Emotional Engagement with AI Chatbots and Subjective Well-Being Among Young Adults: Extending the S–O–R Model Through Psychological Mechanisms

In an era where individuals experience increasing stress and burnout from workplace and societal pressures, the growing adoption of digital interventions (e.g., AI chatbots) has been accompanied by increasing interest in psychological and emotional well-being globally. Such trends are also evident in China. However, the psychological processes associated with this emerging form of human–machine interaction remain insufficiently explored. The current research examines the association between emotional engagement with AI chatbots and subjective well-being among Chinese young adults (18–35 years old). Guided by the extended Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework, this study examines the indirect associations through mindfulness and psychological resilience, including their serial mediation, as well as the moderating role of perceived warmth in the association between emotional engagement with AI chatbots and mindfulness. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, and valid data from 325 participants were collected through an online questionnaire platform. The hypotheses were tested using Jamovi and SPSS. The findings indicated a significant indirect association between emotional engagement with AI chatbots and subjective well-being through psychological resilience, as well as a significant serial indirect association through mindfulness and psychological resilience. Nevertheless, the indirect association through mindfulness alone and the hypothesized interaction involving perceived warmth were not statistically supported. Future research could further examine virtual humans, such as embodied conversational agents, in relation to subjective well-being. Moreover, collaboration between content creators and mental health professionals may contribute to the responsible development and use of AI chatbots as emerging tools related to young adults’ positive psychological functioning.