Emotional Echo Weaning: An AI-Powered Educational Intervention for Post-Breakup Distress

Jialu Tan; Shuli Li; Shengyuan Tan

doi:10.54097/gsz8j334

Authors

Jialu Tan
Shuli Li
Shengyuan Tan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/gsz8j334

Keywords:

Affective Dependence, Voice Cloning, Cognitive Reappraisal, Emotional Education, Intervention Study

Abstract

Affective dependence-characterized by persistent emotional attachment to unavailable partners and obsessive rumination following relationship dissolution-represents a significant educational challenge in higher education. This paper introduces "Emotional Echo Weaning," a novel AI-powered educational intervention that combines zero-shot voice cloning technology with a structured 21-day weaning protocol to facilitate emotional detachment and cognitive reappraisal. The platform enables users to generate personalized auditory simulations of former partners delivering scripted apologies, regrets, and farewells. Drawing on experiential avoidance and attachment theories, the intervention targets the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that maintain post-breakup distress. In a preliminary open trial with 156 university-affiliated participants (M<sub>age</sub> = 32.4, SD = 7.8; 78.2% female), the intervention produced significant reductions in relationship distress (Cohen's *d* = 0.82, *p* < .001), obsessive thinking (Cohen's *d* = 0.71, *p* < .001), and experiential avoidance (Cohen's *d* = 0.62, *p* < .001). Client satisfaction was high (CSQ-8 M = 28.4, SD = 3.1). The strong correlation between reduced experiential avoidance and reduced obsessive thinking (*r* = 0.61, *p* < .001) suggests a potential mechanism of change. This study contributes to technology-mediated emotional education by proposing a theoretically grounded, ethically designed intervention with practical implementation pathways for university settings. As a proof-of-concept, these findings have significant implications for how educational institutions can leverage artificial intelligence to address the emotional challenges that increasingly affect student well-being and academic success.

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