Self-Efficacy as a Mediator between Passion for Using AI Applications and Internet Addiction among Egyptian University Students: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

The study aimed to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between passion for using artificial intelligence applications and internet addiction among university students using structural equation modeling. The study sample included two independent samples, selected from students of the Capital University in Cairo, the psychometric verification sample (N=653) and the main sample (N=730). Participants completed three main scales to assess passion for using artificial intelligence applications, self-efficacy, and internet addiction. The results showed a negative effect of harmonious passion for artificial intelligence applications on internet addiction, both directly (?= -0.111) and indirectly through self-efficacy (?= -0.240). The results also indicated a positive effect of obsessive passion for artificial intelligence applications on internet addiction, both directly (?= 0.164) and indirectly through self-efficacy as a partial mediating variable (?= 0.273). The structural model demonstrated a high fit with the data, and all hypothesized correlations were statistically significant. These results generally indicate that the two types of passion for using artificial intelligence applications (harmonious – obsessive) are associated with changes in internet addiction, whether an increase or decrease, either directly or indirectly through their relationship with self-efficacy as a partial mediating variable. This study contributes to deepening the psychological understanding of how artificial intelligence applications influence the emergence of internet addictive behaviours. A harmonious and balanced passion for artificial intelligence applications reduces digital addiction when there is strong self-efficacy among university students.