Contradictory attitudes toward academic AI tools: The effect of awe-proneness and corresponding self-regulation

Abstract

Objective

Artificial intelligence (AI for short) tools become increasingly popular. To better understand the connections between technology and human beings, this research examines the contradictory impacts of awe-proneness on people's attitudes toward academic AI tools and underlying self-regulation processes, which goes beyond the small-self or self-transcendent hypotheses by further clarifying and elaborating on the complex self-change as a consequence of successful and unsuccessful accommodations induced by awe-proneness.

Method

We conducted two studies with Chinese university students and a third study using GPT-3.5 simulations to test on a larger scale and explore age and country differences.

Results

Awe-proneness increased both satisfaction and worries about academic AI tools (Study 1, N = 252). Awe-proneness led to satisfaction via promotion and to worries via prevention (Study 2, N = 212). GPT simulation data replicated the above findings and further validated the model across age and country groups (Study 3, simulated N = 1846).

Conclusions

This research provides a new perspective to understand the complex nature of awe-proneness and its relation to contradictory AI attitudes. The findings offer novel insights into the rapid application of AI from the perspective of personality psychology. It would further cultivate and promote awe research development both in psychology and in other disciplines.