To Trust or Not to Trust: Social Affiliations as Predictors

• In Event: 568 - Section on Altruism, Morality and Social Solidarity Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Altruism, Morality and Social Solidarity Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Groups, Trust, and Political Views

Abstract

The relationship between social affiliation and generalized trust is an often pondered yet unstudied one. Using data from the 2006 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey this study employs binary logistic regression analysis to determine if social affiliations such business or professional organization membership, trade/labor union membership or the number of one's confidants predicts an individual generalized trust. I find that members of business/professional organizations are far less trusting than non-members, females are more trusting than males, people become more trusting as they age. Further, I find that union membership is not a predictor of trust level and that having multiple confidants to trust actually makes people less trusting than people with only one confidant.

Author

• Valarie J Bell, Texas Woman's University