Seeking Support: How AI Can Make You Feel Better

Research reveals the emotional rewards of sharing with a virtual listener.

Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

Key points

• Sharing personal pain with a virtual human can provide emotional relief.
• Virtual humans can provide both emotional and cognitive support.
• Virtual assistance is available when supportive family members are not.

How many times have you heard someone explain after a venting session or disclosure of a personal dilemma that they just “feel so much better"? Emotional unloading can be both comforting and cathartic. But the results depend on the listener. And one of the challenges in today’s busy, fast-paced society, when you need to talk, is finding someone with the time and bandwidth to listen. Fortunately, if there are no humans available, science has created some contemporary solutions.

Virtual Ears Are Always Open

Lisanne S. Pauw et al. (2022) in a piece entitled “The Avatar Will See You Now” explored the social-emotional benefits provided by supportive virtual humans.[i] They begin by acknowledging that many people in emotional distress seek support. Virtual humans can provide unique benefits to complement human support. They are always ready to listen, and can help sharers overcome socio-evaluative threats—which increase willingness to disclose.

Pauw et al. recognize that sharing with others to elicit support can facilitate coping. But most people are not comfortable sharing personal problems with just anyone, especially if they involve issues that are sensitive or highly stigmatized. In addition to the accessibility issue (few friends are receptive to an overnight distress call), Pauw et al. recognize some of the problems, including the fact that people close to an individual in distress may have grown weary of listening to the same problems repeatedly. And although professional help is an option, it can be costly, geographically challenging to see a therapist in person, or involve a long waiting list.

Emotional and Cognitive Support

In their research, Pauw et al. compared two kinds of support: emotional and cognitive, across two emotions: anger and worry. Study participants shared two personal emotional experiences with a virtual human, who either provided emotional (comfort and validation) or cognitive (facilitating reappraisal) support via what was called the “Wizard-of-Oz” method, a human-operated avatar.

The results? Study participants felt better after talking to the virtual human. The target emotion felt less intense, and they enjoyed improved affect. Emotional improvement was similar for both emotional and cognitive support. Regarding effectiveness, Pauw et al. found that cognitive and emotional support were experienced as equally effective, leading to similar levels of perceived closeness and a desire to interact with the virtual human again.

Pauw et al. note that their findings demonstrate that talking to a virtual human reduces the emotional intensity of the shared emotional experience, paving the way for short-term emotional relief. Accordingly, their findings suggest that a virtual human can provide valuable support during times of distress.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.