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From Regulation to Support: Centering Humans in Technology-Mediated Emotion Intervention in Care Contexts

Jiaying "Lizzy" Liu, Shuer Zhuo, Xingyu Li, Andrew Dillon, Noura Howell, Angela D. R. Smith, Yan Zhang

TL;DR

The paper addresses how technology-mediated emotion interventions (TMEIs) in care contexts can overemphasize regulation and reproduce power imbalances. It conducts a scoping review of 53 empirical ACM studies and analyzes them through critical theory to unpack approaches, goals, and roles of TMEIs. It introduces 'emotion support' as a human-centered alternative that prioritizes non-judgmental care and identity preservation, and identifies three technology roles: generating artificial care, mediating power dynamics, and nudging behavior. The findings urge redesigns that honor diverse emotional needs, involve care receivers, and situate TMEIs within a socio-technical care ecosystem to enhance care relationships and reduce emotional labor.

Abstract

Enhancing emotional well-being has become a significant focus in HCI and CSCW, with technologies increasingly designed to track, visualize, and manage emotions. However, these approaches have faced criticism for potentially suppressing certain emotional experiences. Through a scoping review of 53 empirical studies from ACM proceedings implementing Technology-Mediated Emotion Intervention (TMEI), we critically examine current practices through lenses drawn from HCI critical theories. Our analysis reveals emotion intervention mechanisms that extend beyond traditional emotion regulation paradigms, identifying care-centered goals that prioritize non-judgmental emotional support and preserve users' identities. The findings demonstrate how researchers design technologies for generating artificial care, intervening in power dynamics, and nudging behavioral changes. We contribute the concept of "emotion support" as an alternative approach to "emotion regulation," emphasizing human-centered approaches to emotional well-being. This work advances the understanding of diverse human emotional needs beyond individual and cognitive perspectives, offering design implications that critically reimagine how technologies can honor emotional complexity, preserve human agency, and transform power dynamics in care contexts.

From Regulation to Support: Centering Humans in Technology-Mediated Emotion Intervention in Care Contexts

TL;DR

The paper addresses how technology-mediated emotion interventions (TMEIs) in care contexts can overemphasize regulation and reproduce power imbalances. It conducts a scoping review of 53 empirical ACM studies and analyzes them through critical theory to unpack approaches, goals, and roles of TMEIs. It introduces 'emotion support' as a human-centered alternative that prioritizes non-judgmental care and identity preservation, and identifies three technology roles: generating artificial care, mediating power dynamics, and nudging behavior. The findings urge redesigns that honor diverse emotional needs, involve care receivers, and situate TMEIs within a socio-technical care ecosystem to enhance care relationships and reduce emotional labor.

Abstract

Enhancing emotional well-being has become a significant focus in HCI and CSCW, with technologies increasingly designed to track, visualize, and manage emotions. However, these approaches have faced criticism for potentially suppressing certain emotional experiences. Through a scoping review of 53 empirical studies from ACM proceedings implementing Technology-Mediated Emotion Intervention (TMEI), we critically examine current practices through lenses drawn from HCI critical theories. Our analysis reveals emotion intervention mechanisms that extend beyond traditional emotion regulation paradigms, identifying care-centered goals that prioritize non-judgmental emotional support and preserve users' identities. The findings demonstrate how researchers design technologies for generating artificial care, intervening in power dynamics, and nudging behavioral changes. We contribute the concept of "emotion support" as an alternative approach to "emotion regulation," emphasizing human-centered approaches to emotional well-being. This work advances the understanding of diverse human emotional needs beyond individual and cognitive perspectives, offering design implications that critically reimagine how technologies can honor emotional complexity, preserve human agency, and transform power dynamics in care contexts.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 46 sections, 1 figure, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Potential Harms of Technology-Mediated Emotion Intervention
  4. Frictions of Technology-Mediated Emotion Intervention in Care Contexts
  5. Critical Theory in Emotion Needs in Care Contexts
  6. Method
  7. Literature Search
  8. Literature Screening
  9. A Coding Framework Informed by Critical Scholarships
  10. Approaches
  11. Goals
  12. Roles
  13. Data Analysis
  14. Limitations
  15. Findings
  16. ...and 31 more sections

Figures (1)

  • Figure 1: Examples of Self-Acceptance and Compassion emotion intervention approach that design tangible interfaces. From left to right: a tangible conversational agent designed for dementia patients 10.1145/3490149.3501326; an interactive cushion integrating textile sensors with touch-activated audio playback 10.1145/3173574.3174069; and a smart toy incorporating speakers and accelerometer technology 10.1145/3491102.3502130.