Why might a conversation with a chatbot come to feel personal? Social penetration theory describes relationships as developing through gradually increasing trust and reciprocal self-disclosure: each party reveals more as they grow comfortable. The onion model pictures this as peeling back layers, from an initial introduction toward more personal information. section 9.5
The theory offers a way to understand how people experience chatbot relationships, but the comparison has a limit. It assumes both parties have agency and a selfhood that chatbots do not possess. A chatbot’s apparent reciprocity should not be mistaken for a human relationship. section 9.5
Replika friendships
In interviews with 18 Replika users, people described starting conversations out of curiosity or boredom and later valuing the chatbot as accepting, nonjudgmental, and consistently available. section 9.5
Figure 9.3 The onion model of social penetration theory
The onion model illustrates the gradual move from introductions to more personal disclosure. section 9.5
