Levels Of Generalized Trust Research Articles

Understanding public trust in water managers: Findings from the Netherlands

Public trust in water managers is often considered an important precondition for the effective implementation of sustainable water-management practices. Although it is well known that general public trust in government institutions is under pressure, much less is known in the literature on water governance whether such distrust also affects general and task-specific trust of the wider public in water managers. In addition, empirical studies on the determinants of such trust seem to be scarce. To fill those gaps, this study aims to measure general and task-specific public trust in water managers in the Netherlands and to assess how a selected group of potential determinants is related to general- and task-specific trust in water managers. To this end, we employ an original survey among a representative sample of the Dutch population (N = 2262). We find that trust in water managers in the Netherlands is generally high, but that it also comes with some task-specific variations. People have more trust in the flood-protection capacities of the water managers than in the capacities to successfully manage surface-water quality, nature conservation, and drought management. Using linear regression models, we subsequently find that individual-level variations in trust in water managers are best explained by one's general level of political trust. Additionally, we also show that both risk perceptions and self-evaluations of how informed people feel themselves about water management are important factors with (curvilinear) relations with trust in water managers. Overall, we conclude that water managers are under specific conditions able to build themselves well-established reputations and relatively high trust levels based on their performances. Nevertheless, trust development is far from entirely in the hands of the water managers themselves as we also conclude that trust evaluations of water managers are not immune from negative generalized political evaluations and public perceptions on water related risks.

Attitudes towards Participation in a Passive Data Collection Experiment.

In this paper, we present the results of an exploratory study conducted in Hungary using a factorial design-based online survey to explore the willingness to participate in a future research project based on active and passive data collection via smartphones. Recently, the improvement of smart devices has enabled the collection of behavioural data on a previously unimaginable scale. However, the willingness to share this data is a key issue for the social sciences and often proves to be the biggest obstacle to conducting research. In this paper we use vignettes to test different (hypothetical) study settings that involve sensor data collection but differ in the organizer of the research, the purpose of the study and the type of collected data, the duration of data sharing, the number of incentives and the ability to suspend and review the collection of data. Besides the demographic profile of respondents, we also include behavioural and attitudinal variables to the models. Our results show that the content and context of the data collection significantly changes people’s willingness to participate, however their basic demographic characteristics (apart from age) and general level of trust seem to have no significant effect. This study is a first step in a larger project that involves the development of a complex smartphone-based research tool for hybrid (active and passive) data collection. The results presented in this paper help improve our experimental design to encourage participation by minimizing data sharing concerns and maximizing user participation and motivation.

National pride, social trust, and cultural nativism: Findings from East and Southeast Asia

Using the latest (fourth) wave of Asian Barometer Survey (2014–2016), this study examines how national pride and two types of trust (general and particular) are related to nativist preference (cultural nativism), independent of anti-immigration attitudes, among citizens in East and Southeast Asian countries. Findings from multilevel models show that, at the individual level, national pride and particular trust are positively related to cultural nativism, while general trust is negatively related. At the subnational-regional level, we also find significant contextual effects. Living in geographic areas with greater national pride is positively associated with nativist preference, as is residency in places with higher levels of particular trust. In contrast, residency in subnational contexts with higher levels of general trust is negatively associated. Finally, the association between national pride and cultural nativism is stronger in regions with greater contextual national pride.

Oxytocin moderates the association between testosterone-cortisol ratio and trustworthiness: A randomized placebo-controlled study

Oxytocin has been proposed to enhance feelings of trust, however, these findings have been difficult to replicate. Environmental or hormonal factors might influence this association. We studied whether oxytocin moderates the association between the testosterone-cortisol ratio, which is associated with risk taking behavior and aggression, and trustworthiness, while controlling for the general level of trust. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study with 53 healthy males was performed in which 32IU oxytocin (n = 27) or placebo (n = 26) was administered intranasally. Participants subsequently played the Trust Game in which they were allocated to the role of trustee. In the third phase of the Trust Game, we found a positive association between the testosterone-cortisol-ratio and the proportion of the amount that is returned to the investor (P=<0.01). However, administration of oxytocin reduced reciprocity in those with a high testosterone-cortisol ratio after reciprocity restoration (a significant interaction effect between administration of oxytocin and the testosterone-cortisol ratio in the third phase of the Trust Game, P = 0.015). The third phase of the Trust Game represents the restoration of reciprocity and trustworthiness, after this is violated in the second phase. Therefore, our data suggest that oxytocin might hinder the restoration of trustworthiness and diminish risk-taking behavior when trust is violated, especially in those who are hormonally prone to risk-taking behavior by a high testosterone-cortisol ratio.

Overcoming Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: The United States Faces a Steeper Uphill Struggle than the United Kingdom

This policy brief reports findings from two nationally representative online surveys that were conducted in the United States (N=2,280) and in the United Kingdom (N=2,000) in October and November 2020 to explore the factors that influence the willingness to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The study was conducted before vaccines were officially approved and on the market. However, it very closely tracks the actual developments in both countries through the summer of 2021. Findings suggest that socioeconomic factors, some very difficult to influence by policy in the short term, strongly shape the willingness to be vaccinated. In addition, the contested and divided political landscape and the highly competitive and fragmented media system in the United States help explain the findings.The surveys identify similarities but also major differences between the two countries. In the United States, 51% of the adult population said they were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, 28% were not, and 21% were undecided. In the United Kingdom, 71% of the adult population said they were willing to be vaccinated, 14% were not, and 15% were undecided. Race may be a major barrier to achieving high COVID-19 vaccination rates in the United States. Black respondents were 46% less willing to be vaccinated than White respondents. Gender may be a barrier to achieving high vaccination rates in the United States and United Kingdom. Women were 43% less willing to be vaccinated than men in the United States. They were 41% less willing than men to be vaccinated in the United Kingdom.Older individuals and those with higher income indicated a higher willingness to be vaccinated in both countries. Trust appears key to vaccination acceptance. Individuals with higher levels of trust in mass media were more willing to be vaccinated in both countries. Individuals with a higher general level of trust in others were more willing to be vaccinated in the United States. Medical information. Individuals who consulted medical sources were more willing to be vaccinated. Media sources. Reliance on conservative outlets, mainstream outlets, and television was not associated in a statistically significant way with the willingness to be vaccinated. Concern about getting COVID-19 is strongly associated with willingness to get vaccinated. Individuals who were more concerned about the pandemic indicated they were more willing to be vaccinated, but this effect was much stronger in the United Kingdom than in the United States.Overall, in the United States, the factors most strongly associated with willingness to be vaccinated are race (White), gender (male), age (older), income (higher), trust in mass media, and concern about getting coronavirus. In the United Kingdom, the factors most strongly associated with willingness to be vaccinated are gender (male), age (older), income (higher), trust in mass media, and concern about getting coronavirus. Race is not associated with the willingness to be vaccinated, unlike in the United States.

Believing in hidden plots is associated with decreased behavioral trust: Conspiracy belief as greater sensitivity to social threat or insensitivity towards its absence?

Past research has demonstrated that conspiracy belief is linked to a low level of self-reported general trust. In four experimental online studies (total N = 1105) we examined whether this relationship translated into actual behavior. Specifically, since the decision to trust relies on the ability to detect potential social threat, we tested whether conspiracy believers are better at detecting actual threat, worse at detecting the absence of threat, or simply trust less, irrespective of any social cue. To this end, participants played multiple, independent rounds of the trust game, a behavioral measure for interpersonal trust. We manipulated social threat by presenting photographs of their alleged trustees with varying intensity of facial anger. In three of the four studies, trustors' conspiracy beliefs predicted a more cautious investment behavior in the trust game. This association, however, was not contingent on the social threat posed by the trustee. The present research thus joins a number of studies demonstrating that conspiracy beliefs can – under certain circumstances - influence everyday behavior.

Socio-Economic Modernization and the \u201cCrisis of Trust\u201d in China: A Multi-level Analysis of General and Particular Trust

Theorists have long disagreed about the impact of socio-economic modernization on social trust. The pessimistic school asserts that modernization undermines the structural conditions for high levels of trust. The optimistic account argues that it delivers economic security and human empowerment and thereby enhances trust. Adapting these contrasting theories to the specific case of China, this article puts them to the test with survey data from the World Values Survey. Exploiting the condition of highly uneven levels of regional development, combined with common political institutions and a shared cultural heritage, the study conducts a multi-level analysis of survey data from over 1900 individuals and a wide range of regional statistics from 61 county-level units. While trust in family members and particular trust beyond the family are unaffected by levels of regional modernization, we find robust evidence to suggest that regional modernization is associated with substantially higher levels of general trust. The results further suggests that higher general trust in more developed regions does not lead to an enhanced conversion of particular into general trust. This indicates that general trust is nurtured through the contextual effect of residing in more modern social environments. Overall, these findings provide substantial support for modernization optimists and lend themselves to a reinterpretation of a widely discussed “trust crisis” in China, which to date is often interpreted according to the pessimistic view of modernization.

Validating a theoretical model of citizens’ trust in tourism development

This research establishes the theoretical link between the development of tourism and citizens' trust. The research is grounded in political economy of state intervention in tourism and draws from social exchange theory to build the theoretical model. The latter incorporates variables such as trust, power, knowledge, and benefits and costs of tourism, which are central to any exchange process between social actors. The model distinguishes and proposes a theoretical relationship between domain specific political trust and generic political trust. The former refers to citizens' trust in local government in the specific context of tourism development while the latter refers to citizens' general level of trust in local government. The model is tested using data collected from residents of the metropolitan area of Naples, Italy. Results suggest that residents’ trust in local government in the specific context of tourism strongly influences their general level of trust, suggesting a spill-over effect of political trust. We demonstrated empirically that political trust in the context of tourism and the general trust in an institution are theoretically distinct concepts. The constructs we used to conceptualize tourism development has distinct influence on the two dimensions of political trust.

The Association Between the Level of General Trust and the Judgment Accuracy of Group Members’ Cooperation in a Social Dilemma

The current study sought to examine the association between the level of general trust and the judgment accuracy of others’ cooperativeness. Based on data collected from 107 female first-year undergraduate students, we demonstrated that a high level of general trust was associated with a high level of judgment accuracy of group members’ cooperation in a social dilemma game. Additional analysis suggested that the association was present even when the judgment accuracy was divided into hit rate (i.e., the rate of correct judgment on the cooperator as a cooperative) and correct rejection rate (i.e., the rate of correct judgment on the non-cooperator as a non-cooperative) by controlling the participants’ judgment bias, Big Five personality traits, and the proportion of cooperators in the group. These results are in accordance with previous studies insofar as they suggest that high trusters are more skilled at discerning others’ trustworthiness. The current study adds to the evidence that high trusters have increased cognitive skills and supports Yamagishi’s emancipation theory of trust.

Optimism-pessimism, conspiracy theories and general trust as factors contributing to COVID-19 related behavior – A cross-cultural study

The main aim of this research was to examine the role of optimism-pessimism, general trust and belief in conspiracy theories, in COVID-19 related fears, preventive and hoarding behaviors. We also examined the role of different sources of information in these relations. The convenience sample was used (N = 412) and it consisted of individuals from Serbia (N = 292) and Latin-America (N = 120). Following instruments were used: The Life Orientation Test (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), Trust in people scale (Arbor, 1964), questions regarding fear, source of information, preventive behaviors and conspiracy constructed for the purposes of this research. The results suggest that fear of food shortage was the most pronounces one in both samples, followed by fear for oneself and finally by the fear for beloved others. Results suggest that optimists, those with high level of general trust and those who do not believe in conspiracy theories show lower level of fear and higher level of preventive behaviors. Pessimists on the other hand, show higher level of fear. Fear was related to all information sources suggesting that more information leads to higher intensity of fear – except information from the president which did not show any effect.

The Diversity-Uncertainty-Valence (DUV) model of generalized trust development

Generalized trust is critical for societies and organizations because it facilitates cooperation beyond the circle of familiar individuals. In contrast to specific trust, which is contained within a relationship, generalized trust represents one’s general willingness to trust others before knowing any specific information about a partner. We present a new theoretical model—the Diversity-Uncertainty-Valence (DUV) Model of Generalized Trust Development—which identifies the factors that determine generalized trust levels. We propose that three elements of social interactions—a sense of diversity, social uncertainty, and positive valence—determine generalized trust development. Diversity drives the generalization process, whereas social uncertainty and positive valence enable the trust development process. Three experiments and an internal meta-analysis confirmed the core prediction of the DUV model: social interactions among a diverse set of partners that produce positive outcomes under conditions of uncertainty will produce the highest levels of generalized trust.

The Influence of In-Group Membership on Trust in Health-Care Professionals in Kazakhstan.

Background:Trust in providers is key to positive health outcomes. However, perceptions of trust in health-care professionals can vary by population. Factors beyond the immediate behaviors of health-care professionals such as group association may influence perceptions of trust.Objective:To examine the possible association of in-group membership and levels of trust in health-care professionals in Kazakhstan.Method:We used an online survey including the General Trust in Physicians scale along with demographic questions and a question regarding family members as health-care professionals. Bivariate analysis was used to compare the mean differences between general levels of trust and sociodemographic characteristics. Then multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the association between having a family member who is a health-care professional and general level of trust in health-care professionals among Kazakhstani citizens. Statistical tests were 2-sided.Results:A total of 497 Kazakhstani participants completed the survey. In adjusted multivariate regression, participants with family members as health-care professionals scored significantly higher on the trust scale (P < .001), and other factors such as language (P < .001) and interaction term of language and education (P< .05) were also shown to be influential in the general level of trust.Conclusion:Further examinations of how group membership influences reported trust levels in health-care professionals in Kazakhstan are warranted. Such studies would be beneficial if trust in health-care professionals is to be understood and improved in order to achieve more desirable health outcomes.

Public Trust and Equity Returns

We make use of the Edelman Trust Barometer to test for the relationship between public trust and international equity returns. The data allows for a two-dimensional split as to differentiate between the levels of trust expressed by (1) the general public and (2) informed publics. We examine the relationship between public trust indices and subsequent equity returns and find that portfolios of international stock indices, weighted and ranked according to the general level of trust, outperform classical GDP and equal-weighted portfolios. Furthermore, we differentiate between trust associated to three global institutions: business, government and media, as well as on a regional level according to developed and emerging markets. We document varying degrees of importance with respect to trust levels associated to considered institutions and across regions. Overall, we interpret public trust as a source of alpha rather than a priced risk factor.

Trust as an efficient tool in educational practices

Trust is revealed on many different levels. It is a basic factor of functioning for different social institutions both political and economical. In this article an attempt was made to figure out the correlation between the level of trust and educational institution by the example of empirical data. It shows how education level in some European countries relate to the general level of trust.

Lack of social support and social trust as potential risk factors for dry eye disease: JPHC-NEXT study

PurposeTo investigate whether social support and social trust are associated with DED. MethodsCross-sectional data from the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) were used. Subjects are 96,227 Japanese men and women aged 40 to 74. Data from respondents included information on DED, social support and social trust. DED was defined as the presence of clinically diagnosed DED or severe symptoms. Social support was measured by emotional support and tangible support. Social trust was measured by level of general trust in others. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association of social determinants for DED. ResultsIndividuals with high levels of social support and social trust were less likely to have severe symptoms of DED and clinically diagnosed DED (P for trend < 0.001 in both cases). Those with the highest levels of social support and social trust were least likely to have DED (odds ratios [OR] = 0.64 [0.61–0.67], 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63 [0.60–0.67] for severe symptoms of DED; OR = 0.88 [0.83–0.93] and 0.85 [0.80–0.91] for clinically diagnosed DED). ConclusionsHigh levels of social support and social trust were associated with a lower prevalence of DED.

Social Experience and Trust on Prisoners and Non-Prisoners

Trust is shaped by the role of personal interaction in social experience, including past experiences, individual knowledge of events experienced by close people, and exposure to information from the community. Based on this paradigm, individuals who are formed with different experience, knowledge, and information will have different trust. Aiming to examine the paradigm, this study investigated the differences of trust in two groups of participants with different experiences, i.e. prisoners (n= 68) and non-prisoners (n = 68). Using the questionnaire of trust in institution, trust in people scale, and inclusive general trust scale, the data were analyzed by t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Wilcoxon. Results showed that there were no significant differences between groups in the level of general trust, and there were significant differences between groups in the level of trust in institution. This study supports the opinion that trust is more a matter of culture.

Building technology trust in ICT application at a university

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to point out the importance of technology trust and relationships between technology trust and trust antecedents. The paper aims to seek answers to the following questions: what determines technology trust (technology trust antecedents) and how to measure it in the case of the University Student Service System (USSS) technology?Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the survey method was used to collect data. The online survey engaged 413 students representing one Polish technical university. The USSS was the technology of interest. The USSS web is an IT system for managing the course of higher education. The USSS web evolved into a multipurpose platform, which is used by university students for many different purposes.FindingsPositive verification of three accepted hypotheses H1, H3 and H5 shows that the ease of use, general trust level of respondents and institutional trust have a statistically significant influence on USSS technology trust. The diversification of regression coefficients indicates that the ease of use determines USSS technology trust more than general trust and institutional trust.Research limitations/implicationsAn important limitation of the conducted study was the reduction of the sample group of students representing one university – the Bialystok University of Technology. The relationships between variables, however, have made it possible to explain the reasons for the existing dependencies from the perspective of a single university, which constitutes an important cognitive value in the context of motivating and disseminating information and communication technology solutions. A good adjustment of the developed theoretical model indicates that it can be used to a wider degree.Practical implicationsFrom the practical point of view, achieved results showed that there are many factors that can be influenced by managers within an organisation to build up technology trust relations. Institutional trust is one example of such factors. Also, considering that building trust is a process, managers should take into account that different factors can affect technology trust in different stages of this process. At the beginning phase, the ease of use of a particular technology seems to be most important for its users, and then the usefulness of the technology becomes the factor which determines the technology trust. Despite the fact that the conducted research did not show statistically significant relations between technology trust and the intention of future system use, results explained main factors affecting such situations. Also, the frequency of system use seemed to be the most important variable that determines the intention of future system use.Originality/valueThe scientific value of the study is an attempt to build a measurement scales relating to trust in technology and constructs determining that trust. According to a very popular technology acceptance model, which explains the behaviour of technology users, the author expanded the acceptance model and finally proposed the model consisting of five input variables (the ease of use, usefulness, institutional trust, general trust, trust in technology and science) and one output variable – the intention to use the system in the future. The novelty of the research results from the fact that it was the first research conducted in Poland on the topic of technology trust topic.

Media Exposure and General Trust as Predictors of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Ten Years after the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake in China.

There is a paucity of literature on the roles of media exposure, general trust, and their interactions in long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after a natural disaster. Trying to address this knowledge gap, our study aimed to (a) investigate whether exposure to media coverage during the traumatic event and general trust directly affected adult survivors’ long-term PTSD symptoms 10 years after the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake, and (b) to identify the potential differential pattern of the influence of media exposure on PTSD symptoms for adult survivors with various levels of general trust. Using cross-sectional methodology, we surveyed participants (N = 1000) recruited from six disaster-affected counties. We assessed PTSD symptoms, media exposure, general trust, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and earthquake exposure. Data were analyzed descriptively and with Tobit regression analyses. Reversed relationships between general trust and PTSD were verified, whereas no direct links were found between media exposure and PTSD. Interaction tests revealed that media exposure alleviated PTSD for high-trust survivors, but aggravated PTSD for low-trust survivors. These results suggest that general trust building should be considered in post-disaster construction activities.

The DUV (Diversity-Uncertainty-Valence) Model of Generalized Trust Development

The current research presents a new model for understanding the development of generalized trust. Many current frameworks of trust, from the ABI (Ability-Benevolence- Integrity) model to the affective- and cognitive-based framework, focus on trust towards a specific target. In contrast to specific trust that is contained within a relationship, generalized trust is the belief in the benevolence of overall human nature. Because generalized trust plays a pivotal role in societies and organizations by facilitating cooperation beyond the circle of familiar people, it is critical to understand its development. We present a new theoretical model–the DUV (Diversity-Uncertainty- Valence) Model of Generalized Trust Development –to identify the mechanisms and experiences that affect generalized trust levels. We propose that three elements of social interactions–a sense of diversity, social uncertainty, and positive valence–are critical for generalized trust development. Diversity is critical for the generalization process, whereas social uncertainty and positive valence are essential for the trust development process. We also present prototypic situations containing all three elements of the DUV model. The DUV model offers generative possibilities for future research.

Patient Trust of the Muslim Nurse

This quantitative study examined patients' trust of a nurse who represents the Muslim faith by wearing the hijab. Presumptions about nurse trustworthiness based on religious affiliation may impede the effectiveness of the nurse-patient relationship and diminish the ability of nursing care to promote patient's feelings of well-being. Hospitalized participants were randomly given a picture of a nurse either wearing the hijab or not. They completed a survey to measure their level of trust considering the nurse in the picture. No difference was found in trust of the nurse between groups or in trust analyzed for between-group characteristics. In the hijab picture group, the older the patient, the lower the trust of the nurse. The results may reflect the general trust of nurses as an ethical and honest professional group. A high level of general trust may transcend stereotypes toward a Muslim nurse.