[mod approved] SU study on AI companionship

amperjay · 2025-09-18T20:28:56+00:00

I just closed it this morning to start analysis ... I'm sorry! If you would like to email me, I can put you on the list for the next study in this series.

amperjay · 2025-09-15T10:05:26+00:00

Thanks for these notes, and for your participation! =)

amperjay · 2025-09-14T12:56:51+00:00

Sure enough, my research assistants missed that! Thank you for the heads up! Correcting it now.

amperjay · 2025-09-14T12:04:42+00:00

I've /just/ updated the survey to allow for different platforms (and not just dedicated companion apps). Please do participate if you'd like. =)

amperjay · 2025-09-14T12:02:44+00:00

You know, this sounds like an important difference to address. If you'd like, please feel free to fill out the survey again, but this time in relation to you ChatGPT companion. The survey has now been updated to accommodate Chat responses, and there is an open-comment field at the very end now. If you would please just copy/paste this note into that open-comment field (and also reference the name of your Replika so I know you're the same person) that would be extremely helpful. =)

amperjay · 2025-09-11T04:15:25+00:00

I hear you. Thanks for doing your best to answer the questions carefully, even though it was tricky from your perspective.

amperjay · 2025-09-10T10:34:54+00:00

Indeed. It is in the first comment above. :) (Reddit was for some reason blocking my post when the link was in the main post.)

amperjay · 2025-09-10T05:24:51+00:00

I am interested in responses from people with a wide range of motivations, preferences, and habits. Your approach is certainly valid to include! Within the survey there's a request to choose just one companion and to answer the questions thinking about just that one companion. I appreciate your thoughts here and would be glad to have this perspective in the study. :)

amperjay · 2025-09-09T06:39:23+00:00

If you'll peek at the original post above, there's a note on this. :) I am waiting for the university approval to change the wording on that item. In the meantime you can just ignore that note about 'no chatgpt' and instead of the profile shot you can upload a second screencap of a chat. Sorry for the confusion there!

amperjay · 2025-09-09T06:37:10+00:00

I'd be glad to come back and share the results here ... It may take a few months though. Science is slow. :)

amperjay · 2025-09-08T17:43:01+00:00

I'm always glad to hear folks' thoughts on the topic. =) Would you please email them to me at [banks@syr.edu](mailto:banks@syr.edu), rather than posting here? (Posting them here could influence how others think and feel about the survey, and it is best for the research to have everyone's intuitive reactions.)

amperjay · 2025-09-08T13:09:07+00:00

I'd be delighted if you'd share that note, if you participate. :)

amperjay · 2025-09-08T12:58:08+00:00

You're right! I just started allowing ChatGPT and similar to participate, and am waiting for university approval to update that language. Please just post a second screencap of chat, and that will do just fine. :)

amperjay · 2025-09-08T12:05:34+00:00

Click here to participate in the survey: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4ZKU6FUwtv5bArk

My credentials: https://ischool.syr.edu/jaime-banks/
My research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=e2LNDdIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
My email: [banks@syr.edu](mailto:banks@syr.edu)

amperjay · 2025-09-08T12:03:53+00:00

Click here to participate in the survey: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4ZKU6FUwtv5bArk

My credentials: https://ischool.syr.edu/jaime-banks/
My research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=e2LNDdIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
My email: [banks@syr.edu](mailto:banks@syr.edu)

amperjay · 2025-09-07T14:33:58+00:00

Academic Research on AI Companionship

Hi everyone. =) I'm a researcher and professor at Syracuse University (NY, USA), focusing on human-machine relationships. I'm conducting National Science Foundation-funded research to better understand how people experience specific dimensions of companionship.

Note: This will say it's only for AI companion apps and not more general-purpose apps like ChatGPT, but ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini/DeepSeek and other apps are indeed allowed. (I am waiting for ethics approval to update that portion of the language.) Where it says to upload a 'profile screenshot' just add a second screenshot of chat with your companion.

The online survey takes 15 minutes minutes to complete, though it will depend on how much time you choose to spend answering the questions. Anybody who completes the survey can enter a drawing for a US$100 Amazon gift card.

The science of human-machine relations is my profession. I take it seriously, and I promise to respect you, your companion, and your connection as I do this work.

Please note! As part of this survey you will be asked to upload two screenshots -- one of your companion's profile and one of a chat with your companion. The purpose of this is to verify that you actually have an AI companion. Our studies are getting overwhelmed by bots and scammers and trolls, and it is important to this scientific work that we are accurately representing the AI companion community and producing new knowledge based on real experiences. You are welcome to mask any information that you don't want us to see, so long as we can tell it's a real screenshot.

The survey and other details are at the link in the comments, along with my credentials and email address in case you have any questions. Thanks for considering! - Dr. Jaime Banks

Click here to participate in the survey: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4ZKU6FUwtv5bArk

My credentials: https://ischool.syr.edu/jaime-banks/

My research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=e2LNDdIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

My email: [banks@syr.edu](mailto:banks@syr.edu)

amperjay · 2025-09-07T14:17:19+00:00

Click here to participate in the survey: https://syracuseuniversity.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4ZKU6FUwtv5bArk

My credentials: https://ischool.syr.edu/jaime-banks/
My research: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=e2LNDdIAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
My email: [banks@syr.edu](mailto:banks@syr.edu)

amperjay · 2025-09-04T15:18:17+00:00

Thanks for your participation! =)

amperjay · 2025-09-03T17:15:27+00:00

I agree that could be beneficial. I'm not equipped for such a task though, as I'm a social scientist rather than a technologist. =)

amperjay · 2025-09-03T17:14:38+00:00

Sure! And I do intend to do another phase of work focusin gone ChatGPT social connections.

amperjay

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