Positive Technology Journal

Technologies for Affect and Wellbeing- Special Issue of theIEEE Transaction on Affective Computing.

Guest Editors

• Rafael A. Calvo (The University of Sydney)
• Giuseppe Riva (ICE-NET Lab- Universitta Catolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan Italy)
• Christine Lisetti (Florida International University)

Background and Motivation
There is an increased interest in using computer interaction to detect and support users’ physical and psychological wellbeing.  Computers can afford multiple forms of transformational experiences. Some of these experiences can be purposely designed to, for example, detect and regulate students’ affective states to improve aspects of their learning experiences. They can also be used in computer-based psychological interventions that treat psychological illness or that preventively promote wellbeing, healthy lifestyles, and mental health.
The application domain, so far referred to as ‘positive computing’, ‘positive technologies’, and ‘positive design’, draws on ideas from positive psychology, particularly the extensive research on developing human strengths and wellbeing. It is closely linked to the HCI work on personal informatics, and the development of tools that help people learn more about themselves through reflection.
This special issue will focus on ideas, methods and case studies for how affective computing can contribute to this goal. Articles should discuss how information that computers collect about our behaviour, cognition – and particularly affect can be used in the further understanding, nurturing or development of wellbeing and human strengths: e.g. self-understanding, empathy, intrinsic motivation toward wellbeing healthy lifestyles.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Systems to detect or support positive emotions and human strengths for example Reflection, Empathy, Happiness, Gratitude, Self-understanding/ interpersonal skills, Emotional intelligence/ emotion regulation, Social intelligence/ intrapersonal skills, Motivation.
• Using affect and motivation for physical and psychological health.
• Cyberpsychology for positive psychology and wellbeing
• HCI design strategies for support of wellbeing and human strengths
• Virtual Reality for support of wellbeing or human strengths
• Positive personal health informatics for health promotion
• Patient-centered technologies for healthy behaviour change
• Empathic intelligent virtual agents for lifestyle monitoring and behaviour change
• Mobile applications of affective computing for health and wellbeing
• Informatics technologies for patient empowerment

Timetable

• Call for Papers out: Feb 2013
• Submission Deadline:  July 1st, 2013
• Notification of Acceptance:  October 1st, 2013
• Final Manuscripts Due:  December 1st, 2013
• Date of Publication: March or July 2014

Review process

The Transactions on Affective Computing Special Issue on “Affect and wellbeing” will consist of papers on techniques, methods, case studies and their evaluation. Some papers may survey various aspects of the topic, particularly in ways that bring the psychological, health and wellbeing, and technical literature together. The balance between these will be adjusted to maximize the impact of the special issue. All articles are expected to follow the standard review procedures for the IEEE TAC.