Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
on; and something that frequently
Y
has an obligation to do (due to a promise, a role, etc.).
The theory of
tasks
is important (see
trust generalization
in Chapter 6).
2.10.2 The Role of the Context/Environment in Trust
Trust is a context-dependent phenomenon and notion. This means that
X
trusts
Y
for
τ
on
the basis of a specific context; just changing the context (for the same
τ
and the same
Y
)
X
's
attitude and decision might be different.
Consider
X
's trust attitude towards the same agent
Y
for the same task
τ
when:
he (
Y
) is in two completely different contexts (maybe with different environmental and/or
social conditions);
she (
X
) is in two completely different contexts (maybe with different environmental and/or
social conditions).
In fact, one should perhaps be more subtle, and clearly distinguish these two kinds of
context:
the context of
X
's evaluation and decision (affecting her mind) while feeling trust for
Y
and
deciding to trust him or not (
evaluation context
); and
the context of
Y
's performance of
α
(
execution context
).
They are not one and the same context. The execution context affects
Y
's objective trustworthi-
ness; his possibility to really achieve the goal in a good way; and - as perceived by
X
(
X
TW
Y
)-
affects
X
's expectation.
But the evaluation context is the social and mental environment of
X
's decision. This can
affect:
X
's mood and basic social disposition;
X
's information and sources;
the beliefs activated and taken into account by
X
;
X
's risk perception and acceptance;
X
's evaluation of the execution context; and so on.
Moreover, the evaluation and decision of
X
also depends on this complex
environmental trust
:
X
's trust in the
environment
where
will be executed, which can be more or less interfering or
harmful; in the
supporting infrastructure
(execution tools, coordination and communication
tools, etc.); in the
institutional context
(authorities, norms, and so on); in the
generalized
atmosphere
and
social values
; and so on.
Environmental trust (
external attribution
) and trust 'in'
Y
(
internal attribution
)mustbe
combined for a decision; and they are also non-independent one from the other (see also
Section 8.3.3 for evaluating the importance of this decomposition with respect the subjective
probability).
α
Search WWH ::
Custom Search