Trust In Psychology

Question 1

Rotter 1967
A new scale for the measurement of interpersonal trust

Definition of trust

Answer 1

Trust is an expectancy held by an individual or a group that the word, promise, verbal or written statement of another individual or group can be relied upon

Question 2

Frost, Stimpson and Maughan 1978
Some correlates of trust

Definition of trust

Answer 2

Trust is an expectancy held by an individual that the behaviour of another person or a group will be altruistic and personally beneficial

Question 3

How do psychologists view trust?

Dispositional trust

Answer 3

They emphasise the trustors willingness to trust. They have found that experiences in life can effect a persons predisposition to trust. And that those with a high predisposition to trust will act in a more trustworthy manner

Rousseau et al. 1998, not so different after all a cross discipline view of trust

Question 4

Characteristics of the view of trust taken by psychologists

Answer 4

Trust appears in situations where unfavourable outcomes appear- so there is an element of risk

Trust is a psychological state

Trust can be placed in both institutions and individuals