Subjects: Psychology >> Applied Psychology Subjects: Computer Science >> Natural Language Understanding and Machine Translation submitted time 2023-04-03
Abstract: AI chatbots can replicate human guidance to improve user engagement and efficacy in Internet-based Self-help Interventions (ISIs), thanks to the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. However, the study of chatbots’ mechanisms is still in its early stages. To deepen the rational understanding of this issue, we propose a theoretical model based on the human-computer relationship that adapts to the ISIs situation: chatbots can develop Human-Chatbot Relationships (HCRs) through the four stages of anthropomorphic attribution, utilitarian value judgment, attachment relationship development and the establishment of Digital Therapeutic Alliance (DTA) to improve user engagement. In future research, there is a need to further enrich and evaluate the key HCRs theories, construct chatbots based on the HCRs theory, examine additional variables that affect HCRs, unify operational definitions of engagement, and develop appropriate engagement measurement methods.