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MENTAL MODEL · M4418

Tamagotchi Effect

Tamagotchi Effect
CultureHigh supportAnthropology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Humans develop strong emotional attachments to machines or virtual characters (such as the digital pet Tamagotchi) that have no sentience, and may even feel sadness when they 'die'.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

It reveals the unidirectional nature of emotional projection. We do not need the other party to be a 'real person' to invest feelings; as long as the other party exhibits characteristics of 'needing care' or 'being responsive' (such as AI chatbots), the human caregiving instinct is hijacked.

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Humans develop emotional attachments to machines or virtual characters without sentience because the caregiving instinct is hijacked by cues that the other party 'needs care' or 'is responsive'. The mechanism is 'unidirectional emotional projection'—attachment does not require the object to be real, only to exhibit responsiveness.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagotchi_effectZH · Explicit
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