Emotional Support from AI Chatbots: Should a Supportive Partner Self-Disclose or Not?
Dublin Core
Title
Emotional Support from AI Chatbots: Should a Supportive Partner Self-Disclose or Not?
Subject
Artificial Intelligence, Chatbot, Emotional Support, Disclosure, Stress, Mental Health, Human–AI Communication
Description
This study examined how and when a chatbot’s emotional support was effective in reducing people’s stress and worry. It compared emotional support from chatbot versus human partners in terms of its process and conditional effects on stress/worry reduction. In an online experiment, participants discussed a personal stressor with a chatbot or a human partner who provided none, or either one or both of emotional support and reciprocal self-disclosure. The results showed that emotional support from a conversational partner was mediated through perceived supportiveness of the partner to reduce stress and worry among
participants, and the link from emotional support to perceived supportiveness was stronger for a human
than for a chatbot. A conversational partner’s reciprocal self-disclosure enhanced the positive effect of emotional support on worry reduction. However, when emotional support was absent, a solely self-disclosing chatbot reduced even less stress than a chatbot not providing any response to participants’ stress.
participants, and the link from emotional support to perceived supportiveness was stronger for a human
than for a chatbot. A conversational partner’s reciprocal self-disclosure enhanced the positive effect of emotional support on worry reduction. However, when emotional support was absent, a solely self-disclosing chatbot reduced even less stress than a chatbot not providing any response to participants’ stress.
Creator
Jingbo Meng & Yue (Nancy) Dai
Source
https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/26/4/207/6278042
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Date
28 January 2021
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 26 (2021)
Files
Collection
Citation
Jingbo Meng & Yue (Nancy) Dai, “Emotional Support from AI Chatbots: Should a Supportive Partner Self-Disclose or Not?,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed May 20, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/8710.