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Development and Validation of a Digital Resilience Scale for Emerging Adults in AI-Driven Environments
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Artificial Intelligence
DOI: 10.64388/IREV9I12-1719037
Abstract
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational, occupational, and social domains has transformed how emerging adults interact with technology. While AI-driven environments offer unprecedented opportunities for learning, communication, and productivity, they also expose individuals to unique psychological challenges, including information overload, algorithmic dependency, digital fatigue, misinformation, privacy concerns, and technological uncertainty. Existing resilience measures primarily assess adaptation to general life stressors and fail to capture the specific competencies required to navigate AI-mediated digital environments effectively. The present paper proposes the development and validation of a Digital Resilience Scale (DRS) designed specifically for emerging adults aged 18-29 years. Drawing upon resilience theory, digital well-being literature, cyberpsychology, and technology acceptance frameworks, digital resilience is conceptualized as an individual’s capacity to adapt, regulate, critically evaluate, and thrive within increasingly AI-driven contexts. A multidimensional model comprising AI adaptability, digital emotional regulation, information management, algorithmic awareness, cyberpsychology well-being, and ethical digital engagement is proposed. The study outlines a systematic scale-development procedure involving item generation, expert validation, pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability assessment. The proposed scale aims to provide researchers, educators, counsellors, and policymakers with a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing digital resilience among emerging adults. The development of the DRS is expected to contribute significantly to psychological research by addressing an emerging construct that reflects the demands of contemporary AI-integrated societies.
Keywords
Digital Resilience, Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Adults, Scale Development, Cyberpsychology, Digital Well-Being, Psychological Resilience
References
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How to cite this paper
@article{1719037,
author = {Dr. Ankita Dalal},
title = {Development and Validation of a Digital Resilience Scale for Emerging Adults in AI-Driven Environments},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {12},
pages = {3778-3785},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719037.pdf},
abstract = {The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into educational, occupational, and social domains has transformed how emerging adults interact with technology. While AI-driven environments offer unprecedented opportunities for learning, communication, and productivity, they also expose individuals to unique psychological challenges, including information overload, algorithmic dependency, digital fatigue, misinformation, privacy concerns, and technological uncertainty. Existing resilience measures primarily assess adaptation to general life stressors and fail to capture the specific competencies required to navigate AI-mediated digital environments effectively. The present paper proposes the development and validation of a Digital Resilience Scale (DRS) designed specifically for emerging adults aged 18-29 years. Drawing upon resilience theory, digital well-being literature, cyberpsychology, and technology acceptance frameworks, digital resilience is conceptualized as an individual’s capacity to adapt, regulate, critically evaluate, and thrive within increasingly AI-driven contexts. A multidimensional model comprising AI adaptability, digital emotional regulation, information management, algorithmic awareness, cyberpsychology well-being, and ethical digital engagement is proposed. The study outlines a systematic scale-development procedure involving item generation, expert validation, pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability assessment. The proposed scale aims to provide researchers, educators, counsellors, and policymakers with a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing digital resilience among emerging adults. The development of the DRS is expected to contribute significantly to psychological research by addressing an emerging construct that reflects the demands of contemporary AI-integrated societies.},
keywords = {Digital Resilience, Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Adults, Scale Development, Cyberpsychology, Digital Well-Being, Psychological Resilience},
month = {June},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I12-1719037}
}