Led by Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 蘑菇视频在线观看 (UC) MSc Psychology student Xiaoli Wu and her supervisors Dr Kongmeng Liew and Dr Martin Dorahy from the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, their research has shown that people with particular attachment styles are more likely to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) tools for support.聽聽
Conversational AI, powered by large language models, is already being used my many as a therapy tool鈥搘hether it has been built for this or not. It provides accessible, cost-effective, and fast alternatives to traditional therapy, addressing barriers such as stigma and lack of resources. Wu wanted to understand the varied uptake of AI for counselling and explore psychological factors driving adoption.聽
鈥淲e surveyed 239 American adults, who had not previously used CAI for mental health support, assessed their trust in AI, their attachment styles 鈥搆nown as anxious or avoidant, and willingness to adopt AI counselling,鈥 says Wu.聽
鈥淗igher trust in CAI significantly increased the likelihood of adoption, if a participant trusted the AI's competence and safety, they were more likely to accept it for mental health support.聽聽
Anxious attachment, characterised by heightened preoccupation with relationship security and fear of abandonment, was positively associated with the use of CAI. Whereas avoidant attachment鈥攎arked by discomfort with closeness, suppression of attachment needs, and reluctance to depend on others, despite underlying concerns about relationships鈥攕howed no significant effect.鈥 says Dr Liew
鈥淲e think that individuals with anxious attachment may view CAI as a safe, non-judgmental alternative to human therapists.聽
鈥淲hile these findings are promising for helping with the overloaded mental health system, our research still displayed gaps, including data privacy concerns and the potential for emotional over-reliance, and the need for rigorous research to enhance the safety, reliability, and personalisation of AI-driven counselling services,鈥 says Wu.聽
鈥淭his study underscores the significance of psychological factors, like trust and attachment styles, in shaping attitudes toward CAI. Understanding these elements can guide the development of more effective and user-friendly mental health technologies.鈥澛犅
To read the paper
