Target calibrated trust and anxiety alongside AI literacy instruction when supporting existing generative AI users¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Because trust occupies the pivot of the modeled chain, the authors recommend that AI literacy instruction aim "not only at skills but at calibrated trust" — teaching what generative models do well, where they fail, and how to verify output. They further recommend low-stakes, scaffolded encounters such as supervised practice, worked examples, and explicit normalization of uncertainty to ease anxiety, and transparency features in student-facing tools that make reasoning and limitations legible.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Learners must already be users of the tool; the authors state the study provides no basis for recommendations about encouraging first-time uptake

Constraints¶

• Rests on cross-sectional associations among existing users; the authors note literacy instruction alone should not be assumed to work for anxious students

Target Learners¶

• University students who already use ChatGPT

Target Learning Goals¶

• Calibrated reliance on generative AI and sustained academic use

Affordances¶

• Capability Cognition Behavior Serial Model

Related Strategies¶

• Teach AI literacy as epistemic calibration and design assessment that preserves visible spaces for human reasoning and ownership
• Prioritize trust calibration over trust maximization when evaluating explainability and other design factors
• Treat trust calibration as an explicit educational objective of ML education, pursued through ICE-T's three facets
• Integrate AI literacy instruction into study programs alongside responsible tool design
• Address debilitating technology anxiety through supportive low-stakes introductory experiences while preserving the critical stance that accompanies it

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Peichen Hu. (2026). Psychological predictors of continued ChatGPT use among university students: the roles of AI literacy, trust, and academic self-efficacy. Front. Psychol. 17:1900190. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1900190