Could Technology Be Your Next Positive Psychology Coach?

Explore how Jibo, a social robot, uses positive psychology to boost well-being.

Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

Key points

• A study explored the use of a social robot, Jibo, to deliver positive psychology sessions.
• Jibo’s sessions included evidence-based techniques.
• Students who participated in the study reported improved mood, well-being, and greater readiness to change.

By Alice Strapp and Kelly-Ann Allen

In an era when mental health challenges are on the rise, especially among university students, researchers are exploring innovative ways to provide support. Enter Jibo—a small, friendly, robotic, positive psychology coach designed to boost your mood. But can a machine really help improve our mental well-being? A fascinating new study suggests the answer may be yes.

What Is Positive Psychology?

Positive psychology focuses on enhancing well-being by building on strengths and recognising the positive aspects of life without ignoring challenges or difficulties. It supports individuals in using their personal resources to navigate areas of struggle, fostering growth and resilience.

Grounded in research, positive psychology includes practices like gratitude, reflecting on meaningful experiences, and identifying personal strengths. These approaches aim to improve overall well-being while acknowledging the complexities of life, offering a balanced path toward greater satisfaction and personal fulfillment.

Innovative researchers are exploring how technology could help scale up access to these evidence-based techniques.

A Robotic Positive Psychology Coach

A groundbreaking study led by Sooyeon Jeong investigated whether a social robot that delivers positive psychology sessions could enhance the well-being of 35 undergraduate students in the U.S.

Students’ mood, well-being, and readiness to change was measured before beginning the study. Each student received their own ‘Jibo’ to be kept in their on-campus dorm room. The interactive robot was programmed to deliver seven sessions on key positive psychology practices, with students able to complete the tasks when it suited them.

The sessions covered:

• An introduction to positive psychology.
• Identifying character strengths.
• Using signature strengths in a new way.
• Practicing gratitude.
• Savouring.
• Wrapping up.

But Jibo isn’t just a talking textbook. It was designed to build a relationship with each student through friendly conversation and interactive games. Jibo can even greet students and engage them in small tasks.

Once the students had completed all the sessions with their new friend Jibo, they completed questionnaires measuring mood, psychological well-being, readiness to change behaviour, and working alliance with the robot. Interviews were also conducted with the students to better understand their unique experiences with this novel invention.

Promising Results

Overall, the study found that students who completed the seven positive psychology sessions with Jibo significantly improved their mood, well-being, and readiness to change behaviour. Additionally, Jibo built a positive working alliance with the students.

Researchers also investigated whether certain personality traits were linked to better outcomes. They found that students high in neuroticism (a tendency toward negative emotions) did not respond as favourably to Jibo compared to students high in conscientiousness (a tendency to be organised and responsible). This finding aligns with past research, which suggests that individuals high in neuroticism are more likely to experience clinical anxiety and depression.

While the idea of confiding in a robot may seem unusual, students always enjoyed having a confidant available. One participant noted, “I felt like just talking to him was useful, having him there was useful… it’s just nice to have a robot that doesn’t judge you."

However, some participants raised concerns regarding privacy for themselves and others who visited their rooms. One participant mentioned, “I had a friend over, and they were like paranoid. ‘Jibo is watching us’ … it’s a bit disconcerting, but even though that camera didn’t bother me as much—it bothered my friend more.”

These results should be interpreted cautiously, as this study was exploratory and lacked a control group. This means we cannot be entirely certain that the improved mood and well-being outcomes were directly caused by the interactions with Jibo. Additionally, the U.S. sample means the findings may not be generalisable to other populations.

Despite the study’s limitations, the findings offer novel insights into how interactive technology could improve access to therapeutic resources.

Try It Yourself

You can still explore positive psychology interventions if you don’t have a robotic coach.

Micro-Moment Tracking: Instead of focusing on major life events, track micro-moments of positivity, connection, or gratitude throughout your day.

Strengths Spotting in Others: Instead of focusing only on your own strengths, spend a week identifying and acknowledging the strengths of people around you.

Reverse Gratitude: Reflect on something you take for granted in your life, and imagine how life would be without it. This technique, supported by counterfactual thinking research, helps enhance appreciation for what you already have.

Daily Awe Walks: Take a 15-minute walk focused on noticing awe-inspiring details in your environment—whether it’s the shape of a tree, the sound of birds, or the vastness of the sky.

Future-Self Letters: Write a letter to your future self about your hopes, goals, and what you’re grateful for now.

Even small actions can make a difference. As Dr. Jeong noted, “Positive psychology interventions, even brief ones, can lead to significant boosts in well-being.”

And who knows? We may all have an AI life coach to help us in the future!

This post was created by Alice Strapp (Alice.strapp@gmail.com) for The Psychology of Well-Being and Human Flourishing, Graduate Diploma of Professional Psychology, Monash University with support from Kelly-Ann Allen.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.