Purpose, Direction and Digital Context 2026 Dataset (Dataset, n = 349)

This dataset is part of the Human Clarity Institute’s AI–Human Experience 2026 data series. It examines life direction, meaning coherence, and the perceived influence of digital and AI systems on personal clarity and purpose, including purpose integration, existential coherence, digital clarity disruption, and AI-assisted decision reliance. The dataset includes:• validated 1–7 Likert-scale items• structured measures of life coherence, grounded meaning, and direction clarity• behavioural indicators of AI decision reliance, intervention thresholds, and independence from AI• multi-select variables stored as canonical semicolon-delimited snake_case tokens• open-text reflections with minimal safe cleaning (trim + newline removal only)• demographic variables across six English-speaking countries• digital life exposure (daily hours online) and AI-tool usage frequency Data were collected on 2026-02-11 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 multi-select formats• minimal safe text cleaning• 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 maintain (or lose) clarity of purpose within digitally saturated environments and AI-assisted decision contexts, supporting longitudinal tracking of meaning stability, agency shifts, and decision reliance patterns as human–AI interaction evolves.