AI Insight
This study of 711 Chinese English-major undergraduates found that perceived AI replacement threat significantly increases employment anxiety, with 48% of this effect mediated through career insecurity. Career decision-making self-efficacy acts as a protective buffer, weakening the relationship between AI threat perception and career insecurity, particularly at higher self-efficacy levels. The research demonstrates that students who feel more confident in their career decision-making abilities experience less career insecurity when confronted with AI-related job displacement concerns.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that university career counseling services could reduce AI-related employment anxiety among English majors by strengthening students' career decision-making skills and self-efficacy. The results are particularly relevant as AI language technologies continue to advance, highlighting the need for targeted interventions that help students navigate career uncertainty in rapidly changing professional landscapes.
Understand the Science
BackgroundConcerns over possible employment displacement among undergraduates majoring in English have been raised by the growing use of artificial intelligence in writing, translation, and language services. However, limited research has examined the association between perceived AI replacement threat (PAIRT) and employment anxiety among English-major undergraduates or the roles of career insecurity and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE).MethodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed 711 Chinese English-major undergraduates recruited through convenience sampling. After controlling for gender and grade level, AMOS and PROCESS Model 7 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples were used to examine the indirect and conditional indirect associations.ResultsPAIRT was positively associated with both career insecurity and employment anxiety. A significant indirect association between PAIRT and employment anxiety through career insecurity was observed, accounting for 48.29% of the estimated total effect. CDMSE significantly moderated the association between PAIRT and career insecurity, with this positive association becoming weaker at higher levels of CDMSE. The conditional indirect association through career insecurity was smaller at higher levels of CDMSE, and the index of moderated mediation was significant. Sensitivity analyses excluding the career replaceability items from employment anxiety produced substantively consistent results.DiscussionThese findings extend understanding of employment anxiety among English-major undergraduates in the context of AI.