Heather (Hyerin) Im
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Unspoken into the Spoken: Visualizing Cultural Nuances in Intercultural Romantic Dyads through Generative AI-driven Art
[This paper is currently under review], 2025
As intercultural romantic relationships become more common, partners often face subtle emotional misunderstandings shaped by cultural norms. These nuances are hard to articulate, yet crucial for mutual understanding. This research explores how text-to-image AI can help couples externalize and reflect on culturally rooted emotional experiences. We designed a generative AI probe that invited couples to journal, generate images, and engage in shared reflection. Findings suggest that visualizing difficult-to-verbalize feelings can spark new insights and empathetic dialogue, pointing to design opportunities for AI as a mediator of intercultural emotional communication.