Components of Trust: Note on Use of Rotter's Scale

Abstract

The Rotter Trust Scale was administered to 97 college students whose responses were subjected to factor analysis. Results indicated that the scale measures several discrete components of trust including: (a) trust toward institutions, (b) perceived sincerity of others, and (c) need to be cautious of others. It was suggested that a previous observation indicating college students had become less trusting between 1964 and 1970 might largely be accounted for by changes in trust toward institutions.