Exploring the Relationship between AI Dependency and Academic Self-Efficacy: A Study of Diyala University Students
Downloads
Objective: This research was conducted to assess the relationship between academic self-efficacy and dependence on artificial intelligence among students at Diyala University.
Methods and Materials: The research was a descriptive cross-sectional design, conducted with 380 students at Diyala University. In collecting data, four tools were used for data collection: the Socio-Demographic Characteristics of the Student, Students' Information and Opinions Regarding Artificial Intelligence Technology, the Academic Situations Specific Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (ASSPSE), and the Artificial Intelligence Dependence Scale. The data were analyzed and interpreted using the application Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26.0. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Shapiro–Wilk, Spearman, Mann Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests.
Findings: The result was that more than half of university students (54.5%) perceive moderate academic self-efficacy, while more than half of university students (56.6%) demonstrate low dependency on AI.
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate a significant negative correlation between dependence on artificial intelligence and perceived academic self-efficacy among university students. This indicates that higher dependence on AI is associated with lower levels of academic self-efficacy.
Downloads
Ahmad, S. F., Han, H., Alam, M. M., Rehmat, M., Irshad, M., Arraño-Muñoz, M., & Ariza-Montes, A. (2023). RETRACTED ARTICLE: Impact of artificial intelligence on human loss in decision-making, laziness, and safety in education. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 311. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01787-8
Akçay, P. (2025). The mediating role of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between university students' heutagogical competencies and lifelong learning tendencies. Frontiers in Education, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1719199
Alghamdi, A. A. (2025). University students’ perceptions of generative AI for critical thinking and creativity: The influence of self-efficacy and disciplinary differences. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2025.2600476
Anierobi, E., Amjad, A., & Agogbua, V. (2025). Artificial intelligence utilization: a determinant of academic self-efficacy, engagement, and satisfaction of undergraduates. Environment and Social Psychology, 10(3), 3504. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v10i3.3504
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological review, 84(2), 191. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
Bernate, J., & Guativa, J. A. V. (2020). Desafíos y tendencias del siglo XXI en la educación superior. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, 26(2), 141-154. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/280/28064146010/28064146010.pdf
Chan, K. S., & Zary, N. (2019). Applications and challenges of implementing artificial intelligence in medical education: integrative review. JMIR Medical Education, 5(1), e13930. https://doi.org/10.2196/13930
Darvishi, A., Khosravi, H., Sadiq, S., Gašević, D., & Siemens, G. (2024). Impact of AI assistance on student agency. Computers & Education, 210, 104967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104967
Dominguez-Lara, S. (2016). Normative data of an academic self-efficacy scale in college students from Lima. https://doi.org/10.24016/2016.v2n2.31
Dumanjug, H., Serato, J., Vicente, M. K., Panaguiton, J., & Recto, Z. S. (2024). Exploring gender differences in self-efficacy and academic performance among college students. EduLine: Journal of Education and Learning Innovation, 4(3), 397-409. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.eduline3037
Estrada-Araoz, E. G., Mamani-Roque, M., Quispe-Aquise, J., Manrique-Jaramillo, Y. V., & Cruz-Laricano, E. O. (2025). Academic self-efficacy and dependence on artificial intelligence in a sample of university students. Sapienza: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 6(1), e25008-e25008. https://doi.org/10.51798/sijis.v6i1.916
Estrada-Araoz, E. G., Manrique-Jaramillo, Y. V., Díaz-Pereira, V. H., Rucoba-Frisancho, J. M., Paredes-Valverde, Y., Quispe-Herrera, R., & Quispe-Paredes, D. R. (2024). Assessment of the level of knowledge on artificial intelligence in a sample of university professors: A descriptive study. Data and Metadata, 3(285). https://doi.org/10.56294/dm2024285
González-Cantero, J. O., Morón-Vera, J. Á., González-Becerra, V. H., Abundis-Gutiérrez, A., & Macías-Espinoza, F. (2021). Academic self-efficacy, academic social support, academic well-being and its relation with academic performance in university students. https://repositorioslatinoamericanos.uchile.cl/items/edc8b845-5511-4d36-9b29-ae04ff8a8d04
Hernandez, H. E., Canlas, R. B., Nacianceno, M. C. B., Salenga, J. L., Yambao, J. A., Grume, J. C., De Leon, A. P., Pampo, F. R., & Miranda, J. P. P. (2025). Trust, Usefulness, and Dependency on AI in Programming: A Hierarchical Clustering Approach. 2025 7th International Conference on Computer Science and Technologies in Education (CSTE), https://doi.org/10.1109/CSTE64638.2025.11091837
Høigaard, R., Kovač, V. B., Øverby, N. C., & Haugen, T. (2015). Academic self-efficacy mediates the effects of school psychological climate on academic achievement. School Psychology Quarterly, 30(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000056
Huang, D., & Li, W. (2025). The impact of AI technology integration and digital innovation self-efficacy on vocational students’ adaptability: Dual moderation by innovation competition intensity. Edelweiss applied science and technology, 9(8), 1524-1537. https://doi.org/10.55214/2576-8484.v9i8.9646
Huang, S., Lai, X., Ke, L., Li, Y., Wang, H., Zhao, X., Dai, X., & Wang, Y. (2024). AI technology panic—is AI dependence bad for mental health? A cross-lagged panel model and the mediating roles of motivations for AI use among adolescents. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 1087-1102. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S440889
Jia, W., Pan, L., & Neary, S. (2025). Effect of GenAI Dependency on University Students’ Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy and Moderating Role of Perceived Teacher Caring. Behavioral Sciences, 15(10), 1348. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15101348
Miao, H., Guo, R., & Li, M. (2025). The influence of research self-efficacy and learning engagement on Ed. D students’ academic achievement. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1562354. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1562354
Morales-García, W. C., Sairitupa-Sanchez, L. Z., Morales-García, S. B., & Morales-García, M. (2024). Development and validation of a scale for dependence on artificial intelligence in university students. Frontiers in Education, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1323898
Pitts, G., Rani, N., Mildort, W., & Cook, E.-M. (2025). Students’ reliance on AI in higher education: identifying contributing factors. International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-12773-0_9
Qahtan, M. Y. (2025). Anxiety levels toward artificial intelligence applications among nurses. Int J Body Mind Cult, 12(5). https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v12i5.929
Revesai, Z. (2025). Generative AI dependency: The emerging academic crisis and its impact on student performance—A case study of a university in Zimbabwe. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2549787. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2549787
Saks, K. (2024). The effect of self-efficacy and self-set grade goals on academic outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1324007. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1324007
Seo, K., Tang, J., Roll, I., Fels, S., & Yoon, D. (2021). The impact of artificial intelligence on learner–instructor interaction in online learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00292-9
Serdaneh, B. E. H. A., & Qutami, Y. M. (2025). Creative Self-Efficacy and its Relationship with Emotional Processing among University of Jordan Students. Jordanian Educational Journal, 10(2), 118-143. https://doi.org/10.46515/jaes.v10i2.1482
Torres Cardeña, R. S. (2019). Integral formation at university? The voice of students from a private university in Mérida. CPU-e. Revista de Investigación Educativa(28), 105-131. https://doi.org/10.25009/cpue.v0i28.2601
Zhai, C., Wibowo, S., & Li, L. D. (2024). The effects of over-reliance on AI dialogue systems on students' cognitive abilities: a systematic review. Smart learning environments, 11(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-024-00316-7
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.








