Trust as Defined by U.S. Army Soldiers

Abstract

U.S. Army teams operate under high stakes conditions where the potential for error and disaster is a possibility. For these teams, trust becomes an important factor in team processes. However, it is unknown whether current definitions of trust generalize to the U.S. Army. Therefore, the current research seeks to explore the dynamics of trust as defined by the U.S. Army. Sixty Soldiers from a Military Intelligence program across TRADOC installations rated various definitions of trust and ranked ordered three definitions. Results indicated that Soldiers reported integrity and dependability of another person as key requirements in a trusting relationship, and identified the expected cooperation of another person as the definition that least fit their own beliefs about trust. Integrity and dependability were most commonly ranked components of trust. Implications for trust development and training for the U.S. Army are explored.