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. 2025 Jan 4;13(1):7.
doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-02328-x.

What is the influence of psychosocial factors on artificial intelligence appropriation in college students?

Benicio Gonzalo Acosta-Enriquez  1 , María de Los Ángeles Guzmán Valle  2 , Marco Arbulú Ballesteros  3 , Julie Catherine Arbulú Castillo  3 , Carmen Graciela Arbulu Perez Vargas  3 , Isaac Saavedra Torres  3 , Pedro Manuel Silva León  3 , Karina Saavedra Tirado  1
Affiliations

What is the influence of psychosocial factors on artificial intelligence appropriation in college students?

Benicio Gonzalo Acosta-Enriquez et al. BMC Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: In recent years, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly relevant in various sectors, including higher education. This study investigates the psychosocial factors influencing AI adoption among Peruvian university students and uses an extended UTAUT2 model to examine various constructs that may impact AI acceptance and use.

Method: This study employed a quantitative approach with a survey-based design. A total of 482 students from public and private universities in Peru participated in the research. The study utilized partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships between the constructs.

Results: The findings revealed that three out of the six hypothesized factors significantly influenced AI adoption among Peruvian university students. Performance expectancy (β = 0.274), social influence (β = 0.355), and AI learning self-efficacy (β = 0.431) were found to have significant positive effects on AI adoption. In contrast to expectations, ethical awareness, perceived playfulness, AI readiness and AI anxiety did not have significant impacts on AI appropriation in this context.

Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of practical benefits, the social context, and self-confidence in the adoption of AI within Peruvian higher education. These findings contribute to the understanding of AI adoption in diverse educational settings and provide a framework for developing effective AI implementation strategies in higher education institutions. The results can guide universities and policymakers in creating targeted approaches to enhance AI adoption and integration in academic environments, focusing on demonstrating the practical value of AI, leveraging social networks, and building students' confidence in their ability to learn and use AI technologies.

Keywords: AI appropriation; Artificial intelligence; Higher education; Peruvian university students; Technology adoption; UTAUT2 model.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The research that led to these results was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Nacional de Trujillo and by the University Council by resolution N° 1762–2023/UNT. Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study; if participants were under 18 years of age, parents or legal guardians provided informed consent. The intervention was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Proposed research model. Note: Performance expectancy = PE; SI = Social influence; PP = Perceived playfulness; EA = Ethical awareness; AI learning self-efficacy = SL; AAN = AI readiness and AI anxiety; AIO = AI appropriation
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Resolved research model. Note: At the intersections of the relationship lines are the path coefficients on the left and the p values on the right (inside the parentheses)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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