Supplementary Materials

Pilot Studies

Two pilot studies provided initial evidence for the relationship between religiosity and seeking moral advice from AI chatbots. Pilot 1 (N = 30, November 22, 2024) and Pilot 2 (N = 106, January 09, 2025) recruited participants through Prolific. In both pilot studies, seeking moral guidance from AI chatbots was assessed with the item “How much do you usually seek moral guidance from Chatbot/AI assistant?” (1 = None at all, 5 = A great deal), and self-reported religiosity was measured on a scale of 1 (Not at all) to 4 (Very). Demographic characteristics for the pilot studies are presented below.

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of Pilot Studies

Characteristic	Pilot 1	Pilot 2
Data Collection Date	November 22, 2024	January 09, 2025
Sample Size (N)	30	106
Age (Mean +/- SD)	35.07 +/- 10.41	35.35 +/- 13.95
Gender - Woman	11 (36.67%)	46 (43.4%)
Gender - Man	18 (60%)	60 (56.6%)
Gender - Other	1 (3.33%)	0 (0%)
SES (1-10) (Mean +/- SD)	5.66 +/- 2.06	5.57 +/- 1.78
Political Leaning (1-7) (Mean +/- SD)	3.63 +/- 1.73	3.89 +/- 1.77
Race - Black or African American	10 (33.33%)	34 (32.08%)
Race - East Asian	1 (3.33%)	3 (2.83%)
Race - Hispanic or Latina/o/x/e	0 (0%)	5 (4.72%)
Race - Indigenous American, American Indian, or Alaska Native	0 (0%)	1 (0.94%)
Race - Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander	0 (0%)	1 (0.94%)
Race - South Asian	0 (0%)	2 (1.89%)
Race - Southeast Asian	0 (0%)	1 (0.94%)
Race - White	18 (60%)	50 (47.17%)
Race - Prefer not to disclose	0 (0%)	2 (1.89%)
Race - Multirace	1 (3.33%)	7 (6.6%)
Faith - Agnostic	4 (13.33%)	11 (10.38%)
Faith - Atheist	2 (6.67%)	8 (7.55%)
Faith - Buddhist	0 (0%)	3 (2.83%)
Faith - Christian	18 (60%)	63 (59.43%)
Faith - Hindu	0 (0%)	2 (1.89%)
Faith - Jewish	1 (3.33%)	0 (0%)
Faith - Muslim	2 (6.67%)	2 (1.89%)
Faith - Other	2 (6.67%)	9 (8.49%)
Faith - Multifaith	1 (3.33%)	6 (5.66%)
Faith - Did not answer	0 (0%)	2 (1.89%)

Pilot Study Correlations: Self-Reported Religiosity → Seeking Moral Guidance from AI

Table 2: Pilot Studies: Pearson Correlations Between Self-Reported Religiosity and Seeking Moral Guidance From AI Chatbots

Study	N	r	t	df	p
Pilot 1	30	0.58	3.75	28	<.001
Pilot 2	106	0.40	4.37	103	<.001

Figure 1: Pilot Studies: Self-Reported Religiosity and Seeking Moral Guidance from AI Chatbots

Table 3: Pilot Studies: Self-Reported Religiosity Predicting Seeking Moral Guidance From AI Chatbots

	Model 1					Model 2
Study	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Pilot 1	0.59	0.16	0.27	0.91	< .001	0.42	0.20	0.02	0.83	0.041
Pilot 2	0.48	0.11	0.26	0.70	< .001	0.33	0.11	0.11	0.56	0.004

Sources of Moral Advice

Source Ranking Plots

Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice

Figure 2: Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice by Source

Interest in Seeking Moral Advice

Figure 3: Interest in Seeking Moral Advice by Source

Accessibility of Moral Advice Sources (Study 2 Only)

Figure 4: Study 2: Accessibility of Each Source of Moral Advice

Source Correlation Heatmaps

Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice

Figure 5: Study 1: Correlation Heatmap — Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice Across Sources

Figure 6: Study 2: Correlation Heatmap — Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice Across Sources

Interest in Seeking Moral Advice

Figure 7: Study 1: Correlation Heatmap — Interest in Seeking Moral Advice Across Sources

Figure 8: Study 2: Correlation Heatmap — Interest in Seeking Moral Advice Across Sources

Study Variable Correlation Analysis

Correlation Tables

Table 4: Study 1: Pearson Correlations Between Study Variables

Variable	Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	Interest in Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	General Open-Mindedness	Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	Intellectual Humility (CIHS)	Intellectual Humility (MMIH)	Belief in Moral Objectivity	Perceived Valence of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	Self-Reported Religiosity	Religious Behavior Score	Age	Education	Income	Socioeconomic Status	Political Orientation
Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	—
Interest in Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	0.80*** [0.76, 0.83]	—
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.70*** [0.64, 0.75]	0.63*** [0.56, 0.69]	—
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.63*** [0.56, 0.69]	0.66*** [0.60, 0.72]	0.88*** [0.86, 0.90]	—
General Open-Mindedness	0.38*** [0.29, 0.47]	0.35*** [0.25, 0.44]	0.47*** [0.38, 0.55]	0.47*** [0.38, 0.55]	—
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.33*** [0.23, 0.42]	0.31*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.48*** [0.39, 0.56]	0.52*** [0.44, 0.59]	0.57*** [0.49, 0.64]	—
Intellectual Humility (CIHS)	-0.11* [-0.21, -0.01]	-0.14** [-0.24, -0.04]	-0.15** [-0.25, -0.05]	-0.07 [-0.17, 0.04]	0.12* [0.02, 0.22]	0.15** [0.04, 0.25]	—
Intellectual Humility (MMIH)	-0.27*** [-0.36, -0.17]	-0.30*** [-0.39, -0.20]	-0.29*** [-0.39, -0.19]	-0.23*** [-0.33, -0.13]	-0.05 [-0.16, 0.05]	-0.05 [-0.16, 0.05]	0.73*** [0.68, 0.78]	—
Belief in Moral Objectivity	0.09 [-0.01, 0.19]	0.07 [-0.03, 0.18]	0.12* [0.01, 0.22]	0.13* [0.03, 0.23]	0.11* [0.00, 0.21]	0.05 [-0.06, 0.15]	-0.13* [-0.23, -0.02]	-0.19*** [-0.29, -0.09]	—
Perceived Valence of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.47*** [0.39, 0.55]	0.53*** [0.45, 0.60]	0.35*** [0.25, 0.44]	0.36*** [0.26, 0.45]	0.23*** [0.13, 0.33]	0.19*** [0.09, 0.29]	-0.01 [-0.12, 0.09]	-0.07 [-0.17, 0.04]	0.08 [-0.03, 0.18]	—
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.49*** [0.41, 0.57]	0.56*** [0.48, 0.63]	0.40*** [0.31, 0.49]	0.41*** [0.32, 0.49]	0.25*** [0.15, 0.35]	0.22*** [0.12, 0.32]	-0.10 [-0.21, 0.00]	-0.18*** [-0.28, -0.08]	0.11* [0.01, 0.21]	0.78*** [0.74, 0.82]	—
Self-Reported Religiosity	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	0.18*** [0.08, 0.28]	0.27*** [0.17, 0.37]	0.24*** [0.14, 0.34]	0.14** [0.04, 0.24]	0.09 [-0.02, 0.19]	-0.08 [-0.19, 0.02]	-0.07 [-0.17, 0.04]	0.28*** [0.18, 0.38]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	0.19*** [0.09, 0.29]	—
Religious Behavior Score	0.31*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.28*** [0.18, 0.37]	0.37*** [0.27, 0.46]	0.31*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.23*** [0.13, 0.33]	0.15** [0.04, 0.25]	-0.04 [-0.15, 0.06]	-0.06 [-0.16, 0.05]	0.26*** [0.16, 0.35]	0.26*** [0.16, 0.35]	0.26*** [0.16, 0.36]	0.81*** [0.77, 0.84]	—
Age	-0.17** [-0.27, -0.07]	-0.16** [-0.26, -0.05]	-0.14** [-0.24, -0.03]	-0.15** [-0.26, -0.05]	-0.18*** [-0.28, -0.07]	-0.26*** [-0.35, -0.16]	0.03 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.09 [-0.01, 0.19]	0.03 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.05 [-0.05, 0.16]	-0.02 [-0.12, 0.09]	0.05 [-0.06, 0.15]	0.09 [-0.02, 0.19]	—
Education	0.22*** [0.12, 0.32]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	0.28*** [0.18, 0.38]	0.25*** [0.15, 0.35]	0.27*** [0.17, 0.36]	0.21*** [0.10, 0.30]	0.03 [-0.08, 0.13]	-0.01 [-0.12, 0.10]	0.09 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.08 [-0.03, 0.18]	0.08 [-0.02, 0.19]	0.08 [-0.02, 0.18]	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	0.15** [0.05, 0.25]	—
Income	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.08 [-0.02, 0.19]	0.19*** [0.08, 0.29]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	0.09 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.04 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.01 [-0.10, 0.11]	0.02 [-0.09, 0.12]	0.03 [-0.08, 0.13]	-0.00 [-0.11, 0.10]	0.05 [-0.06, 0.15]	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.15** [0.05, 0.25]	0.02 [-0.08, 0.13]	0.34*** [0.25, 0.43]	—
Socioeconomic Status	0.19*** [0.08, 0.29]	0.22*** [0.12, 0.32]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.40]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.39]	0.20*** [0.10, 0.30]	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	-0.08 [-0.18, 0.03]	-0.10 [-0.20, 0.01]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	0.08 [-0.02, 0.19]	0.16** [0.05, 0.26]	0.24*** [0.13, 0.33]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.39]	0.05 [-0.05, 0.16]	0.42*** [0.33, 0.50]	0.53*** [0.45, 0.60]	—
Political Orientation	0.11* [0.00, 0.21]	0.12* [0.01, 0.22]	0.12* [0.02, 0.23]	0.09 [-0.02, 0.19]	-0.03 [-0.14, 0.07]	-0.06 [-0.16, 0.05]	-0.17** [-0.27, -0.06]	-0.11* [-0.21, -0.01]	0.18*** [0.08, 0.28]	0.14** [0.04, 0.24]	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.49*** [0.41, 0.57]	0.50*** [0.41, 0.57]	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.06 [-0.05, 0.16]	0.17** [0.07, 0.27]	0.22*** [0.12, 0.32]	—

Table 5: Study 2: Pearson Correlations Between Study Variables

Variable	Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	Interest in Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	Access to AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	Overall Access to Sources of Moral Advice	Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	Belief in Moral Objectivity	Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	Fear of Negative Judgement	Self-Reflective Tendencies	Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	Deference to Authority (MAC-Q)	Self-Reported Religiosity	Religious Behavior Score	Age	Education	Political Orientation	Socioeconomic Status	Income
Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	—
Interest in Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots	0.84*** [0.81, 0.87]	—
Access to AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.32*** [0.22, 0.41]	0.34*** [0.25, 0.43]	—
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.64*** [0.57, 0.69]	0.51*** [0.43, 0.59]	0.20*** [0.10, 0.30]	—
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.55*** [0.48, 0.62]	0.57*** [0.49, 0.63]	0.24*** [0.14, 0.34]	0.84*** [0.80, 0.86]	—
Overall Access to Sources of Moral Advice	0.23*** [0.13, 0.33]	0.25*** [0.14, 0.34]	0.50*** [0.41, 0.57]	0.44*** [0.35, 0.52]	0.50*** [0.42, 0.57]	—
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.38*** [0.29, 0.47]	0.36*** [0.27, 0.45]	0.11* [0.01, 0.22]	0.47*** [0.38, 0.55]	0.47*** [0.39, 0.55]	0.26*** [0.16, 0.36]	—
Belief in Moral Objectivity	0.14** [0.03, 0.24]	0.15** [0.05, 0.25]	0.08 [-0.03, 0.18]	0.08 [-0.02, 0.19]	0.10 [-0.00, 0.21]	0.12* [0.02, 0.22]	0.02 [-0.08, 0.13]	—
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.64*** [0.57, 0.70]	0.72*** [0.67, 0.77]	0.32*** [0.22, 0.41]	0.39*** [0.30, 0.48]	0.40*** [0.30, 0.48]	0.22*** [0.12, 0.32]	0.31*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.15** [0.04, 0.25]	—
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.44*** [0.35, 0.52]	0.49*** [0.41, 0.57]	0.17** [0.07, 0.28]	0.31*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.40]	0.13* [0.02, 0.23]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.39]	0.18*** [0.08, 0.28]	0.57*** [0.49, 0.64]	—
Fear of Negative Judgement	0.05 [-0.05, 0.16]	0.02 [-0.08, 0.13]	0.04 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.09 [-0.02, 0.19]	0.07 [-0.03, 0.18]	-0.06 [-0.17, 0.04]	0.07 [-0.04, 0.17]	-0.07 [-0.18, 0.03]	-0.03 [-0.13, 0.08]	-0.02 [-0.13, 0.09]	—
Self-Reflective Tendencies	0.17** [0.07, 0.27]	0.20*** [0.10, 0.30]	0.17** [0.06, 0.27]	0.24*** [0.13, 0.33]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.39]	0.15** [0.05, 0.26]	0.40*** [0.30, 0.48]	0.03 [-0.08, 0.13]	0.14** [0.03, 0.24]	0.12* [0.02, 0.22]	0.13* [0.03, 0.23]	—
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	0.32*** [0.22, 0.41]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.40]	0.20*** [0.09, 0.30]	0.35*** [0.25, 0.44]	0.34*** [0.24, 0.43]	0.27*** [0.17, 0.36]	0.17** [0.07, 0.27]	0.34*** [0.25, 0.43]	0.27*** [0.17, 0.36]	0.32*** [0.22, 0.41]	-0.12* [-0.22, -0.02]	0.04 [-0.06, 0.15]	—
Deference to Authority (MAC-Q)	0.31*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.34*** [0.24, 0.43]	0.16** [0.05, 0.26]	0.37*** [0.27, 0.45]	0.38*** [0.28, 0.47]	0.20*** [0.10, 0.30]	0.23*** [0.12, 0.32]	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	0.32*** [0.22, 0.41]	0.36*** [0.26, 0.45]	0.03 [-0.08, 0.13]	0.11* [0.00, 0.21]	0.64*** [0.57, 0.70]	—
Self-Reported Religiosity	0.27*** [0.17, 0.37]	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	0.19*** [0.08, 0.29]	0.32*** [0.22, 0.41]	0.29*** [0.19, 0.38]	0.30*** [0.20, 0.40]	0.08 [-0.02, 0.19]	0.36*** [0.26, 0.45]	0.17** [0.07, 0.27]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	-0.06 [-0.16, 0.05]	0.10 [-0.00, 0.20]	0.51*** [0.43, 0.58]	0.28*** [0.18, 0.37]	—
Religious Behavior Score	0.33*** [0.23, 0.42]	0.23*** [0.13, 0.33]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	0.37*** [0.27, 0.45]	0.30*** [0.21, 0.40]	0.28*** [0.18, 0.37]	0.12* [0.01, 0.22]	0.31*** [0.22, 0.41]	0.17** [0.07, 0.28]	0.22*** [0.12, 0.32]	-0.06 [-0.16, 0.05]	0.07 [-0.04, 0.17]	0.53*** [0.46, 0.61]	0.32*** [0.23, 0.41]	0.85*** [0.81, 0.87]	—
Age	-0.15** [-0.25, -0.05]	-0.09 [-0.19, 0.02]	-0.14** [-0.25, -0.04]	-0.23*** [-0.33, -0.13]	-0.20*** [-0.30, -0.10]	-0.06 [-0.16, 0.05]	-0.20*** [-0.30, -0.10]	0.10 [-0.00, 0.21]	-0.11* [-0.22, -0.01]	0.07 [-0.03, 0.18]	-0.30*** [-0.39, -0.20]	-0.15** [-0.25, -0.04]	0.11* [0.00, 0.21]	0.01 [-0.09, 0.12]	0.01 [-0.10, 0.12]	0.02 [-0.09, 0.12]	—
Education	0.12* [0.01, 0.22]	0.08 [-0.03, 0.18]	0.03 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.18*** [0.07, 0.28]	0.15** [0.05, 0.25]	0.17** [0.07, 0.27]	0.05 [-0.05, 0.16]	-0.00 [-0.11, 0.10]	0.11* [0.01, 0.21]	-0.03 [-0.14, 0.07]	-0.12* [-0.22, -0.01]	0.02 [-0.09, 0.12]	0.00 [-0.10, 0.11]	-0.03 [-0.13, 0.08]	0.06 [-0.04, 0.17]	0.11* [0.01, 0.21]	0.01 [-0.10, 0.11]	—
Political Orientation	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	0.18*** [0.08, 0.28]	0.08 [-0.03, 0.18]	0.17** [0.07, 0.27]	0.11* [0.01, 0.22]	0.11* [0.01, 0.22]	0.04 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.27*** [0.17, 0.37]	0.20*** [0.09, 0.29]	0.18*** [0.08, 0.28]	-0.08 [-0.18, 0.03]	-0.08 [-0.18, 0.03]	0.63*** [0.56, 0.69]	0.42*** [0.33, 0.51]	0.46*** [0.38, 0.54]	0.48*** [0.39, 0.56]	0.04 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.02 [-0.09, 0.12]	—
Socioeconomic Status	0.16** [0.05, 0.26]	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.02 [-0.09, 0.12]	0.25*** [0.15, 0.35]	0.20*** [0.09, 0.30]	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	0.16** [0.06, 0.26]	0.10 [-0.00, 0.21]	0.15** [0.04, 0.25]	0.09 [-0.02, 0.19]	-0.12* [-0.23, -0.02]	0.06 [-0.04, 0.17]	0.19*** [0.08, 0.29]	0.13* [0.03, 0.24]	0.12* [0.02, 0.23]	0.21*** [0.11, 0.31]	-0.01 [-0.11, 0.10]	0.47*** [0.38, 0.55]	0.18*** [0.08, 0.28]	—
Income	0.10 [-0.01, 0.20]	0.02 [-0.08, 0.13]	0.13* [0.03, 0.23]	0.15** [0.04, 0.25]	0.13* [0.02, 0.23]	0.19*** [0.08, 0.29]	0.10 [-0.00, 0.20]	-0.00 [-0.11, 0.11]	0.07 [-0.04, 0.17]	-0.02 [-0.13, 0.08]	-0.02 [-0.12, 0.09]	0.05 [-0.05, 0.16]	0.06 [-0.04, 0.17]	0.06 [-0.05, 0.16]	0.04 [-0.07, 0.14]	0.12* [0.02, 0.22]	-0.01 [-0.11, 0.10]	0.44*** [0.35, 0.52]	0.06 [-0.05, 0.16]	0.57*** [0.50, 0.64]	—

Correlation Heatmaps

Figure 9: Study 1: Correlation Heatmap — Study Variables

Figure 10: Study 2: Correlation Heatmap — Study Variables

Correlation Analyses: Predictor → AI Moral Interest

The following analyses examine the two supplementary predictor–outcome relationships not covered in the main body: Religious Behavior Score → Interest and Self-Reported Religiosity → Interest. Correlations are presented with predictor first, then study.

Table 6: Pearson Correlations Between Religiosity Predictors and Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots

Predictor	Study	N	r	t	df	p
Religious Behavior Score	Study 1	348	0.28	5.32	346	<.001
	Study 2	347	0.23	4.47	345	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity	Study 1	348	0.18	3.40	346	<.001
	Study 2	347	0.21	4.07	345	<.001

Figure 11: Religious Behavior Score and Self-Reported Religiosity Predicting Interest in Seeking Moral Advice from AI Chatbots

Regression Analyses: Predictor → AI Moral Interest

We report regression analyses for both supplementary outcome models: Religious Behavior Score → Interest and Self-Reported Religiosity → Interest.

Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest

Table 7: Religious Behavior Score Predicting Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots

	Model 1					Model 2
Study	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Study 1	0.27	0.05	0.17	0.37	< .001	0.24	0.06	0.13	0.36	< .001
Study 2	0.25	0.06	0.14	0.36	< .001	0.19	0.06	0.07	0.32	0.003

Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest

Table 8: Self-Reported Religiosity Predicting Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots

	Model 1					Model 2
Study	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Study 1	0.24	0.07	0.10	0.38	< .001	0.18	0.08	0.02	0.33	0.027
Study 2	0.21	0.05	0.11	0.31	< .001	0.15	0.06	0.04	0.27	0.008

Mediation Analyses

Regression Analyses: Predictor → Mediators

Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediators

The following tables report the regression of Self-Reported Religiosity onto each potential mediator. These results underlie both the Self-Reported Religiosity → Frequency and Self-Reported Religiosity → Interest mediation pathways, as the Religiosity → Mediator path is identical across both.

Table 9: Study 1: Self-Reported Religiosity Predicting Each Mediator

	Model 1					Model 2
Study	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.26	0.05	0.16	0.35	< .001	0.21	0.05	0.11	0.32	< .001
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.22	0.05	0.13	0.31	< .001	0.19	0.05	0.09	0.29	< .001
General Open-Mindedness	0.84	0.31	0.23	1.46	0.008	1.00	0.34	0.32	1.68	0.004
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.94	0.57	-0.18	2.05	0.099	1.36	0.62	0.14	2.57	0.029
Intellectual Humility (CIHS)	-0.57	0.38	-1.31	0.16	0.127	0.08	0.43	-0.77	0.94	0.847
Intellectual Humility (MMIH)	-0.90	0.69	-2.27	0.47	0.197	-0.06	0.80	-1.64	1.52	0.940
Belief in Moral Objectivity	5.74	1.04	3.69	7.79	< .001	4.65	1.22	2.26	7.05	< .001
Perceived Valence of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.17	0.05	0.06	0.28	0.002	0.10	0.06	-0.02	0.23	0.104
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.21	0.06	0.10	0.33	< .001	0.17	0.07	0.04	0.31	0.012

Table 10: Study 2: Self-Reported Religiosity Predicting Each Mediator

	Model 1					Model 2
Study	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p	b	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.19	0.03	0.13	0.25	< .001	0.17	0.03	0.11	0.23	< .001
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.17	0.03	0.11	0.23	< .001	0.17	0.03	0.10	0.24	< .001
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.64	0.42	-0.18	1.46	0.126	0.59	0.46	-0.32	1.49	0.204
Belief in Moral Objectivity	0.31	0.04	0.23	0.40	< .001	0.26	0.05	0.16	0.36	< .001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.14	0.04	0.06	0.23	0.001	0.08	0.05	-0.02	0.17	0.112
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.08	0.03	0.03	0.13	0.003	0.05	0.03	-0.01	0.10	0.101
Fear of Negative Judgement	-0.33	0.30	-0.91	0.26	0.272	-0.13	0.32	-0.75	0.50	0.692
Self-Reflective Tendencies	0.60	0.32	-0.03	1.23	0.061	1.02	0.36	0.32	1.73	0.004
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.53	0.14	1.26	1.80	< .001	0.84	0.13	0.58	1.10	< .001
Deference to Authority (MAC-Q)	10.42	1.94	6.61	14.24	< .001	3.98	2.06	-0.08	8.04	0.055

Religious Behavior Score → Mediators

The regression of Religious Behavior Score onto each potential mediator is reported in the main manuscript (Tables 6 and 7). Because the predictor → mediator path is identical regardless of the downstream outcome, those estimates also underlie the Religious Behavior Score → Interest mediation analyses reported below.

Individual Mediation Analyses

Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediator → AI Moral Frequency

Table 11: Study 1: Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediator → AI Moral Frequency

	Path a	Path b	Indirect (ab)			Direct c'	Full Model
Mediators	X -> M	M -> Y (given X)	Effect	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	X -> Y (given M)	Proportion Mediated
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.26***	1.02***	0.26***	0.16	0.37	0.03	90.54%
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.22***	0.94***	0.21***	0.12	0.31	0.08	71.31%
General Open-Mindedness	0.84**	0.08***	0.07*	0.01	0.13	0.22**	24.65%
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.94	0.04***	0.04	-0.01	0.09	0.25***	13.35%
Belief in Moral Objectivity	5.74***	0.00	0.01	-0.03	0.06	0.28***	4.71%
Perceived Valence of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.17**	0.61***	0.10**	0.04	0.17	0.19**	35.72%
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.21***	0.59***	0.13***	0.06	0.20	0.16*	43.59%

Table 12: Study 2: Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediator → AI Moral Frequency

	Path a	Path b	Indirect (ab)			Direct c'	Full Model
Mediators	X -> M	M -> Y (given X)	Effect	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	X -> Y (given M)	Proportion Mediated
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.19***	1.02***	0.19***	0.13	0.26	0.07	72.27%
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.17***	0.85***	0.15***	0.09	0.21	0.12**	54.83%
Belief in Moral Objectivity	0.31***	0.05	0.02	-0.02	0.06	0.25***	6.22%
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.14**	0.73***	0.10***	0.04	0.17	0.16***	38.74%
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.08**	0.82***	0.06**	0.02	0.11	0.20***	24.13%
Self-Reflective Tendencies	0.60	0.02**	0.01*	0.00	0.03	0.25***	5.47%
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.53***	0.08***	0.12***	0.06	0.18	0.15*	45.11%
Deference to Authority (MAC-Q)	10.42***	0.01***	0.07***	0.03	0.11	0.20***	26.25%

Religious Behavior Score → Mediator → AI Moral Interest

Table 13: Study 1: Mediation — Religious Behavior Score → Mediator → AI Moral Interest

	Path a	Path b	Indirect (ab)			Direct c'	Full Model
Mediators	X -> M	M -> Y (given X)	Effect	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	X -> Y (given M)	Proportion Mediated
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.26***	0.86***	0.22***	0.16	0.29	0.05	81.64%
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.21***	0.94***	0.19***	0.12	0.27	0.08	71.46%
General Open-Mindedness	1.02***	0.07***	0.07***	0.03	0.11	0.20***	25.65%
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	1.14**	0.03***	0.04**	0.01	0.07	0.23***	14.71%
Belief in Moral Objectivity	3.82***	0.00	0.00	-0.03	0.03	0.27***	0.25%
Perceived Valence of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.20***	0.64***	0.12***	0.07	0.18	0.15**	46.23%
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.21***	0.62***	0.13***	0.08	0.19	0.14**	49.59%

Table 14: Study 2: Mediation — Religious Behavior Score → Mediator → AI Moral Interest

	Path a	Path b	Indirect (ab)			Direct c'	Full Model
Mediators	X -> M	M -> Y (given X)	Effect	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	X -> Y (given M)	Proportion Mediated
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.24***	0.82***	0.20***	0.14	0.26	0.06	77.30%
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.20***	0.89***	0.18***	0.12	0.24	0.07	70.98%
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	1.01*	0.04***	0.04*	0.00	0.08	0.21***	17.09%
Belief in Moral Objectivity	0.30***	0.10	0.03	-0.01	0.07	0.22***	11.46%
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.16**	0.84***	0.13***	0.05	0.21	0.12**	52.76%
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.12***	0.93***	0.11***	0.06	0.17	0.14**	44.10%
Self-Reflective Tendencies	0.44	0.03***	0.01	-0.01	0.04	0.24***	5.29%
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.77***	0.08***	0.14***	0.07	0.22	0.11	56.85%
Deference to Authority (MAC-Q)	13.40***	0.01***	0.10***	0.06	0.15	0.15**	40.22%

Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediator → AI Moral Interest

Table 15: Study 1: Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediator → AI Moral Interest

	Path a	Path b	Indirect (ab)			Direct c'	Full Model
Mediators	X -> M	M -> Y (given X)	Effect	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	X -> Y (given M)	Proportion Mediated
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.26***	0.88***	0.23***	0.14	0.32	0.01	94.04%
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.22***	0.97***	0.21***	0.11	0.31	0.03	88.26%
General Open-Mindedness	0.84**	0.07***	0.06**	0.01	0.12	0.18**	26.31%
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.94	0.04***	0.04	-0.01	0.08	0.20**	14.63%
Belief in Moral Objectivity	5.74***	0.00	0.01	-0.03	0.05	0.23**	3.79%
Perceived Valence of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.17**	0.67***	0.11**	0.04	0.19	0.13*	47.25%
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.21***	0.65***	0.14***	0.06	0.22	0.10	58.19%

Table 16: Study 2: Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → Mediator → AI Moral Interest

	Path a	Path b	Indirect (ab)			Direct c'	Full Model
Mediators	X -> M	M -> Y (given X)	Effect	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	X -> Y (given M)	Proportion Mediated
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.19***	0.82***	0.15***	0.10	0.22	0.05	74.37%
Overall Interest in Seeking Moral Advice	0.17***	0.90***	0.15***	0.09	0.22	0.05	73.98%
Belief in Moral Objectivity	0.31***	0.09	0.03	-0.01	0.07	0.18**	14.17%
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.14**	0.85***	0.12**	0.05	0.19	0.09*	57.63%
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.08**	0.94***	0.07**	0.02	0.13	0.13**	35.43%
Self-Reflective Tendencies	0.60	0.03***	0.02*	0.00	0.04	0.19***	8.46%
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.53***	0.08***	0.13***	0.07	0.20	0.08	62.43%
Deference to Authority (MAC-Q)	10.42***	0.01***	0.08***	0.04	0.13	0.13*	39.04%

Parallel Mediation Analyses

To examine the unique contribution of each mediator simultaneously, we estimated parallel mediation models for all three supplementary predictor–outcome combinations using structural equation modeling with the lavaan package in R. For each combination, we included only mediators that significantly predicted the focal predictor (p < .05 in at least one regression model). Specific indirect effects were estimated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples.

Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency — Path Diagrams

Figure 12: Study 1: Parallel Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency

Table 17: Study 1: Full Parameter Estimates — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency (Parallel Mediation)

Path	b	β	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Self-Reported Religiosity → Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.256	0.271	0.049	0.161	0.351	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity → General Open-Mindedness	0.844	0.143	0.329	0.204	1.486	0.010
Self-Reported Religiosity → Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.215	0.193	0.062	0.093	0.336	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice → AI Moral Frequency	0.853	0.580	0.061	0.733	0.972	<.001
General Open-Mindedness → AI Moral Frequency	0.011	0.048	0.009	-0.007	0.029	0.215
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors → AI Moral Frequency	0.310	0.249	0.057	0.196	0.422	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency (direct)	-0.005	-0.004	0.053	-0.110	0.097	0.928
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ General Open-Mindedness	5.119	0.451	0.633	3.860	6.335	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.791	0.372	0.124	0.547	1.031	<.001
General Open-Mindedness ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	3.143	0.230	0.729	1.665	4.526	<.001
Indirect via Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.218	0.157	0.045	0.135	0.312	<.001
Indirect via General Open-Mindedness	0.010	0.007	0.009	-0.006	0.030	0.301
Indirect via Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.067	0.048	0.024	0.025	0.120	0.006
Total indirect effect	0.294	0.212	0.057	0.188	0.409	<.001

Figure 13: Study 2: Parallel Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency

Table 18: Study 2: Full Parameter Estimates — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency (Parallel Mediation)

Path	b	β	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Self-Reported Religiosity → Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.189	0.322	0.032	0.126	0.252	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity → Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.142	0.174	0.046	0.053	0.233	0.002
Self-Reported Religiosity → Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.078	0.162	0.028	0.025	0.133	0.005
Self-Reported Religiosity → Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.530	0.511	0.133	1.271	1.790	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice → AI Moral Frequency	0.724	0.435	0.070	0.588	0.866	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors → AI Moral Frequency	0.509	0.425	0.061	0.390	0.626	<.001
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots → AI Moral Frequency	0.107	0.053	0.094	-0.076	0.296	0.254
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2) → AI Moral Frequency	0.004	0.013	0.014	-0.023	0.031	0.758
Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Frequency (direct)	0.042	0.043	0.042	-0.042	0.125	0.316
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.775	0.358	0.124	0.527	1.015	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.353	0.274	0.075	0.204	0.502	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.565	0.225	0.366	0.869	2.309	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	1.038	0.557	0.103	0.830	1.231	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	2.114	0.210	0.574	0.969	3.251	<.001
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.657	0.277	0.354	0.967	2.346	<.001
Indirect via Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.137	0.140	0.028	0.084	0.194	<.001
Indirect via Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.072	0.074	0.025	0.026	0.123	0.003
Indirect via Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.008	0.009	0.009	-0.006	0.028	0.326
Indirect via Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	0.007	0.007	0.021	-0.036	0.049	0.760
Total indirect effect	0.224	0.229	0.047	0.134	0.319	<.001

The Study 1 parallel mediation model explained 54.8% of the variance in frequency of seeking moral advice from AI chatbots (R² = 0.548). The total indirect effect was b = 0.294 (95% CI [0.188, 0.409]), with a residual direct effect of b = -0.005 (p =0.928). In Study 2, the model explained 58.7% of the variance (R² = 0.587), with a total indirect effect of b = 0.224 (95% CI [0.134, 0.319]) and a direct effect of b = 0.042 (p =0.316).

Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest — Path Diagrams

Figure 14: Study 1: Parallel Mediation — Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest

Table 19: Study 1: Full Parameter Estimates — Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest (Parallel Mediation)

Path	b	β	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Religious Behavior Score → Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.256	0.369	0.035	0.186	0.325	<.001
Religious Behavior Score → General Open-Mindedness	1.015	0.234	0.238	0.546	1.476	<.001
Religious Behavior Score → Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.215	0.262	0.043	0.130	0.300	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice → AI Moral Interest	0.651	0.461	0.066	0.522	0.780	<.001
General Open-Mindedness → AI Moral Interest	0.010	0.043	0.009	-0.008	0.028	0.302
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors → AI Moral Interest	0.431	0.361	0.053	0.328	0.535	<.001
Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest (direct)	0.000	0.000	0.039	-0.077	0.077	0.992
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ General Open-Mindedness	4.553	0.423	0.572	3.424	5.690	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.691	0.342	0.117	0.460	0.919	<.001
General Open-Mindedness ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	2.671	0.202	0.711	1.252	4.022	<.001
Indirect via Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.167	0.170	0.029	0.114	0.229	<.001
Indirect via General Open-Mindedness	0.010	0.010	0.010	-0.008	0.033	0.344
Indirect via Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.093	0.094	0.022	0.054	0.140	<.001
Total indirect effect	0.270	0.275	0.038	0.197	0.345	<.001

Figure 15: Study 2: Parallel Mediation — Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest

Table 20: Study 2: Full Parameter Estimates — Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest (Parallel Mediation)

Path	b	β	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Religious Behavior Score → Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.239	0.367	0.034	0.172	0.305	<.001
Religious Behavior Score → Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	1.008	0.117	0.466	0.101	1.924	0.030
Religious Behavior Score → Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.158	0.175	0.048	0.061	0.250	<.001
Religious Behavior Score → Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.120	0.223	0.030	0.062	0.177	<.001
Religious Behavior Score → Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.775	0.535	0.143	1.496	2.054	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice → AI Moral Interest	0.380	0.229	0.075	0.235	0.532	<.001
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues → AI Moral Interest	0.006	0.052	0.005	-0.003	0.017	0.203
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors → AI Moral Interest	0.681	0.570	0.061	0.554	0.799	<.001
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots → AI Moral Interest	0.136	0.068	0.094	-0.040	0.328	0.147
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2) → AI Moral Interest	0.011	0.035	0.015	-0.016	0.041	0.440
Religious Behavior Score → AI Moral Interest (direct)	0.011	0.010	0.046	-0.081	0.099	0.805
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	9.482	0.462	1.131	7.264	11.721	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.756	0.355	0.121	0.517	0.990	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.312	0.249	0.075	0.166	0.461	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.292	0.193	0.369	0.585	2.022	<.001
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	9.002	0.298	1.661	5.758	12.269	<.001
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	5.064	0.285	1.035	3.119	7.093	<.001
Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	12.305	0.129	5.509	1.380	23.007	0.026
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	1.017	0.552	0.104	0.811	1.216	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	2.058	0.208	0.564	0.932	3.160	<.001
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.398	0.241	0.345	0.728	2.080	<.001
Indirect via Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.091	0.084	0.022	0.051	0.140	<.001
Indirect via Open-Mindedness on Moral Issues	0.007	0.006	0.006	-0.003	0.021	0.298
Indirect via Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.108	0.100	0.033	0.042	0.173	0.001
Indirect via Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.016	0.015	0.012	-0.004	0.044	0.180
Indirect via Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	0.020	0.019	0.026	-0.029	0.074	0.445
Total indirect effect	0.241	0.223	0.052	0.139	0.341	<.001

The Study 1 parallel mediation model explained 50.6% of the variance in interest in seeking moral advice from AI chatbots (R² = 0.506). The total indirect effect was b = 0.27 (95% CI [0.197, 0.345]), with a residual direct effect of b = 0 (p =0.992). In Study 2, the model explained 59.5% of the variance (R² = 0.595), with a total indirect effect of b = 0.241 (95% CI [0.139, 0.341]) and a direct effect of b = 0.011 (p =0.805).

Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest — Path Diagrams

Figure 16: Study 1: Parallel Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest

Table 21: Study 1: Full Parameter Estimates — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest (Parallel Mediation)

Path	b	β	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Self-Reported Religiosity → Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.256	0.271	0.049	0.160	0.350	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity → General Open-Mindedness	0.844	0.143	0.328	0.204	1.485	0.010
Self-Reported Religiosity → Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.215	0.193	0.062	0.094	0.336	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice → AI Moral Interest	0.659	0.467	0.066	0.532	0.789	<.001
General Open-Mindedness → AI Moral Interest	0.010	0.044	0.009	-0.008	0.029	0.296
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors → AI Moral Interest	0.434	0.363	0.053	0.330	0.538	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest (direct)	-0.030	-0.023	0.050	-0.129	0.066	0.548
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ General Open-Mindedness	5.119	0.451	0.635	3.860	6.338	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.791	0.372	0.124	0.547	1.031	<.001
General Open-Mindedness ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	3.143	0.230	0.729	1.666	4.532	<.001
Indirect via Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.168	0.126	0.037	0.102	0.245	<.001
Indirect via General Open-Mindedness	0.008	0.006	0.009	-0.006	0.031	0.380
Indirect via Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.093	0.070	0.030	0.040	0.155	0.002
Total indirect effect	0.270	0.203	0.054	0.169	0.375	<.001

Figure 17: Study 2: Parallel Mediation — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest

Table 22: Study 2: Full Parameter Estimates — Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest (Parallel Mediation)

Path	b	β	SE	95% CI LL	95% CI UL	p
Self-Reported Religiosity → Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.189	0.322	0.032	0.126	0.252	<.001
Self-Reported Religiosity → Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.142	0.174	0.046	0.053	0.233	0.002
Self-Reported Religiosity → Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.078	0.162	0.028	0.025	0.133	0.005
Self-Reported Religiosity → Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.530	0.511	0.133	1.269	1.790	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice → AI Moral Interest	0.418	0.252	0.068	0.286	0.550	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors → AI Moral Interest	0.685	0.574	0.061	0.560	0.800	<.001
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots → AI Moral Interest	0.152	0.075	0.096	-0.027	0.350	0.113
Deference to Authority (MFQ-2) → AI Moral Interest	0.012	0.037	0.014	-0.015	0.039	0.394
Self-Reported Religiosity → AI Moral Interest (direct)	0.002	0.002	0.037	-0.071	0.072	0.953
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.775	0.358	0.124	0.527	1.016	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.353	0.274	0.075	0.205	0.503	<.001
Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.565	0.225	0.366	0.868	2.307	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors ~~ Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	1.038	0.557	0.103	0.831	1.232	<.001
Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	2.114	0.210	0.573	0.970	3.251	<.001
Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots ~~ Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	1.657	0.277	0.354	0.978	2.346	<.001
Indirect via Overall Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice	0.079	0.081	0.019	0.045	0.122	<.001
Indirect via Perceived Authority of AI Chatbots as Moral Advisors	0.097	0.100	0.032	0.036	0.162	0.003
Indirect via Tendency to Anthropomorphize AI Chatbots	0.012	0.012	0.009	-0.002	0.034	0.186
Indirect via Deference to Authority (MFQ-2)	0.018	0.019	0.022	-0.022	0.061	0.401
Total indirect effect	0.206	0.212	0.047	0.115	0.297	<.001

The Study 1 parallel mediation model explained 50.7% of the variance in interest in seeking moral advice from AI chatbots (R² = 0.507). The total indirect effect was b = 0.27 (95% CI [0.169, 0.375]), with a residual direct effect of b = -0.03 (p =0.548). In Study 2, the model explained 59.3% of the variance (R² = 0.593), with a total indirect effect of b = 0.206 (95% CI [0.115, 0.297]) and a direct effect of b = 0.002 (p =0.953).

Moderation Analyses

The main body (Question 4) tested whether access to moral advice sources moderates the Religious Behavior Score → frequency relationship. Here we report supplementary moderation analyses for three additional predictor–outcome combinations: Self-Reported Religiosity → Frequency, Religious Behavior Score → Interest, and Self-Reported Religiosity → Interest. For each, we test both AI chatbot access and overall access to non-AI sources as moderators (Study 2 only).

Self-Reported Religiosity × Access → Frequency

Table 23: Supplementary Moderation: Self-Reported Religiosity × Access → Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots

Moderator	b	t	df	p
AI Chatbot Access	0.01	0.40	343	0.686
Overall Source Access	0.08	1.45	343	0.149

Figure 18: Self-Reported Religiosity → Frequency of Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots, Moderated by Access

AI chatbot access did not significantly moderate the Self-Reported Religiosity → frequency relationship (b = 0.01, t(343) = 0.4, p =0.686). Overall access to non-AI sources did not significantly moderate this relationship (b = 0.08, t(343) = 1.45, p =0.149).

Religious Behavior Score × Access → Interest

Table 24: Supplementary Moderation: Religious Behavior Score × Access → Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots

Moderator	b	t	df	p
AI Chatbot Access	0.04	1.19	343	0.234
Overall Source Access	0.12	1.92	343	0.056

Figure 19: Religious Behavior Score → Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots, Moderated by Access

AI chatbot access did not significantly moderate the Religious Behavior Score → interest relationship (b = 0.04, t(343) = 1.19, p =0.234). Overall access to non-AI sources did not significantly moderate this relationship (b = 0.12, t(343) = 1.92, p =0.056).

Self-Reported Religiosity × Access → Interest

Table 25: Supplementary Moderation: Self-Reported Religiosity × Access → Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots

Moderator	b	t	df	p
AI Chatbot Access	0.02	0.67	343	0.501
Overall Source Access	0.09	1.60	343	0.111

Figure 20: Self-Reported Religiosity → Interest in Seeking Moral Advice From AI Chatbots, Moderated by Access

AI chatbot access did not significantly moderate the Self-Reported Religiosity → interest relationship (b = 0.02, t(343) = 0.67, p =0.501). Overall access to non-AI sources did not significantly moderate this relationship (b = 0.09, t(343) = 1.6, p =0.111).