Self-initiated humour protocol: a pilot study with an AI agent.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mental Health Technology

Background:

• Non-hostile humor and laughter offer therapeutic benefits for mental health and wellbeing.
• The Self-Attachment Technique involves creating an affectional bond with one's childhood self.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Self-Initiated Humour Protocol (SIHP), a novel self-administrable laughter intervention.
• To assess the efficacy of SIHP in enhancing wellbeing and related psychological factors.

Main Methods:

• An 8-week intervention involving 27 adult participants practicing SIHP for 20 minutes daily.
• Participants used an AI chatbot and a virtual reality child avatar for the intervention.
• Measurements of wellbeing, humor styles, emotion regulation, self-compassion, and psychological capital were taken pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in wellbeing (primary outcome) with large effect size.
• Significant improvements in self-compassion, self-enhancing humor, and emotion regulation, all with large effect sizes.
• Moderate improvement in psychological capital with a moderate effect size.

Conclusions:

• The Self-Initiated Humour Protocol (SIHP), supported by AI and VR, demonstrates potential for medium-term positive effects on mental health.
• Future randomized trials are recommended to validate these findings.