Affect and Wellbeing: Introduction to Special Section

The authors first give a brief overview of how computers can afford multiple forms of transformational experiences. Some of these experiences can be purposely designed, for example, to 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. This special section aims to contribute ideas, methods and case studies for how affective computing can move toward the goal of promoting wellbeing. The papers spread across some of the multiple modalities and techniques used to perceive and detect affect from text, physiology facial expressions, and gaze, and some of the approaches to analyze the expression of sentiments shared via online communities by depressed patients. The articles in this special section 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.