The impact of AIGC design features on user creativity: The mediating roles of cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, Artificial Intelligence generated content (AIGC) has been increasingly applied in the design industry and has become an important tool for enhancing user efficiency. However, the impact of AIGC interaction design features on user creativity remains insufficiently examined. Based on the Stimulus Organism Response model and the Dual Pathway to Creativity Model (DPCM), this study constructs a theoretical framework that identifies intelligence, anthropomorphism, stylistic diversity, and interactivity as independent variables, and cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence as mediating variables. Data were collected from 504 Chinese users who work in the design field with experience using AIGC tools and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Results show that the four design features significantly influence user creativity and that cognitive flexibility and cognitive persistence mediate these relationships. Notably, interactivity demonstrated the strongest direct effect, suggesting that highly interactive AIGC tools are particularly effective in stimulating creative production. The study provides theoretical and practical insights for optimizing AIGC tools, improving user creative experiences, and promoting creativity developments in both AIGC applications and the design industry.