AIDUA (artificial intelligence device use and acceptance) model to assess the acceptance of AI in the learning practices of higher education students

This study investigates the acceptance and use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education by applying the Artificial Intelligence Device Acceptance and Use (AIDUA) model, grounded in Lazarus’s cognition-motivation-emotion framework. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 220 university students in Ecuador, a developing country with growing access to digital education. Participants had prior experience with technology-based platforms, and Structural Equation Modeling was employed to test the model. Findings indicate that performance expectancy was the strongest driver of positive emotions toward AI, whereas effort expectancy negatively influenced emotions. Emotions significantly predicted both willingness to adopt and objection to AI in academic contexts. Anthropomorphism showed a dual effect, enhancing performance expectancy while also raising perceived effort. Social influence and hedonic motivation positively affected performance expectancy but, contrary to expectations, did not impact effort expectancy. These results highlight the cultural and institutional dynamics of Ecuadorian higher education, where AI is widely used but not necessarily perceived as effortless. The study validates the AIDUA model in a new cultural context and underscores the role of emotional and cognitive mechanisms in shaping AI adoption.