An ontology-based question system for a virtual coach assisting in trauma recollection

Internet-based guided self-therapy systems provide a novel method for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder patients to follow therapy at home with the assistance of a virtual coach. One of the main challenges for such a coach is assisting patients with recollecting their traumatic memories, a vital part of therapy. In this paper, an ontology-based question system capable of posing appropriate and personalized questions is presented. This method was tested in an experiment with nonpatients (n = 24), where it was compared with a non-ontology-based system which did not provide personalization. Results show that people take more time answering questions with the ontology-based system and use more words describing properties, such as adjectives. This indicates that the ontology-based system facilitates more thoughtful and detailed memory-recollection.

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