The Dual Construction of Generative Artificial Intelligence Domestication Practices and Information Cocoons. An Empirical Study Based on College Students’ Usage Patterns
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24193/subbeph.2025.09Keywords:
Generative AI, information cocoons, domestication theory, AI literacy, media effectsAbstract
Does Generative AI (GenAI) reinforce or dismantle information cocoons? Moving beyond technological determinism, this study utilizes Domestication Theory to examine how user appropriation influences cognitive outcomes. A survey of 245 university students analyzed the effects of three GenAI use patterns – Instrumental, Information Acquisition, and Exploratory – mediated by AI Literacy and Critical Thinking. Results indicate that impact is practice-dependent: Information Acquisition Use intensifies cocoons (cocoon-weaving), while Exploratory Use diminishes them (cocoon-breaking). Notably, a literacy paradox emerges: high individual literacies paradoxically amplify the cocoon-weaving effect of information acquisition. The study confirms that use patterns influence cognitive outcomes both directly and through complex interactions with literacy. These findings extend domestication theory into the cognitive domain and suggest that educators must foster exploratory user practices to maintain cognitive openness in the AI era.
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