High Trust Research Articles

Digital trust in China’s digital transformation process: methodology and results of an empirical research

The article is devoted to the topical issues of China's digital transformation and the role of digital trust in it. Digital transformation is a long — term comprehensive and rapid process, accompanied by rapid development of digital technologies, institutional changes and appropriate adaptation of people to new conditions. At the same time, it is emphasized that the drastic changes caused by digital transformation bring a lot of uncertainty and risks to society, which, without proper government response, can lead to social unrest and social unrest, and reduce confidence in this process. In the process of digital transformation, high trust between people can reduce suspicions, doubts and reduce social tension in society. In this regard, digital trust comes to the fore of sociological analysis — a new complex social phenomenon that combines sufficient confidence in the reliability of individuals, processes and technologies related to the security and benefits of the digital world. The author shows that the structure of digital trust is multifaceted and sets various objects for research: they can be technologies, processes, individuals, etc., therefore, those factors that affect these three components of the trust structure can be considered as factors affecting digital trust as a whole. However, the topic of digital trust has not been studied much, both from a theoretical and practical point of view, and its valid empirical studies are clearly insufficient. Indeed, some scientists have used factor analysis in their research to study the elements that affect digital trust. However, due to the lack of a well-developed theoretical framework, the mechanism of interaction between influencing factors and characteristics of digital trust cannot be reliably described. The article presents an original methodology for the sociological analysis of digital trust, based on the methodology of factor analysis. As a result of its testing, factors affecting the level of digital trust have been identified, which are of theoretical and practical importance.

Mother's Perspective and Trust Toward Integrated Services Post (Posyandu) in Indonesia

Background The Integrated Services Post (ISP), also known as Posyandu, is a program designed to enhance maternal and child health by providing integrated basic health services. For years, communities have relied on ISP as a primary source of health information, particularly for maternal and child health needs. This study seeks to assess mothers’ knowledge, perspectives, and family support related to ISP, focusing on maternal understanding, behavior, family support, and trust in ISP services as measured by the Health Collaborative Center Survey. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey (Google Form) from February to March 2023. A total of 2,155 mothers were randomly selected as respondents. Data were collected via a self-designed questionnaire adapted from multiple sources, measuring knowledge, behavior, and family support regarding ISP. Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to interpret mothers’ knowledge, behaviors, and levels of family support. Results The majority of respondents demonstrated good knowledge of ISP services. Over 98% of mothers correctly identified the appropriate time for weighing children, understood the definition of ISP, and recognized the benefits of weighing children at ISP. More than 70% of mothers correctly answered questions about ISP schedules, recommended child weighing age, and the use of the Health Card (HC). Mothers exhibited positive behavior and high trust toward ISP, with 88.5% strongly believing that ISP can contribute to improving maternal and child health. Family support was generally high, though 4% of respondents reported that their husbands or families opposed immunization, thus limiting their engagement with ISP services. Conclusion The majority of mothers in this study possess adequate knowledge, exhibit positive behavior, have high trust in ISP services, and receive substantial family support. Nevertheless, further education and community outreach are needed to improve understanding of severe malnutrition management, the importance of ISP services, and the benefits of immunization.

Social Trust in China

This article provides a comprehensive examination of social trust in China. It addresses ongoing debates about how much people trust, whether there is a trust crisis, and where trust comes from. Analyzing extensive harmonized data from the Chinese General Social Survey (2003–2021) and the World Values Survey (1990–2018) spanning three decades, we find that Chinese people have high levels of general trust in others; this high social trust has been largely stable over the last three decades; and political confidence and perceived fairness are two key drivers of trust. On the other hand, we see marked low trust toward several groups, such as strangers, businessmen, and religious individuals. Potential explanations are discussed. This study contributes to key trust debates and identifies novel trust patterns that can serve as valuable subjects for future research.

Local government performance: promoting trust in local government and reducing trust gap

ABSTRACT This study elaborates the link between local government performance and the trust gap between higher trust in national government and lower trust in local government. The data in this paper come from China, which is characterised by an apparent trust gap between upper and lower government echelons. Ten national surveys are used for preliminary statistics, three of which are used for regression analysis and robustness testing. This paper finds that good local government performance can significantly increase trust in local government and thus narrow the trust gap between central and local government. In addition, by comparing the effect of cultural factors and local government performance on narrowing the trust gap, this paper finds a more critical role for local government performance. Therefore, in order to promote the balance of trust between national and local government, the focus should be particularly on improving local government performance.

Evaluation of public's knowledge, attitude and experiences towards the generic medications in building healthcare policy.

The increasing cost of prescription drugs has high concern and associated with medication nonadherence and adverse health outcomes. The use of generic prescription drugs by the patients depends on if recommended by competent healthcare providers. Generic medicines, which are cheaper and bioequivalent to brand-name drugs, offer an opportunity to reduce healthcare expenditures of Saudi Arabia's healthcare system as per the Vision 2030 plan. Therefore, the current study was conducted to assess the population awareness, attitude and perception towards the generic medications particularly those locally manufactured in Saudi Arabia. We managed a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study and included indices like demographic sections, knowledge of generic medications, perception of generic medication use, and previous experience. Data was collected over 12 weeks from February 2022 to April 2022 using an online survey tool. A study of 462 participants found that the majority were male (54.97%), young (55.4%), with a graduate or post-graduate degree (73.5%) and employed (43.29%). The majority reported good health, with 75.5% reporting good health. The study found significant differences in knowledge about generic drugs, their country of origin, and their benefits and utility. Most participants had positive attitudes towards generic medications, with 45% believing they are as effective as those from other countries. The study also revealed a significant difference in participants' experience and usage of medications particularly satisfaction to health outcome. Enhancing healthcare professionals' perceptions of generics can positively influence patient/consumer opinions and trust in generic medicines. Patients' high trust in prescribing physicians also influences these opinions, as their opinions can influence patient/consumer opinions.

Fairness, Trust, and Well-Being Among Young Adults: Evidence from 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS).

Background. As China has undergone tremendous socioeconomic and demographic changes during and after the pandemic, it is crucial to enhance youth well-being and facilitate their transition into the workforce. This study aims to explore the multi-dimensional features of well-being and examine their relationships with fairness and trust. Methods. Using the nationally representative data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this study analyzes the well-being of 1726 young adults aged 18 to 34 years old living in 19 provinces in China. Results. The research findings generate five latent factors of well-being and reveal the multi-faceted nature of subjective well-being, including physical and mental health challenges, positive outlook, sense of purpose, personal growth, and self-fulfillment. Physical and mental health is the cornerstone for well-being and happiness. Young people with poor physical and mental health conditions are less likely to perceive that society is fair or that people are trustworthy. Additionally, a positive outlook and future orientation are strongly associated with high fairness and/or trust. Discussion and Conclusions. By investigating the differential domains of well-being, this study contributes to the literature with the new conceptualization of well-being sub-measures and their application to youth. Furthermore, this study identifies that well-being is not only an individual-level characteristic but also a group-level attribute that can contribute to fairness and trust at the societal level. As China continues to expand its infrastructure on education, health, and technology, it is expected that sustainable economic growth and development should boost young people's career development and promote their upward mobility.

Active Inference Models of AV Takeovers: Relating Model Parameters to Trust, Situation Awareness, and Fatigue.

Our objectives were to assess the efficacy of active inference models for capturing driver takeovers from automated vehicles and to evaluate the links between model parameters and self-reported cognitive fatigue, trust, and situation awareness. Control transitions between human drivers and automation pose a substantial safety and performance risk. Models of driver behavior that predict these transitions from data are a critical tool for designing safer, human-centered, systems but current models do not sufficiently account for human factors. Active inference theory is a promising approach to integrate human factors because of its grounding in cognition and translation to a quantitative modeling framework. We used data from a driving simulation to develop an active inference model of takeover performance. After validating the model's predictions, we used Bayesian regression with a spike and slab prior to assess substantial correlations between model parameters and self-reported trust, situation awareness, fatigue, and demographic factors. The model accurately captured driving takeover times. The regression results showed that increases in cognitive fatigue were associated with increased uncertainty about the need to takeover, attributable to mapping observations to environmental states. Higher situation awareness was correlated with a more precise understanding of the environment and state transitions. Higher trust was associated with increased variance in environmental conditions associated with environmental states. The results align with prior theory on trust and active inference and provide a critical connection between complex driver states and interpretable model parameters. The active inference framework can be used in the testing and validation of automated vehicle technology to calibrate design parameters to ensure safety.

The social gradient in institutional trust from 2011–2019 in the general population in Norway

Abstract Background Trust is described as the glue of healthy societies. Although Norway is among the countries with the highest levels of trust in public institutions, the increasing socioeconomic differences observed may threaten levels of institutional trust. Therefore, we aimed to investigate such differences in the general population between 2011 and 2019. Methods A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted using data on the general population in Østfold county from 2011 (N = 16673) and 2019 (N = 15935). Differences in trust toward five public institutions (healthcare system, school system, labour and welfare administration (NAV), police, and municipal council) by educational level were investigated with Chi-square tests. Logbinomial regression analyses were used to examine potential changes in high trust over time. Gender and age were included in the analyses as control variables. Results A relatively high proportion of the general population reported high levels of trust to the health care system (2011: 71%; 2019:80%), police (2011: 73%; 2019:77%), and the school system (2011: 64%; 2019:66%), whereas a lower proportion reported high levels of trust to NAV (2011: 37%; 2019:41%) and the municipal council (2011: 45%; 2019:36%). Both in 2011 and 2019 a clear social gradient in institutional trust was found for all institutions (p < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the level of trust in the health care system (low education:RR=1,10; middle:RR=1,12; high:RR=1.06) and a significant decrease in trust in the community council (low:RR=0,77; middle:RR=0,80; high:RR=0,83) in all educational groups from 2011 to 2019. The level of trust in NAV increased significantly in the highest education groups, while a non-significant decrease was shown in the low educational group. Conclusions The persisting social gradient in institutional trust is worrying as trust is an important factor in ensuring inclusion, social capital, democracy, and health and wellbeing. Key messages • Institutional trust is an important factor in ensuring inclusion, social capital, democracy, and health and wellbeing. • The lower levels of institutional trust found in low educational groups could be of particular concern as these groups might be more dependent on the different parts of the welfare system.

Participative Leadership VS Servant Leadership on Innovative Work Behavior: Role of Psychological Empowerment as Mediator

The role of psychological empowerment has not been thoroughly elucidated in previous researchers. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of participative and servant leadership on IWB and the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator. This study used a quantitative method with an SEM-PLS design on 155 respondents from the batik handicraft industry in Central Java, Indonesia. This finding supports the idea that participative and servant leadership, as well as psychological empowerment, are important for promoting innovation. However, psychological empowerment only strengthens the influence of servant leadership because direct participation in decision-making is already able to trigger employee initiative without the need for increased empowerment first. Servant leaders act as good mentors when organizational members experience difficulties at work, get the freedom to complete difficult tasks, are valued, trusted, and have high trust in leaders related to the principles of work ethics for the progress of the company.

Citizen needs towards personalised medicine and genetic testing: results from a European survey

Abstract Introduction Personalised Medicine (PM) aims to tailor diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for patients. Despite technological advancements in this field, public awareness of PM remains limited, representing a barrier to its clinical integration. Methods We conducted a survey across eight European Countries (France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain) via the private platform YouGov, in April 2023. Our web questionnaire explored knowledge of PM, willingness to embrace it, and trust in information delivered by mass media. Results Of 6,581 respondents, approximately 42% lacked sufficient knowledge of PM and genetic testing, while 36.3% found information about the topic not easily accessible. Healthcare providers were the most trusted source of information (according to 80% of responders), followed by educational institutions (71.4%). Education, age, and gender significantly influenced the acceptance of PM and mass media trust, highlighting the association between high education level, readiness to embrace PM, and high trust in academic sources of information. Additionally, age, gender, and geographical location influenced the perception of PM and genetic tests in various ways across Europe. Despite the geographical differences, 63.2% of respondents want to know more about PM, and 60% support its implementation in clinical practice. Conclusions Although the growing interest in PM genetic, and -omics technologies, large sections of the population still lack access to information and understanding, indicating a disconnection between technological advancements and public awareness. The study emphasizes the importance of providing focused citizen engagement initiatives to implement PM approaches. Citizen participation in defining personalised diagnostic and therapeutic pathways is vital to empower individuals and enable them to make informed health choices. Key messages • Understanding European citizens’ attitudes and needs regarding Personalised Medicine is crucial for creating policies and facilitating access to new technologies and treatments. • Despite limited knowledge, European Citizen recognize the importance of Personalised Medicine for their health, seek further understanding, and place trust in Academic Sources of Information.

Media, trust, and the influence of urban/rural context and education on public sector worker stereotypes

ABSTRACT Public employees often face pervasive negative stereotypes. Despite a growing body of research, the factors contributing to such stereotypes remain underexplored. We present a pre-registered study with two population-based survey experiments using video vignettes—on teachers and police officers. Both investigate the impact of mediatized events, trust, and personal characteristics on stereotyping (n = 3,502). Our results show that news reports affect stereotyping of both professions. High and low trust are linked to positive and negative stereotyping, respectively. Lastly, urban/rural setting and education yield mixed effects. Our findings offer theoretical and practical implications for understanding factors shaping public employee stereotyping.

Adherence to COVID-19 measures and the associated factors: evidence from a two-wave longitudinal study in Singapore

BackgroundAt the onset of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when pharmaceutical interventions were not readily available, governments relied on public health mandates and social distancing measures to counter rising infection rates. In order to address the dearth of longitudinal studies, this study sought to identify factors associated with continued adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviours in Singapore.MethodsData were from a two-wave longitudinal cohort study; baseline study was conducted from May 2020 to June 2021 and follow-up study from October 2021 to September 2022. Participants (n = 858) were Singapore residents, aged 18 and above, and able to speak English, Chinese or Malay. Weighted multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with adherence to the COVID-19 measures.ResultsAdherence rates of ‘avoid dining out’, ‘crowded places’, ‘people with flu symptoms’ and ‘small group gatherings’ at baseline were 39.41%, 60.82%, 79.82%, and 44.82% respectively. All measures had a decrease in adherence rates across the two-waves. Older age groups were associated with greater adherence to ‘avoid dining out’ and ‘avoid crowded places’. Having high trust in local public health experts was associated with greater adherence to ‘avoid crowded places’ and ‘avoid people with flu symptoms’. Fear of family and friends getting infected with COVID-19 was associated with ‘avoid dining out’ and ‘avoid crowded places’.ConclusionsSoft interventions like nudges can be implemented at crowded places to remind the public of the ease of transmitting the virus to their loved ones. Increasing media presence of public health experts can be a viable alternative to improve adherence.

Communicating about COVID-19 Vaccines: A Qualitative Study on Preferences, attitudes, and Influences on Canadian Post-secondary Student Decisions to Get Vaccinated

Given the reasonably low COVID-19 vaccine rates (e.g., <60% fully vaccinated) among Canadian young adults (18–29), we sought to understand the factors that motivated this demographic to get vaccinated. Fifteen post-secondary students and graduates participated in semi-structured interviews about the type of health information they received during the pandemic, and their communication preferences. Analysis of interview data revealed four themes: (1) Participants had high science and health literacy which equipped them to identify and dismiss misinformation; (2) Participants expressed high trust in official sources which positively impacted their confidence in the vaccines; (3) Participants exhibited a low perceived risk from COVID-19 infection and got vaccinated for reasons beyond personal protection; and, (4) Participants responded best to communication that was targeted and tailored towards them. These themes form a foundation for effective vaccine communication campaigns targeted and tailored toward young adults, which is essential for acceptance of future vaccine recommendations.

Who Would Taste It? Exploring Decision-Making Styles and Intention to Eat Insect-Based Food among Italian University Students

Background: Although insect-based foods (IBFs) have been recently proposed as a way to face climate crisis and starvation, they encounter aversion from Western countries, which express fear, disgust, and high risk. The contribution of psychology research to food choices highlights how decisions are made, not only through reasoned attitudes and goal-directed behavior, but also through more automatic associations (dual-system models). Methods: In this paper, we investigated people’s dispositions towards IBFs by combining (a) explicit attitudes (as assessed via self-report scales), (b) automatic associations (as measured via indirect measures), and (c) intention to taste, and comparing different profiles based on (d) psychological factors, including decision-making style, food neophobia, and trust in science and scientist. A pilot sample of 175 Italian university students participated in the study. Results: The analyses of the general sample highlighted rather negative attitudes. The cluster analysis identified 4 decision-making profiles: ‘the gut feeling’, ‘the suspicious’, ‘the vicarious’, and ‘the mind’. It revealed more favorable opinions in ‘the mind’ profile, characterized by a rational decision-making style and high trust in science, and very aversive reactions from ‘the suspicious’ profile, characterized by high food neophobia and low trust in science. Conclusions: The results underline the importance of psychological factors in interpreting people’s reactions to IBF and changes in dietary habits based on the decision-making process. They suggest possible strategies to promote eco-friendly diets.

Unpacking Young Adults’ Voting Preferences: The Role of Neighborhood Trust

Compared to previous generations, young adults today report lower levels of trust in government, law enforcement, and their communities. This study investigates neighborhood factors influencing social trust among Arizona young adults during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. Through an analysis of online survey data for a sample of young adults ( N = 1,376) who participated in the Arizona Youth Identity Project, we explore how neighborhood diversity, population density, racial identity, and political affiliation are associated with social trust and voting preferences. We find that Arizona young adults’ trust in police and their neighbors varies by neighborhood diversity and racial identity, with residents of mostly White neighborhoods reporting higher levels of trust. Additionally, support for Trump is highest among young adults who expressed high trust in local police. This study underscores and begins to unpack the interplay between race, space, and trust in shaping political identities and preferences.

A multifaceted analysis of decreasing trust in health institutions in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundPublic trust is crucial during health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, for the effective implementation of scientific and policy interventions. This study investigates factors contributing to the decline in trust in the health sector within the European Union during the pandemic.MethodsUsing the publicly available 2020–2022 Standard Eurobarometer dataset, we employed a "geography of trust" approach. We applied equal quantile mapping to visualise high and low trust countries and Local Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) to identify statistically significant clusters. Using a series of one-way ANOVA, we found associations between socio-economic and other variables available in the same dataset with trust.ResultsTrust in health institutions and medical staff declined in 20 of 27 EU countries from 2020 to 2022. Clear geographical clusters of Western and Central Europe as the high-trust countries and Eastern Europe as the low-trust countries emerged through mapping. One-way ANOVA revealed that contrary to several studies, age, gender, and most demographics did not vary with trust, but trust was directly associated with the satisfaction with measures taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, and individual perceptions about their life and national affairs (p < 0.001).ConclusionHigh-trust Western European countries share characteristics in health systems, governance, and pandemic responses. Understanding this interplay could inform trust-building strategies. The persistent low trust in Eastern Europe may stem from slow government responses and requires nuanced approaches considering unique contexts. The decline in traditionally high-trust countries highlights challenges even in established social contexts. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers aiming to foster trust during health crises.

Internal Ties and Stock Price Crash Risk: Evidence from Chinese Listed Firms

Drawing on information advantage and executive entrenchment perspectives, this study examines the impact of internal ties between independent directors and non‐CEO executives (hereafter, internal ties) on stock price crashes. Utilizing a dataset covering Chinese listed firms spanning 2005 to 2021, we find that internal ties alleviate information asymmetry between the board and management, reducing future stock price crash risk. This supports the information advantage hypothesis. Further analysis reveals the effect of internal ties on stock price crash risk is more evident in high social trust regions and among non‐state‐owned enterprises (non‐SOEs). Mechanism tests demonstrate that financial opacity and financial reporting conservatism are economic mechanisms through which internal ties affect stock price crashes. Our research sheds new light regarding the significance of internal ties in corporate governance and enriches the literature on internal governance.

Perceptions of Palliative Care Among Patients With Kidney Allograft Dysfunction: A Qualitative Study

Rationale & ObjectiveNearly half of kidney transplant recipients develop allograft failure within 10 years of transplantation and experience high mortality, significant symptom burden, and complex communication challenges. These patients may benefit from palliative care, but palliative care is infrequently provided in this population. This study explores palliative care perceptions and needs among patients with poorly functioning and declining kidney allografts. Study DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Setting & ParticipantsAdult kidney transplant recipients with a glomerular filtration rate <20 ml/min/1.73m2 followed at a single transplant center were interviewed from April to November 2022. Analytical ApproachAn interdisciplinary team, including nephrology, palliative care, and surgery, conducted a thematic analysis. ResultsTwelve participants (3 women, 9 men; 9 White, 2 Black, and 1 Hispanic patient) were interviewed. The median age of participants was 59 (IQR 48-73). At six months post-interview, seven participants had resumed dialysis, one participant had been retransplanted, and one participant was deceased. Most participants had not heard of palliative care and those who had equated it with end-of-life care. Participants reported that emotional distress, particularly pervasive concern about the worsening of their kidney disease, was their most significant priority related to unmet palliative care needs. They also desired more discussion with their care team about future quality-of-life and lifespan. Participants described high trust in their transplant teams, suggesting that palliative care integration with these teams would be well-received. LimitationsLimitations include recruitment from a single institution, lack of subject familiarity with palliative care, and limited racial and ethnic diversity among participants. ConclusionsPatients with declining kidney allografts have heterogeneous, unmet palliative care needs, including emotional symptoms and a desire for better prognostic awareness. Our results suggest that patients are largely unaware of palliative care and may benefit from practice models in which transplant teams integrate palliative care education and timely palliative care engagement.

The Digital Siren’s Call: Accepting Unethical AI Advice

The growing ubiquity of artificial intelligence (AI) in business raises concerns about how humans perceive AI-generated advice, especially in ethical contexts. This study, using a preregistered experiment, explores whether people are more likely to accept unethical business advice from AI compared to human advisors, and examines how individual differences in moral reasoning, decision-making style, and trust in AI influence this acceptance. Participants were presented with business decisions based on advice from either an AI or a human, with advice varying in ethicality. Results showed participants were more likely to accept unethical advice from AI than from human advisors. Lower moral reasoning, an intuitive decision-making style, and higher trust in AI were associated with greater acceptance of unethical AI advice. These findings emphasize the risks of overreliance on AI in decision-making and the importance of promoting ethical AI use in business.

Exploring Racial Disparities in Awareness and Perceptions of Oncology Clinical Trials: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Baseline Data From the mychoice Study.

Black/African American adults are underrepresented in oncology clinical trials in the United States, despite efforts at narrowing this disparity. This study aims to explore differences in how Black/African American oncology patients perceive clinical trials to improve support for the clinical trial participation decision-making process. As part of a larger randomized controlled trial, a total of 244 adult oncology patients receiving active treatment or follow-up care completed a cross-sectional baseline survey on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical trial knowledge, health literacy, perceptions of cancer clinical trials, patient activation, patient advocacy, health care self-efficacy, decisional conflict, and clinical trial intentions. Self-reported race was dichotomized into Black/African American and non-Black/African American. As appropriate, 2-tailed t tests and chi-square tests of independence were used to examine differences between groups. Black/African American participants had lower clinical trial knowledge (P=.006), lower health literacy (P<.001), and more medical mistrust (all P values <.05) than non-Black/African American participants. While intentions to participate in a clinical trial, if offered, did not vary between Black/African American and non-Black/African American participants, Black/African American participants indicated lower awareness of clinical trials, fewer benefits of clinical trials, and more uncertainty around clinical trial decision-making (all P values <.05). There were no differences for other variables. Despite no significant differences in intent to participate in a clinical trial if offered and high overall trust in individual health care providers among both groups, beliefs persist about barriers to and benefits of clinical trial participation among Black/African American patients. Findings highlight specific ways that education and resources about clinical trials could be tailored to better suit the informational and decision-making needs and preferences of Black/African American oncology patients.