What Matters More Than Usage Volume Is Usage Attitude
ChatGPT Is Useful as a Thinking Partner, Not an Answer Machine

The research "The Influence of ChatGPT Use on University Students'' Critical Thinking Skills" by Seo Jong-su and Im Se-yun (2025) empirically demonstrates that the "attitude" with which AI is used determines the direction of critical thinking.

The Influence of Chat GPT Use on University Students'' Critical Thinking Skills
Seo Jong-su, Im Se-yun, 2025.9.

The Subtle Boundary Between Utilization and Over-dependence
Methods of using generative AI fall into two broad categories: "utilization" that handles it as a tool independently, and "over-dependence" that uncritically accepts AI output. Survey results showed students'' utilization score was 3.84 out of 5 — fairly high — while over-dependence was 2.75, below average. This suggests current university students recognize AI not as a simple essay-writing tool but as a productivity-enhancing partner for information search and structuring.

Notably, these two variables have opposite effects on critical thinking. Regression analysis showed: higher GPT utilization significantly increased critical thinking (beta=.478), while deepening over-dependence sharply decreased thinking ability (beta=-.400). AI itself is neither poison nor medicine — when users review information errors, analyze logical structure, and pose "questions," it becomes a catalyst stimulating critical thinking.

Cognitive Offloading or Intelligent Partnership?
This paper directly addresses "cognitive offloading" — the phenomenon of delegating higher-order thinking processes to external tools. Many prior studies warned that human metacognitive abilities can be weakened when settling for AI''s "plausible answers." However this research offers empirical counterargument: the process of searching for logical errors in AI''s responses, or designing sophisticated prompts to obtain better results, actually activates higher-order critical thinking functions. This supports the theoretical hypothesis that learning effectiveness is maximized when AI is used as a "discussion partner through Q&A" rather than a simple answer machine.

An Unexpected Variable: The Role of Family Health
The most unique and insightful finding is the correlation between "family health" (smooth communication and problem-solving within the family) and critical thinking ability. Family health showed a significant positive effect on critical thinking (beta=.243). The researcher interprets this as a modern version of "dinner table education" — when parents and children discuss social issues and communicate critically at home, children develop the psychological and cognitive foundation to independently filter AI information online. This suggests that AI-era education should not be limited to technical literacy but built upon fundamental communication and character education foundations.