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AI & Soc (2009) 23:471484
DOI 10.1007/s00146-008-0180-3
ORIGINAL PAPER
Tatsuya Nomura
Received: 23 July 2007 / Accepted: 7 February 2008 / Published online: 4 March 2008 Springer-Verlag London Limited 2008
Abstract This paper discusses the meaning that interactive software agents and robots have in the context of mental therapy. This theoretical discussion is undertaken from a psychological and sociological perspective. It investigates what happens when interactive agents are introduced into current social situations. Methods of mental therapy vary from therapeutic conversation between clients and human therapists to interaction between clients and therapeutic animals such as dogs. This paper focuses on applications of interactive software agents and robots that substitute as autonomous artifacts behaving like humans for human therapists. In addition, some implications and policies for applications of interactive software agents and robots in mental therapy are discussed.
1 Introduction
There have recently been a number of studies on the application of software agents and robots in elds, such as education and welfare (Druin and Hendler 2000; Dautenhahn et al. 2002). These studies mainly aim at the development of mechanisms and algorithms which help users to perform their specic tasks through interaction with software agents and robots. However, individual reaction to these interactive agents and the subsequent inuence on society are more important than the methods for achieving these technologies. These issues are especially critical
The research was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for scientic research no. 18500207, and by High-Tech Research Center project for private universities: matching fund subsidy from MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), 20022006.
T. Nomura (&)
Department of Media Informatics, Ryukoku University, 1-5, Yokotani, Seta-ohe-cho, Otsu, Shiga 520-2194, Japane-mail: [email protected]
Software agents and robots in mental therapy: psychological and sociological perspectives
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when applying the various concepts of interactive software agents and robots to clinical psychiatry.
Several studies have investigated the possible applications of software agents and robots in mental therapy (Shibata 1999; Hashimoto 2001; Dautenhahn and Billard 2002; Fujino 2003; Marsella 2002; Bickmore and Picard 2005; Brave et al. 2005). Many studies of robotic therapy have also recently been conducted, particularly in Japan (Shibata 1999; Tashima et al. 1999; Hashimoto 2001; Kanamori et al. 2003;...