How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model

Trust exerts an impact on essentially all forms of social relationships. It affects individuals in deciding whether and how they will or will not interact with other people. Equally, trust also influences the stance of entire nations in their mutual dealings. In consequence, understanding the factor...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: P. A. Hancock, Theresa T. Kessler, Alexandra D. Kaplan, Kimberly Stowers, J. Christopher Brill, Deborah R. Billings, Kristin E. Schaefer, James L. Szalma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1081086/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849390686253613056
author P. A. Hancock
Theresa T. Kessler
Alexandra D. Kaplan
Kimberly Stowers
J. Christopher Brill
Deborah R. Billings
Kristin E. Schaefer
James L. Szalma
author_facet P. A. Hancock
Theresa T. Kessler
Alexandra D. Kaplan
Kimberly Stowers
J. Christopher Brill
Deborah R. Billings
Kristin E. Schaefer
James L. Szalma
author_sort P. A. Hancock
collection DOAJ
description Trust exerts an impact on essentially all forms of social relationships. It affects individuals in deciding whether and how they will or will not interact with other people. Equally, trust also influences the stance of entire nations in their mutual dealings. In consequence, understanding the factors that influence the decision to trust, or not to trust, is crucial to the full spectrum of social dealings. Here, we report the most comprehensive extant meta-analysis of experimental findings relating to such human-to-human trust. Our analysis provides a quantitative evaluation of the factors that influence interpersonal trust, the initial propensity to trust, as well as an assessment of the general trusting of others. Over 2,000 relevant studies were initially identified for potential inclusion in the meta-analysis. Of these, (n = 338) passed all screening criteria and provided therefrom a total of (n = 2,185) effect sizes for analysis. The identified dependent variables were trustworthiness, propensity to trust, general trust, and the trust that supervisors and subordinates express in each other. Correlational results demonstrated that a large range of trustor, trustee, and shared, contextual factors impact each of trustworthiness, the propensity to trust, and trust within working relationships. The emphasis in the present work on contextual factors being one of several trust dimensions herein originated. Experimental results established that the reputation of the trustee and the shared closeness of trustor and trustee were the most predictive factors of trustworthiness outcome. From these collective findings, we propose an elaborated, overarching descriptive theory of trust in which special note is taken of the theory’s application to the growing human need to trust in non-human entities. The latter include diverse forms of automation, robots, artificially intelligent entities, as well as specific implementations such as driverless vehicles to name but a few. Future directions as to the momentary dynamics of trust development, its sustenance and its dissipation are also evaluated.
format Article
id doaj-art-4694c1f2a93e4d74a651c2ec94b51fae
institution Kabale University
issn 1664-1078
language English
publishDate 2023-03-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Psychology
spelling doaj-art-4694c1f2a93e4d74a651c2ec94b51fae2025-08-20T03:41:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-03-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.10810861081086How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated modelP. A. Hancock0Theresa T. Kessler1Alexandra D. Kaplan2Kimberly Stowers3J. Christopher Brill4Deborah R. Billings5Kristin E. Schaefer6James L. Szalma7Department of Psychology and Institute for Simulation and Training, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United StatesDepartment of Management, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United StatesUnited States Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, NV, United StatesBroky Consulting, LLC, Hillsboro, OR, United StatesDEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Adelphi, MD, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United StatesTrust exerts an impact on essentially all forms of social relationships. It affects individuals in deciding whether and how they will or will not interact with other people. Equally, trust also influences the stance of entire nations in their mutual dealings. In consequence, understanding the factors that influence the decision to trust, or not to trust, is crucial to the full spectrum of social dealings. Here, we report the most comprehensive extant meta-analysis of experimental findings relating to such human-to-human trust. Our analysis provides a quantitative evaluation of the factors that influence interpersonal trust, the initial propensity to trust, as well as an assessment of the general trusting of others. Over 2,000 relevant studies were initially identified for potential inclusion in the meta-analysis. Of these, (n = 338) passed all screening criteria and provided therefrom a total of (n = 2,185) effect sizes for analysis. The identified dependent variables were trustworthiness, propensity to trust, general trust, and the trust that supervisors and subordinates express in each other. Correlational results demonstrated that a large range of trustor, trustee, and shared, contextual factors impact each of trustworthiness, the propensity to trust, and trust within working relationships. The emphasis in the present work on contextual factors being one of several trust dimensions herein originated. Experimental results established that the reputation of the trustee and the shared closeness of trustor and trustee were the most predictive factors of trustworthiness outcome. From these collective findings, we propose an elaborated, overarching descriptive theory of trust in which special note is taken of the theory’s application to the growing human need to trust in non-human entities. The latter include diverse forms of automation, robots, artificially intelligent entities, as well as specific implementations such as driverless vehicles to name but a few. Future directions as to the momentary dynamics of trust development, its sustenance and its dissipation are also evaluated.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1081086/fulltrustorstrusteesmeta-analysistrustdispositional trust
spellingShingle P. A. Hancock
Theresa T. Kessler
Alexandra D. Kaplan
Kimberly Stowers
J. Christopher Brill
Deborah R. Billings
Kristin E. Schaefer
James L. Szalma
How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model
Frontiers in Psychology
trustors
trustees
meta-analysis
trust
dispositional trust
title How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model
title_full How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model
title_fullStr How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model
title_full_unstemmed How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model
title_short How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model
title_sort how and why humans trust a meta analysis and elaborated model
topic trustors
trustees
meta-analysis
trust
dispositional trust
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1081086/full
work_keys_str_mv AT pahancock howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT theresatkessler howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT alexandradkaplan howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT kimberlystowers howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT jchristopherbrill howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT deborahrbillings howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT kristineschaefer howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel
AT jameslszalma howandwhyhumanstrustametaanalysisandelaboratedmodel