Paper Number
ECIS2026-2662
Paper Type
SP
Abstract
Generative AI (GenAI) users exhibit contrasting behaviours in high-risk contexts: over-relying on unverifiable outputs or avoiding AI systems entirely. This study introduces perceived mystique (PM), the attribution of transcendent, more than algorithmic agency to GenAI, as a novel construct explaining algorithmic overreliance and algorithmic avoidance. Drawing on sensemaking theory, a research model is proposed that explains how socio-technical cues result in PM, which are associated with algorithmic overreliance or algorithmic avoidance behaviour via either algorithmic awe or algorithmic threat. The research investigates which specific cues are positively associated PM and how these emotional mechanisms mediate behavioural consequences. Contributions include conceptualising PM as distinct from adjacent constructs and tracing dual pathways to explain contradictory user behaviours.
Recommended Citation
Seibel, Christina and Maier, Christian, "Perceived Mystique In Generative AI: A Dual-Path Approach To Behavioural Outcomes" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 25.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/is_adopt/is_adopt/25
Perceived Mystique In Generative AI: A Dual-Path Approach To Behavioural Outcomes
Generative AI (GenAI) users exhibit contrasting behaviours in high-risk contexts: over-relying on unverifiable outputs or avoiding AI systems entirely. This study introduces perceived mystique (PM), the attribution of transcendent, more than algorithmic agency to GenAI, as a novel construct explaining algorithmic overreliance and algorithmic avoidance. Drawing on sensemaking theory, a research model is proposed that explains how socio-technical cues result in PM, which are associated with algorithmic overreliance or algorithmic avoidance behaviour via either algorithmic awe or algorithmic threat. The research investigates which specific cues are positively associated PM and how these emotional mechanisms mediate behavioural consequences. Contributions include conceptualising PM as distinct from adjacent constructs and tracing dual pathways to explain contradictory user behaviours.
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