Computerized, telephone-based health promotion: II. Stress management program

摘要

Many interactive computer systems are being developed to provide health-related information to the public, but little research has explored how these systems should interact with their users to have the greatest impact. In the present study, 267 subjects were randomly dispersed among four versions of a computerized, interactive telephone-based stress management program in a two-bytwo factorial design. Two of the versions offered personalized messages; in the other two, messages were not personalized. Two of the versions contained homework assignments; two did not. The results suggested that personalization and homework motivated subjects to continue calling the program, to comply with the suggestions in the program, and to report that the program was helpful. Subjects whose messages were not personalized were more likely than other subjects to value empathic comments in the messages and to leave voice mail for the staff of the program. These results suggest that subjects prefer interactions with a computer to be conversational and directly responsive to their particular expectations.