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4/10/23

ENC1102

Rhetorical Analysis

Introduction

The article I chose was "Artificial Intelligence applications and psychology: an

overview," published in Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica, the official journal of Hungarian

Association of Psychopharmacology. The author is Mohammad Tahan, who is a doctor of

psychology at the University of Tehran who dedicates his research to the development of

psychometric tools and mental health awareness in Iran.

I chose this article because it was a broad overview of the uses of artificial intelligence

(AI) within psychology. The article examines the advantages and ethical concerns surrounding

the use of AI technology in the psychology field. The text I chose will help me in my research

project about AI and its role in psychology. I intend to examine whether AI can be used in

psychotherapy and the treatment of psychological disorders. This article published in 2019

provides information about the use of AI in the earlier stages of publicly available artificial

intelligence and discusses the implications of using AI in psychotherapy. These implications can

be seen with the use of ChatGPT which was released in 2022.

Results

By writing a research paper that presents different sets of data collected between

established studies, Tahan forms his argument closest to Toulmin's model of argumentation.

Tahan makes a claim, provides supporting evidence, and explains why the evidence warrants his
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claim. In this paper, the claim is that AI and psychology has the potential to revolutionize the

field of psychology by enabling researchers to gather and analyze vast amounts of data, and by

providing new tools for diagnosing and treating mental health disorders.To support his claim,

Tahan cites several examples of AI applications in psychology, such as chatbots and virtual

therapists. He also discusses how AI can be used to analyze large amounts of data from brain

scans and other sources to help psychologists better understand mental disorders and their

underlying causes. The author also discusses the potential for AI to improve the accuracy of

diagnostic tests, facilitate more personalized treatment plans, and help researchers better

understand the underlying mechanisms of mental health disorders. Tahan also considers

counterpoints to his claim to strengthen his argument. By calling forth rebuttals, he balances his

point by acknowledging the pitfalls and shortcomings of AI. He explores possible negative

implications and suggests caution to the possible benefits he has established.

Tahan logically connects these pieces of evidence together by highlighting the ways in

which AI can be used to address many of the current challenges facing the field of psychology.

He suggests that AI has the potential to make mental health care more accessible and affordable,

while also improving the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment. Tahan mentions

many legitimate studies including The use of machine learning algorithms to predict depression

and anxiety levels based on their social media activity, the use of AI to analyze fMRI brain

scans to predict possible psychosis, The use of AI in cognitive behavioral therapy, and the use of

AI to analyze language patterns in individuals with schizophrenia.

Tahan asserts that AI has the potential to enhance mental health treatment by offering

customized treatment plans and increasing diagnostic precision, but it also has the potential for

partiality and a lack of human touch in treatment. Tahan utilizes personal stories and
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hypothetical scenarios to relate his argument to his audience, citing numerous research studies

and statistics to support his point. As a researcher and writer with a Ph.D. in Psychology, Tahan

establishes himself as an expert in AI as it relates to psychology, allowing him to engage in the

broader discourse surrounding the use of AI within the field. The article's timing is significant as

it was published in 2019, which actually precedes the rapid advancement of AI technology and

its growing use in mental health treatment.

Psychology has seen different technologies throughout the years but has remained a field

centered around human connection and personal judgment. Diagnostic tools such as the

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) have been used in psychology

since 1952 as DSM 1st edition. The DSM is revised every 5 to 7 years because it is crucial for

the text to be up to date on evolving psychiatric literature. Currently, psychologists use DSM-5

which was released in 2013.

The origin of the concept of artificial intelligence is difficult to place but has been

discussed as early as the 1930s with the work of Alan Turing (Britannica). Over time we

developed technology of AI to perform increasingly complex tasks such as data analysis and

machine learning, but not to the extent that individuals could interact directly as if it were a

person.In late 2022, the San Francisco-based company OpenAI launched ChatGPT to the public.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that takes input from users and generates responses

to simulate human conversation. This specific model of AI employs learning techniques such as

adversarial training to stop ChatGPT from letting users trick it to behave badly. To get the text to

deviate from its usual patterns and create unwanted responses, they use multiple chatbots. The

successful assaults are then included in the training data for ChatGPT in an effort to teach it to

disregard them.
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This article can be used in my research project because it provides an early insight into

the uses that AI could provide in a psychology-focused environment. Three years after the

publication of the article, the new release of ChatGPT to the public gained popularity due to its

accessibility and ease of use. This has prompted new discourse and experimentation with its

applications to many fields, including psychology.

One of Tahan's most compelling rhetorical strategies is his use of concrete examples and

statistics to reinforce his argument. For instance, he notes that AI has been used to predict

suicidal behavior with 80-90% accuracy, a statistic that is likely to capture readers' attention and

highlight the potential benefits of AI in psychology. He also cites a study showing that AI-based

mental health treatments have similar outcomes to traditional psychotherapy, which helps to

dispel concerns that AI may not be as effective as human interventions.

Tahan also employs repetition as a rhetorical strategy, reiterating key phrases to

emphasize his argument. For instance, he emphasizes the idea that AI has the potential to

outperform human experts in some domains, stating, "AI systems have the ability to learn from

past data and improve their performance, often achieving higher accuracy than human experts"

(Tahan p. 121). He also repeats the phrase "ethically responsible" several times to underscore the

importance of considering ethical implications when using AI in psychology. Another rhetorical

strategy that Tahan employs is the use of analogies and metaphors to help readers understand

complex concepts. For instance, he compares AI to a tool that can be used for good or evil,

stating, "Like any tool, AI can be used for noble or nefarious purposes, depending on the hands

that wield it" (Tahan p. 122). This analogy helps readers comprehend the potential for both

positive and negative outcomes from AI applications in psychology. He also uses the metaphor
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of a "double-edged sword" to describe the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI, stating,

"While AI has the potential to revolutionize psychology, it also carries significant risks, making

it a double-edged sword" (Tahan p. 123).

Conclusion

Despite acknowledging the potential benefits of AI in psychology, Tahan stresses the

need for caution and ethical considerations. For instance, he states, "We must proceed with

caution to avoid the risks associated with AI applications in psychology" (Tahan p. 123). By

striking this balance between optimism and caution, Tahan creates a convincing argument

supporting the use of AI grounded in evidence while addressing possible ethical issues that may

arise in the future. The use of the early insight this article provides will help me create a

foundation for the role of AI in psychology within the earlier stages of recently developed AI

tools. I will use the article as context and background for my research project.

Works Cited

Tahan , Mohammad. Artificial Intelligence Applications and Psychology: An Overview -

MPPT. 2019, https://mppt.hu/magazin/pdf/vol21issue3/v21i3p119.pdf.

“Alan Turing and the Beginning of Ai.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/Alan-
Turing-and-the-beginning-of-AI.
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