Effectiveness of AI therapy as a function of cultural syndrome
By Lexi Lowery
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Welcome to the website portion of this psychology capstone project! The goals of this webpage are to A: To educate people on how the future of robots and AI can aid psychology and B: Examine the effectiveness of technology-enhanced therapies in two different cultures (Japan and the United States)
Technology Usage in Therapy
Technology Usage in Therapy
In science fiction, a popular trope is the robot companion. While there isn’t anything as advanced as these examples in real life, there has recently been an increase in “robot” telehealth therapy such as AI chatbots, virtual reality, and in some cases androids.
Current research on the development of AI-enhanced therapy in both Japan and the United States
In the United States
In the United States
Robotics pioneer Cynthia Brezeal is a key leader in the research on robotics and AI usage in therapy. She believes that "robots are actually a really intriguing social technology, where it's actually their ability to push our social buttons and to interact with us like a partner that is a core part of their functionality." There are three main robot companions that she has helped develop: Autom, a robot whose main purpose was to be a dieting and exercise program, however, some of its features such as eye contact and verbal feedback could be applied to be used in a therapy setting. Kismet, a robot that simulates emotion through various facial expressions, vocalizations, and movement, and the MeBot, a mobile and expressive communication robot.
Hiroshi Ishiguro
In Japan
In Japan
Japanese robotics engineer Hiroshi Ishiguro, best known for this human like androids, seeks to further integrate new tech into social sciences. His androids are mostly aesthetic and can only engage in basic conversations or be glorified museum tour guides, however he hopes to develop them to better support human beings. If these androids are able to become more advanced they could be used to help individuals with severe social anxiety become more comfortable going to in-person therapy.
What is a Culture-Bound Syndrome
Culture-Bound Syndrome
“a pattern of mental illness and abnormal behavior that is unique to a specific ethnic or cultural population and does not conform to standard classifications of psychiatric disorders.”
Specific Examples of a Culture-Bound Syndrome
United States
United States
Specific Culture-Bound Syndrome - Academic Burnout:
An extended amount of school-related stress leads a student to have...
Lack of motivation
Emotional exhaustion
Feelings of depression
80% of College Students in the US have experienced Academic Burnout
Japan
Japan
Specific Culture-Bound Syndrome - Taijin Kyofusho (対人恐怖症) Social Phobia:
An intense fear that one's body parts or functions displease, embarrass, or are offensive to others which can lead to...
Fear of interpersonal relationships
Extreme embarrassment
Fear of displeasing others
20% of Japanese Citizens have experienced Taijin Kyofusho
Relevance of Individualism and Collectivism
It is important to mention the influence that culture has on how people develop and behave, individualism and collectivism are specific aspects of culture that can help to explain why some people develop certain "culture-bound syndrome" in one part of the world and not the other.
Individualism is about how you are separate and unique from others in society. you function independently vs in a group. The phrase associated with individualism is the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Collectivism is about society as a shared space. you are part of a whole rather than being a singular entity. The phase that is associated with collectivism is the nail that stands out gets pounded down.
How does AI therapy help?
Cynthia Brezeal's "MeBot" Study:
Cynthia Brezeal's "MeBot" Study:
In this study, Cynthia Brezeal with one of her students analyzed the effects of interacting with three different types of technologies. The first type was screen only, the second was a mobile robot, third was fully expressive. Participants performed tasks with the three different technologies such as looking at a set of objects on the table and discussing them in terms of their importance and relevance to performing a certain task. This video gives a more in-depth explanation of the study along with other usages of AI interactions with human beings.
Yoshinaga, N, et.al, (2021) Lost in translation? Cultural adaptation of treatment content for Japanese internet-based cognitive therapy for social anxiety disorder, Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, Volume 31, Issue 4, Pages 363-368,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbct.2021.05.004.
Self Guided Therapy Program:
Self Guided Therapy Program:
In a 2021 study, conducted by Japanese psychologist Naoki Yoshinaga and his colleagues, participants, who had previously been diagnosed with anxiety, used a self-guided online therapy program along with a few in-person sessions. This study was created to see if there would be any significant changes in anxiety levels when using technology-assisted therapy. There were only six participants involved, but the study was 14 weeks long. Results, illustrated by the graph on the left, showed that all six participants had a significant decrease in their anxiety levels after using the self-guided program.
Self-guided online programs are more beneficial to those in collectivistic cultures such as Japan because it allows the patient to be able to talk about their issues while not feeling like they are inconveniencing others. It can be difficult to prioritize your own mental health and feelings when coming from a collectivist culture or society, so this online format also allows the patient to have the freedom to talk about their issues without fear of judgment. The "MeBot" is more beneficial for those in individualistic cultures or societies such as the United States because it gives the patient proper attention and reassurance without having to physically be out since issues such as academic burnout can be exhausting or cause you to not want to leave.
Final Capstone Essay.pdfFurther Reading
Further Reading
Linked here is the PDF of my Capstone thesis for further reading on the topic of AI therapy usage as a function of culture-bound syndromes
FAQ's
Q: Will these robots and AI programs replace in-person therapy all together?
Q: Will these robots and AI programs replace in-person therapy all together?
A: No! The main purpose of these programs are to assist therapists and be used as a tool to provide better service to patients. Also, these programs can help ease those who have severe social anxiety disorders to become more comfortable interacting with someone in a therapy setting.
Q: How would more advanced technology affect therapy?
Q: How would more advanced technology affect therapy?
A: The more advanced these programs get, the more efficient they'll be in providing assistance to both therapists and patients. In terms of how advanced AI can get there shouldn't be any worry about sci-fi scenarios as resources needed to make the jump from what we currently have, artificial narrow intelligence or ANI, to artificial general intelligence, or AGI, does not exist.
Q: Why is it important to study culture along side technology development?
Q: Why is it important to study culture along side technology development?
A: It is important because the overall goals and benefits of AI or technological advancement can vary depending on what culture it is coming from. For example, a developer from an individualist culture may create something to help a more personal issue, while one from a collectivist culture could rather focus on a more general issue that affects more people.
About the Author
About the Author
Hi there! My name is Lexi and I am a double major in Psychology and Japanese, graduating in May 2023. This project helped me to link my two majors together and learn more about just how important culture is in the field of psychology.
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