关键词: 人际信任, 亲疏关系, 能力, 善意, 诚信, 人情取向

Abstract: Trust is often exercised with immediate or extended family members in China, which implies that relationship closeness could positively affect interpersonal trust. Renqing, a set of Chinese social norms to get along well with others, also has a positive influence on trust. Moreover, an individual’s trustworthiness, including ability, benevolence, and integrity, are important antecedents of interpersonal trust. Based on extant theories, we attempt to build a systematic mechanism by investigating the influence of relationship closeness, perceived trustworthiness and Renqing orientation on interpersonal trust. Our study contains two experimental research. The theme scenario selected is the classical investment game (trust game). Besides, all participants completed “Inclusion of Other in the Self scale, IOS”, “Trustworthiness Questionnaires”, “General Trust Scale”, and “CPAI-2”. Study 1 used the single factor experimental design within the subjects through the scenario priming, which included relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. A total of 186 questionnaires were distributed, whereas 151 effective responses were collected. Study 2 refers to the single factor experimental design between the subjects, using a similar paradigm as Study 1. In total, 278 effective online responses were collected. A novel tool to measure the participants’ perception of the closeness level of the trustee was used, by which relationship closeness was measured as a continuous variable. As to data analysis, we conducted descriptive statistics and correlation analysis by using SPSS 24. Secondly, we used PROCESS SPSS macro to test the mediation effect of perceived ability, benevolence, integrity and the moderator of Renqing orientation. The results indicated that: (1) The relationship closeness was positively correlated with interpersonal trust, perceived ability, perceived benevolence and perceived integrity (rs = .58, .27, .44, and .43, All ps < .01 in S1; rs = .53, .22, .41, and .35, All ps < .01 in S2). Interpersonal trust was positively correlated with perceived ability, perceived benevolence and perceived integrity (rs = .47, .61, and .62, All ps < .01 in S1; rs = .30, .52, and .51, All ps < .01 in S2). (2) The relationship closeness, from strangers to relatives, can positively predict interpersonal trust (All Total Effects = .52, p < .01 in S2). It can also be indirectly implemented through the perception of ability, benevolence, and integrity (Indirect Effects = .04, .15, and .13, All ps < .01 in S2). (3) The individual’s Renqing orientation had a moderating effect on the closeness level and the trustee’s ability and integrity. Besides, the Renqing orientation regulated the indirect effect of the closeness level on interpersonal trust through the perception of individual ability and integrity. (4) Compared with the acquaintances, individuals perceived higher trustworthiness and performed higher trusty behavior to relatives, while the strangers showed a reverse effect. In this study, we developed a new tool to measure the relationship closeness, which can provide a new measurement for the dynamic change of a certain relationship in the future. The relationship closeness could determine the interpersonal behavior through the evaluation of the others' trustworthiness, which implies that a good trustworthiness trait can weaken the positive effect of relationship closeness on interpersonal trust. Moreover, Renqing orientation had a moderating effect on the overall model, which indicates that Renqing orientation can play a positive role in building a harmonious society.

Key words: interpersonal trust, relationship closeness, ability, benevolence, integrity, Renqing orientation