Analysis of the cause-and-effect relationship between AI literacy, AI hallucination risk and academic integrity among preservice teachers using the DEMATEL method

Abstract

Based on this comprehensive DEMATEL analysis examining the interrelationships among AI Literacy, AI Risks hallucination, and Academic Integrity in educational contexts, this research reveals a hierarchical causal structure where AI Literacy functions as the primary driver influencing both risk awareness and ethical behavior. The analysis progressed through multiple stages: the direct relation matrix established initial influence strengths, normalization enabled comparative assessment, the total relation matrix captured cumulative effects including indirect pathways, threshold filtering identified the most significant relationships, and the final DEMATEL output quantified each factor's role as cause or effect. The results demonstrate that AI Literacy possesses the highest causal influence (D-R = 1.85) and substantial centrality (D+R = 4.071), positioning it as the foundational factor that shapes students' understanding of AI hallucination risks (total influence = 1.269) and their commitment to Academic Integrity (total influence = 1.321). Conversely, both AI Risks hallucination (D-R = -0.838) and Academic Integrity (D-R = -1.012) emerge as net effect factors with high prominence, indicating they are primarily outcomes rather than drivers in this system. The cause-effect diagram visually reinforces this finding, with AI Literacy occupying a distinct position as a core causal factor while the other two variables cluster as dependent effects. These findings provide critical insights for educational policy and curriculum development: investing in comprehensive AI literacy education represents the most effective leverage point for systemic improvement, as it generates cascading benefits that simultaneously enhance students' critical awareness of AI limitations and strengthen their ethical academic practices, ultimately addressing the dual challenges of technological competence and academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence.