CONFIDENCE researches and develops gamified, app-based self-esteem training with virtual sparring partners as “opponents” for children aged 10 to 12. In addition to the primary goal of improving mental and thus physical health, this approach strengthens social resilience, diversity, and cohesion in the long term. In the short and medium term, it addresses the care situation of children and takes their psychosocial environment into account.

Through the use of user-centered and participatory development methods (in the spirit of patient participation, children are involved from the beginning as part of a co-design process), the gamification approach, together with generative AI methods, offers a playful way of teaching skills that boost self-esteem and increase motivation to practice. This gives children improved access to psychotherapeutic support that can be accessed easily, quickly, and anywhere.

Factors such as self-esteem, individual mental health, and appreciative social interaction are strengthened in a playful way through individually tailored training scenarios. The multimodal communicating social interactive agents (SIAs) – natural language, facial expressions, and gestures – come much closer to real-life experiences than chatbots thanks to their real-time behavior and also exhibit reciprocal social behavior. SIAs take on two important roles: 1. Sparring partners with whom difficult social situations (e.g., bullying) can be practiced and experienced; 2. Personalized virtual coaches for children and parents with various psychoeducational and supportive functions such as muscle relaxation and mindfulness exercises.

CONFIDENCE significantly expands therapeutic possibilities and its effectiveness is proven by objectively measurable behavioral and physiological indicators as well as standardized self- and external assessment questionnaires.