The Effects of Social Presence of Dementia-Prevention Chatbot on Isolation and Interpersonal Resilience Among Older Adults Living Alone: Evidence on Three-Wave Experiment

Abstract

Dementia-prevention technologies have mostly focused on cognitive enhancement, often neglecting the social aspects of healthy aging. This study examines whether the perceived social presence of a dementia-prevention chatbot, developed through sustained use, can reduce isolation and strengthen interpersonal resilience through communication networks among older adults living alone in Korea. A three-wave experimental design (N = 110) was implemented over 8 weeks using a smartphone-based chatbot that engaged participants through conversational cognitive games, health routine diaries, and social interaction prompts. Results indicated that perceived social presence of the chatbot at the midpoint significantly predicted greater interpersonal resilience both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, whereas its effects on isolation were nonsignificant. The results indicate that perceived social presence of the chatbot does not alleviate isolation but extends to interpersonal resources by reinforcing communicative resilience, thereby functioning as an indirect social pathway through which agent-based interactions may contribute to the reactivation of interpersonal relationships.