Trusting others who vary in consistency between their personal standards and behavior: Differences by age, gender, and honesty trust beliefs

Abstract

Abstract Three studies examined age, gender, and trust belief differences in using the consistency principle to judge the trustworthiness of persons who varied in the consistency between their personal standards and behavior. The participants were 78 adults ( Mage = 22 years) in Study 1, 160 children from four age groups (6‐7, 8–9, 10–11, and 12–13, year‐olds) in Study 2, and 46 10–11‐year‐olds in Study 3 ( N = 284). Approximately equal numbers of predominately White males and females participated. They judged the trustworthiness of persons who demonstrated consistency or inconsistency between their personal standards and behavior. It was found that adults, 12–13‐year‐olds, 10–11‐year‐olds, and 10–11‐year‐olds with high honesty trust beliefs in others judged the inconsistent persons as less trustworthy than consistent persons. Those participant samples judged inconsistent persons as untrustworthy and consistent persons as trustworthy. Male adults and 12–13‐year‐olds judged consistent persons as more trustworthy than their female counterparts. There are age trends, gender differences, and differences in honesty trust beliefs in the use of consistency principle to judge the trustworthiness of persons varying in the consistency between their personal standards and behavior.