Connecting self-esteem to problematic AI chatbot use: the multiple mediating roles of positive and negative psychological states

Ruiqi Yao ¹ Qi Guijie ¹ Dongfang Sheng ¹ Hua Sun ¹ Jiacheng Zhang ^2*

• ¹ Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
• ² Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing, China

AI chatbot products have entered the market, ushering in a new era of human-AI interaction. However, concerns have arisen regarding the use of AI chatbots, primarily due to their potential for addictive and adverse effects. Currently, the understanding of problematic AI chatbot use (PACU) remains incomplete and inconclusive. Despite previous findings indicating the negative outcomes associated with the use of AI products, limited research has delved into the underlying factors that drive the complex process leading to the formation of PACU. Furthermore, while existing literature highlights how personal traits influences problematic IT use via evoked psychological states, it largely overlooks that the positive psychological experience may also have a potential influence on problematic outcomes. Therefore, by incorporating flow experience into compensatory internet use theory, this study proposes a multiple mediation model to examine the effect of social anxiety, escapism, and AI chatbot flow on the relationship between self-esteem and PACU. It is done by collecting cross-sectional data from 563 online users who have interacted with at least one AI chatbot product. Our findings suggest that people with low self-esteem are more likely to conduct problematic behavior when using AI chatbots. This relationship is mediated by social anxiety, escapism and AI chatbot flow, or serially mediated by escapism and AI chatbot flow. This study reveals when self-esteem negatively impacts PACU and highlights the significance of flow experience in the context of PACU. Furthermore, practical implications can be provided for both online users and practitioners to avoid the adverse consequences of using AI products.