The Hybrid Model of Trust and Distrust:Extending the Nomological Network

Previous research has highlighted the importance of trust in enabling the purchase of goods/services through the Internet. However, other researchers have theorized and shown that distrust, a distinct construct that is related to trust, should also be considered when studying trust (Duestch 1960, Luhman 1979, Gurtman 1992, Sitkin & Roth 1993, Lewicki et al. 1998). Because trust has been cited to be critical for e-commerce, it stands to reason that its related, yet negative counterpart, distrust should be at least as important and potentially more critical in some contexts. It is important to determine what antecedent conditions may increase the amount of distrust felt by the individual, and how these conditions can be mitigated. This dissertation proposes an experiment to test two research questions. First, this study explores novel antecedents of distrusting beliefs that go beyond the disposition to distrust, which has been the main focus of distrust research in IS. Second, building on the ambivalence work by Cacioppo & Berntson (1994) and Priester & Petty (1996), this study proposes that as a negative attitude towards action, distrust may interact and negate intentions when the buyer also feels similar levels of trust, as a positive attitude. Finally, the research methodology and analysis are outlined along with potential contributions for this study