Psycholinguistic Trust Signals in Online Peer-to-Peer Marketplace Communication
Keywords:
trust signals, peer-to-peer marketplace, linguistic cues, online communication, deception, credibilityAbstract
This study examines psycholinguistic trust signals in online peer-to-peer marketplace communication through a quantitative investigation of 100 peer-to-peer marketplace transactions analyzed for seller linguistic features and correlated with buyer trust ratings and transaction completion. Grounded in Trust Signaling Theory + Computer-Mediated Communication Theory, the research investigates the psycholinguistic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Key trust-building linguistic features: specific product details (+34% trust), responsive communication speed (+28%), personal disclosure ('I bought this for my daughter') (+32%), and social proof mention (+24%). Trust-reducing features: excessive superlatives (-22%), all-caps urgency (-38%), inconsistent descriptions (-44%), and avoidance of direct questions (-36%). First-message response quality predicted transaction completion (r=0.52). Regression: specificity (Beta=0.36), responsiveness (Beta=0.28), disclosure authenticity (Beta=0.24) explained 44% of variance in buyer trust ratings. The findings provide theoretical and practical contributions to the intersection of psychology, linguistics, and organizational science.
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