Men @ Work –workplace wellbeing
[Resilience, Compassion]

48. ARC Future Fellowship (2015-2019)
Identifying software design strategies that can foster various
determinant factors of wellbeing
 Understanding
expert/disciplinary
concep8ons.
 Iden8fying
design
strategies
 Measurement
–
Evalua8ng
proposed
design
strategies
in
specific
projects
In
collaboraOon
with:

49. Positive Computing workshops
Competence:
Feeling
that
one
has
sufficient
ability/
experOse
relevant
to
an
experience.
Autonomy:
Feeling
that
one
has
the
power
to
influence
or
endorse
the
outcome
of
an
experience.
“Internal
perceived
locus
of
causality”.
Meaning:
Find
a
deep
sense
of
fulfilment
by
employing
our
unique
strengths
for
a
purpose
greater
than
ourselves.
Posi8ve
emo8ons:
eg.
joy,
graOtude,
serenity,
interest,
hope,
pride,
amusement,
inspiraOon,
awe,
love.
Engagement:
taking
part
in
acOviOes
that
absorb
one
completely,
state
of
flow
(loss
of
self-­‐consciousness,
no
mind-­‐
wandering)
Relatedness:
Belongingness
and
connectedness
with
others,
”secure
relaOonal
base”
With
support
from
the
Charles
Perkins
Centre
RA
Calvo,
D.
Peters,
D.
Johnson,
Y.
Rogers
“Autonomy
in
Technology
Design”
CHI
’14

50. Conclusions
1. Technology
changes
us.
2. There
are
psychological
factors
known
to
increase
wellbeing
(described
in
psychological
theories)
3. These
factors
can
be
used
to
inform
the
design
of
technologies
that
beser
support
wellbeing
4. PosiOve
compuOng
provides
a
framework
to
support
effort
by:
• Drawing
on
mulO-­‐disciplinary
work
and
theoreOcal
frameworks
that
can
serve
as
an
evidence
base
for
pracOce
• Helping
pracOoners
manage
design
for
wellbeing
by
addressing
determinants
• TargeOng
the
promoOon
of
flourishing
in
all
technology

51. Thank you.
PosiOveCompuOng.org
Journal CHI 2015
Positive Computing Course in Seoul 27 April 2015.
Special Issue
Psychology of Well-Being (Springer)
CFP Deadline July 1st, 2015