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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

The Collective Trust Game: An Online Group Adaptation of the Trust Game Based on the HoneyComb Paradigm
Published on: October 20, 2022
Power decreases trust in social exchange
Oliver Schilke1, Martin Reimann2, Karen S Cook3
1Eller College of Management, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0108;
Individuals with less power in social exchanges tend to trust their partners more than those with more power. This finding challenges rational actor models and supports motivated cognition theory.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Power dynamics significantly influence social exchange relationships.
- Understanding trust in interdependent relationships is crucial across various settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how power differences (lacking vs. possessing power) affect trust in social exchange partners.
- To contrast predictions from rational actor models and motivated cognition theory regarding power and trust.
Main Methods:
- Experimental manipulation of participants' power positions based on structural dependence.
- Observation of trust perceptions and behaviors across diverse experimental paradigms and measures.
Main Results:
- Individuals with less power exhibited higher levels of trust in their exchange partners compared to more powerful individuals.
- Findings contradicted rational actor models but aligned with motivated cognition theory predictions.
Conclusions:
- Low-power individuals' desire for a trustworthy partner influences their perceptions and behaviors.
- Hope and perceived benevolence mediate the relationship between low power and increased trust.
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