Reality Erosion in Digital Environments: The Concept of Digital Blur and Scale Development

Reality Erosion in Digital Environments: The Concept of Digital Blur and Scale Development | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Reality Erosion in Digital Environments: The Concept of Digital Blur and Scale Development Onur Oktaysoy, Ethem Topcuoglu, Vurgun Topcuoglu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9306962/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background This study proposes the concept of “digital blur” in order to conceptualize the reality uncertainty that has emerged with the development of digital technologies and artificial intelligence-supported content production systems and that has not been adequately explained in the existing literature. The high level of resemblance of digitally produced content to reality makes it difficult for individuals to reliably evaluate not only the accuracy of information but also its reality status, and creates a new area of uncertainty at the epistemic level. This study aims to address this uncertainty not only in the context of misinformation or disinformation, but also through the systematic weakening of the distinction between the real and the artificial, and to fill an important conceptual gap in the literature. Methods In the study, scale development procedures were applied to the data collected from two different samples by following the ten steps suggested by Carpenter. In this context, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted with SPSS and AMOS programs. Results A 14-question scale was developed as a result of factor analyses, discriminant validity, reliability, divergent, convergent, and construct validity. The scale has a two-dimensional structure consisting of Reality Blur and Knowledge and Ethics Blur subscales. Conclusions In this framework, the study developed an original conceptual framework that explains the transformation of reality perception in the digital age on the basis of Social Information Processing Theory, presented a psychometrically valid and reliable measurement tool to measure this concept, and put forward a new analytical perspective to understand individual and institutional processes regarding the evaluation of digital content. Digital Blur Artificial Intelligence Digital Reality Reality Perception Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Maintestdataset.sav Pretestdataset.sav Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9306962","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":616837319,"identity":"0e7d180e-8031-4c20-ace6-796b28018324","order_by":0,"name":"Onur Oktaysoy","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kafkas University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Onur","middleName":"","lastName":"Oktaysoy","suffix":""},{"id":616837320,"identity":"e3807099-4ec3-48f2-911e-6aa855cf9029","order_by":1,"name":"Ethem Topcuoglu","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Giresun University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ethem","middleName":"","lastName":"Topcuoglu","suffix":""},{"id":616837321,"identity":"f47044d6-2458-43bf-bca4-a3298e8bd1de","order_by":2,"name":"Vurgun Topcuoglu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Nişantaşı University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vurgun","middleName":"","lastName":"Topcuoglu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-02 21:38:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9306962/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9306962/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106402865,"identity":"d3c7d3fd-fde4-446a-ba18-9545090381ec","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-08 09:13:04","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":581539,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"maintext.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9306962/v1_covered_2402de6c-971e-448e-9416-aaaf22ae5781.pdf"},{"id":106209590,"identity":"b240c8a4-70b4-4fc3-a10b-0a0e3437d669","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-06 06:49:39","extension":"sav","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":10864,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Maintestdataset.sav","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9306962/v1/af52f348710790b3aea184e4.sav"},{"id":106209591,"identity":"50d1c9b2-0d76-4c57-b99e-60c7f5c30aa8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-06 06:49:39","extension":"sav","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":8247,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Pretestdataset.sav","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9306962/v1/f19897e481bf6c6f016fcd24.sav"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Reality Erosion in Digital Environments: The Concept of Digital Blur and Scale Development","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Digital Blur, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Reality, Reality Perception","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9306962/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9306962/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study proposes the concept of \u0026ldquo;digital blur\u0026rdquo; 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The high level of resemblance of digitally produced content to reality makes it difficult for individuals to reliably evaluate not only the accuracy of information but also its reality status, and creates a new area of uncertainty at the epistemic level. This study aims to address this uncertainty not only in the context of misinformation or disinformation, but also through the systematic weakening of the distinction between the real and the artificial, and to fill an important conceptual gap in the literature.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the study, scale development procedures were applied to the data collected from two different samples by following the ten steps suggested by Carpenter. 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