A digital shoulder to cry on: Understanding why large language models can be effective in extrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation.

= 180) while controlling for message length. These findings suggest that, when evaluated using experimentally generated messages based on prototypes, LLMs can effectively mimic or sometimes surpass human prototypes in extrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation. However, advantages seem to be context and outcome dependent. Importantly, actionable support emerges as a key component for effective interpersonal emotion regulation across sources. Implications are discussed for theories of interpersonal emotion regulation and artificial intelligence-human interaction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).