Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
06:11
High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex to Enhance Metacognitive Sensitivity
Published on: September 26, 2025
1.2K
Humanizing or mechanizing the self? How mindset moderates AI usage on employee self-perception and job crafting
Xinyan Mu1, Jiayi Zheng1, Yanbin Liu1
1Business School, NingboTech University, No.1 South Qianhu Road, Ningbo, 315100, China.
Acta Psychologica
|April 29, 2026
Summary
Employee mindset significantly influences how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts job roles. A growth mindset fosters positive self-perceptions and job crafting with AI, while a fixed mindset can lead to reduced engagement.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Management Science
Background:
- The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the workplace is transforming employee roles and responsibilities.
- Understanding how employees interpret and adapt to AI-enabled work environments is crucial for organizational success.
- Existing research often overlooks the nuanced psychological factors influencing employee responses to AI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between AI usage, employee self-perceptions, and job crafting.
- To examine the moderating effect of implicit mindsets (growth vs. fixed) on these relationships.
- To provide a deeper understanding of how AI influences employee identity and work adjustments.
Main Methods:
- A two-wave survey design was employed to collect data from full-time employees with AI experience.
- Participants were recruited via an online platform, resulting in a final sample of 252 employees.
- Statistical analyses were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses regarding AI usage, self-perceptions, job crafting, and mindsets.
Main Results:
- AI usage's effect on self-perception and job crafting is contingent upon an employee's implicit mindset.
- Employees with a growth mindset exhibited enhanced self-perception of humanity and increased job crafting when using AI.
- Conversely, employees with a fixed mindset showed enhanced self-perception of instrumentality and reduced job crafting with AI.
Conclusions:
- Implicit mindsets play a critical role in mediating employee responses to AI implementation.
- AI's influence on employees is not uniform and is significantly shaped by individual psychological orientations.
- The findings offer valuable theoretical insights, drawing on identity theory, and practical implications for managing AI adoption in organizations.
Related Concept Videos
02:57The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
41.7K
According to Charles Cooley, we base our image on what we think other people see (Cooley 1902). We imagine how we must appear to others, then react to this speculation. We don certain clothes, prepare our hair in a particular manner, wear makeup, use cologne, and the like—all with the notion that our presentation of ourselves is going to affect how others perceive us. We expect a certain reaction, and, if lucky, we get the one we desire and feel good about it. But more than that, Cooley...
41.7K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
4.7K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
4.7K
02:16Stereotype Content Model
13.1K
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence...
13.1K
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
36.2K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
36.2K
01:24Humanistic Psychology
3.0K
Humanistic psychology emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the deterministic and pessimistic nature of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. While behaviorism focused on observable behaviors influenced by the environment and psychoanalysis delved into unconscious motivations, both theories suggested that human actions lacked free will. In contrast, humanistic psychology offers a perspective that emphasizes the innate potential for goodness and growth within every individual.
This approach...
This approach...
3.0K
01:28Understanding the Self
473
The self is a central aspect of human identity, encompassing an individual’s beliefs, emotions, perceptions, and experiences. It is a cognitive and psychological construct that enables individuals to interpret their traits and behaviors, influencing how they perceive themselves and interact with the world. While personality consists of stable and enduring characteristics, the self is shaped by self-perception and social experiences. This distinction highlights the dynamic nature of the...
473