Pakistan University Study Finds Positive Correlation Between AI Use and Undergraduates' Cognitive Ability, Self-Directed Learning, and Mental Health

A peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology in 2026 surveyed 175 undergraduates in Pakistan. Using a correlational design and a five-point Likert scale, the study found a somewhat positive and statistically significant association between AI usage and students' cognitive abilities, self-directed learning, and psychological well-being. The authors also noted that AI use may adversely affect mental health and learning capabilities by hindering creative skill development, and emphasized the need for institutional standards on AI usage to maintain academic integrity.

This study offers quantitative evidence of a positive association between AI use and undergraduates' cognitive abilities, self-directed learning, and psychological well-being, while noting that creative skill development may be hindered, providing empirical reference for universities formulating AI usage policies. For education product practitioners, the findings suggest that product design must balance learning efficiency with protecting creative thinking; for school administrators, clarifying AI usage standards becomes a necessary measure for maintaining academic integrity. The sample of only 175 Pakistani undergraduates means the findings should be generalized with caution. Universities may use the findings to formulate or adjust AI usage policies, encouraging AI-assisted learning while attending to creative skill development. AI education product developers can reference the findings on cognitive ability and self-directed learning to optimize product features while avoiding weakening students' creative thinking.