Dynamics of Trust - Trust Theory: A Socio-Cognitive and Computational Model - page 159

to increase
values of X's
trust beliefs

implies/
facilitates implies/

facilitates

Comm
Rel

Comm
Rel

' Y

X Y Y X

to increase
values of Y's
trust beliefs

implies/
facilitates

implies/
facilitates

X

Communication (Re liance )

X Y

Communication (Reliance ')

Figure 6.8 Reciprocal Trust and involved mental attitudes

mechanism of trust producing trust in exchange? 5 In my trust about your willingness to
exchange (help and delegation) is included my trust that you trust me (and then delegate and
then accept to help): if you do not trust me, you will not delegate me and then you will not
adopt my goal. And vice versa. Now my trusting you (your believing that I trust you) may
increase your trust in me as for delegating for exchange: since I delegate to you, (conditionally,
by exchange) you can believe that I am willing to adopt your goal, so you can delegate to
me. There are also other means to change Y 's willingness to trust us and delegate to us (and
then for example exchange with us). Suppose for example that X is not sure about Y trusting
her because of some bad reputation or some prejudice about her. She can change Y 's opinion
about herself (ex. through some recommendation letter, or showing her good behavior in other
interactions) in order to improve Y 's trust in X and then Y 's willingness, and then her own trust
in delegating to him.
An interesting concept is the so-called reciprocal trust that is not simply bilateral trust .It
is not sufficient that X trusts Y and Y trusts X at the same time. For example, X relies on Y for

5 In general, in reciprocal relationship, trust elicits trust. This is also typical in friendship. If he trusts me (in relation
to keeping secrets, not cheating, and not making fun of), he cannot have aggressive motives against me (he would
expose himself to retaliation; he should feel antipathy, but antipathy does not support confidence). So, he must be
benevolent, able to keep secrets, not cheat on me, and not make fun of me: this is my trust in reciprocating confidences.