I recently came across a study from Yıldız Technical University (Istanbul) that got me wondering how much of our emotional world is shaped by the tools we use on a daily basis. We talk a lot about how AI supports language learning, but far less about how it might be shaping the emotional lives of learners, & teachers.
The research, published in Frontiers in Education, explores whether regular chatbot‑assisted writing affects the emotional intelligence (EI) of pre‑service English teachers. EI, a term developed by Salovey & Mayer back in 1989, is hardly a fringe topic in ELT: from Goleman’s classic model of self‑awareness & empathy to Bar‑On’s multidimensional EQ framework, we’ve long known that emotions shape language learning as much as cognition does. Goleman highlights how skills like emotional regulation underpin effective communication, while Bar‑On’s model reminds us that adaptability, stress tolerance & interpersonal skills are central to how learners navigate real‑world language use.
The study
Forty‑four trainee teachers completed the Turkish version of the Bar‑On EQ‑i before & after a four‑week intervention. Each week they completed a supervised creative writing task using ChatGPT as a co‑writer. Tasks were aligned with EI subscales: intrapersonal skills, interpersonal skills, stress management, adaptability, & general mood. The idea was simple: would sustained chatbot interaction shift any of these emotional competencies?
The results
Overall, EI didn’t significantly change. Scores before & after the intervention were almost identical. That might sound unexciting at first glance, but negative findings often reveal just as much as positive ones—they show us what doesn’t shift as easily as we assume. But the nuance is where things get interesting.
A few key results stood out:
- Adaptability nudged upward, though not strongly enough to survive statistical correction. Still, this aligns with other work suggesting that AI tools can support flexible thinking & problem‑solving in writing tasks.
- Gender differences emerged. Male participants scored higher in reality testing (your ability to see things as they actually are rather than how you wish or fear they are) & adaptability, while female participants scored higher in stress management. These patterns echo earlier research on coping strategies & emotional regulation.
- Technology interest & AI competence correlated negatively with EI. Those who were more confident with AI tended to score lower on intrapersonal EI. This mirrors concerns raised by scholars like Sherry Turkle, who argues that digital tools can sometimes displace the depth of human‑to‑human interaction.
- No evidence that chatbots boost interpersonal EI. Despite claims that chatbots can simulate empathy, participants didn’t show gains in social or relational EI.
What I find compelling is how this study sits within a broader conversation. Research on chatbot‑assisted writing (by students at least) often highlights reduced anxiety, increased motivation & improved self‑efficacy (e.g Apriani et al. 2024). Yet this study reminds us that emotional development is complex, & not all aspects of EI are equally influenced by AI‑mediated interaction. It also raises a bigger question: what emotional experiences do learners lose when a machine becomes their primary interlocutor? It’s also worth remembering that this study focused on pre‑service teachers, not students—so the emotional shifts (or lack of them) speak to the developing professional identities of future educators rather than classroom learners.
Teacher Takeaways?
- Use chatbots as scaffolds, not substitutes. Encourage learners to generate ideas with AI, but build in moments where they must reflect, evaluate, or revise independently.
- Balance digital & human interaction. Pair chatbot‑assisted writing with peer feedback, group discussion, or reflective journalling to strengthen interpersonal & intrapersonal EI.
- EI baked in. Everything you do (or don’t do) in class shapes learners’ emotional awareness, resilience & interpersonal skills through the way you structure interaction, reflection & every other aspect of your lesson. It’s not an afterthought.
This kind of research doesn’t give us neat answers, but it does offer a valuable reminder: technology shapes not only how our students write, but how they feel, cope, relate & grow. As AI becomes more embedded in ELT, we need to keep asking not just what it can do, but what it changes.
Do you ever use chatbots in class to support writing tasks?
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