Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Generalized trust, the belief that most other people can be trusted, has positive consequences for health and wellbeing. An increased sense of community is often seen in times of crisis or disaster, but it is unclear whether this is the case in the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the current study were to assess whether generalized trust increased in an early pandemic phase compared to pre-pandemic levels, and whether trust was lower in individuals who felt particularly threatened or burdened in the pandemic. We compared levels of generalized trust in a population-representative Norwegian sample (n = 1,041) with pre-pandemic levels from the European Social Survey (ESS). Age- and gender-adjusted expected scores were compared to observed scores, using weighted data. Secondly, we tested whether indicators of pandemic-related strain, perceived health risks, or pandemic-related worry were associated with a lower level of generalized trust. This cross-sectional study was conducted in an early opening-up phase (May, 2020). The observed levels of generalized trust in an early pandemic phase did not differ significantly from expected levels based on pre-pandemic measures. Higher trust was found among individuals who reported personal experience with the COVID-19 disease (tested positive, admitted to hospital, or lost someone to the disease). Pandemic-related worry and a high perceived health threat were both associated with a lower level of generalized trust. These results indicate that personal experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic could influence trust in others, although this link may be context-dependent. Generalized trust is considered to be an important asset in society, and promote health and well-being. As the pandemic evolves, there is a risk that we may lose, or a chance that we could gain, trust, with potential consequences for our health.
Highlights
Generalized trust, the belief that most other people can be trusted, is thought to positively influence individuals and society in a multitude of ways (Dinesen, 2012)
We propose that generalized trust will increase in the general population during the pandemic, but that the opposite dynamic will occur in people who feel threatened, either because they are in a risk group for the disease or unemployment, perceive their risk to be high, or have a high level of health worry
We did not observe any overall increase in generalized trust in the early phase of the pandemic in the Norwegian society
Summary
Generalized trust, the belief that most other people can be trusted, is thought to positively influence individuals and society in a multitude of ways (Dinesen, 2012). Generalized trust is believed to influence behavioral tendencies on an individual and a community level and to promote prosocial behavior and cooperation (Van Lange, 2015). A high level of trust is desirable both for the individual and for society. A very high level of trust can render an individual or a community vulnerable to deception or exploitation, unless combined with realism or skepticism. This has been called the dark side of trust (Neal et al, 2016)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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 callDisclaimer: 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.
