Work

Investigating the patterns and measurement of general trust across disciplines, methods, and levels of analysis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates how general trust is measured and expressed across psychological and survey research, using diverse methods and levels of analysis. In Study 1, self- and informant-reports on the A1: Trust facet of the NEO PI-R/3 and the Single-Item General Trust (SIGT) scale were collected from a sample of 3232 adults. Study 2 compiled country-level aggregate scores for the same measures from various sources, covering 50 countries for self-reports and 49 for informant-reports. The two measures—SIGT and the A1: Trust facet—were significantly and positively correlated across both self- and informant-reports, and at both individual and country levels. They also exhibited broadly similar patterns across gender, age, and education. Taken together, the findings help bridge gaps in the literature by providing cross-disciplinary evidence for general trust as a construct and by identifying key similarities and differences in its measurement and demographic correlates across psychological and survey-based approaches.

Source: European Journal of Personality

DOI: 10.1177/08902070251389080

Authors: Anu Realo, Jüri Allik

Institutions: Tallinn University, University of Warwick, University of Tartu

Language: English

Topic: Personality Traits and Psychology

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,900

Funder: Koneen Säätiö