EFFECTS OF POWER AND INFLUENCE TACTICS ON TRUST IN SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS: EVIDENCE FROM THE TRUST GAME

Abstract

Social actors use various tactics to build and manage trust in relationships. We examine two of the most commonly employed tactics in social relationships - threats (hard tactics) and promises (soft tactics) - and their effects on trust. We also examine the role that effects of power mindset - feelings of powerfulness and powerlessness - on trust dynamics. In study 1, we find that while soft tactics facilities trust development, hard tactics are detrimental to building trust. In study 2, while soft tactics are in general facilitate trust building across both low and high power actors, hard tactics inhibit trust development most among high power actors. We also report differences in trust behaviors and trust ratings across the two studies. We discuss the implications of our findings for building trust between actors in a social hierarchy.