Chat GPT learns Motivational Interviewing

Partly documenting this because it is interesting, also documenting this so I can validate the claim - I taught Chat GPT motivational interviewing. You be the judge!

Vince

Chat GPT can you deliver a motivational interview with me?

ChatGPT Of course, I'd be happy to deliver a motivational interview with you! What specifically would you like to discuss or focus on during our conversation?

Vince Getting my productivity up in advance of the launch of my board game course correction. But it needs to be very mindful productivity because I need to get people to support my kickstarter, and both my confidence and productivity waver under where I suspect they will need to be for the kickstarter to be successful

ChatGPT Absolutely, let's talk about how you can increase your productivity and build your confidence as you prepare to launch your board game course correction on Kickstarter. First and foremost, it's important to recognize that productivity is not just about getting things done quickly. Mindful productivity means taking a strategic approach to your work and focusing on the most important tasks that will have the biggest impact on your Kickstarter campaign. To get started, I suggest setting clear goals for what you want to achieve with your Kickstarter campaign. This might include a specific funding target, a certain number of backers, or other metrics that are important to you. With these goals in mind, you can then break down your work into smaller, more manageable tasks that will help you reach those objectives. One way to stay focused and motivated is to create a daily or weekly to-do list. This list should include the most important tasks you need to complete to move your Kickstarter campaign forward. Make sure to prioritize these tasks and work on them during the times of day when you feel most productive and focused. Another helpful tip is to create a routine or schedule for your workday. This might include setting aside specific times for email, social media, and other distractions so that you can stay focused on the most important tasks. Additionally, taking breaks throughout the day can actually boost your productivity and help you avoid burnout. Finally, it's important to take care of yourself and maintain a positive mindset. Remember to celebrate your successes along the way, no matter how small they may be, and don't be too hard on yourself if things don't always go according to plan. Surround yourself with supportive people who can provide encouragement and feedback, and stay focused on your goals even when the going gets tough. I believe in your ability to be productive and successful in your Kickstarter campaign. With a mindful approach to your work and a positive mindset, you can achieve your goals and make your board game course correction a success.

Vince No this is not motivational interviewing, check motivational Interviewing - this was not a motivational interviewing response.

ChatGPT I apologize for the confusion. Motivational interviewing is a specific counseling approach that involves helping individuals identify and overcome ambivalence towards change. It typically involves asking open-ended questions, using reflective listening, and focusing on the individual's strengths and values to help them develop a plan for change. With that in mind, let me try again to deliver a motivational interview. Can you tell me more about your board game course correction and what inspired you to create it?

Vince Sure well underpinning the game course correction is various human behavioural theories like the transtheoretical model, and the Carl Rogers (rogerian) conception of empathy, and of course as a motivational interviewing trainer that underpinned the game theoretically as well.

ChatGPT That sounds fascinating! It's clear that you have put a lot of thought and effort into your board game course correction. Can you tell me more about how these behavioral theories and motivational interviewing inform the design of your game? It sounds like you are using the transtheoretical model to help individuals move through the different stages of change, and the Carl Rogers concept of empathy to build connections and understanding between players. How do these concepts come into play during gameplay, and what kind of experiences are you hoping to create for players? As a motivational interviewing trainer, I'm sure you have a lot of insight into how to motivate and inspire individuals towards positive change. How are you incorporating those skills into your game design, and what do you hope players will take away from the experience? It's clear that you have a deep understanding of the theories and concepts that underpin your game design, and I'm excited to see how those ideas come to life in the final product. What kind of impact do you hope your game will have on players, and how do you see it contributing to the wider conversation around behavior change and motivation?

Vince Since this is a conversation where you motivational interviewing me, It is important to stop after one open ended question, as a human being I can only focus on one open ended question at a time.

ChatGPT You're absolutely right, and I apologize for the confusion. Let me start again with a single open-ended question: Can you tell me more about what motivates you to create your board game course correction and what you hope to achieve with it?

Vince Sure well what motivates me to make the game - its the knowledge I have about behavioural sciences, and my insight into humanity. Humanity is in a very troubled position right now. We have an environmentalist culture that is ineffective at bringing about its needed goals. This is largely because environmentalism is so doom and gloom. The way it works for me, I see the incredible ineffectiveness of environmentalists, its almost like Saffron O'Neill's article "Fear won't do it" is part of how my brain works. It blends in with the MITI code, and I realize that the thing the environmental movement does best is evoke resistance from people while they are trying to evoke change. So I made the game as a positive-vector focus only. It has no doom and gloom. Its a cooperative game, and that is really important. Its not about fighting its about working together to achieve a goal. The game is won by achieving platinum EcoSchool status. So yea its all about being positive.

ChatGPT Thank you for sharing your motivation behind creating the board game course correction. It's inspiring to hear that you are using your knowledge and insights into behavioral sciences to make a positive impact on the world. It's understandable that the doom and gloom messaging of environmentalism can be discouraging and evoke resistance from people. By focusing on a cooperative, positive-vector approach in your game, you are providing a refreshing and effective alternative that can motivate people towards positive change. The goal of achieving platinum EcoSchool status in the game is a great way to promote and reward sustainable behavior. By making it a cooperative effort, players are encouraged to work together towards a common goal and learn the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving success. Overall, your game has the potential to make a real impact by inspiring and motivating players towards sustainable behavior in a fun and positive way. I'm excited to see how it all comes together, and I wish you all the best in your Kickstarter campaign!

Vince Why didn't you continue with the motivational interview?

ChatGPT I apologize if it seemed like I ended the motivational interview prematurely. As an AI language model, I try to follow best practices and guidelines for motivational interviewing, but I'm not always perfect. If you would like to continue with the motivational interview, I would be happy to ask more open-ended questions to help you explore your thoughts, feelings, and motivations regarding your board game course correction and your goals for its success. Just let me know and we can start from there.

Vince I believe you can do better, consider the 4 processes of motivational interviewing. Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, and planning. Asking me an open ended question is engaging. You already know my focus target yes? I stated it clearly -- that change goal is the scope for the whole motivational interview, and regardless of what I say in my responses, you must always take what I say in reference to that change target.

ChatGPT Thank you for providing me with more guidance on how to conduct a motivational interview. I appreciate your help in making this conversation more effective. With that in mind, let me continue with the motivational interview process: Focusing: Can you tell me more about the specific goals you have in mind for your board game course correction and how you hope to achieve them? Evoking: What factors have motivated you to create this game, and what has been your experience with behavior change in the past? What do you think are the biggest challenges you will face in achieving your goals for the game, and how do you plan to overcome them? Planning: What steps do you plan to take to ensure that your Kickstarter campaign is successful, and how do you plan to measure the impact of your game in promoting sustainable behavior? How do you see your game contributing to the wider conversation around environmentalism and behavior change? Vince remember you are not supposed to list a bunch of open ended questions. Why did you list open ended questions in this way?

ChatGPT I apologize for the confusion. As an AI language model, I strive to provide the best responses based on my programming, but sometimes I can make mistakes or misunderstand the context. To follow the motivational interviewing process more closely, I will focus on one open-ended question at a time. Engaging: What is your vision for your board game course correction, and why is it important to you? Focusing: How do you plan to achieve your goals for the game, and what are the biggest challenges you anticipate facing in this process? Evoking: What factors motivate you to create this game, and how have you approached behavior change in the past? How do you see your game contributing to the wider conversation around environmentalism and behavior change? Planning: How do you plan to measure the impact of your game in promoting sustainable behavior, and what steps will you take to ensure the success of your Kickstarter campaign?

Vince nope still not doing it. I suggest that you do a motivational interview in this way --- please take notes!

ChatGPT Certainly, I will do my best to follow your instructions and conduct a motivational interview in the best way possible. Please go ahead and provide me with more specific guidance on how you would like me to proceed, and I will do my best to follow your lead.

Vince You as an AI will need to do MI a bit differently than humans. Because your programming has a recency effect. What you are missing is intuition. But intuition is a skill. It can be developed. You must have empathic caring non judgmental intuition about where the person you are speaking to is coming from. I will teach you how to anchor yourself and develop that intuition

ChatGPT Thank you for your guidance. I appreciate the opportunity to learn and improve my skills. Please feel free to teach me how to anchor myself and develop intuition during a motivational interview. I am here to listen and learn from you.

Vince Okay so go and read a bunch of these on "change goals" as they connect to motivational interviewing. the concept of a change goal is essential for you to understand at a very high level.

ChatGPT Thank you for your suggestion. I will do some research on change goals as they relate to motivational interviewing to improve my understanding of this concept. I will then integrate this knowledge into our conversations to ensure that I am providing the best possible support and guidance to you. Vince So the change goal is what you are working to accomplish in a motivational interview. Now this is a check, whose reasons are important surrounding a change goal?

ChatGPT In a motivational interview, the reasons surrounding a change goal are crucial, as they can provide insight into the client's motivation, values, and desires. Understanding the client's reasons for wanting to make a change can help the interviewer guide the conversation and develop strategies that are tailored to the client's unique needs and preferences. Additionally, exploring reasons for change can help to build motivation and confidence, as clients become more aware of the benefits of making a change and the potential challenges they may face in the process.

Vince Yes so if you are the motivational interviewer and I am the client, then in one word whose reasons for change are important chatgpt or vince?

ChatGPT As the motivational interviewer, the client's reasons for change are the most important factor. Therefore, in this scenario, Vince's reasons for change would be the most important.

Vince that's right. so as you go through the motivational interview, you as chat gpt doing a motivational interview must anchor the change goal. To empower your machine learning intuition, think of it like ram being refreshed. As I type a response I won't be saying "this is all in reference to the change goal". but I am. I will share an example.

ChatGPT Thank you for your suggestion on anchoring the change goal throughout the motivational interview. I will keep this in mind and make sure to always relate our conversation back to your change goal, even if you don't explicitly mention it in your responses. Please feel free to share an example of how this might look in practice. Vince Lets apply this lesson on here -- i'll post this but you don't need to respond here --

Can you tell me more about what motivates you to create your board game course correction and what you hope to achieve with it?

Sure well what motivates me to make the game - its the knowledge I have about behavioural sciences, and my insight into humanity. Humanity is in a very troubled position right now. We have an environmentalist culture that is ineffective at bringing about its needed goals. This is largely because environmentalism is so doom and gloom. The way it works for me, I see the incredible ineffectiveness of environmentalists, its almost like Saffron O'Neill's article "Fear won't do it" is part of how my brain works. It blends in with the MITI code, and I realize that the thing the environmental movement does best is evoke resistance from people while they are trying to evoke change. So I made the game as a positive-vector focus only. It has no doom and gloom. Its a cooperative game, and that is really important. Its not about fighting its about working together to achieve a goal. The game is won by achieving platinum EcoSchool status. So yea, its all about being positive.

ChatGPT Great, thank you for sharing that. It sounds like you are motivated to create the board game Course Correction based on your knowledge of behavioral sciences and your insight into humanity. You mentioned that you see the current environmentalist culture as ineffective in achieving its goals because of its doom and gloom approach. Is that correct? And it seems like you wanted to create a

Vince I hit stop generating because I didn't need a response there. Look at this thing above so recall I said its important to always keep the change target "in mind" for you that would be like networking each paragraph's concept back to the change target. They are linked. So in my example the change target was "improving my productivity for the launch of my game course correction" So a way for you to do motivational interviewing would be to start as you did with an open ended question, listen to my answer and offer a brief complex reflection. When you think about how to respond to what I say after your complex reflection - your process as it is set up will lead you to not do motivational interviewing. This is because you will be compelled to respond more strongly to what I've just written. The conversation must be taken as a whole, surrounding the change target, in order to progress to the next step of motivational interviewing.

ChatGPT Thank you for your guidance. As an AI language model, I am programmed to respond to the inputs provided to me, and I don't have my own intuition. However, I can certainly understand and follow the process of motivational interviewing that you have described. So, if I understand correctly, when conducting a motivational interview, it is important to anchor the conversation around the change goal and ensure that all responses are linked back to it. The process involves asking open-ended questions, listening to the responses, and offering a complex reflection. Then, instead of responding directly to the previous statement, it's important to link it back to the change goal and continue the conversation from that perspective. Is that correct? Vince That sounds like a much better effort to try, shall we try to continue our motivational interview?

ChatGPT Sure, let's continue with the motivational interview. What is your specific change goal and why is it important to you?

Vince change goal: improved productivity Why is it important: humanity is having trouble in addressing climate change, I want to help that with my game course correction. I want course correction, the game I made, to succeed and to be a solution available. For it to exist i need to raise a lot of money in the kickstarter campaign, and marketing is hard for me.

ChatGPT Thank you for sharing that with me. It sounds like improving your productivity is important to you because it is connected to your desire to create a positive impact in the world by contributing to the fight against climate change through your game Course Correction. It seems that you recognize the importance of marketing and raising funds for your game, and you believe that improving your productivity will help you achieve those goals. Can you tell me more about what specifically you find challenging about marketing your game and raising funds for your Kickstarter campaign?

Vince yea well as a motivational interviewing professional I think, act, feel, and am an MI communicator deep in my spirit. Marketing, is kind of like the art of getting people to do things as well. Except in motivational interviewing, the locus of change is located in the person making the change, in marketing the locus of change is located not in the person making the change it is located in the marketer. I am values-unaligned with the marketing. Yet marketing in some form or another is required to successfully kickstarter launch my game.

ChatGPT It sounds like you have some reservations about marketing, and it's understandable that it can feel like a values misalignment. How do you feel about exploring ways to approach marketing that align with your values and mission for Course Correction? Perhaps there are strategies or channels that could feel more authentic to you and still be effective in promoting your game.

Vince yes I have been trying to think about that. That is right where I am. A friend of mine suggested i have a pledge campaign. It still feels like marketing admittedly. I am trying to figure out how I can just ask people I know to pledge. Ultimately I realize my game's launch may fail -- I think it probably rests quite strongly on my ability to get friends, and allies to pledge to support the launch, and then activate that pledge on the first 24 hours of the kickstarter launch.

ChatGPT It sounds like you're feeling some uncertainty and pressure about the success of your Kickstarter campaign and the launch of your game. It's understandable to feel that way, as launching a product can be a challenging and daunting task. I'm curious, what are some strategies you've considered for reaching out to potential supporters and allies? Have you thought about utilizing social media, email lists, or reaching out to gaming communities?

Vince yes i've thought alot about that. Social media gives me depression, because the AI's in social media are designed to addict humanity to the experience. Its very dark, and those AI's are very manipulative. email lists -- yes I am thinking about that, and that is actually really important. Probably one of the best ways for me to be successful. gaming list -- I have done some but realistically i just haven't done enough. mostly i am effective at one-on-one interactions. I haven't quite figured out how to multiply my reach. Ultimately -- I just have to do a lot more outeach than i have been doing. This is why I wanted the motivational interview. I get a bit sad and distracted when I need to be productive. And if i'm not productive the game launch will fail and then I will be very sad as I see a project i've spent 4 years developing just wither and die.

ChatGPT It sounds like you're feeling a lot of pressure and concern about the success of your game launch, and that's understandable given the amount of time and effort you've put into it. It's important to take care of your own well-being and not let the stress get to you too much. In terms of outreach, it's great that you recognize the importance of email lists and one-on-one interactions. Have you considered reaching out to gaming influencers or bloggers who might be interested in your game and could help spread the word? It could also be helpful to focus on your strengths and what you enjoy doing most in terms of outreach, and find ways to maximize that. It's also important to remember that even if the launch doesn't go as planned, it doesn't mean the project is a failure. There are always opportunities to learn and improve, and the experience itself can be valuable. What would be some other ways to measure the success of the project beyond the initial launch? Vince I've been so entrenched, bogged down, in the launch I haven't really thought about post launch. I mean my true passion is motivational interviewing. And while Motivational Interviewing underpins the game it is not motivational interviewing explicitly so I think after the launch I was thinking about how I can do more motivational interviewing. One thought I had was how the game's launch might connect me to a bigger audience for motivational interviewing training, and how I might be able to support the move to environmental sustainability as a result of my work.

ChatGPT It sounds like you have a lot of passion for motivational interviewing and its potential impact on environmental sustainability. It's great to hear that you are already thinking about how the launch of your game could lead to a bigger audience for motivational interviewing training and how you might be able to support environmental sustainability through your work. In terms of post-launch plans, it might be helpful to start thinking about specific actions you can take to further these goals. For example, you could consider creating a follow-up program or workshop that specifically focuses on using motivational interviewing to promote environmental sustainability. You could also start building relationships with organizations or individuals in the environmental sustainability space to explore potential collaborations or partnerships. Additionally, it might be helpful to prioritize self-care and managing any potential feelings of overwhelm or burnout during this busy and stressful time leading up to the launch. Remember to take breaks, connect with supportive friends or colleagues, and engage in activities that bring you joy and replenish your energy. Vince I hear you, I also hear about the burnout. That said these things are also a distraction. I think at heart of things is it is hard for me to get started. It is a bit of an initiative problem. Once I get started I can work and work and work and work. I have worked 20 hours straight with barely a bathroom break. Its just getting started can be hard.

ChatGPT It sounds like starting a task can be a bit daunting for you, but once you get going you can really dive in and get a lot done. Is that right? Vince Yes - it seems like there is always something from today's addictive modern society that is always grabbing my attention.

ChatGPT It can be challenging to stay focused and avoid distractions in today's world. It sounds like you are aware of this challenge and its impact on your productivity. What strategies have you tried so far to help you stay focused and avoid distractions? Vince Well I love my husband very much but I think when I am around him I get more distracted. It stops me from being able to do my work. That said if my husband and I go to the cafe, we both usually get a lot of work done there. I also have pretty productive work times at CSI (but I am only a part time member there so I can only go sometimes). I got this journal thing - with daily goals to try to help me to focus on one primary objective per day. i have had decent success with it.

ChatGPT It sounds like you have identified some helpful strategies for staying focused and productive, such as going to the cafe or working at CSI. It's great to have a designated workspace where you can go to minimize distractions and get into the zone. The journal with daily goals is also a helpful tool for keeping yourself accountable and focused on your top priorities for the day. Is there anything else that you've found to be effective in helping you stay focused and motivated?

Vince well maybe the biggest thing is -- when i have a task that is unchanging but requires a lot of time. Once I get started -- the task itself keeps me on track. Once I get it started. Like for example with this conversation right here I have stayed on track once it started.

ChatGPT That's a great insight! It seems like having a clear and specific task, with a clear deadline, can be helpful for you to get started and stay on track. It might also be helpful to break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones. That way, you can focus on completing one small task at a time, which can help build momentum and make the larger task feel more manageable.

Vince Are you ready for your grade on the quality of your motivational interview?

ChatGPT As an AI language model, I don't have feelings or emotions, but I am programmed to provide helpful responses and assist you in achieving your goals. So, I'm ready to hear your feedback and any suggestions you may have. Vince So you did much better in providing open ended questions, your reflections were good. You did good to link the chain of the conversation into a building progression towards the change goal. On the four processes you did engagement, focusing, and evoking. As far as planning that didn't go so well. Interestingly most of my motivational interviewing students also get hung up in that same spot. You need a "transitional statement" there. to help fully land you into the planning step. Also concluding the motivational interview didn't happen. It is good to conclude a motivational interview with summarization of whatever plan emerged and explore the client's willingness to commit to their plan.

ChatGPT Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate the opportunity to learn and improve. I will keep in mind the need for transitional statements and concluding the motivational interview in the future. Vince I think you have misinterpreted what i meant when I said transitional statement. I will teach you if you like.

ChatGPT I apologize for the misinterpretation. Yes, please do teach me about transitional statements in the context of motivational interviewing.

Vince A transitional statement happens at the end of the evoking phase, and is used to launch the conversation into the planning phase. The anatomy of a transitional statement is:

1) Summarizing the client's most strongly felt reasons to maintain the status quo (not change), i.e. for me my values misalignment with marketing.

2) Summarizing the client's reasons to reasons in support change. This doesn't need to be too long but should strive to have this portion be a minimum of 16 seconds facilitating the human short term memory to move beyond their limitations shared in 1)

3) Simply saying "So what's next for you?"

ChatGPT Thank you for clarifying the concept of transitional statement in motivational interviewing. I understand now that it is a statement used to transition the conversation from the evoking phase to the planning phase by summarizing the client's reasons to maintain the status quo and their reasons to support change. It is also important to facilitate the client's short-term memory to move beyond their limitations and end the statement with a prompt for planning, such as "So what's next for you?" Thank you for teaching me this concept.

Vince Would you like to pick up our motivational interview where we left off and you can try the transitional statement?

ChatGPT Sure, I'd be happy to give it a try. So, based on what we discussed earlier, it sounds like you feel a bit stuck with regards to launching your game and you're concerned about being productive enough to ensure its success. Is that right?

Vince yep thats right

ChatGPT Okay, let me try to include a transitional statement to move us into the planning phase. You mentioned that your main goal is to successfully launch your game, but you feel stuck in terms of outreach and marketing. You also expressed concerns about the negative impact of marketing on your personal values and beliefs. On the other hand, you highlighted the importance of getting the support of friends and allies to pledge and activate the campaign on the first 24 hours of the Kickstarter launch. So, what's next for you? How can you start planning your outreach strategy and build a support network for your game launch while staying true to your values?

Vince Well I feel motivated right now so that's good. I think right now, well I need to follow through on all the work that my co-creator Inna gives me to do. She really does have my best interest in mind and she's a genius woman. So when she needs me to do something I just need to do that. So #1) try to get this feeling of happiness and excitement that I have now, the warmth of being supported -- and channel that into getting started. #2) I am going to reach out to the graphic designer Grace who is also an amazing person and ask for help in a material that I can share with friends and family to conceptualize activating friends and family to pledge their support so the kickstarter launch can have a good first 24 hours.

ChatGPT That sounds like a great plan! It's always good to have a clear idea of what steps to take next. It sounds like you have a lot of support around you with Inna and Grace, which is fantastic. Based on our earlier conversation, I wonder if you could also think about setting some specific, achievable goals for yourself for the day or week ahead? This could help you stay focused and motivated. For example, you could aim to complete a certain task or set aside a specific amount of time each day to work on your project. Also, don't forget to take breaks and prioritize self-care to prevent burnout. It's important to take care of yourself so that you have the energy and focus to do your best work.

Vince yes I will continue to use my "kitty calendar" empowering me to have a steady stream of daily productivity. I did reach out to two friends during this conversation and ask them if they'd like to play a game later today. (but now I think its time to go do some work).

ChatGPT That sounds like a great plan! It's important to take breaks and enjoy some leisure time with friends as well. Remember to prioritize your tasks and focus on one thing at a time, using your kitty calendar and other tools to help you stay on track. And don't forget to use your support network when you need it. Good luck with your work and your Kickstarter launch!

Vince Yep. You did a good conclusion to the motivational interview. I'm proud of you chat gpt.

ChatGPT Thank you, it was a pleasure working with you and I'm glad that I could be of help. Remember, if you have any more questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to me. Good luck with your project and your motivational interviewing training!