Anthropomorphism in AI MentalHealth Chatbots : Impact on Trust and Engagement

Sammanfattning

As artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots increasingly support mental healthinterventions, understanding how anthropomorphism influences user experiences iscritical. This mixed-methods study investigated how different levels ofanthropomorphism in AI chatbots affect trust, emotional comfort, engagement, andperceived human-likeness among users with mild mental health challenges. Sixteenparticipants (aged 22-40) were randomly assigned to interact with one of threechatbot personas: Orion (low anthropomorphism), Lyra (mediumanthropomorphism), or Nova (high anthropomorphism). Using a between-subjectsdesign, participants completed asynchronous surveys via Google Forms, includingLikert-scale items and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed fordescriptive statistics (e.g. means, standard deviations, and median) to assess trustand comfort across conditions, while qualitative responses underwent thematicanalysis to identify themes and patterns. Findings suggest that a medium level ofanthropomorphism (Lyra) elicited higher trust and comfort compared to low or highanthropomorphism, with qualitative themes highlighting emotional connection andperceived empathy. These results underscore the importance of balancedanthropomorphism in designing AI companions for mental health support, offeringinsights to developers and practitioners to enhance user engagement and therapeuticoutcomes.