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2.6 From Disposition to Action
As we said, trust cannot be limited to a (positive) evaluation, an esteem of
Y
, and to a
potential
disposition to relying on him.
This potential can become an act
. On the basis of such a
valuation and expectation,
X
can decide to entrust
Y
within a given 'task', that is to achieve a
given goal thanks to
Y
's competent action. 'To trust' is also a
decision
and an
action
.
The decision to trust is
the decision
to depend on another person to achieve our own goals;
the free
intention
to rely on the other, to
entrust
the other for our welfare. However, to pass
from a mere potential evaluation to a reliance disposition, that is, to the beliefs supporting the
decision and the act to rely upon
Y
, the kernel ingredients we just identified are not enough.
At least a third belief (a part from that on being safe) is necessary for this: a
Dependence
Belief
.
In order to trust
Y
and delegate to him,
X
believes that either
X
needs him,
X
depends on
him (
strong dependence
), or at least that it is better for
X
to rely than to not rely on
Y
(
weak
dependence
).
In other words, when
X
trusts someone:
X
has an active goal (not just a potential one; see Section 2.6.2); and
X
is personally and not neutrally 'evaluating'
Y
; moreover;
X
is in a strategic situation (Deutsch, 1985):
X
believes that there is 'interference'
(Castelfranchi, 1998) and that her rewards, the results of her projects, depend on the actions
of another agent
Y
.
To express it more clearly, we could say that:
Strong dependence
(Sichman
et al.
, 1994), is when
X
is not able at all to achieve
her goal; she lacks skills or (internal or external) resources, while
Y
is able and in
condition to realize her goal.
Y
's action is a necessity for
X
.
Weak dependence
(Jennings, 1993), is when
X
would be able to realize her goal;
however, she prefers to delegate to
Y
, to depend on
Y
. This actually means that
X
is strongly dependent on
Y
and needs
Y
for a broader outcome, which includes
her original goal plus some additional advantage (like less effort, higher quality,
etc.). This is why she prefers and decides to delegate to
Y
. In other words,
X
is
reformulating her goal (which includes the original one: G
0
), and, relative to this
new goal, she is strongly dependent on
Y
. Then she formulates the instrumental
sub-goal (plan) about '
Y
doing the action
α
', and - of course -for this goal also
she strictly depends on
Y
.
These dependence beliefs (plus the goal
g
X
) characterize
X
's 'trusting
Y
'or
'trust in Y'
32
in
delegation. However, another crucial belief arises in
X
's mental state - supported and implied
by the previous ones - the
Fulfillment Belief
:
X
believes that
g
X
will be achieved and
p
will
32
We are stressing now the internal attribution of trust and putting aside for the moment the external circumstances
of the action (opportunities, obstacles, etc.). We will analyze this important distinction further in 2.10 about
social
trust
, and in Chapter 3 on decision.
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