Trusting the Algorithm: Emotional Engagement with ChatGPT in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17423731Keywords:
ChatGPT, emotional intelligence, higher education, AI in learning, digital pedagogy, emotional framing, trust in AI.Abstract
This study examines emotional engagement with ChatGPT among 121 university students from diverse academic disciplines, focusing on the relationships between trust in the AI, the emotional framing of prompts, and the explicit use of ChatGPT for emotional support. Results reveal a paradox: higher trust correlates with increased emotional self-awareness (r = .386) and perceived emotional intelligence (r = .508), while deliberate emotional framing is linked to lower perceived AI emotional intelligence (r = –.412) and reduced emotional benefits (r = –.259). Students who use ChatGPT for emotional support report diminished emotional awareness (r = –.190) and less favourable emotional outcomes (r = –.270), indicating an “empathic expectation gap” where emotional intent exposes the system’s limitations. The findings highlight the need to integrate ChatGPT in digital pedagogy as a reflective tool rather than a substitute for human connection, with attention to ethical design, user education, and emotional literacy.References
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Copyright (c) 2025 Aljula Gjeloshi, Elena Kokthi
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