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Articles | Applied Psychology and Cognitive Science | Volume 1 - Issue 1 - 2026 | 27−40 |
© 2026 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

Psychological Predictors of Employee Adaptation to Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace

Author(s): Tharushi Sewwandi Rathnayake , Dinithi Hansika Wijesinghe
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University of Peradeniya, Galaha Rd, 20400, Sri Lanka

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Applied Psychology and Cognitive Science

Volume 1 - Issue 1 - 2026

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Organizations are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into routine work processes, fundamentally reshaping how employees perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with emerging technologies. However, employees differ considerably in their capacity to adapt to AI driven workplace transformation, highlighting the importance of understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying successful adaptation. This study investigated the psychological determinants of employee adaptation to AI by integrating AI self efficacy, AI anxiety, psychological capital, perceived organizational support, and openness to experience within a unified theoretical framework. A cross sectional survey design was employed, and hierarchical multiple regression and bootstrapped mediation analyses were conducted to examine the proposed relationships. The results demonstrated that AI self efficacy, psychological capital, and perceived organizational support positively predicted employee adaptation to AI, whereas AI anxiety negatively predicted adaptation. Psychological capital further partially mediated the relationship between AI anxiety and employee adaptation, indicating that positive psychological resources may reduce, although not eliminate, the adverse influence of AI related anxiety. These findings extend the Job Demands Resources framework to AI driven organizational transformation by demonstrating how technology related demands and personal and organizational resources jointly contribute to employee adaptation. The study further highlights psychological capital as an important mechanism connecting AI related anxiety with adaptive workplace outcomes. From a practical perspective, organizations should complement technical AI training with interventions that strengthen employees’ confidence, resilience, optimism, psychological readiness, and perceptions of organizational support. Such an integrated approach may facilitate more sustainable employee adaptation and reduce psychological barriers during AI implementation.

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SUBMITTED: 13 August 2026
ACCEPTED: 04 October 2026
PUBLISHED: 26 October 2026
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 53 days

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