Patent US 5,954,510

An interactive system and method for assisting people in achieving and learning to achieve self-determined, measurable goals over time collects data from a user on the user's progress toward achieving the goals. Metrics are computed from the data which gauge the user's progress towards achieving the goals, and performance feedback is provided to the user. Additional information may be collected from the user regarding their estimate of the likelihood of achieving the goals, and a separate computation may be made of an objective estimate of the user's likelihood of achieving the goals. Random or scheduled, positive or negative psychological reinforcement may also be provided to the user. Preferably, a computer-based system is employed for implementing the method in which a computer system receives and stores all of the collected information, computes the metrics and generates the performance feedback in the form of a progress report. Any suitable input device, such as a touch-tone telephone for example, may be employed for entering the data into the computer system, while any suitable output device, such as a facsimile machine, may be employed for communicating the performance feedback to the user.