Reviewing the Wellbeing Concept in Persuasive Technology

The term wellbeing is widely used in the field of persuasive technology, especially when helping people to achieve positive changes in their attitudes and behaviors. However, wellbeing as a concept is often poorly understood, thus making it difficult to evaluate the success of such technology-supported behavioral interventions. This is especially critical as the definition of persuasive technology is grounded in the benefits that individuals and society derive from its use. In this paper, we present a literature review of the wellbeing concept in the field of persuasive technology. We propose a working definition of wellbeing and its dimensions for further refinement. We provide an example of how persuasive technology design can integrate this understanding. It helps assessing wellbeing as a measurable construct, thus provides ways for proper evaluation of persuasive technology and its effects on people at various scales.