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Trust as a discourse: Concept and measurement strategy - First results from a study on German trust in the USA

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  • Philipp Brugger

Abstract

This article conceptualises state-level trust and presents a measurement strategy. The widespread practice of relying on the state-as-person metaphor to analyse state behaviour is problematic when ideational trust concepts are concerned. The psychological component of these concepts overstretches state personhood. However, state-level trust can be conceptualised as a discourse in which trusting images predominate and mistrusting ones are largely absent. I discuss how a state-level trust discourse differs from ideational individual trust concepts and why - despite the ontological differences - there are several functional similarities between individual and state-level trust. After investigating several processes by which a trusting discourse can be established, I develop a content analytical method to measure trusting, neutral and mistrusting images. To establish the basic applicability of this method, results from a pilot study on German trust in the USA in the early 2000s are presented. The data show a significant change in the relative prominence of trusting and mistrusting images, which coincides with important political events such as 9/11 and the 2003 Iraq invasion.

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  • Philipp Brugger, 2015. "Trust as a discourse: Concept and measurement strategy - First results from a study on German trust in the USA," Journal of Trust Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 78-100, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jtrust:v:5:y:2015:i:1:p:78-100
    DOI: 10.1080/21515581.2015.1011164
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Ping Li, 2017. "The time for transition: Future trust research," Journal of Trust Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(1), pages 1-14, January.

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