AI Decision Dependence & Cognitive Caution 2025 (Dataset, n = 201)

Dataset availability: Participant-level dataset files are temporarily unavailable while Human Clarity Institute completes an independent privacy and data governance review. Metadata, methodology and citation information remain available. Researchers interested in access may contact info@humanclarityinstitute.com.

This dataset is part of the Human Clarity Institute’s AI–Human Experience 2025 data series. It examines how adults experience AI-assisted decision-making, including decision reliance, confidence shifts, second-guessing, cognitive caution, and the influence of AI on personal judgement and clarity.

The dataset includes:

• validated 1–7 Likert-scale items capturing reliance, confidence, doubt, persuasion, and cognitive influence

• measures of AI-supported decision dependence and comfort checking decisions with AI

• indicators of decision confidence, self-doubt, clarity, and judgement stability

• variables reflecting cognitive caution, including second-guessing and conflict about AI influence

• multi-select value-judgement items, stored as canonical semicolon-delimited snake_case tokens

• open-text reflections describing moments when participants relied on AI to help make decisions (minimal cleaning applied: trim + newline removal only)

• demographic variables across six English-speaking countries

• digital life exposure (self-reported daily hours online) and AI-tool usage frequency

Data were collected on 29 November 2025 via Prolific from adults in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. All data were cleaned, anonymised, and processed under the Human Clarity Institute’s machine-readable data protocol, including:

• canonical snake_case variable naming

• validated numeric ranges

• standardised multi-select formats

• minimal safe text cleaning

• full data-dictionary alignment

• verified removal of Prolific IDs and timestamps

• SHA-256 checksums for all files

This dataset contributes to understanding how AI systems shape human decision processes, confidence, clarity, and behavioural patterns. It provides a foundation for longitudinal tracking of AI-assisted decision behaviours and the evolving cognitive relationship between humans and AI in everyday life.