The Moderator Role of Age in the Relation between Nursing Educators’ Emotional Regulation Styles and Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence

Background: Individuals' perspective on artificial intelligence may be influenced by their psychological factors, such as their emotional regulation styles. However, these concepts are typically examined in isolation. This article seeks to combine these two concepts by examining the relation between them among nursing educators. Aim: To explore the relationship between emotional regulation styles and perspectives on artificial intelligence among nursing educators and how age moderates this relation. Design: descriptive correlational research design. Setting: Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Egypt. Subjects: A convenience sample of 184 nursing educators. Tools: (1) Nursing educators’ Personal Data Structured Questionnaire, (2) Perspectives toward Artificial Intelligence Structured Questionnaire (PAIQ), and (3) Emotional Style Questionnaire (ESQ). Results: The mean percent score of overall emotional regulation styles among all of the nursing educators was 60.90±12.41, indicating that they have a considerable degree of emotional health in general, with a significantly higher mean score among older participants (69.25±11.82) than their younger counterparts (56.17±11.05). Also, structural equation model approach found a significant main positive effect of emotional regulation styles on positive perspectives toward artificial intelligence (β=0.599 ، CR=3.155 ، P= 0.002(, and a significant main negative effect of age on positive perspectives toward artificial intelligence (β=-1.153 ، CR=-2.607 ، P= 0.009 .( These effects were moderated by a significant interaction between age and emotional regulation styles (β=-0.012 ، CR=-3.017 ، P= 0.003(. Conclusion: A significant positive relationship was found between the nursing educators’ overall emotional regulation styles score and positive perspectives on artificial intelligence which moderated by age. For illustration, the emotional regulation styles overall score has a stronger positive effect on positive perspectives on artificial intelligence for nursing educators of young age than for nursing educators of older age. Recommendations: It is critical to have candid discussions with nursing educators about artificial intelligence, so, they can offer their perspectives and influence how artificial intelligence will be used in education in the future. Also, older nursing educators who enjoy more healthy emotionality should be encouraged to support others of younger age during their emotional regulation difficulties, to improve camaraderie and productivity and facilitate the installation of new artificial intelligence tools.