Qualitative Assessment Dynamics For Trust Management in e-Business Environments

Trust is a core issue when it comes to acceptance of contemporary e-services. It was first addressed almost thirty years ago in Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria standard by the US DoD. But this and other proposed approaches of that period were actually addressing security. Roughly some ten years ago, methodologies followed that addressed trust phenomenon at its core, and they were based on Bayesian statistics and its derivatives, while some approaches were based on game theory. However, trust is a manifestation of judgment and reasoning processes. It has to be dealt with in accordance with this fact and adequately supported in e-environments. On the basis of the results in the field of psychology and our own research, a methodology called qualitative assessment dynamics (QAD) has been developed, which deals with so far overlooked elements of trust phenomenon. It complements existing methodologies and provides a basis for comprehensive trust management in e-environments.