Abstract

System-wide trust (SWT) has been tested in previous studies using multiple automated devices in simulated real-world situations (Geels-Blair, Rice, & Schwark, 2013; Keller & Rice, 2010; Rice & Geels, 2010). These studies have shown that when one automated device is unreliable, trust in other devices is also negatively affected. To date, no studies have examined how SWT theory would predict results in hypothetical situations or across cultures. The current study uses scenarios rather than real-world situations to collect data. Seven hundred and eighty-two participants from the United States and India answered questions about trust in automated devices after reading a scenario. The results demonstrate that SWT affects consumers in both commercial aircraft and rental cars. The experiments also confirmed that the SWT effect replicates when including an Indian participant group, with some interesting cross-cultural differences. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these data.