ArticlePDF Available

Positive Technology: Using Interactive Technologies to Promote Positive Functioning

Authors:
Giuseppe Riva at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Giuseppe Riva
Rosa M Baños
Rosa M Baños
Rosa M Baños
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Cristina Botella at Jaume I University
Cristina Botella
Brenda Kay Wiederhold at Virtual Reality Medical Center
Brenda Kay Wiederhold
  • Virtual Reality Medical Center
Show all 5 authorsHide
Download full-text PDFDownload full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract and Figures

It is generally assumed that technology assists individuals in improving the quality of their lives. However, the impact of new technologies and media on well-being and positive functioning is still somewhat controversial. In this paper, we contend that the quality of experience should become the guiding principle in the design and development of new technologies, as well as a primary metric for the evaluation of their applications. The emerging discipline of Positive Psychology provides a useful framework to address this challenge. Positive Psychology is the scientific study of optimal human functioning and flourishing. Instead of drawing on a "disease model" of human behavior, it focuses on factors that enable individuals and communities to thrive and build the best in life. In this paper, we propose the "Positive Technology" approach--the scientific and applied approach to the use of technology for improving the quality of our personal experience through its structuring, augmentation, and/or replacement--as a way of framing a suitable object of study in the field of cyberpsychology and human-computer interaction. Specifically, we suggest that it is possible to use technology to influence three specific features of our experience--affective quality, engagement/actualization, and connectedness--that serve to promote adaptive behaviors and positive functioning. In this framework, positive technologies are classified according to their effects on a specific feature of personal experience. Moreover, for each level, we have identified critical variables that can be manipulated to guide the design and development of positive technologies.
Figures - uploaded by Andrea Gaggioli
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Andrea Gaggioli
Content may be subject to copyright.
Riva (2012) Positive Technology (MacBook Pro di Giuseppe Riv.
...pdf
Content uploaded by Giuseppe Riva
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Giuseppe Riva
Content may be subject to copyright.
Gaggioli(2012)PositiveTechnolo
gy.pdf
Content uploaded by Andrea Gaggioli
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Andrea Gaggioli
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available

Supplementary resource (1)

Positive Technology: Using Interactive Technologies to Support Well Being and Social Interactions
Data
July 2014
Andrea Gaggioli · Giuseppe Riva
... This teaching tool promotes emotional experiences in the form of empathy (Bertrand et al., 2018), as described by Schutte & Stilinović (2017), who found that participants exploring the VR documentary experience of a 12-year-old girl in a refugee camp showed greater empathy, as compared to those who watched without VR. Riva et al. (2012) showed that VR experiences have a positive potential for motivation and emotions. Arnone et al. (2011) proposed that these simulations provide experiences that can trigger curiosity, consisting of a desire for novelty. ...
Student's Readiness in Using Virtual Reality for Physics Learning
Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2025
Virtual Reality (VR) technology in learning activities assists in visualizing abstract phenomena of physics concepts. This technology supports the delivery of effective and meaningful learning experiences. The main objectives of this study, therefore, are to analyze the level of students' readiness to use VR technology in higher education, and to analyze the factors most affecting students' readiness to use VR technology in physics learning. The research employed a questionnaire-survey method with 127 physics education students from a university in Indonesia, distributed based on age, gender, study level, geographical background, and family economic status. Data collection uses a Likert-scale questionnaire containing ten factors of student readiness for using VR. Data analysis techniques included percentages, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and multiple regression. The results of this study indicate that the level of students' readiness to use VR technology falls into the intermediate category (71%). The two factors most influencing students' readiness, that were identified from the correlation coefficients, are the availability of access to VR devices and basic technical skills in operating VR technology. Students' readiness to use technology in learning serves as the basis for determining which steps should be prioritized to prepare for technology-enhanced learning, ensuring that the technology positively impacts the learning quality.
View
... The movement aims to draw attention to the physical and psychological health of individuals using technology (Riva et al., 2012). Technological advancement creates several ways to increase human wellbeing and psychological health. ...
Understanding the Role of Emerging Technology in Human Resilience in the Digital Age and Artificial Intelligence
Chapter
  • Mar 2025
This chapter explores the integration of psychology and technology as an opportunity to strengthen an individual's resilience and psychological health. Through a deep comprehensive review process, it identified 62 research articles and book chapters in the last 20 years. It investigated the potential keywords of combining psychology and technology which can enhance individual resilience and mental health. A thorough examination of all studies with their strengths, weaknesses, and limitations are incorporated to generate valuable insights. The results reveal that technological gears and tools like virtual games, virtual reality, and video applications and mobile apps can significantly enhance individuals' cognitive and motor skills and strengthen social connections. This chapter claimed that digital technologies and artificial intelligence promotes happiness and resilience of people. From teletherapy bridging geographic gaps to virtual reality. Finally, it claims an increasing anxiety among the people due to application of artificial intelligence.
View
... In certain cases, human intervention may be necessary to recognize and address problematic biases. The socio-technical perspective concerning the moral implications of technology underscores the ethical consequences of technology at the societal level [43]. In the context of AI, two societal-level ethical concerns emerge: individual autonomy and wellbeing, as well as large-scale unemployment. ...
Machine Learning in Targeted Advertising: Examining Its Role, Ethical Implications, and Impacts on Consumer Privacy
Article
  • Feb 2025
This study investigates targeted online advertising, driven by Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. It comprehensively explores various ML techniques that empower advertisers to enhance the precision, relevance, and effectiveness of their ad campaigns. From keyword extraction to predicting Click-Through Rates (CTR) and leveraging behavioral targeting and contextual advertising, ML offers a plethora of tools for personalized ad delivery. The content-centric approaches in display ads, video ads, blogs, web documents, and vehicle ads are meticulously examined in this study. However, the rise of ML in advertising is not without ethical and privacy concerns. The paper scrutinizes these complex issues, emphasizing the significance of fairness, bias mitigation, and transparency in ML-driven advertising. It also underscores how AI can impact individual autonomy and employment, raising broader societal ethical concerns. Privacy, a paramount ethical consideration, is explored in the context of AI-enabled products that amass a vast array of consumer data. The study suggests responsible ML practices to strike the balance between personalized advertising and safeguarding user privacy, ensuring the continued evolution of advertising in the digital age.
View
... Dengan memprioritaskan pengembangan digital skill, RS Condong Catur dapat menciptakan lingkungan kerja yang lebih mendukung, meningkatkan kesejahteraan karyawan, dan pada akhirnya mendorong kinerja yang lebih baik secara keseluruhan. Hasil penelitian ini sejalan dengan penelitian Juchnowicz, Kinowska (2021), Deng et al., (2021), Riva et al., (2012), Cramarenco et al., (2023) yang menyatakan bahwa digital skill berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kesejahteraan karyawan. Hal ini digital skill dapat meningkatkan kualitas personal ataupun interpersonal skill karyawan sehingga dapat menyejahterahkan karyawan karena tidak merasa cemas atau khawatir akan pekerjaannya. ...
Pengaruh Rotasi Kerja Dan Digital Skill Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Dimediasi Oleh Employee Well-Being
Article
  • Dec 2024
Penelitian ini berfokus pada interaksi antara rotasi kerja, keterampilan digital, dan kesejahteraan karyawan dalam mempengaruhi kinerja, serta pentingnya peran kesejahteraan sebagai mediator dalam hubungan tersebut. Penelitian ini akan memberikan kontribusi pada teori-teori yang ada mengenai manajemen SDM, kesejahteraan karyawan, dan kinerja, serta memberikan wawasan yang berguna untuk praktik manajerial di rumah sakit dan sektor lainnya. Penelitan dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan jumlah sampel sama dengan populasi yaitu 124, karena tidak semua karyawan bisa dirotasi. Analisis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini menggunakan metode Structural Equation Model (SEM) yaitu Partial Least Square (PLS) dengan software SmartPLS 4.0 dan nilai p-value 0,05. Hasil yang didapatkan dalam penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Rotasi kerja berpengaruh negatif terhadap Employee Well-being, (2) Digital Skill berpengaruh positif terhadapat Employee Well-being, (3) Employee Well-being berengaruh negatif terhadap Kinerja Karyawan, (4) Rotasi Kerja berpengaruh positif terhadap Kinerja Karyawan, (5) Digital Skill berpengaruh negatif terhadap Kinerja Karyawan, (6) Rotasi Kerja berpengaruh negatif terhadap Kinerja Karyawan dimediasi oleh Employee Well-being, (7) Digital Skill berpengaruh negatif terhapad Kinerja Karyawan dimedasi oleh Employee Well-being.
View
... Recently, human-computer interaction (HCI) researchers, designers, and technologists have started focusing on technological advances, including VR, as a potential source of subjective wellbeing and positive support in their users' lives. This has led to the emergence of fields such as "Positive Technology" and "Positive Computing" (Riva et al., 2012;Gaggioli et al., 2017), which aim to develop technology designed to foster wellbeing in individuals and groups. Cogent evidence is now available pertaining to the implications of VR in both clinical and organisational fields, and it is emerging as a successful intervention for dealing with a range of psychological problems, including but not limited to, stress, anxiety, depression, phobias, and nociceptive disorders (Baghaei et al., 2021;Freitas et al., 2021;Pourmand et al., 2018). ...
Exploring the use of Virtual Reality to enhance rapid decompression from occupational stress during short wellness breaks for content moderators
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Dec 2024
Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to be a popular stress management tool in workplaces, however its efficacy has yet to be tested on content moderators (CMs). This study used an experimental design where CMs were randomly assigned to either: 1) VR, 2) non-screen activity or 3) control condition for a six-week period. Adherence data regarding a further four-week period was also collected and focus groups were conducted. The results demonstrated no significant differences in trait anxiety or occupational stress between baseline and follow-up for the three conditions. However, consistent with previous studies state-based stress and mood showed improvements after engaging with the activities. Specifically, participants in the VR condition showed reductions in state stress, whilst all conditions showed increases in state mood. The adherence data showed continued use of VR and non-screen activities for some CMs after the six-week experimental period finished and a focus group highlighted the logistical challenge of utilising VR setup within the allotted time. The results suggest VR may be a useful intervention for some types of occupational stress, if used during brief break times, it needs to be embedded within a logistical process that alleviates time pressure.
View
Philosophical Counseling for the Modern Dilemma: Addressing Existential Crises in the Digital Age
Chapter
  • Feb 2025
In the modern digital age, where technology permeates every aspect of human life, individuals confront unique existential crises related to identity, meaning, & authenticity. As traditional boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds blur, the search for purpose and self-understanding becomes increasingly complex and multi-layered. The article deals with the potential of digital platforms to facilitate philosophical counseling, providing a framework for addressing these modern dilemmas. By integrating the traditional philosophical tools and techniques to digital mediums, counselors can offer more accessible and effective support, helping clients navigate the challenges of the digital era. The article compares the efficacy of digital and traditional counseling methods, emphasizing the role of philosophical counseling in promoting digital well-being. Along with this the article demonstrates that philosophical counseling is well-equipped to help individuals achieve meaningful, balanced lives in a hyperconnected world.
View
Effectiveness of Home_Positivity: A VR Program for Promoting Positive Mental Health. A Pilot Feasibility Study
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2025
Virtual reality (VR) has been recently used for the treatment of mental health conditions. While research shows symptom reduction, further investigation is required to ascertain the impact of VR on well-being indicators. This pilot study aims to assess the effectiveness of a new VR software, H.O.M.E (How to Observe and Modify Emotion)_Positivity, in promoting positive mental health, which implies addressing both psychological distress and well-being. A sample of 16 healthy college students participated in a six-session intervention involving individual interviews and VR experiences using H.O.M.E delivered at the university of Bologna. They were assessed before and after intervention and at 3-month follow-up with indicators of negative symptoms (i.e., Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and the Negative affect scale of (PANAS) and of well-being (i.e., Mental Health Continuum (MHC) and the Positive Affect (PA) subscale of the PANAS. Moreover, they were asked to report their satisfaction and comments on the experience of the VR software. Following the intervention, participants reported significantly lower scores at DASS and higher scores at MHC and PA. In contrast, NA subscale score did not change significantly after the intervention or at three months follow-up. The results provide support to the use of H.O.M.E_Positivity for the promotion of positive mental health. Participants reported a reduction of psychological distress and improvement in well-being, and they were all highly satisfied and engaged while using the VR software. These findings indicate the potential value of this intervention, particularly in an increasingly digital society.
View
A digitális jóllét pozitív pszichológiai megközelítésben
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
A digitalizálódó világban a jóllét témakörében is új távlatok jelentek meg. A technológiai eszközök mentális egészségre gyakorolt negatív hatásainak vizsgálatán túl egyre gazdagabb irodalom áll rendelkezésre a jóllétet fokozó digitális megoldásokkal kapcsolatban. Tanulmányunkban bemutatjuk az elmúlt években született, a digitális jóllét, és különösen a pozitív pszichológia tudományterületén belül megjelenő, a pozitív technológia területén elérhető eredményeket. A témakörhöz kapcsolódó fontos, új fogalmak meghatározása mellett ismertetünk konkrét, tudományosan vizsgált, technológiai jóllétfejlesztő alkalmazásokat is, a mobilapplikációktól kezdve a mesterséges intelligenciára épülő eszközökig. Áttekintésünk alapján arra következtettünk, hogy a digitális jóllét célzott vizsgálata ma már megkerülhetetlen a jóllétkutatásokban, hiszen az ehhez kapcsolódó eszközök észrevétlenül is egyre inkább az életünk részévé válnak. Ezzel párhuzamosan arra is rámutatunk, hogy a ma elérhető eszközök kis százalékán végeztek tudományos hatásvizsgálatokat, így az ebben való felzárkózás, valamint a szabályozások kidolgozása várhatóan a következő évek fontos feladata lesz.
View
View
View
Why Is Facebook So Successful? Psychophysiological Measures Describe a Core Flow State While Using Facebook
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2011
People are more and more using social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook and MySpace to engage with others. The use of SNSs can have both positive and negative effect on the individual; however, the increasing use of SNSs might reveal that people look for SNSs because they have a positive experience when they use them. Few studies have tried to identify which particular aspects of the social networking experience make SNSs so successful. In this study we focus on the affective experience evoked by SNSs. In particular, we explore whether the use of SNSs elicits a specific psychophysiological pattern. Specifically, we recorded skin conductance, blood volume pulse, electroencephalogram, electromyography, respiratory activity, and pupil dilation in 30 healthy subjects during a 3-minute exposure to (a) a slide show of natural panoramas (relaxation condition), (b) the subject's personal Facebook account, and (c) a Stroop and mathematical task (stress condition). Statistical analysis of the psychophysiological data and pupil dilation indicates that the Facebook experience was significantly different from stress and relaxation on many linear and spectral indices of somatic activity. Moreover, the biological signals revealed that Facebook use can evoke a psychophysiological state characterized by high positive valence and high arousal (Core Flow State). These findings support the hypothesis that the successful spread of SNSs might be associated with a specific positive affective state experienced by users when they use their SNSs account.
View
Biofeedback virtual reality and mobile phones in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): a phase-2 controlled clinical trial
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2009
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a psychiatric disease characterized by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on a specific object or situation. Within the treatment of GAD, physical (relaxation and controlled breathing), behavioral (visualization and controlled exposure) and cognitive control strategies (challenging negative thoughts) represent a key part of the treatment, even if they difficult to learn. To overcome this limitation, the EU-funded INTREPID research project (IST-2002-507464) proposes improvement of exiting treatment for GAD through the use of a biofeedback-enhanced virtual reality (VR) system, used both for relaxation and controlled exposure. Furthermore, this experience is strengthened by the use of a mobile phone that allows patients to perform the virtual experience even in an outpatient setting. This approach was tested in a Phase II randomized controlled trial (NCT00602212), including three groups of four patients each, resulting in a total of 12 patients. The first group consisted of the VR and Mobile group (VRMB) including biofeedback, the second of the VR and Mobile group (VRM) without biofeedback, and the third the waiting list (WL) group. This study provides initial evidence for better efficacy of treatment for the VRMB group. Subjects belonging to this group reported a higher decrease in some of the anxiety psychometric questionnaires after the treatment than both VRM and WL groups, even if the VRM group, too, reported some significant improvements at the end of therapy. Moreover, qualitative reports concerning outpatient use of mobile phones suggests that it can solve a classical problem of VR therapies-the impossibility of using a VR system in the real life context of the patient.
View
Flow Experience in Cyberspace: Current Studies and Perspectives
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2008
Cyberspace constitutes a specific environment; the investigations in this field are based either on the original cyberspace-dependent methods and theories, or on universal theories and methods worked out in diverse areas of knowledge, not necessarily closely connected with cyberspace. A psychological theoretical construct (with vast practical perspectives) introduced by Csikszentmihalyi, (2000/1975) known as optimal, or flow experience, alongside the methods of its measurement, basically refer to the universal, that is, nonspecific theoretical and methodological background. This traditional methodology was adapted and accepted within cyberspace; it represents a growing area of the investigators' activity in the field. Like many other investigations of human behavior in cyberspace, flow-related studies are of both practical and theoretical significance. The practical significance is associated with the challenges deriving from business: a large body of research is stimulated by business expectations of acquiring advantages in the quality of offers to be suggested to customers. The theoretical significance stems from a supposition that optimal experience is an important construct mediating human activity in cyberspace, and thus represents a special level of psychological mediation of mental processes. The mechanisms of multiple mediation and remediation of a previously mediated experience are known to affect human psychic development (Cole, 1996; Vygotsky, 1962). In this chapter, major research directions are presented and discussed, referring to the optimal, or flow, experience studies conducted within cyberspace environments.
View
The role of lived experience in self- and relational observation: A commentary on Horowitz (2002).
Article
  • Jun 2002
M. Horowitz (see record 2002-13441-001 ) has written a fascinating article on the role of self- and relational observation in psychotherapeutic change. The Horowitz model, which attempts to integrate psychodynamic and cognitive notions of self- and relational observation, is critiqued in this commentary. M. Horowitz's clinical wisdom is evident throughout his article. His theoretical model, however, would be enhanced if he incorporated the wisdom emanating from the experiential psychotherapy tradition. Change in psychotherapy often includes bottom-up emotional processing as well as top-down conceptual processing. Different patients may move through the change process in terms of one form of processing or another, or the same patient may engage in different processing models at different points in the therapy.
View
View
Technology and Psychological Well-being
Book
  • Dec 2009
In the modern world we are surrounded by technology. Gadgets such as cell phones, portable computers, and electronic diaries accompany us throughout the day. But is this a good thing? Are we being served by these technological wonders, or have we become enslaved by them? Does constant availability via technology make us more efficient or more stressed? Is our ability to connect with others all over the world, day or night, making us more sociable or turning us into recluses in a virtual world? This book considers the impact of technology on the different spheres of our life - work, home, family and leisure - and assesses ways in which to build better communication between technology developers and society to ensure that technology enhances our lives and psychological well-being, rather than damaging them.
View
View
View
View
The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology
Article
  • Apr 2001
In this article, the author describes a new theoretical perspective on positive emotions and situates this new perspective within the emerging field of positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory posits that experiences of positive emotions broaden people's momentary thought-action repertoires, which in turn serves to build their enduring personal resources, ranging from physical and intellectual resources to social and psychological resources. Preliminary empirical evidence supporting the broaden-and-build theory is reviewed, and open empirical questions that remain to be tested are identified. The theory and findings suggest that the capacity to experience positive emotions may be a fundamental human strength central to the study of human flourishing.
View