How Trust is Defined and its use in Human-Human and Human-Machine Interaction

Abstract

Trust is a critical element in virtually all forms of interactions, including those between humans and machines. Yet aspects of trust do vary somewhat between definitions. The present work seeks to unify these disparate definitions of trust, comparing and contrasting between the major works. Overall, every definition of trust involves an individual in a position of vulnerability (the trustor) and a person on whom they must rely (the trustee) despite circumstances which may place the trustor in some kind of potential for harm. Such engagements are enacted in order to secure some form of gain from the trusting relationship. The ways in which these definitions influence empirical measurement (both qualitative and quantitative) are identified and elaborated on.