Trust Psychology

Goal

Reduce perceived risk so users can act with confidence. Address competence, benevolence, integrity, and predictability.

Rules

• Match trust signals to the risk users feel.
• Prefer specific, verifiable proof.
• Place reassurance near decisions and CTAs.
• Show what happens next.
• Make support, policies, pricing, and cancellation easy to find.
• Do not use fake urgency, vague claims, hidden fees, or dark patterns.

Risk Types

• Financial: money may be wasted.
• Privacy: data may be misused.
• Performance: product may not work.
• Time: setup may waste effort.
• Social: choice may look bad to others.
• Switching: change may be painful.
• Support: help may not exist.

Trust Signals

• Competence: demos, screenshots, case studies, benchmarks, credentials.
• Benevolence: transparent pricing, easy cancellation, helpful support.
• Integrity: honest claims, clear policies, real testimonials.
• Predictability: next steps, timelines, progress, no surprise costs.
• Social proof: customer logos, reviews, usage stats, expert quotes.
• Risk reversal: trial, guarantee, refund policy, migration help.

Flow

1. Identify user action.
2. List perceived risks before that action.
3. Inventory current trust signals.
4. Find missing or weak signals.
5. Remove trust killers.
6. Add specific proof near the CTA.
7. Define success metrics.

Metrics

• Conversion rate.
• Form completion.
• Cart abandonment.
• Trial signup.
• Refund requests.
• Support questions.
• Time to conversion.

Resources

• Don't Make Me Think - Steve Krug
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion - Robert Cialdini
• Neuromarketing - Roger Dooley
• Baymard Institute - E-commerce UX Research

Output

## Trust Audit
- Target action:
- Main risks:
- Existing trust signals:
- Gaps:
- Trust killers:
- Recommendations:
- Metrics: