Abstract
AI chatbots may reinforce existing beliefs and discourage critical examination. This study evaluates Belief Explorer, an AI system that uses Socratic dialogue and multi-perspective analysis to support epistemic reflection. Participants recruited via Prolific used Belief Explorer to examine personally held beliefs in contested domains (e.g., climate change, origin of life). Post-intervention surveys measured system usability, perceived epistemic impact, and self-reported reflection. Participants responded positively: a large majority reported that Belief Explorer felt substantially different from conventional AI chatbots, prompted deep reflection on their beliefs, and increased awareness of underlying assumptions. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses revealed that participants valued the tool’s non-judgmental approach, multi-perspective framing, and analytical feedback mechanisms. Belief change itself was modest and bidirectional, with similar proportions reporting increased and decreased confidence in their initial beliefs. This preliminary study offers proof-of-concept that AI systems with epistemic scaffolding can support critical thinking and self-reflection. Future research should use controlled experimental designs to establish causal relationships and examine long-term effects on epistemic attitudes.
Cite this work
Manuel Delaflor, Cecilia Delgado Solorzano, and Carlos Toxtli-Hernández. 2026. Belief Explorer: A Preliminary Evaluation of AI-Mediated Socratic Dialogue for Epistemic Reflection. Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799391
@inproceedings{Delaflor_2026b,
series = {CHI EA ’26},
title = {Belief Explorer: A Preliminary Evaluation of AI-Mediated Socratic Dialogue for Epistemic Reflection},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799391},
doi = {10.1145/3772363.3799391},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {ACM},
author = {Delaflor, Manuel and Delgado Solorzano, Cecilia and Toxtli, Carlos},
year = {2026},
month = Apr,
pages = {1--5},
collection = {CHI EA ’26}
}Related
