ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DEPEDENCY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF JOS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF COGNITIVE OFFLOADING AND DIGITAL SELF-REGULATION
Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence Dependency, Psychological Well-being, Cognitive Offloading, Digital Self-Regulation, Undergraduate StudentsAbstract
This study examined Artificial Intelligence Dependency and Psychological Well-being among Undergraduate Students of the University of Jos: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Offloading and Digital Self-Regulation. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population comprised approximately 15,215 undergraduate students of the University of Jos, from which a sample size of 379 students was selected using. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring Artificial Intelligence Dependency, Cognitive Offloading, Digital Self-Regulation, and Psychological Well-being. The instrument was validated by experts in Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation, while reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and regression analysis. The findings revealed that undergraduate students demonstrated a high level of AI dependency, indicating frequent use of AI tools for academic activities. The study further showed that AI dependency was significantly related to students’ psychological well-being. The study concluded that although AI technologies provide valuable academic support, excessive reliance may influence students’ cognitive autonomy and psychological functioning. The study recommends the introduction of AI literacy programmes, promotion of responsible AI usage, and development of digital self-regulation skills among university students to ensure that AI integration enhances learning while preserving students’ psychological well-being.
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