The Significance of Trust in the Experience of Well-being and Hope
Author:
Brooke CampbellMentor:
Virgil H. Adams III PH.D., Program Chair & Associate Professor of Psychology, California State University Channel IslandsResearchers have suggested that trust is one of the most essential elements for the building of happy, productive relationships. This study focuses on trust and it’s relation with well-being and hope. In Snyder’s Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, hope is defined as a goal achievement mechanism that includes an interactive process of planning routes to goals and the agency or motivation to achieve those goals. Trust was measured using the Dyadic Trust Scale. It is suggested that trust enhances security and lowers inhibitions in order for people to be intimate in their relationships with others. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale was used to measure psychological well-being. In this model, well-being encompasses positive thoughts and feelings. This study is based upon survey of adults throughout Southern California (n=663). Participants were selected at random from public locations [beaches, malls etc]. It was hypothesized that if one is able to trust others more, then they would be happier and more successful in goal driven behavior. Findings supported the hypothesis in that there was a significant correlation between trust and well-being as well as between trust and hope. Further, through the use of a Hierarchal Regression model it was determined that trust could account for variance in well-being and hope even after controlling for age, gender, education, marital status, and household income. Results indicated a significant relationship between trust, well-being and hope. The discussion focuses on the relationship between well-being, hope, and trust and implications of these finding for future non-romantic relationships.