THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AI IN EDUCATION: HOW MEDIA SHAPES LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Abstract

The swift adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) into the educational process has altered the way teaching and learning are conducted and the ways media items are represented contribute to the psychological perception of the technologies by the learners. This paper explores the psychology of AI in education through exploring the media narratives in their impact on learning of the students, their attitudes, trust, motivation, and perceptions of effectiveness of AI-driven educational tools. Quantitative research design was adopted, implying that data was gathered by means of a structured survey among students in institutions of higher learning. The survey examined several psychological constructs, such as cognitive engagement, emotional response, perceived usefulness, anxiety, and trust in artificial intelligence as well as exposure to media images of artificial intelligence in education. Statistical procedures, such as descriptive statistics, correlation analyze, and regression modeling, were used to evaluate the relationships that existed between media exposure and psychological responses of learners to AI-based learning systems. The results indicate that AI positive media framing is strongly related to the high degree of motivation, trust, and perceived learning improvement, and negative or sensationalized media reporting leads to higher levels of anxiety and AI-assisted learning resistance. The research identifies the mediating psychological perception in evaluating the effectiveness of the AI integration in education. These findings highlight the need to engage in responsible communication through the media and educate informed policies to enhance positive experiences of learners with AI technologies. The work provides the interdisciplinary discussion of AI, psychology, media, and education with empirical evidence and practical implications to educators, policymakers, and media professionals.