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Nonverbal content and swift trust: An experiment on digital communication

Author

Listed:
  • Zakaria Babutsidze

    (SKEMA Business School, Université Côte d’Azur (GREDEG) and OFCE, Sciences Po Paris)

  • Nobuyuki Hanaki

    (Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, GREDEG)

  • Adam Zylbersztejn

    (Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 2, GATE UMR 5824, F-69130 Ecully, France)

Abstract

We experimentally study the effect of the mode of digital communication on the emergence of swift trust in a principal-agent relationship. We consider three modes of communication that differ in the capacity to transmit nonverbal content: plain text, audio, and video. Communication is pre-play, one-way, and unrestricted, but its verbal content is homogenized across treatments. Overall, both audio and video messages have a positive (and similar) effect on trust as compared to plain text; however, the magnitude of these effects depends on the verbal content of agent's message (promise to act trustworthily vs. no such promise). In all conditions, we observe a positive effect of the agent's promise on the principal's trust. We also report that trust in female principals is sensitive to the availability of nonverbal cues about interaction partners.

Suggested Citation

  • Zakaria Babutsidze & Nobuyuki Hanaki & Adam Zylbersztejn, 2020. "Nonverbal content and swift trust: An experiment on digital communication," Working Papers 2008, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    • Handle: RePEc:gat:wpaper:2008
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Digital communication; Trust; Hidden action; Nonverbal content; Principal-agent relationship; Promises;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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