Society for Consumer Trust
@sctspace.bsky.social
Co-Creating Trust. SCT [sct.space] is an evolving collective advancing trust between consumers and the brands, technologies, and experiences that shape their lives.
Relationships are multiplex.
September 17, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Relationships are multiplex.
Trust & Distrust Coexist.
September 17, 2026 at 9:01 AM
Trust & Distrust Coexist.
Trust × Distrust Matrix.
September 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Trust × Distrust Matrix.
Social media trust is fragmented. We trust different sources for different things. Understanding this fragmentation is essential.
September 17, 2026 at 5:44 AM
Social media trust is fragmented. We trust different sources for different things. Understanding this fragmentation is essential.
Trust transfer requires perceived alignment. If the influencer and brand don't share values, the transfer fails.
September 16, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Trust transfer requires perceived alignment. If the influencer and brand don't share values, the transfer fails.
The trust asymmetry between users and brands is one of the defining features of social media. Brands must earn trust — users start with it.
September 14, 2026 at 7:16 AM
The trust asymmetry between users and brands is one of the defining features of social media. Brands must earn trust — users start with it.
Meta has a benevolence problem. Consumers don't trust its intentions. And no amount of technical capability can fix that.
September 13, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Meta has a benevolence problem. Consumers don't trust its intentions. And no amount of technical capability can fix that.
Consumers are becoming sophisticated readers of social signals. They know that likes can be bought and reviews can be faked.
September 12, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Consumers are becoming sophisticated readers of social signals. They know that likes can be bought and reviews can be faked.
TikTok Shop compressed trust formation into seconds. But trust cannot be compressed without risk.
September 11, 2026 at 5:46 AM
TikTok Shop compressed trust formation into seconds. But trust cannot be compressed without risk.
Trust has economic value. It reduces the need for contracts, monitoring, and verification. It makes markets work.
September 10, 2026 at 5:45 AM
Trust has economic value. It reduces the need for contracts, monitoring, and verification. It makes markets work.
Cart abandonment is a trust decision. Understanding why consumers abandon is understanding how trust fails.
September 9, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Cart abandonment is a trust decision. Understanding why consumers abandon is understanding how trust fails.
Recommendation engines are trust interfaces. They signal that the brand understands you — or that it's trying to exploit you.
September 8, 2026 at 6:14 AM
Recommendation engines are trust interfaces. They signal that the brand understands you — or that it's trying to exploit you.
Cart abandonment is not just about price or convenience. It's about trust — the willingness to be vulnerable with payment information.
September 7, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Cart abandonment is not just about price or convenience. It's about trust — the willingness to be vulnerable with payment information.
E-commerce trust signals must address the core consumer concern: 'Will I get what I pay for?' Every signal should answer that question.
September 6, 2026 at 6:33 AM
E-commerce trust signals must address the core consumer concern: 'Will I get what I pay for?' Every signal should answer that question.
Amazon is the ultimate case study in cognition-based trust. Reliability is the foundation. But affect-based trust? That requires something more.
September 5, 2026 at 5:51 AM
Amazon is the ultimate case study in cognition-based trust. Reliability is the foundation. But affect-based trust? That requires something more.
August was foundations. September will be applications. The journey continues.
September 4, 2026 at 5:49 AM
August was foundations. September will be applications. The journey continues.
The SCT Principles synthesize everything we've learned about trust. They are not rules — they are lenses for seeing trust clearly.
September 3, 2026 at 5:52 AM
The SCT Principles synthesize everything we've learned about trust. They are not rules — they are lenses for seeing trust clearly.
Our trust judgments are shaped by experience. The most powerful lessons come from moments when trust was tested — and either survived or failed.
September 2, 2026 at 5:21 AM
Our trust judgments are shaped by experience. The most powerful lessons come from moments when trust was tested — and either survived or failed.
Benevolence is the hardest trust dimension for AI. It requires demonstrated care, not just accurate outputs. And care is difficult to algorithmicize.
September 1, 2026 at 5:40 AM
Benevolence is the hardest trust dimension for AI. It requires demonstrated care, not just accurate outputs. And care is difficult to algorithmicize.
Trust seals are third-party signals. Their effectiveness depends on consumer recognition, perceived independence, and relevance to the context.
August 31, 2026 at 7:11 AM
Trust seals are third-party signals. Their effectiveness depends on consumer recognition, perceived independence, and relevance to the context.
Mayer et al. (1995) distinguished trust from risk-taking. Trust is the attitude — the willingness. Risk-taking is the behavior.
August 30, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Mayer et al. (1995) distinguished trust from risk-taking. Trust is the attitude — the willingness. Risk-taking is the behavior.
Stewart (2003) showed that trust transfer on the web is real and powerful. But it requires perceived relationship between the sources.
August 29, 2026 at 9:37 AM
Stewart (2003) showed that trust transfer on the web is real and powerful. But it requires perceived relationship between the sources.
Live commerce is trust at speed. It requires signals that are immediate, visible, and credible — in seconds, not months.
August 28, 2026 at 7:21 AM
Live commerce is trust at speed. It requires signals that are immediate, visible, and credible — in seconds, not months.
Expectations are not static. They are formed, confirmed, modified, violated, and adapted. Trust dynamics are expectation dynamics.
August 27, 2026 at 5:33 AM
Expectations are not static. They are formed, confirmed, modified, violated, and adapted. Trust dynamics are expectation dynamics.
The conditions for algorithmic trust vary across individuals and contexts. Understanding these conditions is essential for designing trustworthy AI.
August 26, 2026 at 5:43 AM
The conditions for algorithmic trust vary across individuals and contexts. Understanding these conditions is essential for designing trustworthy AI.