Heuristic Intervention for Algorithmic Literacy: From the Perspective of Algorithmic Awareness and Knowledge

Improving algorithmic literacy empowers people to engage with algorithm-driven products across myriad applications with material impact. However, there remains a shortage of interventions aimed at nurturing algorithmic literacy within everyday life. With algorithmic awareness and algorithmic knowledge serving as vital pillars for algorithmic literacy, we initiated a heuristic intervention. This intervention drew upon official information from platforms including Taobao, Bilibili, and Weibo, integrating stimulus questions and heuristic materials. We conducted online experiments, amassing a dataset of 622 responses. The outcomes of our data analysis substantiated the efficacy of the heuristic intervention in bolstering algorithmic awareness and advancing algorithmic knowledge. Moreover, the results indicated a positive correlation between users’ algorithmic knowledge and their algorithmic awareness, suggesting that as users’ algorithmic knowledge increased, so did their level of algorithmic awareness. These findings hold substantial significance for guiding future practices in the cultivation of algorithmic literacy.