This study explores the role of trust in the adoption of online recommendation agents. It extends the concept of interpersonal trust to technological artifacts and examines the nomological validity of trust in agents by testing an integrated Trust-TAM model. The results from a laboratory experiment confirm the nomological validity of trust in online recommendation agents. Consumers treat online recommendation agents as "social actors" and perceive human characteristics in computerized agents. The results confirm the validity of Trust-TAM to explain online recommendation acceptance and reveal the relative importance of consumers’ initial trust vis-à-vis other antecedents addressed by TAM (i.e., perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use). Both the usefulness of the agents as "tools" and consumers’ trust in the agents as "virtual assistants" are important in consumers’ intentions to adopt online recommendation agents. The study finds that initial trust in online recommendation agents positively affects consumers' intentions to adopt the agents. Additionally, initial trust in the agents positively affects the perceived usefulness of the agents. Perceived ease of use in the agents also positively affects trust in the agents. The integrated Trust-TAM model provides a framework to test the nomological validity of trust in technological artifacts. If the construct of trust in online recommendation agents (defined to include three trusting beliefs: competence, benevolence, and integrity) is valid, it should have predictive power for consumers' adoption of the agents. The study also finds that trust in online recommendation agents has a significant impact on perceived usefulness and intentions to adopt the agents. Perceived ease of use in the agents also has a significant impact on trust in the agents. The results confirm the nomological validity of trust in online recommendation agents. The study concludes that trust in online recommendation agents is an important factor in their adoption. The findings suggest that trust in online recommendation agents is more important than perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in their adoption. The study also highlights the importance of initial trust in the adoption of online recommendation agents. The study has implications for information systems research on the nature of trust in technological artifacts and user acceptance of Web-based technologies.This study explores the role of trust in the adoption of online recommendation agents. It extends the concept of interpersonal trust to technological artifacts and examines the nomological validity of trust in agents by testing an integrated Trust-TAM model. The results from a laboratory experiment confirm the nomological validity of trust in online recommendation agents. Consumers treat online recommendation agents as "social actors" and perceive human characteristics in computerized agents. The results confirm the validity of Trust-TAM to explain online recommendation acceptance and reveal the relative importance of consumers’ initial trust vis-à-vis other antecedents addressed by TAM (i.e., perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use). Both the usefulness of the agents as "tools" and consumers’ trust in the agents as "virtual assistants" are important in consumers’ intentions to adopt online recommendation agents. The study finds that initial trust in online recommendation agents positively affects consumers' intentions to adopt the agents. Additionally, initial trust in the agents positively affects the perceived usefulness of the agents. Perceived ease of use in the agents also positively affects trust in the agents. The integrated Trust-TAM model provides a framework to test the nomological validity of trust in technological artifacts. If the construct of trust in online recommendation agents (defined to include three trusting beliefs: competence, benevolence, and integrity) is valid, it should have predictive power for consumers' adoption of the agents. The study also finds that trust in online recommendation agents has a significant impact on perceived usefulness and intentions to adopt the agents. Perceived ease of use in the agents also has a significant impact on trust in the agents. The results confirm the nomological validity of trust in online recommendation agents. The study concludes that trust in online recommendation agents is an important factor in their adoption. The findings suggest that trust in online recommendation agents is more important than perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in their adoption. The study also highlights the importance of initial trust in the adoption of online recommendation agents. The study has implications for information systems research on the nature of trust in technological artifacts and user acceptance of Web-based technologies.