The mediating role of social influence in concerns about academic integrity through the use of ChatGPT

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyse the mediating role of social influence on academic integrity concerns associated with ChatGPT use among university students, considering perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and technological self-efficacy as predictor variables. The research was conducted using a quantitative approach, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and an explanatory scope. The study sample consisted of university students in Peru. The methodology included the administration of a structured Likert-scale questionnaire, previously refined through exploratory factor analysis and validated through confirmatory factor analysis. Data processing and analysis were performed using multiple regression models and mediation analysis to compare direct and indirect effects. The results show that social influence plays a significant mediating role between technological perceptions and academic integrity concerns. In particular, perceived usefulness had a direct adverse effect on academic integrity concerns, while perceived ease of use and social influence had positive, statistically significant direct effects. For its part, technological self-efficacy did not show a significant direct effect on this concern. The main conclusion indicates that concern about academic integrity regarding the use of ChatGPT is not explained solely by individual or instrumental factors, but rather is shaped by social dynamics that influence the normalisation, regulation, and ethical evaluation of the use of artificial intelligence in the university context.