The dynamics of trust development in the life cycle of information systems’ use: a case of online dating services

This study takes a life cycle approach to investigate the process of trust development. The life cycle of user trust is based on the life cycle of information systems (IS) usage, including the pre-usage, usage, and post-usage stages. In this study, we conceptualise trust development in a three-stage model, and identify the driving forces for trust development and its impact on user behaviour at each stage. Using online dating services (ODS) as our research context, we collected survey data in the pre-usage stage (N = 129), usage stage (N = 241), and post-usage stage (N = 266). The results indicated that (1) initial trust in the pre-usage stage was based on second-hand information, (2) experiential trust in the usage stage was based on the integration of first-hand experience and initial trust, and (3) mature trust in the post-usage stage was based on the attribution of the final usage outcome. Our study contributes to the trust literature by providing a fuller picture of trust development from the perspective of the IS life cycle.