Educational Impact of Generative AI Virtual Patients in Clinical Training in Undergraduate Psychology

Abstract Book of the 10th International Academic Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education

Year: 2026

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Educational Impact of Generative AI Virtual Patients in Clinical Training in Undergraduate Psychology

Alexandra Morales, César Fernández Peris; Jonatan Molina Torres; Iván Fernández Martínez; María Teresa Gonzálvez Maestre; Rosario Carmona Paredes; María Asunción Vicente Ripoll

ABSTRACT:

This study examines undergraduate students’ perceptions of the use of generative artificial intelligence–based virtual patients (VPs) in the final practical session of a Psychopathology course within the Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. Seventy-two second-year Psychology students attended the session and completed the post-activity questionnaire. Results indicate a highly positive evaluation of the experience. Overall, 88.9% reported that interacting with VPs helped them quite a lot or a lot to identify clinically relevant symptoms during the clinical interview, and 90.3% indicated that the activity facilitated diagnostic differentiation between possible disorders. The structured interview guide was considered useful by 95.8% of participants, suggesting that scaffolding effectively supported clinical reasoning and question formulation. Most students interacted with each VP for 15–30 minutes (83.3%), consulted the patient more than four times before reaching a diagnosis, and asked more than ten questions per case (87.5%), reflecting sustained engagement and active inquiry. Realism was endorsed by 88.9% (agree/strongly agree), overall satisfaction was high (88.9% rated the experience 4–5 out of 5), and 90.3% reported greater motivation compared to traditional paper-based cases. Furthermore, 97.2% would recommend this methodology for other clinical courses, and 80.5% considered that VPs complement standardized patients (actors). Notably, 80.6% correctly identified the diagnosis of both virtual patients. Students particularly valued the realism of the cases, the opportunity to integrate theoretical knowledge into applied practice, and the sense of professional immersion in a safe learning environment. Suggested improvements focused on enhancing response naturalness, increasing emotional expressiveness, and providing more detailed individualized feedback.

Keywords: Clinical Interviewing; Diagnostic Reasoning; Higher Education; Simulation-Based Learning; Student Engagement