ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a typical adult human being activity such as consumer behaviours which take on special risky implications when it is carried out in the Internet environment. The perception of risk plays an important role in this process of adaptation to the environment. The source of risk in online shopping derives from the social pressure exerted by consumers' friends and family through unfavourable opinions and comments. The chapter focuses on the relationship between trust, risk perception and the intention to purchase online. It examines the influence of trust and internet self-efficacy on risk perception. The concept of risk was used for the first time in scientific research in the 1920s in studies on economic and financial decision-making. Despite the apparent benefits of online purchases, many consumers are still reluctant to use e-commerce, probably because the risks they perceive associated with online shopping are greater than the possible benefits.
