Skip to content
Review

Beyond the prompt: understanding ChatGPT outcomes through the lens of IT identity

Jul 2026 · Journal of Enterprise Information Management · 0 citations · 85 references

TL;DR

Investigating how individuals form a sense of identity around ChatGPT finds that regular interaction with ChatGPT is associated with the development of a distinct IT identity, and the presence of sufficient resources and organizational or contextual support significantly moderates this relationship, shaping user behaviors in meaningful ways.

Abstract

As the use of ChatGPT continues to expand, understanding its impact on users remains an emerging area of study. This research investigates how individuals form a sense of identity around ChatGPT, applying the information technology (IT) identity framework, with an added outcomes component, to assess the psychological relationship users develop with the tool. A survey of 312 active ChatGPT users was conducted to evaluate the framework’s applicability in this context and to explore the resulting behavioral and experiential outcomes. The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results provide partial support for the IT identity framework in the ChatGPT context. The analysis indicates that regular interaction with ChatGPT is associated with the development of a distinct IT identity. Moreover, the presence of sufficient resources and organizational or contextual support significantly moderates this relationship, shaping user behaviors in meaningful ways. These behaviors, in turn, were linked to improvements in both individual performance and perceived social well-being. The findings also suggest that some relationships established in traditional IT contexts may operate differently in generative AI environments. By extending the IT identity framework to include specific outcome measures, this study offers a nuanced understanding of how AI-based tools like ChatGPT influence user identity and behavior based on the IT identity framework. The findings further contribute to understanding how AI-related identities form and highlight opportunities for refining IT identity theory in the context of generative AI assistants.

View source

Similar papers

Open access Aug 2026

From Intention to Habit in ChatGPT Use: An Examination Through Person-Centered Profiles

The study concludes that person-centered profiling offers a practical framework for understanding and supporting responsible AI integration in higher education and argues that implementation challenges can be understood more effectively through user segments.

M. H. Kaya, M. Bulut · 0 citations
Review Open access Jun 2026

FROM ASSIGNMENT TO AFFECTION: WHAT DRIVES UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO KEEP USING CHATGPT?

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, AI tools like ChatGPT have gradually become a part of the life of students in universities. Previous research has mainly addressed the functional aspects of AI, such as information retrieval and academic support, but the socio-emotional and personalized aspects of AI, and how these shape users’ continued usage behaviour. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of academic support, emotional support, and perceived personalisation on students’ continuance intention toward ChatGPT, with perceived trust acting as a mediating mechanism. This research grounded by the Expectation-Confirmation Theory and Information Systems Continuance Model by incorporating two additional variables: perceived personalisation and academic support and emotional support as antecedents of students’ continuance intention toward ChatGPT. This quantitative study used an online survey to collect data from 263 university students. The proposed model was analysed using SmartPLS-SEM to examine both direct and indirect relationships, with perceived trust specified as a mediating variable. The structural model indicates that academic support and emotional support have significant direct effects on continuance intention. Although perceived personalisation positively influences user trust, its direct effect on continuance intention is not significant. Instead, perceived trust fully mediates this relationship, indicating that personalisation alone does not directly drive continued use unless it first builds user trust. These findings highlight the critical role of trust as a psychological mechanism through which AI personalisation translates into sustained user engagement. The study contributes to the literature on human–AI interaction by integrating cognitive, emotional, and personalisation dimensions within a unified continuance framework. Practically, the results suggest that AI developers should prioritise trust-building mechanisms when designing personalised and emotionally supportive systems to ensure long-term user adoption, particularly in educational contexts.

P. Muthurajan, Hashima Mohaini Mohammad, Nur Afni Halil et al. · 0 citations
Review Open access 2026

A Study of ChatGPT and Writing Through the Lens of Social Cognitive Theory

The findings revealed that the students relied on metacognitive and cognitive writing strategies and reflected their high resilience and effort regulation despite showing a lower consistency in regular writing practice, which offers a foundation for more focused instructional interventions in higher education.

Nurul Syafieqah Jaafar, N. Rosly, Najwa Zulkifli et al. · 0 citations
#generative ai Book Open access Aug 2026

The Influence of Trust and Need Satisfaction on Young Adults’ Interactions with AI Chatbots for Emotional Support

While ChatGPT was primarily viewed as an efficient tool in a work context, the quantitative survey reveals a weakly significant correlation between psychological stress and openness toward the social-emotional use of chatbots.

Stefanie Osetrow, H. Klapperich, Dr. Alina Huldtgren · 0 citations
Review Open access Jul 2026

Students’ Perceptions Towards Usage of ChatGPT among University Students

It is concluded that ChatGPT has significant potential to complement traditional learning methods, provided it is used responsibly, and offers valuable implications for educators and policymakers in integrating AI tools effectively into educational settings.

H. Ibrahim, Dr. Rudresh Pandey, Nureen Waheda binti Mohd Nazdir et al. · 0 citations