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Trust and reciprocity: misunderstandings

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Abstract

We contest a reductive view of trust, quite diffused in economics, and in studies influenced by the Game-Theory framework: the idea that trust has necessarily to do with contexts requiring “reciprocation”; or that trust is trust in the other’s reciprocation. A multi-layer cognitive model of trust will be proposed. Trust is not conceived only as an attitude towards the other, implying different kinds of beliefs (evaluations, expectations, beliefs on the other”s motives, etc.), but also as a willingness to rely on others that makes us dependent and vulnerable to them, as well as a concrete act of reliance based on this. Not necessarily we trust people because they will be willing to reciprocate; and we do not necessarily reciprocate for reciprocating. Trust (even “genuine” trust) is based on a variety of motivations ascribed to others and makes prevail the adoption of our needs and goals: from “altruism” to “self-interest”, from reciprocation to norms or to affective reasons.

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Notes

  1. “Peace is not the absence of war; it is a virtue, a state of soul. It is a disposition to benevolence, to trust, to justice” (Baruch Spinoza).

  2. The anti-social corresponding bilateral structure is just: hostility (the disposition not to help or even to do harm) confronting distrust and diffidence.

  3. Even in asynchronous “exchanges”, even if X acts before Y, and Y acts after X’s “help”, Y is trusting X. Not necessarily at the very moment of doing his own share, but before, at the very moment of accepting X’s help, and relying on it. Of course, in asynchronous “exchanges” X’s trust in Y is broader and more risky: she has additionally to believe (before concrete evidences) that Y will do the expected action, while Y has some evidence of this (but perhaps deceptive).

  4. In other words here we have a double and symmetric structure (at least in X mind) of goal-adoption and reliance (see later).

  5. Notice that X might also adopt Y’s goals, while expecting his “cooperation”, not as a means for this. X might for example be an anticipatory reciprocator since she knows that Y is doing an act in her favor, she wants to reciprocate and—in advance—she does something for Y.

  6. Someone would prefer another term, say “confidence”, but this is just a (reasonable) technical convention, not the real use and meaning of such words.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been carried out within the ESF Project “The Social and Mental Dynamics of Cooperation”, and the “For Trust” Project, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, France.

I would like to thank Rino Falcone, co-author of our theory of trust; Luca Tummolini and Francesca Marzo for our discussions on cognition and economics, on reciprocity, etc.; Vittorio Pelligra for an interesting debate; and an anonymous reviewer of this journal for precious editing remarks, as well as Federica Mattei for her help.

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Correspondence to Cristiano Castelfranchi.

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Castelfranchi, C. Trust and reciprocity: misunderstandings. Int. Rev. Econ. 55, 45–63 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12232-008-0041-x

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