Is the Effect of Trust on Risk Perceptions a Matter of Knowledge, Control, and Time? An Extension and Direct-Replication Attempt of Siegrist and Cvetkovich (2000)

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Shiva Pauer - , University of Amsterdam, Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg (Helmut-Schmidt Universität Hamburg) (Autor:in)
  • Bastiaan T. Rutjens - , University of Amsterdam (Autor:in)
  • Cameron Brick - , University of Amsterdam, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Autor:in)
  • Aaron B. Lob - , University of Amsterdam, Universität Zürich (Autor:in)
  • Benjamin Buttlar - , Universität Trier (Autor:in)
  • Marret K. Noordewier - , Leiden University (Autor:in)
  • Iris K. Schneider - , Professur für Sozialpsychologie, Technische Universität Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Frenk van Harreveld - , University of Amsterdam, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (Autor:in)

Abstract

The complexity of societal risks such as pandemics, artificial intelligence, and climate change may lead laypeople to rely on experts and authorities when evaluating these threats. While Siegrist and Cvetkovich showed that competence-based trust in authorities correlates with perceived societal risks and benefits only when people feel unknowledgeable, recent research has yielded mixed support for this foundational work. To address this discrepancy, we conducted a direct-replication study (preregistered; 1,070 participants, 33 risks, 35,310 observations). The results contradict the original findings. However, additional non-preregistered analyses indicate an alternative perspective aligning with compensatory control theory and the description-experience framework: experiences with insufficient personal control over a threat may amplify individuals’ dependency on powerful others for risk mitigation. These findings highlight the need to reevaluate how trust shapes risk perceptions. Recent societal and technological shifts might have heightened the desire for control compared to subjective knowledge in why people resort to trust.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seitenumfang16
FachzeitschriftSocial Psychological and Personality Science
Jahrgang15
Ausgabenummer8
PublikationsstatusAngenommen/Im Druck - 2024
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Schlagwörter

  • experiential learning, personal control, risk, subjective knowledge, trust