Generative AI Use in Higher Education, Cognitive Offloading, and Epistemic Curiosity: Examining Psychological Mechanisms of AI-Assisted Learning

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between generative artificial intelligence (AI) use, cognitive offloading, and epistemic curiosity among university students, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of cognitive offloading. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, using primary data collected through a self-administered Google Forms questionnaire from a sample of 301 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled at selected public and private universities in Pakistan. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. The analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, regression analysis, and mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap samples and 95% confidence intervals in IBM SPSS. The findings indicate that generative AI use is positively associated with cognitive offloading, and that cognitive offloading is negatively associated with epistemic curiosity. The indirect relationship between generative AI use and epistemic curiosity through cognitive offloading was negative, suggesting that greater reliance on AI may reduce curiosity by encouraging students to offload cognitive effort. In contrast, the direct effect of generative AI use on epistemic curiosity was positive, indicating a pattern of inconsistent mediation. These results suggest that generative AI may simultaneously support and undermine students’ intellectual curiosity, depending on the extent to which it replaces independent thinking. The study contributes to the understanding of how AI-assisted learning relates to students’ cognitive strategies and curiosity, and it offers guidance for educators seeking to balance technological support with independent reasoning and active knowledge exploration.