On Interpersonal Trust

The interpersonal trust permeates all activities of social interaction in the life of a human society. It is not only the cornerstone of stable and enduring relationship,but also the lubricant of social functioning and the important factor of social integration as an organic unity. Interpersonal trust for individual and society’s important significance lies in:on the one hand, people as a social existence, it must establish contacts and cooperation with others, obtain the relationship of identification and help others. And the establishment and maintenance of interpersonal trust is to achieve sustaining interaction between people. On the other hand, the interpersonal trust level will have important influence for the overall social operation.The overall social operation produce important role.Because of its large impact with our social interaction,it is necessary for us to discuss the inerpersonal trust in theory. With China’s deepening economic and social transformation, "the problem of interpersonal trust" has been constantly noticeable. The large number of facts and phenomena about Economic and social life indicate that China is facing a crisis of interpersonal trust. How to effectively resolve the crisis is urgent task for social scientists. Based on both theoretical and practical reasons, this paper intends to get through cross-disciplinary perspective, break the social sciences and natural science research barriers, learn and absorb the natural and social science research on interpersonal trust and combine with my long-standing thinking and theoretical conception, in order to re-construct the analytical framework and theoretical system of interpersonal trust. This paper tries to breakthrough the study of interpersonal from both theoretical and practical aspects.This paper combines theoretic and realistic research and narrative method. The author firstly sort out and summarize previous study of interpersonal trust, and after criticize and inherit the results of previous studies, the author make his own theoretical viewpoint.And the author finally prove his own viewpoint from large empirical researchThe first chapter is "Introduction." This chapter first explains why to study interpersonal trust, and then lists the paper’s main points and the deficiencies. Finally it starts on literature review.In the process of literature review, this chapter through the system compile the interpersonal trust literature of relevant disciplines (psychology, political science, economics and sociology), summarized the contributions and limitations of various disciplines in the study of interpersonal trust.The second chapter is "The deconstruction and reconstruction of interpersonal trust." This chapter first deconstruct the concept of interpersonal trust form etymological perspective, and distinguish the concept of’interpersonal trust and trust".Then summarized the main paradigm of interpersonal trust.Combined with the current situation and cutting-edge researches, the author presented a new paradigm about interpersonal trust. Finally, based on the new paradigm of interpersonal trust, the author reconstructs the concept and types of interpersonal trust.The third chapter is "cognition-based trust." This chapter first describes the concept and characteristics of cognition-based trust. Then the author put forward the cognition-based trust coming from the cognitive processes of brain, and uses the current results of the latest research of natural science as an argument to be demonstrated. Finally the author dicusses the relationship among the risk, rational choice, decision-making, game theory, cooperation and cognition-based trust.The fourth chapter is "identity-based trust". This chapter first clarifies the concept and characteristics of identity-based trust. Then the author ueses the repeated game theory and evolutionary game theory to demonstrate why identity-based trust could occur. Next the author discusses the relations between relationship network and identity-based trust in the western and eastern society. Finally, the author analysis the relations about social capital and identity-based trust which many research scholar now concerned about.The fifth chapter is "metatrust." This chapter is firstly on the logical basis of the division of trust, describe the concept and characteristics of metatrust.Then using the latest research results of evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, evolutionary game theory and other emerging interdisciplinary, demonstrated the biological evolution of metatrust for reciprocity as a clue. Finally, the author is by means of brain science and cognitive neuroscience researches, discuss the brain basis of metatrust from the altruistic punishment perspective.The sixth chapter is "institution-based trust." This chapter is firstly on the logical basis of the division of trust, describe the concept and characteristics of institution-based trust. Then the author is based on the significant differences in the type of institution, analyze the impact of formal institution and informal institution on the institution-based trust. Finally, the author is in accordance with the research achievement of Weber, Luhmann and Giddens, discuss the relations about institution-based trust and institutional changes.