Abstract

AbstractA social environment, such as relational mobility, which represents the availability of opportunities to develop new relationships in society, cultivates an individual's psychology and social network. Generalized trust, which represents trust among people in general, is a tendency to expand individuals' social ties in a fluid society. Using the data of 170 students, we analyzed whether an individual's belief of generalized trust and perception of relational mobility are related to the social network. We conducted a survey to assess psychological measures and social networks under the COVID‐19 pandemic for first‐year university students. The analyses revealed that generalized trust was significantly associated with the presence of outdegrees (i.e., the nomination of close friends) and the absence of indegrees (i.e., being nominated by others). In contrast, perception of relational mobility was not significantly associated with generalized trust and any social network measures. Behavioral trust, measured using a Trust Game approximately 6 months later, was not significantly associated with network characteristics. The results support the argument that the belief of generalized trust functions as a psychological mechanism to expand individuals' relationships in their social networks.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.