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SleepPathfinder: A Socratic Questioning and Self-Decision-Based Chatbot to Support User Engagement in Digital CBT-I:
Youjin Roh1, Anderson Sungmin Yoon2, Hayoung Oh1
1Department of Applied Artificial Intelligence, Sungkyunkwan University, #32541, Dasan Hall of Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences Campus, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 82 2-740-1785, 82 2-740-1785.
JMIR Formative Research
|June 9, 2026
Summary
A new chatbot, SleepPathfinder, uses Socratic questioning to improve digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (dCBT-I). It enhances user engagement and understanding by supporting cognitive exploration and autonomy in insomnia treatment.
Area of Science:
- Digital health
- Psychology
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Chronic insomnia significantly impacts quality of life and mental health.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a first-line treatment, with digital CBT-I (dCBT-I) enhancing accessibility.
- Current dCBT-I systems offer limited support for cognitive exploration and meaning-making, potentially hindering long-term adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the usability and feasibility of SleepPathfinder, a conversational dCBT-I chatbot.
- To assess SleepPathfinder's ability to support user understanding and engagement with CBT-I through Socratic questioning and self-decision.
Main Methods:
- A 4-stage conversational flow: education, Socratic exploration, self-decision, and advice.
- A pilot usability study (n=45) assessed system stability and user experience.
- A 5-day comparative experiment (n=30) compared exploratory vs. directive dialogue conditions, measuring usability, cognitive appraisals, autonomy, and readiness for change.
Main Results:
- The exploratory dialogue condition tended to reduce perceived threat and severity of sleep problems.
- Autonomy-related experiences, including perceived choice and engagement, showed upward trends in the exploratory condition.
- Deeper user self-narratives correlated with greater shifts in cognitive appraisals, while chatbot question frequency did not.
Conclusions:
- Socratic questioning and self-decision conversational structures are usable and feasible within dCBT-I systems.
- This approach complements existing CBT-I protocols by facilitating cognitive exploration and user autonomy.
- Findings provide design-oriented evidence for refining dialogue-supported dCBT-I systems to enhance user engagement.
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