BACKGROUND Web-based cognitive-behavioral therapeutic (CBT) apps have demonstrated efficacy but are characterized by poor adherence. Conversational agents may offer a convenient, engaging way of getting support at any time. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a fully automated conversational agent to deliver a self-...

A new model of speech quality under delay is presented that includes conversational interactivity. It is based on two previously reported narrowband telephony conversation tests involving different delays, with subject-pairs judging overall quality after each conversation. The tests were conducted with different conversation scenarios targeting different levels of interactivity. The instruction...

This article examines changes in network structure using data on women’s AIDSrelated conversational networks from the 1998 and 2001 rounds of the Malawi Diffusion and Ideation Change project. The principal aims are to show that the structure of conversational networks can change significantly in relatively short periods and that multilevel analysis is an effective way to explore the scope of th...

We present a conversational system for the computer analysis of nucleic acid and protein sequences based on the well-known Queen and Korn program (1). The system can be used by persons with only minimal knowledge of computers.

This paper introduces the understanding system HAM-RPM, which simulates a dialogue partner conversing about a real-life domain. After outlining the system's overall structure, we discuss three of its distinguishing features: The first is its organisation of spatial data in a redundant multiple data base, inspired by certain aspects characteristic of visual search in humans. A new algorithm for ...

In this paper we survey the role of humor in human-to-human interaction with the aim to see whether it is useful for embodied conversational agents to integrate humor capabilities in their internal model of intelligence, emotions and interaction (verbal and nonverbal) capabilities. For that reason we shortly survey the current state of the art of research in embodied conversational agents, affe...

The variability and reduction that are characteristic of talking in natural interaction make it very difficult to detect prominence in conversational speech. In this paper, we present analytic studies and automatic detection results for pitch accent, as well as on the realization of information structure phenomena like givenness and focus. For pitch accent, our conditional random field model co...

Text mining (TM) and computational linguistics (CL) are computationally intensive fields where many tools are becoming available to study large text corpora and exploit the use corpora for various purposes. In this chapter we will address the problem of building conversational agents or chatbots from corpora for domain-specific educational purposes. After addressing some linguistic issues relev...

OBJECTIVES In the UK dementia is under-diagnosed, there is limited access to specialist memory clinics, and many of the patients referred to such clinics are ultimately found to have functional (non-progressive) memory disorders (FMD), rather than a neurodegenerative disorder. Government initiatives on 'timely diagnosis' aim to improve the rate and quality of diagnosis for those with dementia. ...