Anshin as Emotional Trust: A Comparison Study between U.S. and Japanese Non-computer-science Students

Traditional research on security and safety has been based on the assumption that a user feels secure and safe when using objectively secure and safe systems and services. In this research we investigate userspsila subjective sense of security, which we call Anshin in Japanese. This paper reports our empirical comparison of factors contributing to non-computer-science studentspsila sense of security between the US and Japan based on a questionnaire survey. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) we identified two common factors contributing to the sense of security for students in Japan and the US: cognitive trust in terms of the integrity and competence of the service providers, and user interface usability of the systems and services. The EFA also identified two additional, different, factors in each of the populations. The third factor with US students is cognitive trust in terms of competence of the systems and services and the feeling of benevolence about systems and service without any reason, whereas with Japanese students it is the userspsila assessment of risks. US students have knowledge as the fourth factor whereas the students in Japan have experience as the fourth factor.