Filippo Andrei (University of Trento)

Bridging Self-Reported and Behavioural Measures of Algorithmic Literacy

Venue: Campus Luigi Einaudi, room 3 D1 36

Abstract: Algorithms now shape nearly every aspect of our daily lives, influencing decisions in education, banking, criminal justice, and beyond. They determine eligibility for benefits, allocate resources, and enforce regulations. This pervasive influence highlights the need for a new form of citizen empowerment: algorithmic literacy. However, existing measures primarily focus on awareness and knowledge, often overlooking critical socio-cognitive dimensions—such as folk theories—and behavioural aspects. This study introduces both a laboratory and an online experiment to explore how algorithmic literacy correlates with behavioural and cognitive elements in controlled settings. We propose a new tool to assess the socio-cognitive dimension (folk theories) and examine various behaviors linked to users’ algorithmic literacy. Our research design and protocol aim to uncover the interaction between folk theories, behavioral measures, and algorithmic literacy.