To disclose or not to disclose: Peer influence and psychological factors in students' use of generative artificial intelligence

BACKGROUND: The integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into higher education has transformed academic practices and redefined the boundaries of academic integrity. Despite institutional mandates for disclosure, students frequently conceal their GenAI use, reflecting ethical uncertainty and relational risk. AIMS: This study examines how cognitive, social and emotional factors jointly shape students' willingness to disclose GenAI use, guided by Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory. SAMPLES: Data were collected from 409 undergraduates at a Singaporean university who reported using GenAI tools for academic purposes. METHODS: A mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitatively, hierarchical regression tested the effects of moral disengagement, perceived peer disclosure and relational comfort with peers and instructors on self-reported disclosure likelihood. Qualitatively, thematic analysis of open-text responses explored students' interpersonal reasoning and perceived risks in discussing GenAI use. RESULTS: Disclosure was primarily predicted by relational and social variables. Perceived peer disclosure and comfort with instructors were the strongest predictors, while moral disengagement showed weaker effects. Qualitative findings revealed that non-disclosure reflected strategic adaptation to perceived peer norms and low interpretive trust in instructors rather than moral negligence. CONCLUSIONS: Students' disclosure behaviour is relationally embedded. Transparency depends less on compliance and more on environments that enhance trust and normative clarity. Fostering emotionally safe and communicatively transparent academic settings is essential for promoting ethical GenAI use.