Papers

Peer-reviewed
Jan, 2013

Two ways to overcome social uncertainty in social support networks: A test of the emancipation theory of trust by comparing kin/nonkin relationships

JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
  • Itaru Ishiguro
  • ,
  • Yoichi Okamoto

Volume
55
Number
1
First page
1
Last page
11
Language
English
Publishing type
Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI
10.1111/j.1468-5884.2012.00536.x
Publisher
WILEY-BLACKWELL

Many findings of previous research have supported the predictions of the emancipation theory of trust (Yamagishi, 2011) in experimental settings. Although the key concept of the theory is social uncertainty, few studies of the concept have been conducted in natural settings. In the present study, we operationally defined social uncertainty by comparing kin and nonkin relationships. We analyzed survey data representative of the Japanese population and compared the exchange of social support between kin and nonkin. The prediction was that commitment helps respondents construct cooperative nonkin relationships more than it does kin relationships, and general trust helps only resource-rich respondents to do so. The results supported the predictions. The study found significant interactions with relationship type x commitment and relationship type x household income x general trust. The patterns of mean score for social support exchanged were consistent with the predictions. High trusters with low household income exchanged more support independent of the relationship type.

Link information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5884.2012.00536.x
Web of Science
https://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=JSTA_CEL&SrcApp=J_Gate_JST&DestLinkType=FullRecord&KeyUT=WOS:000312998900001&DestApp=WOS_CPL
ID information
  • DOI : 10.1111/j.1468-5884.2012.00536.x
  • ISSN : 0021-5368
  • eISSN : 1468-5884
  • Web of Science ID : WOS:000312998900001

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