AI-based chatbot micro-intervention for parents: Meaningful engagement, learning, and efficacy

Abstract

IntroductionMental health issues have been on the rise among children and adolescents, and digital parenting programs have shown promising outcomes. However, there is limited research on the potential efficacy of utilizing chatbots to promote parental skills. This study aimed to understand whether parents learn from a parenting chatbot micro intervention, to assess the overall efficacy of the intervention, and to explore the user characteristics of the participants, including parental busyness, assumptions about parenting, and qualitative engagement with the chatbot.MethodsA sample of 170 parents with at least one child between 2–11 years old were recruited. A randomized control trial was conducted. Participants in the experimental group accessed a 15-min intervention that taught how to utilize positive attention and praise to promote positive behaviors in their children, while the control group remained on a waiting list.ResultsResults showed that participants engaged with a brief AI-based chatbot intervention and were able to learn effective praising skills. Although scores moved in the expected direction, there were no significant differences by condition in the praising knowledge reported by parents, perceived changes in disruptive behaviors, or parenting self-efficacy, from pre-intervention to 24-hour follow-up.DiscussionThe results provided insight to understand how parents engaged with the chatbot and suggests that, in general, brief, self-guided, digital interventions can promote learning in parents. It is possible that a higher dose of intervention may be needed to obtain a therapeutic change in parents. Further research implications on chatbots for parenting skills are discussed.

The Implications of Utilizing Artificial Intelligence-Based Parenting Technology on Children's Mental Health: A Literature Review

“…Based on research by Guido A. Entenberg, Sophie Mizrahi, Hilary Walke, et al (2023), chatbots are computer-based programs that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to communicate with people via text or voice and have the potential to provide mental health interventions to a large number of populations (i.e., adolescents and adults) 11 . The chatbot is designed to guide parents of newborns and premature babies about stress, sleep, and nutrition 36 .…”

“…Mental health problems among children and adolescents are increasing (Entenberg et al, 2023), and this trend has increased in recent years due to the impact of COVID-19, such as social isolation and stress 1,2,3 . Problem behavior is one of the most common disorders in children and adolescents 4,5 , and childcare programs effectively reduce disruptive behavior 4, 6 .…”

“…The massive development of information technology has brought changes and significantly impacted the child-rearing process. Parents must try to find appropriate and appropriate parenting patterns for the millennial generation or digital native generation 11 . The most effective plan of action in supporting longterm outcomes for children is to focus parents on implementing parenting styles throughout childhood 12,13 fostering parents in childcare, of course there are many interventions that can be carried out, one of which is with the support of technology as a means of implementation that can be applied 13 .…”

“…In dealing with behavioral problems in children and adolescents effectively, a solution has been found that by implementing digital parenting applications, promising results have been obtained 16 . Digital care shows a higher potential for consistency and regulatory compliance than face-to-face therapy, although digital use has challenges in user retention 11 . Interactive digital parent training apps had a higher impact size than non-interactive programs, as users were more likely to report that they praised the inclusion of a sales feature provided 11 .…”

“…Digital care shows a higher potential for consistency and regulatory compliance than face-to-face therapy, although digital use has challenges in user retention 11 . Interactive digital parent training apps had a higher impact size than non-interactive programs, as users were more likely to report that they praised the inclusion of a sales feature provided 11 . Thus, it becomes essential to explore references regarding the critical role of artificial intelligence in supporting the parenting of children.…”