Tag Archives: psychology

AI and Psychology

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Like it or Not, AI Is Coming…It Is Here!

Here are some of the things people are saying about AI and psychology:

In psychology practice, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots can make therapy more accessible and less expensive. AI tools can also improve interventions, automate administrative tasks, and aid in training new clinicians. On the research side, synthetic intelligence is offering new ways to understand human intelligence, while machine learning allows researchers to glean insights from massive quantities of data. Meanwhile, educators are exploring ways to leverage Chat GPT in the classroom. (Craig, L. 2024)

People get resistant, but this is something we can’t control. It’s happening whether we want it to or not,” said Jessica Jackson, PhD, a licensed psychologist and equitable technology advocate based in Texas. “If we’re thoughtful and strategic about how we integrate AI, we can have a real impact on lives around the world.

Despite many professionals’ fears about its potential dangers, it seems to have arrived. Looking at AI from the perspective of a therapist or others who offer counseling, here are a few of the unexpected issues you might encounter.

There is still cause for concern. AI tools used in health care have discriminated against people based on their race and disability status (Grant, C. 2022).

Be aware that AI can spread misinformation, use chatbots to express love to users inappropriately, and sexually harass minors. In fact, it was concern about issues like these that prompted a March 2023 movement to stop using or developing AI until more research was completed about the subtleties that might accrue to clients.

A lot of what’s driving progress is the capacities these systems have—and that [capacity of AI] is outstripping how well we understand how they work,” said Tom Griffiths, PhD, a professor of psychology and computer science who directs the Computational Cognitive Science Lab at Princeton University. He went on to say, “What makes sense now is to make a big parallel investment in understanding these systems, something psychologists are well positioned to help do.”

How Safe is the Combination of AI and Psychology?

As we ponder AI’s safety in the combination of AI and psychology, some questions rise to the surface. Is it ethical? What protections could help ensure privacy, transparency, and equity as these tools are increasingly used across society? Can society protect itself with rules and regulations?

Psychologists may be among the most qualified to answer those questions.

“One of the unique things psychologists have done throughout our history is to uncover the harm that can come about by things that appear equal or fair,” said Adam Miner, PsyD, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, citing the amicus brief filed by Kenneth Clark, PhD, and Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD, in Brown v. Board of Education.

Counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and others who provide therapy can use their expertise to examine how AI works for, with, and on their clients. Created by human beings, AI can promote the unintentional bias held by AI developers.

When it comes to AI and psychology, psychologists have the expertise to question assumptions about new technology and examine its impact on users. Psychologist Arathi Sethumadhavan, PhD, the former director of AI research for Microsoft’s ethics and society team, has researched DALL-E 2, GPT-3, Bing AI, and others. Sethumadhavan said psychologists can help companies understand the values, motivations, expectations, and fears of diverse groups that new technologies might impact. They can also help recruit participants with rigor based on factors such as gender, ancestry, age, personality, years of work experience, privacy views, neurodiversity, and more.

Psychologists are also taking a close look at human-machine interaction to understand how people perceive AI and what ripple effects such perceptions could have across society. One study by psychologist Yochanan Bigman, PhD, an assistant professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, found that people are less morally outraged by gender discrimination caused by an algorithm as opposed to discrimination created by humans (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Vol. 152, No. 1, 2023). Study participants also felt that companies held less legal liability for algorithmic discrimination. (Bigman, Y. 2023)        

To truly democratize AI, the infrastructure must support a simple interface that allows users to query data and run complex tasks via natural language. “The architecture is moving in a way that supports the democratization of analytics,” says Richard Spencer Schaefer, Chief Health Informatics Officer, US Department of Veterans Affairs.

“The technologies that we’re putting in place are enabling physicians to be a part of the development of AI, and because of the level of validation involved, I think there will be more trust in the models we develop.” Richard Spencer Schaefer, Chief Health Informatics Officer, US Department of Veterans Affairs.

“If you were one of those people who learned how to work with computers, you had a very good career. This is a similar turning point: as long as you embrace the technology, you will benefit from it.” Andrew Blyton, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, DuPont Water & Protection. A bit of a cavalier attitude, I believe. However, if we embrace the technology, keeping in mind the same ethics we observe everywhere else in our practices, we will eventually find we are as comfortable with AI as we are with all the electronic helpers we use today.

Card Decks for Therapy Sessions

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Using Card Decks in Therapy Sessions

Ester Leutenbergby Ester Leutenberg

Liven up your groups and teach by doing: use cards decks with open-ended questions. Integrating knowledge while playing a card game! WPA’s cards correspond with our teen or adult mental health books.

These unique cards can be used in a variety of ways with groups exploring one or all of the corresponding books’ topics or on their own. Specific cards can be used in conjunction with identified pages, groups of cards can be used to address the theme of a section in the book or all the cards can be used to explore the overall concept of the topic. Individual cards can be selected to begin a specific session or used as an activity during a predetermined intervention.  The group facilitator may wish to pre-select cards on a specific subject choosing those that are most appropriate for the members within that particular group session.  The facilitator can also encourage participants to select the topic of discussion and then select the appropriate cards.

Group Arrangement – Group members can be seated in a circle with group facilitator holding the cards or around a table with cards placed in the middle of table.  If group members have a difficult time with verbal communication offer options like writing answers on paper prior to sharing.  You can be creative in establishing a safe environment for sharing.

Number of Participants – Recommended group size is 4-14 to allow all members the opportunity to share and interact with each other.  If there is a larger group you may consider breaking into smaller groups for sharing.  Upon returning to the larger group ask each small group to share what they learned from their small group discussion.

Format of the Cards – The cards are written to address each of the sections of the corresponding book.  While some cards could be used to address a specific concept on a given page, the majority are written to initiate conversation around thMental Health and Life Skills Card Deckse concept of the section.  Numbers on the bottom right corner of the cards correspond to the corresponding section of the book.

Activity Suggestions – The use of the cards is limited only by the creativity of the group leader.  The unique quality of the corresponding cards is you may use a section of cards to discuss a specific topic or all of the cards to discuss the topic of each book  as a larger concept. The follow is the most traditional manner using cards for group facilitation.  Group interaction and personal disclosure can be enhanced by using cards to begin a group session, tackle a difficult subject in the core of group process or to create a thoughtful closure.

Prior to using the cards set the group framework. To maintain a safe atmosphere highly encourage participants to share but to not force them to respond.  Options may be to ask the participant if they would like to select another card or tell them you will give them more time to think and you will come back to them later.

  1. Introduce the subject of the group, (example: “Relationships”) and discuss the predetermined goals for the group session.
  2. Pass the deck of cards to your left or right and ask the group participant to select a card from the pile, read the card silently, and think about their answer.  Then ask participant to read the card out loud and share their answer with the group.
  3. Continue passing the deck, repeating the process until all members have had a chance to respond to a card.
  4. Some of the cards might lend themselves to being passed around with everyone responding or reading it out loud and asking for volunteers.
  5. It is often beneficial for the facilitator to be part of the group and also select a card.  It may be helpful if they select first to set the example and expectation that everyone can share or just be intermingled within the group sharing.

Process – The magic of card decks is that processing happens through the answering of the questions so a formal processing session after using the cards is often unnecessary.  However, if ensuring that the group intent is being communicated asking a few general questions to the group may be beneficial.

  1. What is one thing you learned about_____(the topic identified -example: Stress)
  2. What is one thing you learned from another group member about…(coping with Stress)?
  3. What is something you learned about yourself?
  4. What is a topic you would like to explore?
  5. What is a goal you could set for yourself that reflects something discussed in this session?

 Alternatives

  • While the cards are most often used for group facilitation keep in mind they can also be extremely helpful in individual sessions when establishing a therapeutic relationship or initiating conversation.
  • The cards can be used as great journal questions or a Theme-for-the-Day.

Cards encourage thinking, getting in touch with feelings and communications.

To be happy consider strengths

Live, appreciate your strong suits
By Jacquelyn Ferguson, MSJacquelyn Ferguson

Dr. Martin Seligman, University of PA author of “Authentic Happiness” and a Positive Psychology pioneer, says happiness is strongly enhanced by three factors:
* Feeling better about your past;
* Thinking more optimistically about your future;
* Experiencing more contentment in the present.

To be happier in the moment Seligman advises you to avoid shortcuts to happiness: sensory experiences accompanied by strong emotions (ecstasy, orgasm, thrills, delight,) like eating hot fudge sundaes, having sex, or watching spectator sports. These pleasures give you upticks in happiness but fade quickly.

It’s much better to seek gratifications, which are activities you do for the sake of doing them. They involve thinking and require stretching your skills to improve.

Gratifications will bring you greater ongoing happiness when they are an expression of your signature strengths. (Take Seligman’s VIA Strengths Survey @ www.authentichappiness.org to discover your own.) All of these strengths are very positive. Living your life expressing your top five or so makes you much happier – so much so that you can stop focusing on fixing what’s supposedly wrong with you. Wouldn’t that be refreshing? These strengths include:

Wisdom and Knowledge: Courage:

Curiosity Valor
Love of learning Perseverance
Judgment Integrity
Ingenuity
Social intelligence
Perspective

Humanity and Love: Justice:

Kindness Citizenship
Loving Fairness
Leadership

Temperance: Transcendence:

Self-control Appreciation of beauty
Prudence Gratitude
Humility Hope
Spirituality
Forgiveness
Humor
Zest

For example, my top five strengths identified by taking his assessment two years ago and again recently, are:
* Integrity;
* Curiosity;
* Zest;
* Loving;
* Gratitude;

These strengths have strongly influenced my choices, thereby my happiness.

  • Integrity: Hopefully those who know me well would say that I have integrity. Just a small example is that lying is virtually impossible for me. I also deliver what I promise, etc.
  • Curiosity: I love my work and have great curiosity in all the workshop and speech topics I present (not to mention this column.) In fact, I won’t present topics that don’t interest me.
    * Zest: Researching areas that fascinate me gives me great zest or energy and passion for presenting information to others.
  • Loving: I’m fortunate to have a wonderful husband and great friends and family. Throughout my entire life I’ve had abundant loving relationships.
  • Gratitude: All of my life I’ve been a very grateful person, which is an effective buffer against depression, according to Seligman.
  • I truly have a great life; and not because of money or possessions nor quick pleasures – although I do love watching MN Vikings’ games. My happiness and contentment come from living what is to me an interesting life; one of my own choosing and designing, therefore authentic.

Identify your own signature strengths by taking Seligman’s assessment, then figure out how you already live these and consciously appreciate that. Seek even greater happiness by looking for additional ways to express your strengths. If authentic happiness is your goal, living your strengths is your strategy.

Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., is an international speaker and a Stress and Wellness Coach. Order her book, Let Your Body Win: Stress Management Plain & Simple.

How to become more optimistic about future

Can I learn to be Optimistic?
By Jacquelyn Ferguson MS

Would more money, a nicer house or better health make you more content? Are these the same things that satisfy happier people, too? If not, what can we learn from them to become happier ourselves?

The Positive Psychology movement finds that you’ll get the most bang for your happiness buck by changing how you:
* Feel about your past
* Think about your future
* Experience your present

So let’s look to your future.

Future-oriented positive emotions include:
* Optimism
* Faith
* Hope
* Trust

You must be fairly optimistic for these emotions to augment your happiness. Optimism is hope about your prospects. In these tough times it’s more difficult to remain hopeful, yet many do.

Dr. Martin Seligman, the University of PA pioneer of Positive Psychology, author of “Learned Optimism” and “Authentic Happiness,” and world renown optimism/pessimism researcher, has shown through extensive research that optimists and pessimists interpret events very differently. Pessimists are more realistic but optimists are more resilient, healthier and may live longer, and are better at work and in sports.

Seligman has narrowed down becoming more optimistic to changing how you explain why good and bad things happen to you through two dimensions of your “Explanatory Style:”
* Permanence versus temporary: for how long do you give up?
* Pervasiveness – universal versus specific: how much of your life is affected by events?

Permanence vs. temporary: Pessimists see causes of bad events as permanent, such as not getting a job interviewed for – “I’m all washed up.”

Optimists use temporary terminology to explain “I wasn’t on for that interview.”

Whose stress lasts longer? Who’s going to give up more easily? Being washed up sounds very permanent.

Pessimists also use expansive and exaggerated words like “always” and “never” such as “I’ll never get a job.”

Optimists use “sometimes” and “lately” such as “I’ve had some bad interviews lately.”

Opposite terminology is used when something good happens.

Pessimists use temporary terminology to explain why something good happened – “I’m lucky to get this job.”

Optimist use permanent causes for good events – “I’m the best candidate for this job.”

The second dimension of your Explanatory Style is Pervasive: how much of your life is affected by an event?

For bad events pessimists explain with universal terms and may feel helpless in multiple areas of their lives, like not getting the job:
* “I’m such a loser.”

Optimists use specific explanations and limit any helplessness to the bad event – “I wasn’t feeling well that day.”
Who is more resilient for the next interview?

Pessimists use specific reasons to explain why something good happened – “I got the job because I’m good at math.”

Optimists use universal reasons – “I got the job because I’m smart.”

So, to become more optimistic and happier about your future explain bad events with temporary and specific causes and good events with permanent and universal ones.
Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., is an international speaker and a Stress and Wellness Coach. Order her book, Let Your Body Win: Stress Management Plain & Simple.LetYourBodyWin.gif