Response of Phobic Patients to Direct Computer Assessment

Computerized assessment which is objective, standardized and easily repeated has been shown to be acceptable to general psychiatric patients. Fifty-three subjects (43 phobics and 10 normals feigning phobias) showed no unusual apprehension in approaching this novel procedure; all were able to complete the computer interview. Furthermore, half of them claimed that they found the interview more acceptable and found it easier to communicate with the computer than with a clinician. Only nine patients preferred the clinician. The reasons for this are discussed.