ChatGPT and the Death of Effort: Is AI Turning Students into Lazy Thinkers?
TL;DR for operators ChatGPT did not fail the writing task in this study. The humans did something more interesting: when allowed to use it, they reported doing less of the mentally expensive work. The paper randomly assigned 40 participants to write a short argumentative essay either with ChatGPT 3.5 or without assistance. After the task, participants completed a four-item cognitive engagement scale covering deep understanding, effortful thinking, sustained attention, and exploration of alternative approaches. The ChatGPT group scored lower: 2.95 versus 4.19 on a five-point scale, with a statistically significant group effect. ...