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

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Trust is fundamental to social interactions, influencing individual and international relations.
• Understanding trust dynamics is crucial for navigating social and professional environments.
• Existing research on trust factors is vast but lacks comprehensive synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct the most comprehensive meta-analysis of experimental findings on human-to-human trust.
• To quantitatively evaluate factors influencing interpersonal trust, propensity to trust, and general trust.
• To develop an overarching descriptive theory of trust applicable to both human and non-human entities.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search identifying over 2,000 relevant studies.
• Inclusion of 338 studies yielding 2,185 effect sizes for analysis.
• Analysis of dependent variables including trustworthiness, propensity to trust, general trust, and workplace trust.

Main Results:

• Numerous trustor, trustee, and contextual factors significantly impact trust.
• Trustee reputation and shared closeness emerged as the strongest predictors of trustworthiness.
• Contextual factors were identified as a critical, often overlooked, dimension of trust.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive understanding of trust requires considering individual, relational, and contextual elements.
• The findings support an elaborated trust theory with implications for human-AI interaction.
• Future research should explore the temporal dynamics of trust development, maintenance, and erosion.