Development of the Trust Pathway and Distrust Pathway Models

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Psychology
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Student trust is crucial for academic success, influencing affect, engagement, and performance.
• Existing literature lacks a comprehensive process model detailing how specific events impact student trust and subsequent outcomes.
• Affective Events Theory provides a framework for understanding the link between workplace events and emotional/attitudinal responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop process models illustrating the pathway from instructor actions to student trust, affect, behavior, and perceived performance in baccalaureate nursing students.
• To identify specific events that foster or erode student trust in nursing instructors.
• To explore the affective reactions, attitudes, and behaviors resulting from these trust-related events.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing focus groups with 77 baccalaureate nursing students.
• Students described events related to trusting or distrusting an instructor.
• Analysis focused on affective reactions, attitudes, behaviors, and perceived performance impacts.

Main Results:

• Two distinct models emerged: the Trust Pathway Model and the Distrust Pathway Model.
• These models depict the temporal sequence of how instructor actions are appraised, leading to affective responses, attitudes, and affect-driven behaviors.
• The models highlight critical points where trust can be built or repaired, influencing learning-relevant behaviors and perceived performance.

Conclusions:

• Instructor actions significantly shape student trust through appraisal and affective responses, directly impacting learning behaviors and perceived performance.
• The developed Trust and Distrust Pathway Models offer a nuanced understanding of trust dynamics in nursing education.
• Identifying leverage points within these models can guide interventions to enhance student-instructor trust and improve educational outcomes.