Development of a Scale for Irrational Beliefs About Artificial Intelligence Applications and Prevalence Rates Among University Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.11757Keywords:
Irrational beliefs, artificial intelligence, university students, Oman, United Arab EmiratesAbstract
Objectives: This study aimed to develop a scale for irrational beliefs about artificial intelligence (AI) applications, verify its psychometric properties, and identify prevalence rates among university students.
Methods: A descriptive-analytical method was used to create a 27-item scale across four factors: Personal Empowerment (12 items), All-or-Nothing Thinking (5 items), Conflicting Expectations (5 items), and Negative Fears (5 items). The sample consisted of 831 male and female students from universities in Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Results: The scale demonstrated multiple indicators of validity, including face validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, internal correlation matrices, correlations with factors and total scores, contrasted groups, and concurrent validity with academic self-efficacy and mental health. Reliability indicators were also high (test-retest reliability = 0.96; Cronbach’s α = 0.95). The overall prevalence rate of irrational beliefs about AI applications was 5.05%, with higher rates among females (5.16%) compared to males (4.26%).
Conclusions: A reliable and valid scale for measuring irrational beliefs about AI applications has been developed and can be used by researchers in future studies.
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