Doğan Yüksel, Dina Abdel Salam El‐Dakhs, Burcu Yüksel
GenAI integration in English medium instruction (EMI) presents a tension between cognitive scaffolding and academic substitution. This study investigates the psychological mechanisms associated with distinct GenAI adoption attitudes: complementary, substitute, and hybrid use, using cross-sectional survey data from 257 undergraduates at a private EMI university in Saudi Arabia. Hierarchical regressions tested self-efficacy, self-regulation, language learning anxiety, and language learning mindsets as correlates of GenAI attitude dimensions. The findings revealed that psychological constructs were more strongly associated with GenAI engagement than the contextual factors measured, namely gender, year of study and academic discipline. Specifically, a fixed language mindset emerged as the strongest correlate of substitute use (β = .46), and the anxiety-substitute association was substantially attenuated once fixed mindset was included in the model. Conversely, a growth mindset and high self-efficacy were uniquely associated with integrative engagement. As the design is cross-sectional, all reported relationships are associational and no causal inference is warranted. Learners’ belief systems accounted for variance beyond the measured demographic and disciplinary variables, although unmeasured factors such as AI literacy, prior GenAI experience and institutional practices remain plausible alternative explanations, tentatively suggesting that institutions may benefit from growth-oriented psychological interventions alongside, rather than solely, discipline-based regulations.