Do users trust search engines? And if so, why?: Developing a trust measure and applying it in an experiment

Abstract

Nowadays, users trusting search engines seems a matter of course. However, in the face of critical evaluation of information, the apparent authority of search engines should be investigated. Therefore, the question arises again as to what extent users trust search engines and what their reasons for trusting them are. It is vital to untangle trust, trustworthiness, and trust-related behavior to address this question, a shortcoming of previous studies. The clarification helps to find evidence on the causes and effects of trust. Since there is not an adequate trust measure for technical artifacts to date, it will be developed with the help of a controlled laboratory study and validated with an online questionnaire. The measure will be applied in an online experiment to scenarios from the health and finance domain and the search engines Google and Ecosia. The expected results determine misplaced and legitimate trust in search engines. Consequently, this furthers the discussion among civil society, researchers, and policymakers on the societal consequences of trust, the role of search engines, and the necessary user skills. Additionally, the developed trust measure may be applied to novel AI applications.