The AI-Provided Social Support Scale: Development, Psychometric Properties, and Its Relationship to Mental Health

Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly functions as a source of social and emotional support, yet existing measureswere developed for human-human interactions.This study introduces the AI-Provided Social Support Scale (AISS), providing initial validation evidence. Using a split-sample of 684 adults, we examined its psychometric properties through exploratoryand confirmatory factor analysis. Results suggested a three-factor, 11-item structure comprising emotional support, social companionship, and functional support, reflectingAI’s blend of informational and instrumental assistance. The AISS showed moderate positive correlations with human-provided online social support. However, unlike human support being negatively associated with psychological distress, AI-provided support was not significantly related to depression, anxiety, or stress in this sample. These findings suggest that although users perceive AI as supportive, such interactions may function as a functional supplement or emotional companion in this sample, rather than showing the same associations with psychological distress typically associated with human-provided online support.