Emotional Support from AI Chatbots: Should a Supportive Partner Self-Disclose or Not?

Abstract

In recent years, AI chatbots have increasingly been used to provide empathy and support to people who are experiencing stressful times. This study compared emotional support from a chatbot compared to that of a human who provided support. We were interested in examining which approach could best effectively reduce people's worry and stress. When either a person or a chatbot was able to engage with a stressed individual and tell that individual about their own experiences, they were able to build rapport. We found that this type of reciprocal self-disclosure was effective in calming the worry of the individual. Interestingly, if a chatbot only reciprocally self-disclosed but offered no emotional support, the outcome was worse than if the chatbot did not respond to people at all. This work will help in the development of supportive chatbots by providing insights into when and what they should self-disclose.