GenAI Knowledge, Epistemic Orientation, and Intellectual Values Predict Undergraduate Students’ Critical GenAI Use

Critically using generative AI (genAI) tools, such as comparing their outputs with other sources or the literature, is vital for students to avoid risks of reduced cognitive processing and inaccurate results. We propose two potential protective factors against these risks: knowledge about genAI and the disposition to engage in critical thinking encompassing epistemic orientation (i.e., a tendency to move away from more absolutist beliefs toward more evaluativist beliefs) and intellectual values (i.e., viewing intellectual engagement as worthwhile). Our correlational study with 67 undergraduate psychology students (59 female; mean age = 22.58) aimed to investigate how these factors predict students’ critical use of genAI. Regression and correlation analyses revealed that both knowledge about genAI and the disposition to engage in critical thinking predicted the critical use of genAI. Exploratory analyses revealed that students’ knowledge about genAI partly comprises misconceptions (i.e., incorrect knowledge with high confidence) and their critical genAI use correlates with need for cognition (NFC). These findings suggest that higher education institutions should implement interventions targeting conceptual misconceptions as well as epistemic orientation and intellectual values. Consequently, future research should experimentally evaluate such interventions to foster responsible AI engagement in higher education.