Artificial-intelligence-based mock interviews and employability: A stimulus–organism–response approach

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into career services is changing how students prepare for employment. This study examined the associations between AI-based mock interviews and employability, focusing on the potential mediating roles of self-efficacy and reflective practice. Using the stimulus–organism–response framework, we treated AI mock interviews as external stimuli that may shape students' psychological state and related outcomes, and conducted structural equation modeling on data from 179 geography education undergraduate students in China. The results suggested that AI-based mock interviews were indirectly related to employability through self-efficacy and reflective practice, with reflective practice playing a comparatively stronger mediating role. These findings provide theoretical and practical insights for integrating AI-driven tools into higher education career guidance.