The effect of culture and language on perceived risk online

Abstract

The present paper analyzes whether cultural values and language can influence the way in which information on a website is processed, in terms of perceived risk. An online experiment was conducted, using a sample comprising users from the United Kingdom and Spain. Participants were asked to browse a website relating to a fictitious tourist destination, with half the sample accessing the site in their mother tongue and the other half in their second language. The key findings show that Internet users’ perception of risk is moderated by the language used, with the degree of bilingualism being a key factor.