Challenge and Hindrance Stressors, Artificial Intelligence Use and Interpersonal Interaction in University Students’ Perceptions of Decent Education

Academic stress is prevalent among university students and affects their evaluation of educational environment quality, fairness, and supportiveness. Based on the challenge–hindrance stressor framework and transactional stress-coping model, this study explores how challenge and hindrance stressors (HSs) shape perceived decent education (DE), focusing on the mediating role of artificial intelligence use (AIUSE) and moderating effect of interpersonal interaction (II). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze survey data from 520 university students, the results show that both stressors positively predict AIUSE, which in turn improves perceived DE and mediates the stressor-DE relationship. II negatively moderates the AIUSE–DE link: the positive effect weakens as II increases. Moderated mediation analysis indicates that the indirect effects via AIUSE are only significant at low II levels. These findings highlight AI-enabled learning as an adaptive coping strategy and the necessity of integrating technological and interpersonal resources to enhance student well-being in higher education. © 2026 by the authors.