Design for Happiness: Positive Psychology Through Social Media Games

Abstract

This project targeted the concept of happiness and the development of an intelligent social media game to utilize positive psychology techniques to enhance user happiness. The HeHa (Happiness Enhancing Helper Application) was built around the principles of positive psychology, including the identification and active pursuit of signature strengths. It functioned as a social media application and worked by encouraging, through gameplay and active suggestions, social media interactions that support the users personal signature strengths. A randomized control trial of sixty users was carried out to ascertain the effectiveness of the HeHa in enhancing interaction, satisfaction and happiness. The findings showed that users of the HeHa enhanced social media game demonstrated increased happiness levels using the tool.