The Role of Artificial Intelligence Anxiety and Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence in University Students’ Job Finding Anxiety

Year 2026, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 143 - 164, 08.03.2026

Ayşin Gaye Üstün , Nazan Danacıoğlu

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.26.23.13.2

https://izlik.org/JA33YS95YF

Abstract

The spread of artificial intelligence in the labor market is reshaping students’ employment expectations and creating concerns about the job search process. This study examines how students’ artificial intelligence related anxiety and attitudes influence their post graduation job finding anxiety. Although individual attitudes and concerns related to artificial intelligence have been increasingly explored in recent years, limited research has directly addressed the relationship between these variables and labor market-related concerns. There remains a need for multivariate studies with large samples that comprehensively investigate the interplay between technological transformation and employment uncertainty. This quantitative research employed a correlational survey design and included 1,057 students from various faculties and departments across 35 universities in Türkiye. Data were collected through online surveys using convenience and snowball sampling methods. The analysis involved statistical techniques such as correlation, independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and Cohen’s d. The findings showed that higher anxiety and negative attitudes toward artificial intelligence are positively associated with job finding anxiety. In addition, female students, social science majors, and second year students reported higher anxiety levels. The results were interpreted within the frameworks of the Technology Acceptance Model and Social Cognitive Career Theory, suggesting that students’ perceptions of technological transformation influence their career planning and sectoral expectations. In this context, the study underlines the need for a review of higher education policies to better support students' career paths in the age of artificial intelligence.

Keywords

artificial intelligence anxiety , artificial intelligence attitude , job finding anxiety , university students

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Sinop University Human Research Ethics Committee on January 24, 2025, with decision number 2025/49.

References

• Albino, M. G., Albino, F. S., Asio, J. M. R., & Gadia, E. D. (2025). Influence of AI anxiety on AI self-efficacy among college students. International Journal of Technology in Education, 8(2), 557-573. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.1109
• Boğazlıyan, E., E., & Avşaroğlu, S. (2024). Development of employment anxiety scale for university students; validity and reliability study. Pedagogical Perspective, 3(1), 90-111. https://doi.org/10.29329/pedper.2024.51
• Byars-Winston, A., & Rogers, J. G. (2019). Testing intersectionality of race/ethnicity× gender in a social–cognitive career theory model with science identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(1), 30-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cou0000309
• Cengiz, S., & Peker, A. (2025). Generative artificial intelligence acceptance and artificial intelligence anxiety among university students: The sequential mediating role of attitudes toward artificial intelligence and literacy. Current Psychology, 44(9), 7991-8000. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07433-7
• Chen, C., Hu, W., & Wei, X. (2025). From anxiety to action: Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence anxiety and artificial intelligence self-efficacy on motivated learning of undergraduate students. Interactive Learning Environments, 33(4), 3162-3177. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2440877
• Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Çakan, M., & Akın, A. (2024). Attitude towards artificial intelligence and change readiness: Adaptation studies of two scales. Econder, 8(2), 137–167. https://doi.org/10.35342/econder.1544898
• Çakır, V. O. (2023). The career planning and job-finding anxiety levels of sports sciences faculty students. PONTE International Scientific Research Journal, 79(12). http://dx.doi.org/10.21506/j.ponte.2023.12.1
• Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13 (3), 319-340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
• Durndell, A., & Haag, Z. (2002). Computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, attitudes towards the internet and reported experience with the internet, by gender, in an East European sample. Computers in Human Behavior, 18(5), 521–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0747-5632(02)00006-7
• Eagly, A. H., & Wood, W. (2012). Social role theory. In P. A. M. Van Lange, A. W. Kruglanski, & E. T. Higgins (Eds.), Handbook of theories of social psychology (pp. 458–476). Sage Publications.
• Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 109-132. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153
• Feagin, C. B. (2012). Racial and ethnic relations. Pearson.
• Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. SAGE Publications
• Fouad, N. A., & Santana, M. C. (2017). SCCT and underrepresented populations in STEM fields: Moving the needle. Journal of Career Assessment, 25(1), 24-39. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072716658324
• Hackett, G., & Betz, N. E. (1981). A self-efficacy approach to the career development of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 18(3), 326-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(81)90019-1
• Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural equation modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
• IBM Corp. (2017). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 25) [Computer software]. IBM Corp.
• İlhan, B. (2025). Motivation to teach and AI anxiety among TESOL student-teachers with degree-year and gender differences. LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching, 28(1), 153-173. https://doi.org/10.24071/llt.v28i1.9166
• Jamovi project. (2024). Jamovi (Version 2.6.26) [Computer software]. https://www.jamovi.org
• Karasar, N. (2022). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemi [Scientific research method]. Nobel Press.
• Karataş, I., & Öktem, T. (2022). Investigation of the relationships between self-confidence levels and job finding anxiety of faculty of sports sciences students. Education Quarterly Reviews, 5(1), 291-302. https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1993.05.01.440
• Kline, T. (2005). Psychological testing: A practical approach to design and evaluation. SAGE Publications.
• Köse, E. (2025). Research on the effect of artificial intelligence anxiety in accounting profession candidates on career decidedness. Fiscaoeconomia, 9(1), 568-582. https://doi.org/10.25295/fsecon.1556196
• Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
• Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
• Li, R., Ouyang, J., Lin, J., & Ouyang, S. (2025). Mediating effect of AI attitudes and AI literacy on the relationship between career self-efficacy and job-seeking anxiety. BMC Psychology, 13(1), 454. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02757-2
• Liu, X., Zhang, Y., Cao, X., & Gao, W. (2024). Does anxiety consistently affect the achievement goals of college students? A four-wave longitudinal investigation from China. Current Psychology, 43(12), 10495-10508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05184-x
• Microsoft Corporation (2021). Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 [Computer software]. Microsoft. https://office.microsoft.com/excel
• Migdadi, M. D. K., Oweidat, I. A., Alosta, M. R., Al-Mugheed, K., Saeed Alabdullah, A. A., & Farghaly Abdelaliem, S. M. (2024). The association of artificial intelligence ethical awareness, attitudes, anxiety, and intention-to-use artificial intelligence technology among nursing students. Digital Health, 10, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076241301958
• Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2024, November 15). The Class of 2025 is expected to graduate 12.22 million college graduates. http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/s5147/202411/t20241115_1163118.html
• Morales-García, W. C., Sairitupa-Sanchez, L. Z., Flores-Paredes, A., Pascual-Mariño, J., & Morales-García, M. (2025). Influence of self-efficacy in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and anxiety toward AI use on AI dependence among Peruvian University students. Data and Metadata, 4, 210. https://doi.org/10.56294/dm2025210
• Obenza, B. N., Caballo, J. H., Caangay, R. B., Makigod, T. E., Almocera, S., Bayno, J. L., ... & Tua, A. G. (2024). Analyzing university students' attitude and behavior toward aı using the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model. American Journal of Applied Statistics and Economics (AJASE), 3(1). https://doi.org/10.54536/ajase.v3i1.2510
• OECD. (2023). OECD employment outlook 2023: Artificial intelligence and the labour market. OECD publishing. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-employment-outlook-2023_08785bba-en.html
• Özçevik-Subaşı, D., Akça-Sümengen, A., Semerci, R., Şimşek, E., Çakır, G. N., & Temizsoy, E. (2024). Paediatric nurses' perspectives on artificial intelligence applications: A cross‐sectional study of concerns, literacy levels and attitudes. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 81(3), 1353-1363. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16335
• R Core Team. (2024). RStudio: Integrated development environment for R (Version 4.5.0 [2024-04-11]) [Computer software]. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.r-project.org/
• Schiavo, G., Businaro, S., & Zancanaro, M. (2024). Comprehension, apprehension, and acceptance: Understanding the influence of literacy and anxiety on acceptance of artificial intelligence. Technology in Society, 77, 102537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102537
• Super, D. E. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), 282-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90056-1
• Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2014). Using multivariate statistics. Pearson Education Limited.
• Tang, L., Matt, J., Khoshlessan, R., Das, K. P., & Allard, C. (2022). A quantitative study of undergraduate students' anxiety. Journal of Education and Learning, 11(5), 15-30. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v11n5p15
• Tavşancıl, E. (2014). Tutumların ölçülmesi ve SPSS ile veri analizi [Measuring attitudes and data analysis with SPSS]. Nobel Publications
• Terzi, R. (2020). An adaptation of artificial intelligence anxiety scale into Turkish: Reliability and validity study. International Online Journal of Education and Teaching (IOJET), 7(4), 1501–1515.
• Tsenov, M.Y., & Bakracheva, M.A. (2025). Attitudes towards artificial intelligence in professional and personal life. The Education and Science Journal, 27(2), 159-174. https://doi.org/10.17853/1994-5639-2025-2-159-174
• Uçar, M., Çapuk, H., & Yiğit, M. F. (2025). The relationship between artificial intelligence anxiety and unemployment anxiety among university students. Work, 80(2), 701-710. https://doi.org/10.1177/10519815241290648
• UNESCO. (2023). Generation AI: Navigating the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence for education. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/generation-ai-navigating-opportunities-and-risks-artificial-intelligence-education
• Wang, Y. Y., & Wang, Y. S. (2019). Development and validation of an artificial intelligence anxiety scale: An initial application in predicting motivated learning behavior. Interactive Learning Environments, 30(4), 619-634. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1674887
• Westover, J. (2024). The new norm of AI stress: Why your Gen-Z workers are stressed about using AI tools at work. Human Capital Leadership Review, 11 (4). http://doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.11.4.9
• Yazıcıoğlu, Y., ve Erdoğan, S. (2004). SPSS uygulamalı bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri [SPSS applied scientific research methods]. Detay Publications
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2021). Nitel araştırma yöntemleri [Qualitative research methods]. Seçkin Publications