Interacting with computers is ever changing; the activities computers are used for, the
domains they are used in, the people who use them, and the way that they are used
have been constantly evolving. But over the past few years an additional dimension
has been added to this interaction, which considers the utility and effectiveness of
incorporating emotion into the interface. Over ten years ago, Rosalind Picard coined
the phrase “affective computing” for computing that relates to, arises from, or deliberately
influences emotion or other affective phenomena1. Since then, numerous researchers
all over the world have devoted themselves to studying the role affect and
emotion play in our interactions with technology. The affective computing community
is growing rapidly. A number of workshops, symposia, and even conferences make
emotion in HCI their subject. This book actually developed out of some of those
events. When Springer approached us to compile a book on the subject, we were just
organizing the third workshop on emotion in HCI at the British HCI Group’s annual
conference, held in the UK. While the workshop had numerous contributions from the
traditionally very active British and European community, we also received contributions
from overseas.