ABSTRACT
A key question we address in our interactions with others is whether they can be trusted. We seek information about the trustworthiness of other individuals before we assess their ability or friendliness. Other people’s behaviors do not necessarily reveal this information, so we use alternative cues to help us decide whether or not to trust them. In the absence of concrete information, we infer likely motives and intentions from who these others are, and the way we relate to them. Differences in power positions affect our inclination to trust others. Paradoxically, actions we take to make us less dependent on other people’s intentions reduce the likelihood that we can trust them.
