The SuperShrink interview: Active versus passive questioning and student satisfaction

摘要

Many attempts have been made to simulate and study human behavior using computers. SuperShrink, an educational simulation of a clinical interview for undergraduate psychology students, is described and evaluated with special attention to the optimal balance of interview structure and realism created by how students question the simulated patient. An empirical study of three questioning methods is reported. Data from between-group and within-subjects comparisons indicate students prefer typing suggested questions to menu-driven or automatic methods, suggesting the make-believe aspects of a realistic simulation are more important to users than efficiency, once enough structure is provided to keep frustration within comfortable limits. Empirical analysis of student behavior in computer based educational settings is advocated to aid the development of these instructional aids and as convenient laboratories in which to study personality and cognitive topics of interests to psychologists.