Turn to chatbots for sharing feelings or seeking solutions? Differential associations of preferences for chatbot-mediated self-disclosure and instrumental help-seeking with adolescent interpersonal behaviors in the United States and Hong Kong

<p>This study examined the association between different conversation topic preferences with AI chatbots (self-disclosure, instrumental help-seeking) and adolescents’ prosocial behaviors and bullying via the mediating role of coping styles, as well as potential cultural differences. A total sample of 2023 adolescents from the United States (US) and Hong Kong (HK) were included in the analysis. A major finding was that the preference to seek instrumental help from AI chatbots showed stable positive associations across different cultures, relating to more adaptive coping and positive behaviors. By contrast, the associations of the preference for self-disclosure with AI chatbots showed cultural differences, relating to more adaptive coping and positive behaviors in HK adolescents, but more maladaptive coping and negative behaviors in US adolescents. These findings enrich the current understanding of human-AI interactions from a cross-cultural perspective and have practical implications for designing AI chatbots and guiding adolescents’ usage of AI chatbots.</p>