Trust and Distrust New Relationships and Realities - Research Proposal Example

The present knowledge of trust and cooperation at the interpersonal level has three vital defects. The first defect is that much of the recent literature of trust is purely based on theoretical concepts. In addition to this, the process through which trust strikes cooperative behavior has not been exhaustively tested through empirical observation. The second shortcoming is that much of the literature assumes that trust leads to the highest degree of cooperation. Despite what has been learned, there are three critical shortcomings to the current knowledge of trust and cooperation at the interpersonal level of analysis.

First, much of the recent trust literature has been purely theoretical and the process through which trust Second, much of the literature assumes that trust must lead to a high degree of cooperation. For example, behavioral assessment theorists have operationalized trust as conjunctive conduct, thus rendering the same treatment to trust and cooperation and assuming it as one and the same (Arrow, 1974). The same thing has been said by several other authors as well. Nevertheless, there is a need for more research on this topic and some authors state that there should be the greater insertion of social elements, particularly social standards, in the subject of trust.