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How Generative AI Use Styles Shape Academic Engagement: The Roles of Academic Impostor Syndrome and AI Policy Clarity
Yu Wang1, Xiaoxue Mi1, Wenwen Tang2
1School of Business Administration, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian 116025, China.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Reflective Generative AI (GenAI) use reduces academic impostor syndrome, boosting student engagement. Thoughtless use has the opposite effect, with clear AI policies amplifying these impacts.
Area of Science:
- Higher Education
- Educational Psychology
- Artificial Intelligence
Background:
- Generative AI (GenAI) is increasingly used in higher education, but its impact on student engagement and psychology is unclear.
- Previous research often overlooked *how* students use AI, focusing instead on usage quantity and confidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- Distinguish between reflective and thoughtless AI use.
- Examine academic impostor syndrome as a mediator linking AI use styles to engagement.
- Investigate the moderating role of perceived AI policy clarity.
Main Methods:
- A two-wave survey was conducted with 478 Chinese university students.
- Statistical analyses examined the relationships between AI use styles, academic impostor syndrome, engagement, and policy clarity.
Main Results:
- Reflective AI use negatively correlated with academic impostor syndrome; thoughtless use showed a positive correlation.
- Academic impostor syndrome mediated the relationship between AI use styles and engagement.
- Clearer perceived AI policies amplified these observed patterns.
Conclusions:
- GenAI integration requires understanding interaction quality and competence attribution, not just adoption.
- Cultivating reflective AI literacy and clear, psychologically attuned institutional policies is crucial.
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