{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T05:52:12Z","timestamp":1791525132384,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791504000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study examined associations between narcissistic traits and emotional dependence on large language models (LLMs) among adolescents, focusing on anxiety and physical activity.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A multistage stratified sample of 1622 Chinese junior high school students was surveyed in November 2025. Narcissistic traits, anxiety, LLM emotional dependence, and physical activity were assessed using the FFNI-SF, GAD-2, an adapted five-item LLM emotional dependence measure, and PARS-3, respectively. Pearson correlations and PROCESS Models 4 and 7 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples were conducted, with Johnson\u2013Neyman analysis used to probe the interaction.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Narcissistic traits correlated positively with anxiety (r=0.118, P&amp;lt;0.001) and LLM emotional dependence (r=0.301, P&amp;lt;0.001), while anxiety correlated positively with LLM emotional dependence (r=0.146, P&amp;lt;0.001). Physical activity correlated negatively with anxiety (r=\u22120.119, P&amp;lt;0.001) and LLM emotional dependence (r=\u22120.075, P\u00a0=\u00a00.002). Adjusting for grade and left-behind status, anxiety showed a small indirect association between narcissistic traits and LLM emotional dependence (Effect=0.011, 95% CI [0.004, 0.020]). The narcissistic traits \u00d7 physical activity interaction was significant (\u03b2=\u22120.056, P\u00a0=\u00a00.015), with the narcissism\u2013anxiety association significant below 0.73 SD of physical activity. The moderated mediation index was not significant (Index=\u22120.0061, 95% bootstrap CI [\u22120.0130, 0.0001]).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Narcissistic traits were positively associated with adolescent LLM emotional dependence, with a small cross-sectional indirect association through anxiety. Physical activity moderated the narcissism\u2013anxiety association, although overall moderated mediation was not supported.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1958023","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T05:35:14Z","timestamp":1791524114000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Narcissistic traits and emotional dependence on large language models among adolescents"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yihang","family":"Zhao","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Wuhan Sports University","place":["Wuhan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mengyue","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Huangshan University","place":["Huangshan, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ning","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Chengdu Vocational University of the Arts","place":["Chengdu, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jishou University","place":["Jishou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fuyang Institute of Technology","place":["Fuyang, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","article-title":"Review of research hotspots in affective human-computer interaction in 2024","volume":"43","author":"Gu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci Technol Rev"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.16719\/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250415","article-title":"From parasocial interaction to attachment: The evolution of human\u2013AI emotional relationships","volume":"48","author":"Wu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J psychol Sci"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/JMDH.S579872","article-title":"The impact of chatbots on adolescent mental health development: A comprehensive literature review","volume":"19","author":"Wu","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Multidiscip Healthcare"},{"key":"B4","first-page":"36","article-title":"Constructing harmonious human-machine interaction based on technological emotion","volume":"26","author":"Hu","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Northeastern Univ (Social Sci Edition)"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3724\/sp.j.1042.2016.01246","article-title":"Theoretical models and neurophysiological mechanisms of narcissistic personality","volume":"24","author":"Guo","year":"2016","journal-title":"Adv psychol Sci"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopsycho.2015.06.014","article-title":"Associations between narcissism and emotion regulation difficulties: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity as a moderator","volume":"110","author":"Zhang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Biol Psychol"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.3969\/j.issn.1002-0209.2018.05.007","article-title":"The relationship between attachment and personality disorders: A new perspective on dimensional diagnosis","author":"Zhang","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Beijing Normal Univ (Social Sciences)"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/pen.2021.1","article-title":"Can neuroscience help to understand narcissism? 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