Gendered Patterns of Artificial Intelligence Dependency and Critical Thinking Erosion Among University of Lagos Undergraduates

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) dependency and the erosion of critical thinking among undergraduate students at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, with an emphasis on how gender contributes to the dependency. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. A total of 400 undergraduates were selected from various faculties using convenience sampling. A demographic section was added to the questionnaire, along with the Artificial Intelligence Dependency Questionnaire (AIDQ), and the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS), and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and independent-samples t-test at the 0.05 significance level. Results showed a significant positive relationship between AI dependency and critical thinking disposition, r(398) = .329, p < .05, indicating that higher AI dependency was associated with higher (not lower) critical thinking scores; the first hypothesis was therefore not supported. AI dependency significantly predicted critical thinking outcomes, β = .329, t(398) = 6.961, p < .001, accounting for 10.9% of the variance. Contrary to expectations, there was no significant gender difference in critical thinking disposition, t(398) = 0.54, p = .592. The findings suggest that while AI tools may support academic efficiency, excessive reliance could reduce students’ engagement in independent reasoning and reflective problem-solving. The study recommends that the university develop guidelines for responsible AI use, incorporate AI literacy and critical thinking training into undergraduate programmes, and adopt teaching and assessment strategies that encourage independent analysis and evaluation.