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Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Studies

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ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jpbs.2026.06.004

Digital Identity, Self-perception and AI-mediated Communications in Nigeria

Urien James

Department of Psychology, Delta State University, Delta State 330105, Abraka, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author: Urien James

Published: May 15, 2026

Abstract

The study focuses on digital identity, self-perception and AI-mediated communications in Nigeria. Two research questions were raised in the study. A Survey design was adopted for this study. Two research questions guided the study. The population for this study consisted of youths in Nigeria. The sample for this study was 1000 youths from the study area. A stratified sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. Data was collected through the use of a self-developed questionnaire titled Digital Identity, Self-Perception and AI-Mediated Communications Questionnaire - DISPAIMCQ. The instruments were duly validated and the reliability was tested using Cronbach Alpha which yielded a coefficient index of 0.75 and above (coefficient of determination, with a benchmark of 2.50 and above considered agreed and 2.49 below considered disagreed). The instruments were administered using online platform such as Google Form. Simple percentage, Mean Score and standard deviation were used to analyze data collected. In conclusion, AI-mediated communication plays a pivotal role in shaping digital identities and self-perception in Nigeria. AI-driven platforms significantly influence how individuals perceive themselves and manage their online persona. Thus, it shows that AI interactions shape self-image with comparisons to AI-curated standard affecting self-esteem and body image. The impact of AI on identity is obvious with many adjusting their online behaviour in responses to AI-driven feedback and algorithms. There is an urgent need for the government to promote digital literacy to help Nigerian youth critically engage with AI-driven platforms to attain ideal digital identity that collate with self-identity. Encourage healthy online behaviour and self-expression on AI-mediated platforms. Foster awareness about AI’s influence on digital identity and self-perception in Nigeria.

Keyword

Digital Identity; Self-Perception; Artificial Intelligence (AI); Communications; Ni-geria

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Copyright

© 2026 by the author(s).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

How to cite this paper

Digital Identity, Self-perception and AI-mediated Communications in Nigeria

How to cite this paper: Urien James. (2026). Digital Identity, Self-perception and AI-mediated Communications in Nigeria. Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Studies2(1), 32-38.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jpbs.2026.06.004