The association of generative AI tool usage on social science student's academic performance: a case study at a Local University in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study examines the association between generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool use and the academic performance of social‑science undergraduates in Hong Kong, drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of technological capital. It conceptualizes GenAI as a potential form of educational capital whose value depends on how effectively students mobilize it across tasks of differing cognitive complexity. Using cross‑sectional survey data from 107 students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the study analyzes how the frequency of GenAI use for lower‑, middle‑, and higher‑order academic tasks relates to students’ cumulative GPA. Multiple regression models controlling for demographic, attitudinal, and familial factors indicate that GenAI use for lower‑order tasks (e.g., proofreading, summarizing, organizing information) is positively associated with GPA, while usage for middle‑ and higher‑order tasks shows no significant association. These findings suggest that GenAI functions as a form of technological capital that supports efficiency in routine learning but is less strongly linked with performance in tasks requiring analytical and conceptual reasoning. The study advances sociological understanding of technological capital in higher education, emphasizing that the academic value of GenAI depends on its reflective and field‑specific integration within the norms of social‑science learning.

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