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Impact of GPT Use on Essay Writing Performance and Cognitive Abilities

NCT06511102 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 160

Last updated 2025-07-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this randomized controlled lab experiment is to examine if using generated artificial intelligence (AI) technology will affect people's academic performance and cognitive abilities in the context of analytical writing among college students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does using the technology affect students' writing performance?
2. Does using the technology affect students' cognitive effort during the writing process?

Participants will be randomly assigned to either a control group, which is writing without AI assistance, or an experimental group, which is writing with the assistance of ChatGPT. Researchers will compare the two groups to see if ChatGPT affects students' writing performance and cognitive effort.

For each participant, the lab experiment will last for no more than 1.5 hours. An eye-tracker will monitor the participant's gaze activities and pupil size. A functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will monitor the participant's brain activities in the frontal lobe. During the experiment, participants will be asked to:

1. Read learning materials on analytical writing techniques.
2. Based on the previously provided materials, complete an analytical writing assignment that will take approximately 30 minutes either with or without the aid of ChatGPT.
3. Answer survey questions about their experience with the writing assignment, attitudes on using ChatGPT, and demographic backgrounds.

Conditions

  • Cognitive Change
  • Well-Being, Psychological

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

GPT Support

The computer interface used for the essay writing task follows a split-screen design. The writing instructions and text input field are administered on a survey platform, placed on the left half of the screen. ChatGPT is placed on the right half of the screen for technology assistance.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University Hospital Heidelberg

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Till Bärnighausen · Heidelberg Institute of Global Health

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-07-18
Primary Completion
2025-02-20
Completion
2025-02-20

Countries

  • Germany

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06511102 on ClinicalTrials.gov