Generative AI, particularly tools like ChatGPT, is reshaping higher education by enhancing academic engagement, streamlining processes, and fostering innovation. This study investigates the determinants of ChatGPT adoption intentions (CGPTAIs) by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to include the mediating roles of perceived trust (PT) and perceived risk (PR). Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, the data from 435 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the relationships among the perceived ease of use (PE), perceived intelligence (PI), perceived usefulness (PUSE), PT, and PR. Τhe findings reveal that the perceived ease of use (PE) and perceived intelligence (PI) significantly drive adoption intentions, while perceived usefulness (PUSE) plays a limited role. PR fully mediates the relationship between PUSE and CGPTAI and partially mediates PE and PI, while PT fully mediates PUSE and partially mediates PE, but not PI. Multi-group analysis highlights demographic differences, such as age and prior AI experience, in adoption pathways. These results challenge traditional TAM assumptions, advancing the model to account for the interplay of usability, intelligence, trust, and risk. Practical insights are provided for fostering ethical and responsible ChatGPT integration, safeguarding academic integrity, and promoting equitable access in higher education.

The protection of our natural environment and the rational use of our natural resources are topics that have gained enormous attention the last years, with thousands of people changing their buying behaviors and making more environmentally conscious purchase decisions. Green consumer behavior is concerned with environmental issues or societal considerations that are reflected in purchase decisions. In this article, we study the factors influencing the intention of consumers to buy green products by proposing and validating a research model depicting the dependencies of green purchase intention from the selected factors. More specifically, the aim of the exploratory study is to investigate the impact of positive and negative emotions on individuals’ perceptions of environmentally friendly products and services, as well as the influence of attitudes toward green ads and of consumers’ environmental concerns on green purchasing behavior. The study was conducted with 75 participants who were shown six ads promoting a specific ecofriendly product, with each ad featuring a different emotional appeal both through its visual imagery and its textual information; three of the ads elicited negative emotions (fear, guilt, and disgust) and three positive emotions (joy, interest/curiosity, and inspiration). Findings indicate that ads that elicit negative emotions demonstrate a significant positive effect on consumers’ attitudes toward the green ad and on their intention to buy the promoted green product, but this does not apply to ads that elicit positive emotions. The statistical analysis also revealed that the attitudes toward the green ad are not a significant predictor of consumers’ buying intention. Moreover, as expected, consumers with high environmental concern demonstrate stronger intention to buy the promoted green product compared to consumers with low environmental concern.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed challenges and offered opportunities, which were recognized and assessed in developed countries. In many cases though, the lack of systematic preparation for the required digital transformation resulted in confusion and discomfort in citizens’ lives, where the imposition of nonphysical contact excluded a large part of the population from basic needs and rights. This article investigates the influence of trustworthiness and technology acceptance factors on the usage of e-government services during the pandemic, and proposes a model that integrates factors adapted from the TAM model (social influence, performance expectancy and effort expectancy) with trust in e-government, a factor influenced by trust in government, trust in the internet, security and privacy, to predict e-government usage. To test the model, a survey was conducted using a 38-question questionnaire we designed, with a total sample size of 301 Greek citizens. The model was confirmed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with maximum-likelihood estimates. Results indicate that all aspects in this study related to trustworthiness and user acceptance can be predictive factors of citizens’ usage of e-government services during periods of uncertainty and high risk, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

A key factor influencing the effectiveness of a user interface is the usability resulting from its design, and the overall experience generated while using it, through any kind of device. The two main design trends that prevail in the field of user interface design is skeuomorphism and flat design. Skeuomorphism was used in UI design long before flat design and it is built upon the notion of metaphors and affordances. Flat design is the main design trend used in most UIs today and, unlike skeuomorphic design, it is considered as a way to explore the digital medium without trying to reproduce the appearance of the physical world. This paper investigates how users perceive the two design approaches at the level of icon design (in terms of icon recognizability, recall and effectiveness) based on series of experiments and on data collected via a Tobii eye tracker. Moreover, the paper poses the question whether users perceive an overall flat design as more aesthetically attractive or more usable than a skeuomorphic equivalent. All tested hypotheses regarding potential effect of design approach on icon recognizability, task completion time, or number of errors were rejected but users perceived flat design as more usable. The last issue considered was how users respond to functionally equivalent flat and skeuomorphic variations of websites when given specific tasks to execute. Most tested hypotheses that website design affects task completion durations, user expected and experienced difficulty, or SUS (System Usability Scale) and meCUE questionnaires scores were rejected but there was a correlation between skeuomorphic design and increased experienced difficulty, as well as design type and SUS scores but not in both websites examined.