Students’ perceptions of emotional data privacy in AI-assisted English language education: educational psychology perspectives

The rapid integration of Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI) into English language education has outpaced empirical research on learners’ psychological perceptions of emotional data privacy and consent. Existing studies predominantly emphasize technical accuracy and instructional effectiveness, leaving learner-centered ethical concerns underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining students’ perceptions of emotional data privacy, informed consent, trust, and perceived learning benefits in AI-assisted English language learning from an educational psychology perspective. A quantitative research design was adopted, involving survey data from first-year university ESL/EFL learners. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis for instrument validation, correlation analysis, and group comparisons with effect size interpretation. The findings reveal that increased emotional concerns about data privacy significantly reduce trust in AEI systems, whereas informed consent and transparency enhance trust and perceived learning benefits. Cross-cultural differences further indicate varying sensitivity to emotional monitoring. The study provides exploratory empirical evidence supporting emotional data privacy as a theoretically meaningful construct influencing AEI acceptance.