Positive Computing

A design approach articulated by Rafael Calvo and Dorian Peters (2014) and extended by Riva, Gaggioli and colleagues that intentionally orients information and communication technology toward supporting psychological wellbeing, human flourishing, and positive emotion — rather than merely maximising engagement, productivity, or task completion. Positive computing draws on positive psychology (Seligman, Csikszentmihalyi, Fredrickson) and aims to cultivate states and traits such as meaning, autonomy, compassion, gratitude, mindfulness, and resilience through design. Applications include mindfulness and journaling apps, VR environments for relaxation or social connection, empathy-building games, and reflective self-tracking tools. For accessibility practitioners, positive computing offers a counterweight to deficit-framed assistive-technology narratives: disabled users are flourishing subjects with wellbeing needs, not only problems to be compensated for.