Exploring trust in emerging technologies: an integrative model

Abstract

This paper explored factors that influence technology trust beliefs, with a focus on differences between emerging and existing technologies. It was the first piece of evidence to test the “Faith-Confidence” grouping of technology trust predictors and it included two studies, based on PLS-SEM technique. Study 1 examined a structural model that includes individual differences, institutional-based trust, concern about privacy, calculus-based trust, and social norms. Study 2 addressed limitations of Study 1 and assessed relationships between these variables and technology trusting beliefs. The studies also compared path estimate strength between technologies using multi-group analysis. The studies were controlled randomized post-test experiments with a total of 629 participants.

The studies found significant differences in how trust is developed for emerging versus non-emerging technologies and that "Faith" is a stronger predictor for trust in emerging technologies, while "Confidence" is stronger for existing technologies. The paper also introduced two new constructs - perceived power asymmetry and technological savviness - to the technology acceptance domain. Future research should replicate the study for various technologies and cultures and expand the proposed model on actual technology usage.

Keywords: trust, technology, emerging technologies, existing technologies, faith and confidence predictors of trust, PLS-SEM, MGA