Social proximity and respect for norms in trust dilemmas

Abstract

Trust is based on both rational considerations (outcomes and expectations) and moral considerations (respect for moral norms). We find that social proximity shifts the extent to which trust is perceived as a moral decision. People are more likely to trust similar strangers (partners they share personality traits with) because they feel it is the moral thing to do. In three studies, we found that partner similarity was associated with increased trust, and this effect was mediated by increased feelings of normative obligation. This mediation remained significant after controlling for expectations of reciprocity and participants' tendency to like similar partners more than dissimilar partners (Studies 1 and 2). Furthermore, the felt obligation to trust similar partners was based, in part, on a desire to avoid insulting the other party's moral character. The effect of partner similarity on feelings of obligation was weakened when distrust was no longer insulting to the trusted party's character (Study 3). These findings add to our knowledge of how social information shifts the extent to which trust is perceived as a moral decision.