Investigation of adaptive behavior in formation of mutually trusting relationship

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13455
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Takahashi Nobuyuki 北海道大学, 文学研究科, 准教授 (80333582)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 協力 / 信頼 / 互恵性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The current research project aims to investigate the relationship between the mechanism that explains societal differences of trust and the mechanism that explains trust building within dyads. Two laboratory experiments were conducted. The result of the first experiment showed that trust developed as a result of a high level of cooperation in repeated interaction. Trustworthiness did not develop, however. The result of the second experiment showed that the trustworthiness of the trustee was not higher when he felt that he was trusted more than the other trustees. These results imply that further investigation of the process of trust and trustworthiness is necessary.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社会において信頼が重要な役割を果たすということには、社会科学全般において広く合意が存在する。しかし、これまでは信頼の社会差を説明する研究と、二者間で構築される信頼関係についての研究は、独立して行われてきた。本研究の結果は、社会差を説明する理論では特定の二者間における信頼関係構築は説明できないことを示した点で、大きな意義がある。今後は、特に信頼性の動的な変化の可能性について、更なる検討が臨まれる。