Project description

The world is currently facing a global mental health crisis, with many individuals struggling and insufficient access to professional support. In this context, conversational agents (CAs) have emerged as a promising technological solution. However, there is limited understanding of the psychological processes that drive effective interactions with CAs.

This project investigated the role of narrative transportation and user-CA relationships in app engagement and stress outcomes through a survey of users of a mental health app that uses a CA as a mentor to guide users through story- and chat-based interactions.

The project contributes to the field by highlighting how narrative engagement and emotional connections with CAs can enhance user experience and app effectiveness. Ethical concerns related to fostering social-emotional bonds with technology are also discussed, alongside potential mitigation strategies.

Cooperations

• Dr. Marisa Tschopp, scip AG, Switzerland
• Dr. Henrik Skaug Sætra, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway