{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T05:53:48Z","timestamp":1791266028655,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791244800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Generative artificial intelligence is progressively reshaping study-travel\u2014a curriculum-embedded educational practice. Yet, the psychological processes governing upper-primary and middle-school students\u2019 adoption of such technology in this context remain underexplored. Prior technology acceptance inquiries have predominantly centered on adult populations, leaving adolescent cognitive-developmental contingencies unaddressed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This investigation aimed to elucidate the differential roles of affective versus utilitarian drivers in shaping study-travel participants\u2019 anticipated intentions to adopt GenAI, and to determine whether these pathways differ by grade level.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We constructed an integrative model grounded in the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), supplemented by Piaget\u2019s developmental framework. The model incorporated perceived enjoyment as a mediator and perceived risk as a direct negative antecedent, with grade level specified as a moderator of selected pathways. Survey data from 741 students in grades 4\u20139, drawn from twelve schools across six Chinese cities, were analyzed using structural equation modeling, multi-group comparisons, and cluster-robust standard errors to account for the nested sampling structure. Measurement invariance across grade groups was established prior to structural comparisons.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Perceived enjoyment emerged as the largest estimated predictor of adoption intention in this sample (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.43,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001), surpassing performance expectancy (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.30,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001). Enjoyment fully mediated social influence effects and partially transmitted performance expectancy\u2018s influence. Perceived risk exerted a significant suppressive effect (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f\u22120.24,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001), with primary students exhibiting approximately twice the inhibitory magnitude of middle-school counterparts. Grade significantly moderated the performance expectancy\u2013intention relationship, and provided borderline evidence for moderation of the risk\u2013intention relationship, indicating systematic grade-related differences in how these pathways operate.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings advance technology acceptance theory by introducing grade-related contingency and establishing an \u201caffective\u2013efficacy\u201d dual-channel model. Practical implications for designing grade-differentiated educational AI products are discussed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1961221","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T05:21:29Z","timestamp":1791264089000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Generative AI acceptance in study-travel contexts: an integrative model of affective and utilitarian pathways with mediation and grade-level moderation"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yuan","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Management, Chongqing University of Science and Technology","place":["Chongqing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dexin","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Architecture, Tianjin University","place":["Tianjin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"456","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.105.3.456","article-title":"Testing for the equivalence of factor covariance and mean structures: the issue of partial measurement invariance","volume":"105","author":"Byrne","year":"1989","journal-title":"Psychol. 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