Determinants and consequences of AI literacy

Last registered on March 05, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Determinants and consequences of AI literacy
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018011
Initial registration date
February 27, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
March 05, 2026, 8:46 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Fabian Kosse
Affiliation
JMU Würzburg
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Armin Falk
PI Affiliation
University of Bonn
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2011-09-01
End date
2026-03-01
Keywords
Education, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping educational, occupational, and everyday decision-making environments. Understanding individuals’ competencies in interacting with AI systems is therefore crucial for studying social disparities and behavioral responses to technological change.

In this study, we measure AI-related skills using a short survey-based self-assessment battery. The measure captures individuals’ perceived competencies in understanding, evaluating, and effectively using AI tools. It is designed to provide a compact yet informative assessment of AI skills, making it suitable for analyzing socio-economic correlates and for assessing whether exposure to a mentoring relationship can shape the development of AI-related skills.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Falk, Armin and Fabian Kosse. 2026. "Determinants and consequences of AI literacy." AEA RCT Registry. March 05. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18011-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The intervention is a mentoring program grounded in the concept of informal learning, meaning that it embeds learning processes into everyday activities rather than directly targeting academic achievement. Its central aim is to broaden a child’s horizons through regular social interactions with a new attachment figure.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2011-10-01
Intervention End Date
2013-01-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Our primary outcomes are AI-related skills, measured using a shortened four-item version of the Meta AI Literacy Scale (MAILS; Carolus et al., 2023), capturing the dimensions of AI literacy and AI self-efficacy.

Carolus, A., Koch, M. J., Straka, S., Latoschik, M. E., & Wienrich, C. (2023). MAILS – Meta AI literacy scale: Development and testing of an AI literacy questionnaire based on well-founded competency models and psychological change- and meta-competencies. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 1(2), 100014.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We recruited participants and their parents from the two cities Cologne and Bonn in Germany. In 2011, we invited all families living in those cities with children born between September 2003 and August 2004 to participate in a mentoring program, as well as one third of families with children born between September 2002 and August 2003 (N=14,451). We truthfully informed parents that, due to capacity constraints, participation in the program was not guaranteed. 1626 families indicated a willingness to participate and answered a short questionnaire including questions on income, education and whether both parents lived in the same household. We focus on those children whose parents met at least one of the following three criteria: (i) Equivalence income of the household is lower than 1065 Euro, corresponding to the 30th percentile of the German income distribution. (ii) Neither parent has a school-leaving degree qualifying for university studies. (iii) Parents do not live in the same household. We invited these children (N=700) and their parents for a baseline interview conducted in September to October 2011. 590 children and their parents participated in the baseline interview and gave their written consent to allow the transmission of their address to the organization running the mentoring program. This is our main sample. Out of this sample, 212 families were randomly selected to be treated (“treatment group”), the remaining 378 families form the control group.

We also recruited a high socio-economic status (SES) comparison group from the children whose parents did not meet either of the three criteria listed above (N=150 invited, N=122 participated in the baseline interview and gave written consent).
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer using STATA.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
590 individuals
Sample size: planned number of observations
590 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
212 children were randomly selected to be treated (“treatment group”), the remaining 378 children form the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethical Review Board of the University of Cologne
IRB Approval Date
2025-10-30
IRB Approval Number
230056PP
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials