Low agency in reported negative events increases empathic response but decreases memory of AI-generated avatars

Listening to emotional accounts typically induces an empathic response in a recipient, with the degree of empathy determined by situational features, particularly emotional valence and, presumably, the agency of the narrator in the event. To investigate the role of valence and agency further, I present the results of a study in which 52 participants rated their empathic and emotional reactions to AI-generated avatars narrating a brief account of a positive or negative life event, differing in the degree to which the narrator was responsible for the outcome of the event. In addition, participants completed a recognition task. Consistent with previous studies, emotional valence modulated the ratings, but also agency influenced empathic responding. Interestingly, lower agency elicited the strongest empathic response but resulted in the lowest recognition rate in the subsequent memory task. More generally, this study illustrates the application of AI-generated stimuli in research on social interaction and interpersonal behaviour.