It's not you,it's them: Social influences on trust propensity and trust dynamics

Scholars agree that trust primarily has two bases: trustworthiness—the extent to which a trustee is competent, honest, and has goodwill toward the trustor—and trust propensity—a stable trait reflecting the trustor's generalized belief that others can be trusted. Due to this trait characterization, the literature has largely reached a consensus that trust propensity is only an important base of trust in the earliest stage of a relationship—before information on trustworthiness has been gathered. Additionally, the trait conceptualization of trust propensity inhibits it from being modeled as an explanatory mechanism. Drawing on accessibility theory, a theory of trait activation, we argue that trust propensity has state‐like characteristics that are “activated” by the daily treatment an employee receives from coworkers. Our model highlights that the social context—predominantly ignored in prior trust research because of its lack of relevance to dyadic perceptions of trustworthiness—can have a substantial impact on dyadic trust. Across two multisource experience sampling methodology studies, we provide evidence that state trust propensity transmits the effects of citizenship and deviance received to trust in a focal coworker, whether that focal coworker is a source of that treatment or not. We also address how general levels of workplace unfairness—a between‐person construct—influence these dynamics. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these within‐person dynamics for fostering trust within organizations.     

Employee Attachment: Implications for Supervisor Trustworthiness and Trust

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of adult attachment on perceptions of trustworthiness and trust in one’s supervisor. Specifically, we cast trustworthiness perceptions as the cognitive mechanisms by which attachment influences trust, which then influenced work outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data on attachment, trustworthiness, and trust were obtained from employees, and performance ratings were provided by the employees’ direct supervisor (n = 353, 157 supervisors).

Findings

Secure and counterdependent attachment had a significant impact on trustworthiness perceptions, and secure attachment was also significantly related to trust, even in the presence of trustworthiness perceptions. Overdependent attachment had no significant influence on trustworthiness or trust perceptions.

Implications

Adult attachment influences one’s regulatory processes in interpersonal relationships and will certainly influence trust in one’s supervisor. Understanding the process by which attachment influences trust in one’s supervisor via trustworthiness perceptions provides a more comprehensive picture of how trust develops. This study provides evidence that adult attachment influences trustworthiness and trust simultaneously, which may be helpful in the selection process but also in managing the interpersonal aspect of the employee–supervisor relationship.

Originality/value

Though trust has been linked to attachment in the literature, no research has examined adult attachment and its influence on trustworthiness perceptions. Our paper provides an examination of attachment and its role in a comprehensive model of interpersonal trust. In addition, we examine attachments influence on trustworthiness and trust beyond the influence of propensity to trust, a commonly studied dispositional variable in the trust literature.

     

Team Perceived Trustworthiness in a Complex Military Peacekeeping Simulation

Antecedents to trust (propensity to trust, perceived trustworthiness) and trust behaviors were examined in relation to team performance in a complex eight-mission military peacekeeping simulation. Teams were colocated or distributed and stayed in the same or transferred to a different context at task transfer. In Experiment 1, an ability and competence factor accounted for most of the variance in perceived trustworthiness and greater perceptions of teammates' abilities/competences predicted posttransfer performance. One's perception of how others perceived one's ability/competence increased over missions. In Experiment 2, propensity to trust did not predict performance; however, trust in others' and one's own ability/competence and trust behaviors predicted performance. At task and/or context transfer, teams produced more monitoring and less cooperating language in their communication.     

Leader trustworthy behavior and organizational trust: the role of the immediate manager for cultivating trust

Drawing from both trust‐building theory and interpersonal trust literature, we investigate how trust between a leader and follower may be leveraged to influence organizational trust. We also explore the mediating mechanisms of this link and test a potential moderator. A cross‐sectional, multifoci design was adopted and participants were 201 employees within a public sector organization. Leader trustworthy behavior was found to predict organizational trust, mediated by trustworthiness perceptions and trust in the leader. Support for the boundary condition was found; namely, when leaders were more senior, the relationship between trustworthy behavior and organizational trust was stronger. The findings suggest that leaders can meaningfully influence organizational trust perceptions through the enactment of trustworthy behavior, although the strength of this effect varied as a function of their position.     

Organizational trust among job seekers: The role of information‐seeking and reciprocation wariness

This study explores job seekers’ information‐seeking and pre‐hire trust, and the role of reciprocation wariness in the development of pre‐hire trust. Individuals seeking a job with a technology company (N = 192) reported their perceptions of the organization’s website usability and perceived similarity to their recruiter, organizational trustworthiness and trust, and intent to accept a job offer. Wariness moderated the relationship between website usability perceptions and trustworthiness. Unexpectedly, the interaction was in the opposite direction of what we predicted. In addition, job seekers’ perceived similarity to their recruiter related to trustworthiness, and trust related to intent to accept a job offer. Our findings suggest that to some extent, recruiting organizations can encourage trust perceptions in the pre‐hire context.     

Trust, trustworthiness, and trust propensity: a meta-analytic test of their unique relationships with risk taking and job performance

The trust literature distinguishes trustworthiness (the ability, benevolence, and integrity of a trustee) and trust propensity (a dispositional willingness to rely on others) from trust (the intention to accept vulnerability to a trustee based on positive expectations of his or her actions). Although this distinction has clarified some confusion in the literature, it remains unclear (a) which trust antecedents have the strongest relationships with trust and (b) whether trust fully mediates the effects of trustworthiness and trust propensity on behavioral outcomes. Our meta-analysis of 132 independent samples summarized the relationships between the trust variables and both risk taking and job performance (task performance, citizenship behavior, counterproductive behavior). Meta-analytic structural equation modeling supported a partial mediation model wherein trustworthiness and trust propensity explained incremental variance in the behavioral outcomes when trust was controlled. Further analyses revealed that the trustworthiness dimensions also predicted affective commitment, which had unique relationships with the outcomes when controlling for trust. These results generalized across different types of trust measures (i.e., positive expectations measures, willingness-to-be-vulnerable measures, and direct measures) and different trust referents (i.e., leaders, coworkers).     

Trustworthiness Processing and Psychobiological Responses to Natural Disaster-Induced Distress in Adolescents

In this study, we examine the role of trust perceptions on psychological well-being and salivary cortisol levels of adolescents who were exposed to pervasive, noninterpersonal trauma, displacement, and relocation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Compared to demographically matched controls, affected adolescents reported higher perceptions of other people's trustworthiness, decreased externalizing behaviors, increased internalizing behaviors, greater desire for consolation from others, and lower cortisol activity. Follow-up analyses suggested that the relation between hurricane exposure and lower self-esteem might be mediated partly by increased trustworthiness perceptions. These results suggest that adolescents might respond to different types of stressors with varying patterns of distress and the manner in which the stressors alter trust processing might predict the development of internalizing or externalizing behaviors.     

Impact of Organizational Identification and Psychological Safety on Initial Perceptions of Coworker Trustworthiness

Purpose

Initial trustworthiness perceptions serve as anchored reference points for subsequent trust perceptions and associated behavioral choices in organizations. Examining the relationship between the employee and the organization is an underexplored influence on such perceptions. This study is an investigation of how perceived psychological safety (PS) in the work environment and level of organizational identification (OI) influence initial perceptions of others?? trustworthiness.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Data were obtained through survey and scenario methods from a sample of high-potential managers (n?=?155) during participation in a leadership development training course.

Findings

Results demonstrate that both disposition to trust and PS have positive relationships with initial perceptions of others?? trustworthiness. There is also a significant negative moderating effect of OI on the relationship between psychology safety and perceived trustworthiness. PS has a strong positive significant relationship with initial perceptions of others?? trustworthiness when OI is low. This relationship is non-significant when OI is high.

Implications

This study provides evidence that the relationship between the employee and the organization can influence individual perceptions of initial trustworthiness in others.

Originality/Value

Aspects of the relationship between the trustor and the organization have not previously been considered as influences on initial trustworthiness perceptions. PS, often investigated as a direct influence on learning and performance, has not been previously examined as a socialized influence on trustworthiness perceptions.     

From First Impression to Fairness Perception: Investigating the Impact of Initial Trustworthiness Beliefs

Evolutionary theory and neuroscientific evidence suggest that humans automatically infer the trustworthiness of others based on facial appearance. Building upon this knowledge base, this article presents three empirical studies that investigate the influence of initial impressions of trustworthiness on post‐event perceptions of justice. Across 2 vignette studies and 1 laboratory study, the results consistently suggest that pre‐event trustworthiness impressions exert significant indirect effects on post‐event justice perceptions. In Study 1 and 2, the effects of trustworthiness were mediated by individuals’ psychological state of trust and fairness‐related counterfactual thinking, respectively. In Study 3, the indirect effect of trustworthiness was transmitted through the psychological state of trust alone. The finding that initial trustworthiness impressions derived from surface cues (facial appearance) help shape subsequent perceptions of justice has important implications for justice theory and research.     

信任倾向和面孔可信度对小学儿童信任判断的影响

该研究考察了7、9、11岁小学儿童对陌生人信任判断的发展特点,以及信任方的信任倾向和被信任方的面孔可信度在儿童信任判断中的作用特点及其发展特征。结果发现：（1）7、9、11岁小学儿童基于面孔对陌生他人进行的信任判断中,9、11岁儿童的信任水平要高于7岁儿童;（2）在信任判断中,陌生交往者的面孔可信度对7、9和11岁儿童的信任判断都具有显著的影响作用,即相对于具有不可信面孔的陌生人,儿童更愿意相信具有可信面孔的陌生人;此外,信任倾向对于信任判断的影响作用则存在一定的年龄间差异,7岁儿童的信任倾向对信任判断无影响,9和11岁儿童的信任倾向正向预测儿童对陌生人的信任水平,即相对于信任倾向低的儿童,信任倾向高的儿童对陌生人的信任水平也越高;（3）被信任方的面孔可信度在小学儿童信任判断中的影响作用要大于儿童自身的信任倾向的影响作用。这些结果表明儿童对他人的信任水平随着年龄的增长而提高;对于陌生人,小学儿童主要依据被信任方相关的可信特征线索做出相应的信任判断。     

Survey and behavioral measurements of interpersonal trust

Although many studies treat trust as a situational construct, individual differences can be used to study and predict trusting behavior. We report two studies, the first showing the psychometric properties of a new trust inventory (the Propensity to Trust Survey or PTS), the second study validating this inventory using the standard economic task, the Investment Game. The first study utilized online survey data (N > 8000) to show that the PTS scales were reliable and measured broad constructs related to Big Five personality domains. Trust was related to extraversion and negative neuroticism, and trustworthiness was related to agreeableness and conscientiousness. The second study (N = 90) validated the PTS trust scale as a predictor of behavior in the Investment Game. These findings are evidence that trust and trustworthiness are compound personality traits, and that PTS scales are preferable to general Big Five measures for predicting trusting behavior.     

Incidental learning of trust from eye-gaze: Effects of race and facial trustworthiness

Humans rapidly make inferences about individuals’ trustworthiness on the basis of their facial features and perceived group membership. We examine whether incidental learning about trust from shifts in gaze direction is influenced by these facial features. To do so, we examined two types of face category: the race of the face and the initial trustworthiness of the face based on physical appearance. We find that cueing of attention by eye-gaze is unaffected by race or initial levels of trust, whereas incidental learning of trust from gaze behaviour is selectively influenced. That is, learning of trust is reduced for other-race faces, as predicted by reduced abilities to identify members of other races (Experiment 1). In contrast, converging findings from an independently gathered set of data showed that the initial trustworthiness of faces did not influence learning of trust (Experiment 2). These results show that learning about the behaviour of other-race faces is poorer than for own-race faces, but that this cannot be explained by differences in the perceived trustworthiness of different groups.     

Blindness and social trust: The effect of early visual deprivation on judgments of trustworthiness

Investigating the impact of early visual deprivation on evaluations related to social trust has received little attention to date. This is despite consistent evidence suggesting that early onset blindness may interfere with the normal development of social skills. In this study, we investigated whether early blindness affects judgments of trustworthiness regarding the actions of an agent, with trustworthiness representing the fundamental dimension in the social evaluation. Specifically, we compared performance between a group of early blind individuals with that of sighted controls in their evaluation of trustworthiness of an agent after hearing a pair of two positive or two negative social behaviors (impression formation). Participants then repeated the same evaluation following the presentation of a third (consistent or inconsistent) behavior regarding the same agent (impression updating). Overall, blind individuals tended to give similar evaluations compared to their sighted counterparts. However, they also valued positive behaviors significantly more than sighted controls when forming their impression of an agent’s trustworthiness. Moreover, when inconsistent information was provided, blind individuals were more prone to revise their initial evaluation compared to controls. These results suggest that early visual deprivation may have a dramatic effect on the evaluation of social factors such as trustworthiness.     

Everyday dynamics in generalized social and political trust

We applied the traits as density distributions of states approach to generalized expectations of trustworthiness, namely, social trust and trust in politicians. Using an experience sampling study (N = 47), we assessed state social trust and trust in politicians four times a day for 2 weeks. Within-person variability was found to be low but meaningful as it was predicted by variations in affect, interactional trust, and prior experiences. There was high stability in interindividual differences in the mean levels of state trustworthiness expectations and in the levels of within-person variability. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of stability and variability in generalized expectations of trustworthiness and indicates broad applicability of the traits as density distributions of states approach.     

Don't trust anybody: Conspiracy mentality and the detection of facial trustworthiness cues

Conspiracy theories express mistrust in common explanations and epistemic authorities. Independent of concrete content, the extent of endorsing conspiracy theories has also shown associations with interpersonal mistrust. Arguing from an evolutionary and error-management perspective, this increased interpersonal mistrust could either represent an enhanced sensitivity to untrustworthiness cues, or a limited ability to recognize trustworthiness, or non-specific mistrust without differentiations between (un)trustworthiness cues. In two experimental studies (N = 563), we manipulated facial trustworthiness and tested the differentiation of trustworthiness evaluations as a function of conspiracy mentality. We found that conspiracy mentality was associated with a generalized tendency to perceive others as untrustworthy, independent of facial trustworthiness, speaking to non-specific manifestations of mistrust. However, the association between conspiracy mentality and trust became non-significant once age was accounted for in Study 1. We discuss how conspiracy mentality may be associated with an increased propensity to view the world as having malevolent intentions.     

Humble trust

I challenge the common view that trust is characteristically risky compared to distrust by drawing attention to the moral and epistemic risks of distrust. Distrust that is based in real fear yet fails to target ill will, lack of integrity, or incompetence, serves to marginalize and exclude individuals who have done nothing that would justify their marginalization or exclusion. I begin with a characterization of the suite of behaviors characteristic of trust and distrust. I then survey the epistemic and moral hazards of distrust, in particular, distrust’s propensity to bias interpretation, to perpetuate itself, to confirm itself, to dishonor, and to insult. Taking seriously these moral and epistemic hazards requires taking affirmative measures to respond to them. I elaborate one such response: “humble trust”. The practice of humble trust issues from skepticism about the warrant of one’s own felt attitudes of trust and distrust, curiosity about who might be unexpectedly responsive to trust and in which contexts, and commitment to abjure and to avoid distrust of the trustworthy. Humble trust enables individuals to trust that they will be trusted.

     

Measuring trust in teams: Development and validation of a multifaceted measure of formative and reflective indicators of team trust

This article describes the development and validation of a multidimensional instrument designed to measure trust within teams. Trust is conceptualized as a latent variable resulting from distinct but related (formative) indicators, i.e., propensity to trust and perceived trustworthiness, which lead to (reflective) indicators, i.e., behaviours cooperation and monitoring between team members. The instrument was tested in two different samples. The first sample included 98 hospital professionals (14 teams) and provided data for the exploratory factor analysis of this instrument (Study 1). The second sample included responses from 112 teams (395 individuals) from three social-care institutions and was used to apply confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2). Data attesting to the underlying factor structure, internal homogeneity, construct validity, and consensual power of agreement within teams and discriminant power across teams of the instrument are presented. The final 21-item, four-factor version of this measure demonstrates good psychometric properties, with acceptable levels of reliability and validity. We conclude that the scales form a parsimonious, valid, and efficient instrument to assess trust in teams. Potential applications of this measure in research and practice are described and the implications of these findings for future research are discussed.     

面孔可信度评价调节：经验迁移假说的提出与验证

面孔可信度评价对人际信任和合作行为有重要影响。以往研究发现面部特征、背景环境等附加信息能通过自下而上、自上而下两种方式调节人们对他人面孔可信度的评价, 但具体的起效和失效机制尚不清晰。针对这一问题, 本文提出了“经验迁移假说”, 并对两类调节方式的认知机制、经验迁移的边界条件和调节过程进行探究。本研究为深化理解人际信任的调控机制提供理论和实证依据。     

It takes two to tango: An interdependence analysis of the spiraling of perceived trustworthiness and cooperation in interpersonal and intergroup relationships

We present three spiral reinforcement models that describe how mutual perceptions of trustworthiness and/or mutual cooperation may develop in dyadic interpersonal and intergroup relationships: a perceived trustworthiness spiral model, a cooperation spiral model, and a perceived trustworthiness-cooperation spiral model that posits a relatively more complex spiraling between trustworthiness perceptions and cooperation. Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Kashy & Kenny, 2000) analyses of data from two joint venture business simulations provided support for the spiral models in interpersonal and intergroup relationships. While all three models received some support, the perceived trustworthiness-cooperation spiral received the most consistent support, suggesting that trust perceptions play a crucial mediating role in the development of cooperation in both interpersonal and intergroup interactions. Overall, it does “take two to tango”: the development of mutual trust and cooperation involves an intricate dance that spirals over time and is fundamentally affected by partners’ initial moves.     

员工被上司信任感的形成机制

现有文献显示员工感知到被上司信任在工作场所中非常重要,因为这种感知会带来许多与工作相关的积极产出。虽然我们已经知道被上司信任感是如何发挥作用的,但是对它的形成机制却知之甚少。忽视这一感知的产生机制将会限制其在管理实践中的有效应用,因为被上司信任感只有被成功地激发才能使信任关系得到建立,并由此对员工的行为产生影响。作为一种由个体对信任相关信息加工而得的感知,员工被上司信任感未必等同于上司实际的信任水平。因此,要想通过让员工感知到被信任来进行有效的管理,作为授信方的上司不仅要主动做出信任的行为,更需要考虑如何让员工准确地感受到自己的信任。 基于符号互动理论和社会信息加工理论,本文构建了一个关于员工被上司信任感形成机制的理论模型。根据该模型,上司的授权与培养这两种管理行为被识别为影响员工被上司信任感产生的重要因素;授权与培养对员工被上司信任感影响的有效性依赖于员工的目标导向、上司的可信度以及团队焦虑水平;员工被上司信任感的产生会影响员工的忠诚与敬业奉献,其影响程度受制于上司所面临的管理风险。 通过揭示上司的信任行为如何以及何时能激发员工被上司信任感并由此对员工的工作行为产生影响,本研究在理论和实践上做出了三个主要的贡献。首先,被信任感不是由授信方或被信任方单独一方决定的,而是在二者的互动中形成。虽然过往研究曾检验过领导风格对被上司信任感的影响,但却未从信任互动的角度进行解释。本文识别出了授权和培养这两种可以传达典型信任信息的管理行为,从而在理论上拓展了关于被上司信任感前因的文献,在实践上为上司如何做可以让员工感受到被信任提供了新的思路。其次,尽管被上司信任感的形成有赖于社会信息加工,却鲜有研究对该过程进行过探索。根据信息加工理论,本研究对被上司信任感产生的机理及边界条件发起了新的对话。我们不仅关注信任信息加工的正反效应,还探索了信息相关度（员工目标导向）与可信度（上司可信度）对这一过程的影响。关注员工目标导向有助于识别基于信任的管理行为的有效目标人群,而关注上司可信度进一步明确了上司在相关信息传达中可能产生的积极或消极的两种不同的影响。实践上,这一探究为管理者提供了重要的指导,帮助他们有针对性地、有效地让员工感知到被信任。最后,通过探讨团队焦虑和管理风险这两个团队层面上的消极因素的调节作用,本文丰富了对上下级信任互动情境的理解。实践上,我们为管理者如何在高不确定和充满挑战性的环境中采用信任管理策略提供了启发。