The Psychological Pathways to AI Resistance: Religiosity, Populism and Anxiety as Predictors of AI Engagement

2026/03/16 by Zeynep AYTAÇ, Erdal Yıldırım, Muhammed Bilgehan Aytaç · 1 voice
Computer Science · Social Sciences · Medicine · #AI in Service Interactions #Misinformation and Its Impacts #Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education

paper · doi:10.1002/ijop.70202

openalex publication_date 2026/03/16 · openalex created_date 2026/03/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

This study investigates how religiosity affects individuals' intentions to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) using a non-WEIRD sample (N = 422). We examined populist beliefs and AI-related anxiety as mediators in this relationship. Results indicate that higher religiosity is associated with stronger populist attitudes, which increase AI anxiety. Elevated AI anxiety then leads to reduced willingness to engage with AI technologies. The serial mediation pathway from religiosity through populism and AI anxiety to AI engagement intention was marginally significant, suggesting a potential indirect effect. Additionally, religiosity directly negatively predicts AI engagement and positively predicts populism, while populism strongly predicts AI anxiety, which negatively impacts AI engagement. These findings reveal important psychological mechanisms underlying how religiosity shapes attitudes towards AI adoption.

Citations

• The Service Revolution and the Transformation of Marketing Science
• A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling
• Development and validation of an artificial intelligence anxiety scale: an initial application in predicting motivated learning behavior
• Are the religious suspicious of science? Investigating religiosity, religious context, and orientations towards science
• Consumer Acceptance and Use of Information Technology: Extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology1

Discussions

• New research shows religious beliefs can increase AI anxiety through populist attitudes, leading to lower AI adoption. Study reveals psychological chain affecting tech acceptance. doi.org/10.1002/ijop [bsky, 0 points, 0 comments]

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