PhD students, significant others, and pedagogical conversations. The importance of trusting relationships for academic development

Abstract

This study explores how trusting relationships between PhD students and their significant others contribute to the success of academic development programs, and how these programs affect trust in significant others. It introduces a definition of trust and distrust in academic development as synthesized from trust research in other disciplines. The study finds that lack of trust hinders conversations in general and about certain topics in particular. Academic development programs can improve participants’ trustworthiness by positioning them as expert conversation partners; but they may also diminish participants’ trust in significant others if PhD students’ new role conception differs from their significant others’.