The Effect of Expressed Attitudinal Ambivalence on Perceived Trustworthiness and Trust

• Applicant: Professorin Iris K. Schneider, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556127565

Experiencing positive and negative thoughts or feelings about a particular attitude object, known as attitudinal ambivalence, is widespread. People often hold ambivalent attitudes on various topics, ranging from socio-political to personal domains. Ambivalent attitudes are not just an intrapersonal experience but can also be perceived and recognized by others. However, we know very little about how ambivalent attitudes are perceived by others and influence social judgments. The current proposal aims to fill this gap by examining the effect of expressed ambivalent attitudes on one of the most consequential social judgments: trust. Trustworthiness and trust are particularly relevant in situations involving new individuals with no prior interpersonal history. In such zero-acquaintance situations, attitudes become crucial for forming initial judgments. The primary objective is to systematically investigate the conditions under which expressions of attitudinal ambivalence influence judgments of trustworthiness and trust. To do so, we plan three work packages. Work Package 1 aims to establish a solid empirical base for understanding the relationship between expressed attitudinal ambivalence and perceived trustworthiness and trust. Work Package 2 then examines in which situations people rely on highly ambivalent others. Finally, Work Package 3 investigates how contextual demands influence the relationship between expressions of attitudinal ambivalence and trust.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants