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Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
Relational agents in clinical psychiatry
Timothy Bickmore1, Amanda Gruber
1Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. bickmore@ccs.neu.edu
Harvard Review of Psychiatry
|March 19, 2010
Summary
Relational agents, like virtual characters or robots, build trust for better health counseling. These computational tools enhance therapeutic alliances to improve intervention effectiveness in mental health.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Psychiatry
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Relational agents are computational tools designed to mimic therapeutic relationships.
- They aim to foster rapport and trust between patients and technology.
- Establishing a therapeutic alliance is crucial for intervention efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the development and evaluation of relational agents for health counseling.
- To explore their use in behavioral-change interventions.
- To discuss applications and ethical considerations in psychiatric settings.
Main Methods:
- Development of screen-based characters and social robots as relational agents.
- Evaluation of these agents in health counseling and behavioral interventions.
- Analysis of therapeutic alliance formation and its impact on efficacy.
Main Results:
- Several relational agents were developed and evaluated.
- These agents demonstrated potential in establishing rapport and trust.
- The study identified promising applications and challenges for psychiatric interventions.
Conclusions:
- Relational agents show promise as adjuncts in clinical psychiatry.
- They can enhance health counseling and behavioral-change interventions.
- Careful consideration of ethical issues is necessary for their implementation.
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