Linking digital competence, self-efficacy, and digital stress to perceived interactivity in AI-supported learning contexts

As artificial intelligence technologies become more integrated into educational contexts, understanding how learners perceive and interact with such systems remains an important area of inquiry. This study investigated associations between digital competence and learners' perceived interactivity with artificial intelligence, considering the potential mediating roles of information retrieval self-efficacy and self-efficacy for human-robot interaction, as well as the potential moderating role of digital stress. Drawing on constructivist learning theory, the technology acceptance model, cognitive load theory, the identical elements theory, and the control-value theory of achievement emotions, a moderated serial mediation model was tested using data from 921 Chinese university students. The results indicated that digital competence was positively associated with perceived interactivity, both directly and indirectly through a sequential pathway involving the two forms of self-efficacy. Higher levels of digital stress were associated with a weaker indirect pathway, suggesting that elevated stress may constrain the extent to which self-efficacy is applied in artificial intelligence supported learning contexts. These findings suggest a multidimensional perspective on the cognitive and emotional factors associated with learner artificial intelligence interaction and may inform the design of digital learning environments that account for variation in learners' competence and stress tolerance.