Transcript Computer-Mediated Communication

Computer-Mediated
Communication
Trust and Trustworthiness:
Theoretical and Conceptual Issues
Coye Cheshire
//
April 12, 2016
Privacy and Trust
…”trust” others not to share our
information
…”trust” systems to route and
protect information
…”trust” 3rd parties not to
collect/track our information
traces and not use them publicly
for advertising, targeting potential
criminal behavior, non-normative
behavior, etc?
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TRUST AND
TRUSTWORTHINESS
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The multidisciplinary problem of trust
While definitions vary widely,
relevance is rarely disputed:
“Although some philosophers write about trust that is not
interpersonal, including ‘institutional trust’… trust in
government… and ‘self-trust’… most would agree that
these forms of ‘trust’ are coherent only if they share
important features of (i.e. can be modeled on)
interpersonal trust. This is why I say that the dominant
paradigm of trust is interpersonal.”
(McLeod 2006)
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Defining Interpersonal Trust
“Trust exists when one party to the relation
believes the other party has incentive to act
in his or her interest or to take his or her
interest to heart.”
“one in which
confidence is placed”
“to have or place
confidence in;
depend on”
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“to place in the care
of another; entrust”
“dependence on
something future or
contingent”
“reliance on
something in the
future; hope”
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“Trust” in Information, Systems,
Interfaces?
Trust vs. Credibility
Trust vs. Reliability,
Security
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Defining Trust
Cognitive Psychology
 Trust as “personality trait”
(dispositional trust)
 Trust as learned experience
(learned trust)
Philosophy
 Trust versus reliance, security
Sociology and Social Psychology
 Trust as behavior
(situational and relational trust)
 Trust builds through risktaking
 Assessment of
trustworthiness based on
perceptions of others’
characteristics
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Conditions for Trust
 Trust is optimistic; the
opposite is distrust.
 The truster accepts some
level of risk or vulnerability
 There must exist a potential
for betrayal
See: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/trust/
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Trustworthiness
Involves assessment of one’s future
behavior
‘Trustworthiness’ is a characteristic
that we infer
Theoretically linked to perceived
competence and motivations of a
given individual

Competence to act in a way
we deem appropriate

Motivation to act in our best
interests
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Signaling Trustworthiness
Symbols
indicators of trust-warranting
properties in a person
(Conventional Signals)
Symptoms
by-product of actions that
are associated with trust
(Assessment Signals)
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Building Trust and Role of Agency
Behavioral Components
 Expected Behavior
 Observed Behavior
 Note that agency and choice
are dyadic in interpersonal
relationships.
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What about Trust in Systems?
Nissenbaum 2004
Role of Betrayal
 If we trust someone to do
something, if he/she/it does not
do so we are disappointed.
 But can this ‘betrayal’ really
occur with inanimate
objects? (computer, online
service, software)
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Trust-Building in the Sociological,
Relational Sense
Interpersonal Trust
Trust as an attitude about others’ desire
and ability to act in a positive way
towards us in a given context
Involves repeated interactions between
parties
Theoretically linked to risk-taking
Distinct from the concept of ‘cooperation’
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“
No noble thing
can be done
without risks.
”
— Michel Eyquem de Montaigne
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Risk
What is at stake in a given
situation/interaction?
- The risk may be defined
by the situation (i.e., it
cannot vary)
- The risk may be vary
across exchange situations
with the same partners (in
many cases the participants
can change the relative
risks)
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Uncertainty
Ambiguity about the result of an
interaction (uncertainty)
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Trust, Uncertainty and Commitment
Peter Kollock (1994) – “rice and rubber markets”
 uncertainty about quality leads to commitment and trust
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Sources of Uncertainty in
Exchange/Interaction
Quality of ‘goods’ or
‘services’
Structural uncertainty of
an exchange
Uncertainty about finding
an exchange partner
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What are the “Solutions” to Uncertainty in CMC
Environments?
Proxies and ‘inferred
trustworthiness’
Institutional backing
Closed Systems versus
Open Systems
 Experiential, often negativeonly reputations (not explicit)
3rd party (explicit) reputation
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