ELIZA is a JavaScript-based computer program that emulates a Rogerian psychotherapist. ELIZA is programmed to provide automated, human-like responses based on comments typed in by the user.
Type of Material:
Simulation
Recommended Uses:
A useful learning activity would be for students to input questions that a client might ask, thus affording an opportunity to see how a Rogerian therapist might respond.
Students could practice with ELIZA as an assignment, before a class discussion, or they could work together in class with the program. Incorporating ELIZA in class activities would complement a wide variety of courses/topics ranging from types of therapy to programming.
Technical Requirements:
This program was written with Java and appears to still work though it may be outdated on some users' machines due to the decreased adoption of Java.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
ELIZA will help learners understand Rogerian therapy, including what it is like to be the client.
Target Student Population:
College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division
Specifically, psychology majors and those studying counseling psychology and educational counseling may find this interesting.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
It is recommended that students have successfully completed both introductory psychology as well as a basic course in counseling.
An understanding of different types of therapy, especially Rogerian therapy, would be beneficial.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
In general, this program has a good foundation and might be useful to illustrate phrasing familiar to those who work with Rogerian methods (e.g., "I see"... is incorporated). The back-and-forth interactivity is interesting to evaluate and see which works (and which does not work).
The simple, classic look of this site fits with the original program (which has been in existence in various forms since the 1960s).
The process of typing thoughts that one might say to a therapist is realistic enough that the user might momentarily forget ELIZA is a program.
The site briefly explains Eliza’s history.
Concerns:
Reviewer testing revealed that ELIZA's responses did not always make sense. It appears that the algorithm needs to be updated to include a wider range of possible responses in order to make the simulation not only more usable but also less frustrating (as a function of the types of responses it is providing).
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The conversation continues until the user exits the site.
When the user stops responding, the reply is *** Are We going to Chat? *** I can’t help you without a dialog!
In general, the idea of illustrating the back and forth of counselor and patient is a great idea, and this could be readily adopted to demonstrate in lower-level courses how a Rogerian therapist might respond.
Concerns:
The experience of interacting with ELIZA can be frustrating if one does not understand how a Rogerian would interact.
The simple, classic look of the site would be appreciated by someone interested in the original Eliza; however, it might not keep the attention of today’s students.
As ELIZA is text-based only, it is helpful to many individuals across different devices. However, it may cause some issues with users who do not have Java available on their devices.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Instructions are clear and simple.
ELIZA runs on a web browser.
As a text-based question and answer dialogue, ELIZA was quite easy to navigate. Entering text and reviewing the textual feedback from the bot is straightforward.
Concerns:
Taken together, the lack of variety in responses and the inaccurate responses (e.g., responding to a reviewer with a string of words that made no sense -- or never responding at all until the reviewer entered new text) do not appear to emulate a natural interaction/pattern in counseling.
Creative Commons:
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