Optimizing trust beliefs through interactional framing

Abstract Digital platforms frequently request personal information, yet privacy concerns and perceived information sensitivity often constrain users’ willingness to disclose such information. This study examines how interface features shape responses within a simulated, fixed-sequence institutional exchange. Specifically, we investigate whether visual embodiment (a human-like facial representation) and sequential reciprocity (standardized organizational information preceding personal questions) influence trust beliefs and self-disclosure. A 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment ( N = 200) manipulated visual embodiment and informational sequencing within a structured e-commerce survey. Factorial ANOVA results showed that pre-question organizational information significantly increased trust beliefs toward the provider. However, self-disclosure increased only when visual embodiment and structural reciprocity co-occurred. This pattern is consistent with the possibility that participants interpreted the interaction as a more socially meaningful exchange when both features were jointly present. Across all conditions, perceived information sensitivity remained a strong constraint on disclosure. These findings indicate that while structured informational sequencing can enhance trust evaluations, changes in disclosure behavior depend on a coherent interactional framing of the exchange rather than on isolated interface features.