An Empirical Analysis of Online Consumer Initial Trust Building Based on ELM

Abstract

Due to perceived high risk in the first transaction and Internet low switching cost, building consumer initial trust is crucial for online vendors. Extant research has often examined determinants of initial trust from the perspectives of TAM and trust transference, and seldom considered the initial trust building from dual-routes. Drawing on ELM, we analyzed the different effect of argument quality via the central route and source credibility via the peripheral route on initial trust. We collected 193 valid papers and conducted data analysis with LISREL. The results show that argument quality, source credibility and self-efficacy have significant effect on initial trust. Moreover, self-efficacy positively moderates the effect of argument quality on initial trust, whereas it negatively moderates the effect of source credibility on initial trust.