The Impact of Self Construal on Usability, Trustworthiness and Digital Self-Efficacy in E-commerce Platform

Abstract

This study examined the impact of self-construal on usability, trustworthiness, and digital self-efficacy in e-commerce platforms, hypothesizing that neither interdependent self-construal (INTSC) nor independent self-construal (IDSC) would significantly predict these outcomes, and that web design would not moderate these relationships. A sample of 200 participants (aged 18–45) completed Likert-scale surveys assessing self-construal, usability, trustworthiness, digital self-efficacy, and web design perceptions after interacting with a popular e-commerce platform. Linear regression analyses revealed no significant effects of INTSC or IDSC on usability (INTSC: t = 0.615, p = .539; IDSC: t = 0.098, p = .921), trustworthiness (INTSC: t = 0.754, p = .451; IDSC: t = 0.758, p = .448), or digital self-efficacy (INTSC: t = 0.111, p = .911; IDSC: t = 0.151, p = .880). These findings support the hypotheses, suggesting that self-construal and web design do not significantly influence user experiences in e-commerce contexts. The results challenge the emphasis on culturally tailored designs, highlighting the efficacy of universal design principles in globalized digital platforms. Implications for e-commerce development and future research directions are discussed.