Dynamics of Trust - Trust Theory: A Socio-Cognitive and Computational Model - page 178

6.7 The Relativity of Trust: Reasons for Trust Crisis
As we saw so far in this chapter, trust dynamics is a complex and quite interesting phenomenon.
Its diverse nature depends on the many and interacting elements on which trust is essentially
based (as shown in this topic). One of the main consequences of a complex trust dynamics is
the fact that it produces what we generally call crisis of trust . And they could be different and
articulated on the basis of the causes from which they derive.
To analyze the situations in which trust relationship can enter into a crisis (and in case
to collapse) in depth we have to take into consideration the different elements we have
introduced into our trust model as showed in Chapters 2 and 3. In fact, there are interesting
and complex dynamical interactions among the different basic elements for trusting that have
to be considered when evaluating the trust crisis phenomena.
We show the different trust crises starting from the basic trust model and increase it with
the complexities needed to describe the complete phenomenon of trust.
As we saw, we call the trustor ( X ) with a goal ( g X ) that she wants achieve by a delegation to
another agent ( Y ) assigning to him the task ( τ ). This delegation is based on two of X 's main

beliefs:

i) The fact that Y has the features for achieving the task (in our model they are represented
by competences, skills, resources, tools, but also by willingness, persistence, honesty,
morality, and so on); these features must be sufficient to achieve the involved task (we
made use of thresholds for measuring this sufficiency (see Chapter 3); and these thresholds
were dependant on both the goal's relevance, the potential damages in case of failure, the
personality of the agent, etc.).
ii) The fact that the task

is believed appropriate for achieving a world state favouring (or
directly achieving) the goal g X (see Figure 6.17).

τ

In this first simplified trust model, X can 'revise' her own trust in Y on τ (and then go in a

trust crisis) on the basis of different reasons:

i) she can change her own beliefs on Y about his features (for example, X does not evaluate
Y sufficiently able and/or motivated for the task );

ii) X can change her own beliefs about the appropriateness of the task

τ

τ for the achievement

is not useful (in X 's view) for achieving the
world state p ; or may be p no longer satisfies the goal g X ;
iii) in X 's mind the value (and then the relevance) of the goal g X can change or it is suddenly
achieved by other means.

of the considered goal: maybe the action α

In fact, a more developed and appropriate model of trust gives us additional elements for
the analysis. We have to consider the constitutive components of the two main attitudes of Y
(competence and willingness). As shown in Figure 2.15 in Chapter 2, there are many sources
for these main beliefs. And they can change. At the same time, X could/should consider how
the context/environment in which the task has to be realized changes in its turn: in this way
introducing facilitant or impeding elements with respect to the original standard (or previously
evaluated) situation (see Figure 6.18).