Ben-Ner,Avner and Freyr Halldorsson. 2010. Trusting and trustworthiness: What are they, how to measure them, and what affects them. Journal of Economic Psychology 31:64-79.
a b s t r a c t
The study examines trust by investigating potential determinants (factors
determined at birth and childhood) and correlates (various views and attitudes)
of trusting and trustworthiness. We examine behavioral and survey measures and
conclude that the amount sent
in the trust game is a good, albeit partial and overreaching, measure of one
facet of trust. Common survey measures of trusting capture well other facets of
trusting. The proportion sent back in the trust game represents well
trustworthiness in the specific context in which it was developed, an
investment situation, but falls short in capturing other facets of
trustworthiness. The Machiavellian scale appears to be a weak measure of any
facets of trustworthiness. Gender is the primary determinant of
investment-related facet of trusting, and personality is a strong determinant
of other facets. One personality trait – agreeableness– explains investment-related
trustworthiness.