Investing in social connections boosts trust and cooperation in economic exchanges
Trust is important in social and economic interactions. Being part of a social network can help build trust. In a study with 342 participants, researchers found that being embedded in a network promotes trust and trustworthiness. People are more trusting when they choose to be part of a network themselves rather than being forced into it. However, the size of the trust issue did not affect how much effort people put into being part of a network or the effects of being in a network.