The identification with fictional characters has been widely recognized as a powerful psychological phenomenon, influencing self-perception and attitudes toward interpersonal relationships. Within this context, the dark romance genre, characterized by emotionally charged narratives involving ambivalence, power imbalances, and problematic relational behaviors, provides a unique framework for examining how engagement with such narratives impacts attitudes toward intimacy and relational norms. Concurrently, the rising prevalence of AI-mediated conversational agents introduces new dimensions to the study of emotional and romantic connections, raising critical questions about human-AI intimacy and its implications. This study sought to explore the associations between identification with dark romance characters, emotional and sexual experiences involving AI systems, and attitudes toward problematic relational behaviors. A sample of 139 Romanian participants was recruited to investigate these dynamics. Participants completed the Character Identification Scale, the Experiences in Human–AI Relationships Scale (EHARS), selected subscales of the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale–Revised (IPVAS-R), and newly developed measures assessing AI sexual satisfaction, emotional support provided by AI, positive attitudes toward romantic AI entities, and recognition of relational red flags. Mediation analyses indicated that identification with dark romance characters was indirectly associated with greater AI sexual satisfaction through more positive attitudes toward romantic AI, supporting a full mediation model. In contrast, identification did not mediate the relationship between AI emotional support and AI sexual satisfaction, which was characterized by a strong direct association. Moderation analyses revealed that recognition of relational red flags significantly attenuated the positive association between AI sexual satisfaction and victims' acceptance of abusive behaviors, functioning as a protective cognitive factor. No significant association was observed between AI sexual satisfaction and victims' acceptance of physical violence. Overall, the findings suggest that narrative identification and AI-related intimacy are linked through attitudinal mechanisms, while awareness of relational red flags plays a crucial role in limiting the normalization of abusive relational dynamics. These results highlight the importance of examining both media-based identification processes and cognitive protective factors in understanding emerging forms of human–AI intimacy.
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The present study examines whether affinity for dark romance predicts diminished recognition of red flags in AI relationships and greater acceptance of problematic dynamics. It further explores how AI’s unique characteristics, such as programmability, perceived devotion, and lack of agency, may reinforce the appeal of dark romance tropes centred on control and idealized attachment (Wang et al., 2025). Finally, the study investigates underlying psychological mechanisms, including techno-emotional projection and transference, through which engagement with dark romance narratives may facilitate the formation of intense bonds with AI companions (Saracini et al., 2025).
Although existing research has independently examined dark romance consumption, narrative identification, attachment theory, and human–AI relationships (Shank et al., 2025; Wang et al., 2025), no studies have systematically integrated these domains to assess how affinity for dark romance influences attitudes toward romantic AI. This paper addresses this gap by positioning narrative identification with dark romance characters as a potential predictor of attachment to AI companions. (309)
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Participants reported varying levels of engagement with dark romance content. The most common response was rare consumption (57.6%), followed by occasional consumption (15.1%). More frequent engagement was reported by smaller segments of the sample, with 10.8% consuming dark romance sometimes, 8.6% often, 6.5% very often, and 1.4% on a daily basis. (311)
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these findings suggest that while both narrative engagement and AI interaction shape intimate attitudes, individual-level cognitive awareness plays a decisive role in mitigating risk (318)
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Although dark romance narratives may model tolerance for violence through repeated exposure to problematic relational scripts, red-flag recognition appears to interrupt this social learning process by promoting critical evaluation rather than passive internalization. The absence of a moderating effect from AI sexual satisfaction suggests that engagement with AI, even in sexually satisfying ways, does not inherently exacerbate acceptance of violence. This may be attributable to AI’s non-embodied and controllable nature, which decouples simulated intimacy from real-world cues associated with physical aggression.
These results emphasize the central role of individual cognitive frameworks in shaping how media content and AI interactions influence attitudes toward interpersonal violence. They also underscore the importance of media literacy and reflective engagement as protective factors in navigating morally complex fictional narratives. (319)
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Several limitations of the present study should be acknowledged. First, the cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences regarding the directionality of the observed associations. Longitudinal and experimental research is needed to determine whether engagement with dark romance and AI companions actively shapes relational attitudes over time (320)
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