Algorithmic Personalization and Cognitive Dependency: The Psychological Impact of AI-Driven Digital Platforms

AI-driven recommendation algorithms now govern much of daily digital interaction, from videos and news to purchases. While algorithmic personalization aims to enhance relevance, growing evidence suggests psychological costs, including effects on self-reported cognitive autonomy and critical thinking. This study examined prolonged exposure to algorithmic curation and its relationship to self-reported cognitive autonomy, decision fatigue, and critical thinking engagement among 94 adults. Participants were assigned to one of three conditions varying in algorithmic control (full curation, partial curation with overrides, and manual browsing) and completed validated psychological scales after four weeks. Those in the fully curated condition reported significantly lower cognitive autonomy and critical thinking than the manual group; partial curation showed intermediate effects. These findings offer preliminary evidence that heavy reliance on algorithmic personalization may be associated with changes in self-reported dispositions, with implications for platform design, digital literacy, and policy. Causal conclusions warrant caution given the self-report design.