Psychological pathways linking generative AI dependency to psychological capital depletion among Chinese international students

Generative AI's widespread adoption in academic tasks and support systems has coincided with a rise in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) among Chinese international students studying abroad. This research investigates whether GAD is connected to Reduced Psychological Capital (rPsyCap) and examines the potential mediating roles of Perceived Stress (PSD) and Rumination Scales Extended (rSE) in this relationship.

The study employed a three-wave longitudinal design, gathering data from 502 Chinese international students studying in various English-speaking countries. Using a mix of convenience and snowball sampling techniques, participants completed assessments of GAD, PSD, rSE, and rPsyCap. Structural Equation Modeling was performed using SPSS 26.0, AMOS 26.0, and CEFAtool 3.04.

The analysis revealed a positive direct association between GAD and rPsyCap (γ = 0.163, 95% CI [0.065, 0.264]). Additionally, the sequential indirect effect via PSD → rSE was found to be significant (γ = 0.019, 95% CI [0.008, 0.036]). Both PSD (γ = 0.087, 95% CI [0.051, 0.132]) and rSE (γ = 0.034, 95% CI [0.013, 0.060]) demonstrated significant independent mediation effects.

These findings indicate that GAD is associated with rPsyCap both directly and indirectly through the identified psychological pathways. The study highlights the need for responsible integration of generative AI in educational settings to mitigate potential psychological costs for international students.