Skip to main content
Article
In Blockchain We Trust: Does Blockchain Itself Generate Trust?
Social Science Quarterly
  • Donghee Shin, Zayed University
  • William T. Bianco, Indiana University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2020
Abstract

© 2020 by the Southwestern Social Science Association Objectives: This study considers the affordance of users' perceived technological property of blockchains and investigates how users discover the possible actions that can be performed within blockchain media. With a focus on the role of trust, it analyzes how motivational affordances in blockchain media influence user experience. Methods: Qualitative methods are used to obtain the depth of understanding and elicit the perspective of blockchain media. We then conduct a survey to analyze the affordance of trust in the acceptance of blockchain media. Results: Our confirmed model indicates a heuristic dimension of trust regarding underlying ties to affective and technological affordances. These findings imply that cognitive heuristics affect users' decision making about privacy and security on blockchain media. These heuristics lead users to engage in uncertain and even risky transactions in blockchain media. Conclusions: Despite the exponential growth in blockchain development, there has been little attention paid on how technological innovations of blockchains can produce value in the media sector. Our findings provide a lens to understand the blockchain's usability problems by pairing heuristics to blockchain design and user experience principles.

Publisher
Wiley
Disciplines
Scopus ID
85097850531
Indexed in Scopus
Yes
Open Access
No
https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12917
Citation Information
Donghee Shin and William T. Bianco. "In Blockchain We Trust: Does Blockchain Itself Generate Trust?" Social Science Quarterly Vol. 101 Iss. 7 (2020) p. 2522 - 2538 ISSN: <a href="https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/issn/0038-4941" target="_blank">0038-4941</a>
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/donghee-shin/8/