A cross-cultural exploratory comparison of trust in interpersonal relationships

A number of studies based on interdependence theory have identified relevant knowledge structures and tendencies that influence interpersonal interactions in general, contributing to the maintenance of relationships. As an expectation towards the partner, and because of its widespread effects, trust has been a major area of interest within this field, although research in various cultural contexts is still scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to conduct a comparison of interpersonal trust content in four global regions with widely different cultural contexts (East Asia, West Asia, North America, South America). Undergraduate students in each country were asked to describe a “trusting relationship” in their own words. Using emergent thematic coding in the original languages, “honesty,” “secret-holding,” “supportiveness,” and “no fear/no worries in the relationship” emerged as important descriptors in all four cultural contexts. Unique themes also emerged for each country. In Brazil (n = 149), respondents highlighted “complicity” and “calmness/harmony.” In Canada (n = 184) and Iran (n = 146), “love” emerged as an important descriptor, and in Taiwan (n = 110), a unique theme that emerged was “silent mutual understanding.” The study provides cross-cultural examination of descriptions of what trust in a relationship is, brings new insights into how this construct is distinctively perceived by individuals in different cultures, and suggests that societal culture plays a role in expectations of trust and trustworthiness in relationships.

Keywords: Trust; Interpersonal Relationships; Interdependence Theory; Cross-Cultural Comparison.