Exploring dimensionality in the origins of hazard-related trust

Abstract

Linked to the belief that trust affects public responses to hazard management is the question of reasons for this trust or distrust. The scanty research on this topic is poorly designed and tends not to examine the rationales of citizens themselves. A classification of potential reasons under the rubrics of 'competence, ' 'care' and 'consensual values' points up the strengths, limitations, and inconsistencies in suggested explanations, and raises the question of whether trust is one- or multidimensional. This discussion aims to provide a foundation for better specification of terms and hypotheses in designing research on trust and its constituents.