Hou and colleagues conducted a large-scale survey study using structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine how undergraduates’ critical thinking influences their different types of reliance on generative AI during problem-solving tasks. The study analyzed 808 valid responses, measuring students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions, AI literacy, trust in AI, and four types of AI-use behaviors—reflective, cautious, collaborative, and thoughtless use. The authors conceptualized reliance behavior as the way learners evaluate and make use of the differences between AI and human abilities, and proposed that critical thinking may play a key moderating role in this process.
The results showed that AI literacy strongly predicted both critical thinking skills (β = .66, p < .001) and dispositions (β = .41, p < .001), whereas trust in AI was negatively related to both (skills: β = –.16, p < .05; disposition: β = –.11, p < .001). Regarding reliance behaviors, critical thinking skills were positively associated with collaborative use (β = .25), reflective use (β = .21), and cautious use (β = .24), with similar effects found for critical thinking disposition. These findings highlight the importance of critical thinking in supporting desirable forms of AI use. In contrast, trust strongly predicted thoughtless use (β = .47, p < .001) and also slightly increased collaborative use (β = .15, p < .05) and reflective use (β = .19, p < .001), indicating a dual role of trust in both strengthening and weakening ideal reliance behaviors. More importantly, AI literacy promoted collaborative (β = .25), reflective (β = .20), and cautious use (β = .22) through the mediation of critical thinking, whereas trust produced negative indirect effects on these desirable behaviors because it reduced critical thinking (β = –.05 to –.06, p < .001). This means that critical thinking both enhances the positive influence of AI literacy and suppresses the potential blind reliance brought by high trust, guiding learners toward more reflective, careful, and collaborative ways of using AI.
Overall, the study provides strong evidence that critical thinking does not simply reduce AI reliance; instead, it shapes how students rely on AI, encouraging forms of use that are more reflective, collaborative, and prudent. The authors argue that the development of AI literacy must be accompanied by the cultivation of critical thinking to reduce thoughtless dependence and to promote healthier human–AI collaboration. They also emphasize that educational interventions should clearly define “ideal reliance behaviors” and help students develop responsible and thoughtful habits of AI use in an era where generative AI is becoming increasingly widespread.
Source (Open Access): Hou, C., Zhu, G., & Sudarshan, V. (2025). The role of critical thinking on undergraduates’ reliance behaviours on generative AI in problem‐solving. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56(5), 1919-1941.