Abstract
This study examined trust development between participants of outdoor education programs and outdoor leaders. Participants were college students enrolled in outdoor education courses. Using a factorial survey design, the technical ability, interpersonal ability, benevolence, integrity, and gender of an outdoor leader was displayed randomly in a series of scenarios. Along with these leader attributes, the scenarios included two hypothetical situations that occur in outdoor education settings. Participants also completed a measure of dispositional optimism. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling, which revealed that displays of a leader's technical ability, interpersonal ability, benevolence, and integrity each influenced trust scores positively. Implications for future research and for outdoor leadership practice are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
