Social Chatbot: My Friend in My Distress

This study investigates the impact of social interaction anxiety on compulsive chat with a social chatbot named Xiaoice. To provide insights into the limited literature, the authors explore the role of fear of negative evaluation (FONE) and fear of rejection (FOR) as mediators in this relationship. By applying a variance-based structural equation modeling on a non-clinical sample of 366 Chinese university students who have interacted with Xiaoice, the authors find that social interaction anxiety increases compulsive chat with a social chatbot both directly and indirectly through fear of negative evaluation and rejection, with a more substantial effect of the former. The mediating effect of fear of negative evaluation transfers through fear of rejection, which establishes a serial link between social interaction anxiety and compulsive chat with a social chatbot. Further, frustration about unavailability (FAU) strengthens the relationship between FOR and compulsive chat with a social chatbot (CCSC). These findings offer theoretical and practical insights into our understanding of the process by which social interaction anxiety influences chat behavior with a social chatbot.