Who is trustworthy? Predicting trustworthy intentions and behavior

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Social Science

Background:

• Trust research primarily focuses on trustors, not trustworthiness.
• Understanding the predictors of trustworthy behavior is crucial for social and economic interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate personality traits predicting trustworthiness.
• To identify the underlying mechanisms of trustworthiness.
• To explore interventions for enhancing trustworthiness.

Main Methods:

• Six studies employed economic games to measure trustworthy behavior.
• Survey items assessed trustworthy intentions and personality traits.
• Interpersonal responsibility was measured and manipulated.

Main Results:

• Guilt-proneness significantly predicts trustworthiness, outperforming other personality measures.
• Sense of interpersonal responsibility mediates the relationship between guilt-proneness and trustworthiness.
• Individuals high in guilt-proneness exhibit more trustworthy behavior when responsible for others' outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Guilt-proneness is a key trait for predicting trustworthiness.
• Interpersonal responsibility is a critical factor influencing trustworthy behavior.
• Findings provide a foundation for understanding and enhancing trustworthiness in various contexts.