Photorealistic avatars can help to improve treatment outcome expectations
- 1Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Marburg University, Marburg, Germany
Abstract
Introduction: Because negative treatment outcome expectations predict unfavorable treatment effects, violating these negative outcome expectations is one central goal of psychotherapy. One mediator of outcome expectations and therapy outcome is the therapeutic alliance.
Methods: This experimental online study investigated whether human vs. photorealistic avatar therapists can establish a therapeutic alliance through a first empathy video followed by an expectation violation video, challenging negative treatment expectations. Healthy participants (N = 484) were assigned to one out of four experimental groups where either a human therapist or their photorealistic avatar expressed empathy (video 1) and gave expectation-violating information (video 2).
Results: In line with our hypothesis (two human therapists > human, then avatar therapist > avatar, then human therapist > two avatar therapists), outcome expectation improvements and alliance ratings were highest after the two videos for the sequence with two human therapists, and still considerably positive in the groups with the avatar in the first video.
Discussion: Contrary to our hypothesis, outcome expectations and alliance ratings declined after the second video for the group that first saw a human and then an avatar therapist: rather than potentiating the expectation violation after a human alliance, a negative contrast effect could have occurred when seeing an avatar after an initial human therapist, besides a modest, general effect of avatar-delivered content. When combining human and avatar therapist modalities in a single session, it seems important to consider the sequence of avatar and human therapist display: targeted expectation violation effects may be stronger when the human therapist follows the avatar.
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BibTeX
@article{bauermann2026photorealistic,
title = {{Photorealistic avatars can help to improve treatment outcome expectations}},
author = {Pauline Bauermann and Winfried Rief},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1960478},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1960478},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Photorealistic avatars can help to improve treatment outcome expectations
AU - Pauline Bauermann
AU - Winfried Rief
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1960478
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1960478
AB - Introduction: Because negative treatment outcome expectations predict unfavorable treatment effects, violating these negative outcome expectations is one central goal of psychotherapy. One mediator of outcome expectations and therapy outcome is the therapeutic alliance. Methods: This experimental online study investigated whether human vs. photorealistic avatar therapists can establish a therapeutic alliance through a first empathy video followed by an expectation violation video, challenging negative treatment expectations. Healthy participants (N = 484) were assigned to one out of four experimental groups where either a human therapist or their photorealistic avatar expressed empathy (video 1) and gave expectation-violating information (video 2). Results: In line with our hypothesis (two human therapists > human, then avatar therapist > avatar, then human therapist > two avatar therapists), outcome expectation improvements and alliance ratings were highest after the two videos for the sequence with two human therapists, and still considerably positive in the groups with the avatar in the first video. Discussion: Contrary to our hypothesis, outcome expectations and alliance ratings declined after the second video for the group that first saw a human and then an avatar therapist: rather than potentiating the expectation violation after a human alliance, a negative contrast effect could have occurred when seeing an avatar after an initial human therapist, besides a modest, general effect of avatar-delivered content. When combining human and avatar therapist modalities in a single session, it seems important to consider the sequence of avatar and human therapist display: targeted expectation violation effects may be stronger when the human therapist follows the avatar.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -