Trustworthiness

Social relationships depend on trustworthiness. We rely on colleagues to contribute to group projects; we hope that the products we buy work as advertised; and we expect friends to live up to their promises. In other words, social life means trusting others to live up to our expectations. In addition, we expect others to conform to countless (often implicit) rules shared within a culture or society. Trust between two parties can be mutually beneficial, and unsurprisingly, trustworthiness is an important factor in organizational success, economic growth, and the functioning of personal relationships. Parents may hope that their children will grow up to be deserving of trust, but can we expect children to be trustworthy? And does trustworthiness increase (or decrease) with age?

This entry provides an ...