Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model
Against the backdrop of increasing global educational exchanges, the sociocultural adaptation of international students has attracted significant attention. The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence has brought new perspectives to research in this field, yet existing studies have insufficiently...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1615113/full |
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| author | Huajun Ma Qingnan You Zhiyuan Jin Xinglin Liu Zimeng Chen |
| author_facet | Huajun Ma Qingnan You Zhiyuan Jin Xinglin Liu Zimeng Chen |
| author_sort | Huajun Ma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Against the backdrop of increasing global educational exchanges, the sociocultural adaptation of international students has attracted significant attention. The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence has brought new perspectives to research in this field, yet existing studies have insufficiently explored the mechanisms through which GenAI influences the sociocultural adaptation of international students. Drawing on the cognitive-affective personality system theory and conservation of resources theory, this study employed a three-stage time-lagged questionnaire survey to collect 329 valid responses from international students at three universities in North, South, and East China. The research aims to investigate how GenAI use impacts students’ sociocultural adaptation, while examining the mediating roles of positive reappraisal and perceived empathy, as well as the moderating effect of AI anthropomorphism. The findings reveal that GenAI use is significantly positively associated with international students’ sociocultural adaptation. Positive reappraisal and users’ subjective perceived empathy mediate the relationship between GenAI use and sociocultural adaptation. Additionally, the degree of AI anthropomorphism positively moderates the relationships between GenAI use and both positive reappraisal and perceived empathy, enhancing the indirect effects of these mediating variables on the relationship between GenAI use and sociocultural adaptation. This study enriches the technological premises of cross-cultural adaptation for international students and provides GenAI-based intervention strategies for their educational management. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c80f16adacc94f98a3ca4e8e4cc38157 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2624-8212 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence |
| spelling | doaj-art-c80f16adacc94f98a3ca4e8e4cc381572025-08-20T03:29:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence2624-82122025-06-01810.3389/frai.2025.16151131615113Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective modelHuajun Ma0Qingnan You1Zhiyuan Jin2Xinglin Liu3Zimeng Chen4College of Wealth Management, Ningbo University of Finance and Economics, Ningbo, ChinaSchool of Business Administration, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, ChinaCollege of Wealth Management, Ningbo University of Finance and Economics, Ningbo, ChinaSchool of Economics, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Management, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, ChinaAgainst the backdrop of increasing global educational exchanges, the sociocultural adaptation of international students has attracted significant attention. The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence has brought new perspectives to research in this field, yet existing studies have insufficiently explored the mechanisms through which GenAI influences the sociocultural adaptation of international students. Drawing on the cognitive-affective personality system theory and conservation of resources theory, this study employed a three-stage time-lagged questionnaire survey to collect 329 valid responses from international students at three universities in North, South, and East China. The research aims to investigate how GenAI use impacts students’ sociocultural adaptation, while examining the mediating roles of positive reappraisal and perceived empathy, as well as the moderating effect of AI anthropomorphism. The findings reveal that GenAI use is significantly positively associated with international students’ sociocultural adaptation. Positive reappraisal and users’ subjective perceived empathy mediate the relationship between GenAI use and sociocultural adaptation. Additionally, the degree of AI anthropomorphism positively moderates the relationships between GenAI use and both positive reappraisal and perceived empathy, enhancing the indirect effects of these mediating variables on the relationship between GenAI use and sociocultural adaptation. This study enriches the technological premises of cross-cultural adaptation for international students and provides GenAI-based intervention strategies for their educational management.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1615113/fullgenerative AIsociocultural adaptationpositive reappraisalperceivedAI anthropomorphism |
| spellingShingle | Huajun Ma Qingnan You Zhiyuan Jin Xinglin Liu Zimeng Chen Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence generative AI sociocultural adaptation positive reappraisal perceived AI anthropomorphism |
| title | Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model |
| title_full | Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model |
| title_short | Exploring the role of generative AI in international students’ sociocultural adaptation: a cognitive-affective model |
| title_sort | exploring the role of generative ai in international students sociocultural adaptation a cognitive affective model |
| topic | generative AI sociocultural adaptation positive reappraisal perceived AI anthropomorphism |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1615113/full |
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