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This study examines the factors influencing university students' willingness to disclose their use of AI in academic work, using the Cognition-Affect-Conation (CAC) framework. Through a mixed-methods approach involving surveys of 546 students and interviews with 22, the research identifies psychological safety as a key enabler of disclosure, driven by perceived fairness, teacher support, and organizational support. Conversely, evaluation apprehension, fueled by perceived stigma, uncertainty, and privacy concerns, inhibits disclosure intention.
Students' willingness to disclose AI use in academic work hinges on a delicate balance: psychological safety encourages transparency, while evaluation apprehension drives strategic concealment.
The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has raised important questions regarding students'transparency in reporting AI-assisted work. This study investigates the psychological mechanisms underlying university students'willingness to disclose AI use by applying the Cognition--Affect--Conation (CAC) framework. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. In the quantitative phase, survey data were collected from 546 university students and analysed using structural equation modelling to examine the relationships among cognitive perceptions, affective responses, and disclosure intention. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews with 22 students were conducted to further interpret the quantitative findings. The results indicate that psychological safety significantly increases students'willingness to disclose AI use and is positively shaped by perceived fairness, perceived teacher support, and perceived organisational support. Conversely, evaluation apprehension reduces disclosure intention and psychological safety, and is strengthened by perceived stigma, perceived uncertainty, and privacy concern. Qualitative findings further reveal that institutional clarity and supportive instructional practices encourage openness, whereas policy ambiguity and fear of negative evaluation often lead students to adopt cautious or strategic disclosure practices. Overall, the study highlights the dual role of enabling and inhibitory psychological mechanisms in shaping AI-use disclosure and underscores the importance of supportive institutional environments and clear guidance for promoting responsible AI transparency in higher education.
