Work

Developing A Conversational Interface for an ACT-based Online Program: Understanding Adolescents’ Expectations of Conversational Style

Year: 2023

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: A preventative approach is crucial for adolescents’ mental well-being, as problems often arise at a young age. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based intervention approach used to enhance psychological flexibility, a central factor in adolescents’ mental well-being. Conversational interfaces are recently being experimented with in mental health promotion. Their conversational style plays a significant role in creating meaningful experiences to achieve positive intervention outcomes. In this study, our objective was to understand adolescents’ expectations of the conversational style of a text-based virtual coach being developed as part of an ACT-based online program to support intervention engagement. We evaluated eight conversation scripts by collecting qualitative and quantitative data through an online survey from over 200 adolescents. Our findings provide insights on preferred conversational interface features regarding conversational style, including language use, artificiality, and empathy in the domain of adolescent mental well-being.

Source: ACM Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI)

DOI: 10.1145/3571884.3597142

Authors: Johanna Peltola, Kirsikka Kaipainen, Katariina Keinonen, Noona Kiuru, Markku Turunen

Institutions: Tampere University, University of Tampere, University of Jyväskylä

Language: English

Topic: Digital Mental Health Interventions

Subfield: Applied Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Academy of Finland

Award: G4930879959