Laughter Map: Supporting System for Recalling Pleasant Memories Based on the Recording and Visualization of Laughter Experiences

Abstract

In recent years, an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with depression. A specific tendency of recalling a memory in depressed patients is the mood-state-dependent effect, in which memories are easily recalled based on the current mood state; for example, a negative mood leads to an easier recall of negative memories. In this study, we aim to support the recall of past pleasant experiences for preventing the cycle of negative mood-state-dependent recall. To achieve this, we propose a voice-based lifelogging application “Laughter Map” that allows users to record voice of laughter and conversations before and after and to review their past laughing conversations in a map format during their daily lives. To validate the usefulness of the proposed method for conveying past laughter experience in a map format, an experiment was conducted for comparing the cases of presenting past laughter experience in a list chronologically and presenting it on a map. According to the results, presenting past laughter experience in a map format enhances detailed recall compared with when laughter experience is displayed in chronological order.