Towards an HCI model for eudaimonic growth - a phenomenological inquiry into travelers' serious leisure pursuits and cultivation of character strengths

Abstract

Many people strive for a life characterized by self-growth and meaning, considered to be innate needs, by actualizing their authentic potentials during their lifespans. Positive psychology (PP) has termed this self-development process as eudaimonia to live a virtuous life. From this perspective, such a life can be attained by individuals through cultivating key character strengths. On the other hand, the fields of leisure and tourism regard eudaimonia as the sustained pursuit of leisure activities that involve specific skills, knowledge, and experience. This study combines these two bodies of knowledge to propose a human-computer interaction (HCI) model that can facilitate individual eudaimonic growth through the serious pursuit of leisure activities applicable to the eTourism platform. By integrating concepts reported in the current literature with the results of our phenomenological investigation, we highlight three key findings to support the development of this model: 1. Individual eudaimonic development can be appreciated from both cross-sectional and developmental perspectives; 2. In addition to performance seeking behavior, individual satisfaction and fulfillment can emerge from the process of exercising one's character strengths; 3. Goal formation and introspection are specific aspects that contribute to the meaning of an experience. The proposed HCI model comprises two interrelated components: A strength-based recommender system and personal reflective journaling informatics. The HCI model assumes that eudaimonic growth can occur when both systems are in action.