The effect of propensity to trust and perceptions of trustworthiness on trust behaviors in dyads

• Published in: Behavior research methods Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 1906 - 1920
• Main Authors: Alarcon, Gene M., Lyons, Joseph B., Christensen, James C., Klosterman, Samantha L., Bowers, Margaret A., Ryan, Tyler J., Jessup, Sarah A., Wynne, Kevin T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-10-2018
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral Research - methods; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Cognitive Psychology; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Perception; Psychology; Trust; Video Games; Young Adult; Survival analysis; Structural equation modeling; Social interaction; Trust; Multilevel
• ISSN: 1554-3528; 1554-3528
• DOI: 10.3758/s13428-017-0959-6

Research on trust has burgeoned in the last few decades. Despite the growing interest in trust, little is known about trusting behaviors in non-dichotomous trust games. The current study explored propensity to trust, trustworthiness, and trust behaviors in a new computer-mediated trust relevant task. We used multivariate multilevel survival analysis (MMSA) to analyze behaviors across time. Results indicated propensity to trust did not influence trust behaviors. However, trustworthiness perceptions influenced initial trust behaviors and trust behaviors influenced subsequent trustworthiness perceptions. Indeed, behaviors fully mediated the relationship of trustworthiness perceptions over time. The study demonstrated the utility of MMSA and the new trust game, Checkmate, as viable research methods and stimuli for assessing the loci of trust.