Autonomy, Control & Perceived Independence 2026 (Dataset, n = 352)

This dataset is part of the Human Clarity Institute’s AI–Human Experience 2026 data series. It examines autonomy, perceived control, and independence in AI-mediated decision environments, including delegation boundaries, nudging awareness, override confidence, and intervention thresholds. The dataset includes:• validated 1–7 Likert-scale items• measures of perceived control, judgement shift, confidence erosion, and reliance patterns• behavioural indicators including override frequency and decision intervention thresholds• multi-select variables stored as canonical snake_case tokens• demographic variables across six English-speaking countries• digital system reliance and decision-support frequency measures Data were collected on 2026-02-10 via Prolific from adults in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.All data were cleaned, anonymised, and processed under the Human Clarity Institute’s machine-readable dataset protocol, which includes: • canonical snake_case variable naming• validated numeric ranges• standardised categorical formats• full alignment with the accompanying data dictionary• removal of Prolific IDs and timestamps• SHA-256 checksums for all files This dataset contributes to understanding how individuals experience autonomy and behavioural influence when interacting with digital and AI systems, supporting longitudinal tracking of agency erosion, delegation dynamics, and evolving human–AI decision boundaries in everyday life.