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De invloed van dispositioneel wantrouwen op vertrouwenwekkende argumentatie in webwinkels

Eijnatten, Michel van (2011) De invloed van dispositioneel wantrouwen op vertrouwenwekkende argumentatie in webwinkels.

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Abstract:In this study, the impact of distrust on argumentation in online stores is examined, as well as its effect on trust, attitude and purchase intention. Rather than seeing distrust as a situational variable, distrust here is seen as a trait variable. Furthermore, the significance of the source in arguments is investigated. Finally, it is considered if trust would be a good predictor for attitude and purchase intention. Research among 260 subjects showed that dispositional distrust to technology and webshops have a negative influence on trust, attitudes and purchase intention. As in the study of Kim & Benbasat (2006), the most extensive way of argumentation, claim-data-backing (Toulmin, 1958), had the strongest positive effect on trust. A part from trust, the claim-data-backing condition in this study showed to have a strong positive influence on attitude and purchase intention as well. The basic form of argumentation, claim only (Toulmin, 1958), in itself didn’t have a significant effect on attitude and purchase intention, but gave an interesting interaction with distrust. The assumptions in this study about the so called ‘counter effect’, when people process a positive argument as negative, were based on the findings of Schul, Mayo and Burstein (2004). It was expected that this counter effect only would occur with people with a high level of distrust and it would become stronger with more extensive arguments. However, this counter effect only happened in combination with the use of basic arguments and was quite diffuse regarding the level of distrust. In some cases it occurred with people with low levels of distrust and in other cases with more suspicious people. The use of extensive arguments had a positive impact in all cases. The negative impact of the vendor as a source appeared to act only in the use of basic argumentation. Although the interactions of dispositional distrust and argumentation are not completely as expected, they do show that dispositional distrust affects the way people process basic arguments. In addition, this study shows that online stores should be careful about the use of basic argumentation as it could lead to a possible opposite effect. Finally, the possibilities for future research are discussed.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/61283
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