Examining University Students' Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) Verification Intention from a Protection Motivation Perspective
For educators and policymakers in higher education, this work extends a psychological theory to a new domain (AIGC verification) but is incremental as it applies existing frameworks without methodological novelty.
This study applied Protection Motivation Theory to examine students' intention to verify AI-generated content, finding that protection motivation positively predicts verification intention, with perceived severity, vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy as positive influences, while maladaptive rewards and response cost are negative. The SEM and fsQCA results from 432 students confirm these relationships and identify three pathways to high verification intention.
Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) is increasingly used by students to support learning tasks, yet its outputs may contain inaccuracies, fabricated references, bias, and unsupported claims. This study examined students' intention to verify AIGC from the perspective of Protection Motivation Theory. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 432 students who had experience using AIGC for learning. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesised relationships among threat appraisal, coping appraisal, protection motivation, and AIGC verification intention, while fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was applied to identify configurational pathways leading to high verification intention. The SEM results showed that protection motivation positively predicted AIGC verification intention. Perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy positively influenced protection motivation, whereas maladaptive rewards and response cost had negative effects. The fsQCA results further revealed three configurations leading to high verification intention, with protection motivation appearing as a core condition across all pathways. These findings suggest that students' willingness to verify AIGC depends on both risk recognition and perceived coping capacity. The study extends Protection Motivation Theory to the context of AIGC verification and provides implications for promoting critical, responsible, and academically appropriate use of generative AI in higher education.