Strategic prompting under technostress: A moderation study

BACKGROUND: Generative artificial intelligence systems require users to formulate, evaluate, and refine prompts, making strategic prompting a relevant self-regulatory behavior in human-AI interaction. However, the psychological factors associated with this behavior remain underexplored. OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether the approach and avoidance components of Need for Cognition are associated with self-reported strategic prompting and whether general technostress related to technology-enhanced learning moderates these associations. METHOD: A total of 229 Italian university students who reported using generative AI completed self-report measures of technostress, NFC approach, NFC avoidance, and strategic prompting. Pearson correlations and a combined moderation analysis were conducted. RESULTS: NFC approach was positively associated with strategic prompting, whereas technostress was negatively associated with it. Technostress did not moderate the relationship between NFC approach and strategic prompting, but it moderated the relationship between NFC avoidance and strategic prompting, which became more negative at higher levels of technostress. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported strategic prompting is associated with cognitive-motivational dispositions and general academic technostress.