Generalized Trust in the Mirror: An Agent-Based Model on the Dynamics of Trust

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

High levels of trust have been linked to a variety of benefits including the well-functioning of markets and political institutions or the ability of societies to solve public goods problems endogenously. While there is extensive literature on the macro-level determinants of trust, the micro-level processes underlying the emergence and stability of trust are not yet sufficiently understood. We address this lacuna by means of a computer model. In this paper, conditions under which trust is likely to emerge and be sustained are identified. We focus our analysis mainly on the individual characteristics of agents: their social or geographical mobility, their attitude towards others or their general uncertainty about the environment. Contrary to predictions from previous literature, we show that immobile agents are detrimental to both, the emergence and robustness of trust. Additionally, we identify a hidden link between trusting others and being trustworthy.

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• Alternative title: Gesellschaftliches Vertrauen in Reflektion: Eine agentenbasierte Modellierung von Vertrauensdynamiken
• ISSN: 0172-6404
• Extent: Seite(n): 234-258
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Historical Social Research, 43(1)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie ; Psychologie ; Erhebungstechniken und Analysetechniken der Sozialwissenschaften ; Sozialpsychologie ; institutionelle Faktoren ; Wahrnehmung ; Gruppendynamik ; Gesellschaft ; Simulation ; Asymmetrie ; kulturelle Faktoren ; Informationsaufnahme ; Mobilität ; Verhalten ; Gesellschaftstheorie ; soziale Entwicklung ; Interaktionsforschung ; Theoriebildung ; Computer ; Vertrauen ; Interaktion ; Modellentwicklung

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Klein, Dominik ; Marx, Johannes
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Deutschland
• (when): 2018

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.43.2018.1.234-258
• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-56458-2
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln