Beyond Dependency: Artificial Intelligence as Cognitive Redistribution in Education
Psychological and Neurological Consequences of AI: Dependency, Laziness, and Reduced Critical Thinking, IGI Global, ss.145-177, 2026
- Yayın Türü: Kitapta Bölüm / Araştırma Kitabı
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4018/979-8-3373-9484-8.ch006
- Yayınevi: IGI Global
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.145-177
- İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming education by reshaping how learners acquire, process, and apply knowledge. Rather than viewing AI as inherently beneficial or harmful, this chapter conceptualizes AI as a mechanism of cognitive redistribution that reallocates cognitive processes between learners and intelligent systems. Drawing on the Extended Mind Theory, Cognitive Offloading, Cognitive Load Theory, metacognition, Self-Regulated Learning, and neuroplasticity, the chapter develops five theoretical propositions explaining how AI influences cognitive engagement, effortful processing, critical thinking, higher-order learning, and long-term neurological development. It argues that educational outcomes depend primarily on patterns of human-AI interaction and instructional design rather than AI itself. The chapter concludes that AI should function as a cognitive scaffold that supports, rather than substitutes for, meaningful cognitive engagement and offers implications for educators and future research.