Social Chatbot Alleviates 'Loneliness and Social Anxiety'... UNIST Demonstrates Effectiveness

A study has found that social chatbots, a type of interactive artificial intelligence, are effective in alleviating loneliness and social anxiety.

A research team led by Professor Dooyoung Jung from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering at UNIST collaborated with Professor Chulhyun Cho from the Department of Psychiatry at Korea University Anam Hospital to analyze the impact of conversations with social chatbots on mental health.

Research team (from the bottom left, counterclockwise): Professor Jeong Dooyoung, Researcher Kim Myungsung (first author), Researcher Lee Sunmi, Researcher Heo Jeongin. Provided by UNIST

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This study utilized the social chatbot ‘Iruda 2.0’. The research team recruited a total of 176 participants who engaged in conversations with the social chatbot at least three times a week for four weeks. Afterwards, the participants’ levels of loneliness and social anxiety were measured using standardized survey tools.

Pre- and post-experiment data were compared and analyzed, and additional small-scale interviews were conducted to deeply analyze the participants’ experiences. This focused on evaluating how interactions with the chatbot contributed to enhancing individuals’ emotional stability and sense of social connection.

Conversation with a social chatbot.

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The results showed that regular interaction with the social chatbot reduced loneliness scores by an average of 15% and alleviated social anxiety scores by an average of 18%.

The chatbot’s effect on reducing loneliness was more pronounced when users provided more information about their own emotions, thoughts, and experiences to the chatbot or when users had higher resilience. It was also analyzed that the chatbot’s emotional management effect was greater for users who have difficulties with face-to-face interactions.

Myungsung Kim, the first author and a doctoral student at UNIST Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, stated, “We confirmed that social chatbots can be effectively used as digital tools to relieve loneliness and anxiety. The significance of this study lies in empirically demonstrating that chatbots can provide emotional support beyond being mere technological devices, and that interpersonal factors influence these effects.”

Professor Dooyoung Jung, a psychiatrist, evaluated, “When used safely, it can be useful in preventing mental health issues in environments where professional personnel are lacking.”

The research team plans to conduct further studies to improve the usability of chatbots and enhance personalized services.

The research findings were published online on January 14 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, a top international journal in the advanced digital healthcare field.

The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Research Foundation of Korea, the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation, and the Korea Radio Promotion Association.

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