A study of the relationship between personality factors, attitudes, and measured content in a computerized counseling experience

This study is an investigation of the correlations between personality factors of Extraversion and Neuroticism and attitudes as measured on nine scales developed for this purpose. A second major portion of the study is concerned with correlation of the above personality factors with a content analysis of the counseling interview. An adaptation of an existing interactive computer program (Eliza) was used with 42 high school juniors and seniors randomly selected from a psychology class. The students were administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory as a group. Subsequently, each student was individually exposed to the counseling program via a teletype terminal of a large computer. Following the counseling experience, the "Counseling Simulation Attitude Survey" was completed by the subject. Analysis of the data consisted of simple correlation calculations using the Eysenck personality factors singly with each of the nine attitude scales. The content analysis was performed by the computer program yielding data such as total word count and personal pronoun counts. These data together with the Eysenck scores were used in multiple correlation calculations. Some sample conversations and their clinical possibilities are included. The results showed correlations to the .OS level between Extraversion as measured by the Eysenck and competitiveness and Neuroticism and anxiety. Significant multiple correlations were found between pronoun usage and the personality parameters.