ScholarWorks@성균관대학교

초록

This study investigated whether and how the nonverbal immediacy behaviors (NIBs) of artificial intelligence (AI) counselors influence users' engagement in counseling, focusing on the mediating roles of perceived empathy and relational bonds and the moderating role of emotional sensitivity. The findings indicate that engagement-related responses are higher when AI counselors display NIBs, with these associations occurring through users' affective and relational interpretations and varying as a function of emotional sensitivity. These results highlight how nonverbal immediacy functions as a design cue that shapes users' attitudes and perceptions in AI counseling interactions. By situating nonverbal immediacy within AI counseling contexts, the study clarifies how established interpersonal communication assumptions should be interpreted when applied to human-AI interactions.

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