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This research examines the transitory influence of reputation information on consumer decision making regarding an e-vendor. Using social judgment theory to explain how reputation information's effect on perceptions may be fleeting, we specifically examined how user trusting beliefs related to an e-vendor change after a simple exposure to the Web site. A total of 369 college students participated in an experiment that found that reputation information was initially strongly related to trusting beliefs regarding the e-vendor, but a brief nonpurchase-related exposure to the e-vendor's Web site-that is, direct experience-reduced reputation's effects significantly. This research provides insights into why reputation information may be more important in certain circumstances than in others and enhances our understanding of how consumer decision making is affected by different purchasing contexts. This research also has implications on the design and use of trust-building technologies.

Similar to the adoption of automatic teller machines, banks around the world are looking at online banking services as the next technology to reduce costs while maintaining or enhancing services to the customer. In developing countries, the low cost of online banking may enable banks to reach new customers, much like the cell phone offered new possibilities in telephony. Banks must understand, however, that the mediating use of technology increases interpersonal distance between banks and their customers, which can both decrease trust and exacerbate distrust. This article examines the role of trust and distrust in online banking. A framework for categorizing existing and potential online banking users based on their trust and distrust of online banking is presented. Categorizations of users are discussed along with recommendations for how banks can address customer concerns. C 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.