BMC Psychology：方杰：When cognitive offloading becomes dependence: how AI dependence mediates the pathway from academic stress to burnout and anxiety

发表杂志：《BMC Psychology》2026年，14卷，文章号(article number) 1125

作者：

Wenlong Wang  (王文龙，广东财经大学心理咨询中心)

Yuhang Wu

Jie Fang(方杰，广东财经大学发展与改革研究院)

Chong Yang

Langyi Wen

摘要：Although generative AI tools are increasingly used in college students’ academic activities, their role in stressrelated maladaptive coping remains unclear. This study focuses specifically on maladaptive AI dependence as a potential mediator linking academic stress to academic burnout and anxiety. A total of 1,623 college students completed an online survey using the Academic Stress Scale, the AI Dependence Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Academic Burnout Scale, and the GAD-7. PROCESS Model 6 was used to examine direct, indirect, and sequential mediation effects separately for academic burnout and anxiety. The results showed that academic stress positively predicted both academic burnout and anxiety. Sequential mediation analyses revealed that academic stress was associated with increased AI dependence, which may reduce students’ mastery experiences and encourage reliance on external support, thereby undermining self-efficacy and ultimately contributing to higher levels of burnout and anxiety. These findings suggest that excessive reliance on AI as a stress-coping strategy may weaken students’ sense of competence and increase their vulnerability to academic burnout and anxiety. Educational interventions should therefore promote reflective and autonomy-supportive AI use, positioning AI as a learning scaffold rather than a substitute for students’ own cognitive engagement.

本研究探讨AI依赖在学业压力与学业倦怠及焦虑之间的中介机制。共有1623名大学生参与了调查，使用了学业压力量表、AI依赖量表、一般自我效能感量表、学业倦怠量表、和一般焦虑量表。采用PROCESS模型6进行链式中介效应分析。结果表明，学业压力正向预测学业倦怠和焦虑。链式中介分析显示，学业压力与更高的AI依赖相关，这种依赖可能减少学生的掌控感，促使他们更依赖外部支持，从而削弱自我效能感，最终导致更高的倦怠水平和焦虑程度。这些发现表明，过度依赖人工智能作为应对压力的策略，可能会削弱学生的胜任感，并增加其出现学业倦怠和焦虑的风险。因此，教育干预应倡导反思性且自主支持的AI使用方式，将人工智能定位为学习支架，而非取代学生自身认知参与的替代品。

When Cognitive Offloading Becomes Dependence2026.pdf