Cooperative, pure, and selfish trusting: Their distinctive effects on the reaction of trust recipients

Oren Eilam, Ramzi Suleiman

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Three types of trusting have been distinguished conceptually and empirically. In cooperative trusting the trust giver explicitly expects a reaction from the trust recipient that fits with the equality norm. In pure trusting, no explicit expectation is expressed by the giver. In selfish trusting the giver explicitly expects a reaction that benefits himself or herself at the expense of the recipient. We asked whether the three types of trust elicit distinctive reactions from trust recipients. Each participant was paired with a fictitious player who ostensibly enabled him or her to divide money between them. As hypothesized, both cooperative and pure trusting elicited more equal allocations than did selfish trusting. A second hypothesis, that cooperative trust would yield more equal allocations than pure trust, was not supported. Results are discussed in terms of equality norm, self-interest norm, reciprocity norm, reactance theory, social sanctioning, and the need to comply with others' expectations.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)729-738
Number of pages10
JournalEuropean Journal of Social Psychology
Volume34
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2004

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology

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