In this information age, trusting the capabilities of artificial intelligence is becoming more common than ever. Understandably, AI is becoming a regular part of clinical practice as psychologists are weaving it into their administrative routines and reporting a clearer understanding of its risks and benefits.
In the case of information sharing—imagine telling a colleague about current events while they are busy surfing the internet to verify what you are telling them. Obviously, trusting the capabilities of AI has its place in society. However, people trusting each other can never be overemphasized. It is all about striking a balance and asking open-ended questions to gain insights from multiple sources in your interactions with machine learning.
You have heard the phrases, “I don’t trust him,” “I don’t trust her,” “I don’t trust them,” or “I don’t trust it.” These conversations could happen at work, in a social setting, or in intimate relationships. With such a bold claim, you might ask, “What types of trust are you referring to?” Because trust is not one-size-fits-all. Trust is not an all-or-nothing type of arrangement. Trust, in effect, has different types and layers. Before you use the phrase, “I don’t trust…,” consider this:
There are several relational types of trust. As you go about your merry way every day, you run into different settings that require you to trust or not trust, be it a person, place, or thing. But you are constantly negotiating during different encounters.
Most of the time, you subconsciously authorize a person, place, or thing to serve your purpose. For example, when stopped at a traffic light and it turns green, you subconsciously trust that the intersection is safe to cautiously proceed. You trust that the traffic light is letting you go while the rest of the drivers in their vehicles wait for their turn to proceed.
You walk into your place of work trusting the integrity of the building not to collapse on you. You showed up at the front desk and were asked to sit and wait for the interviewer to call you in for the job interview. While sitting, you trusted the integrity of the chair to hold your weight. You walked into a doctor’s office hoping to be attended to and trusting the physician to take care of your health. These are several trust-related examples that show how you do things without even thinking about the trust quotient.
There are three types of trust that serve as the premise of this article, which explores how they are applied in different areas of work, social interactions, and relationships.
Relating with others based on goodwill trust
This type of trust is based on mutual expectations of open commitment to each other. There is an innate familiarity that exists when you come in contact with another person, irrespective of demographic characteristics. That is why people co-exist in communities, including co-existing with their pets and livestock.
Incidentally, that level of co-existence does not generally exist between wild animals and humans. People are generally afraid of lions, tigers, alligators, pythons, etc., because of their wild nature, and people respect their habitats for humanitarian purposes. The understanding of such co-existence generates goodwill trust to be kind and compassionate, and to look out for one another. Without goodwill trust, co-existence issues arise. It is from basic goodwill trust that people do business together or even agree to disagree.
Contractual trust
This type of trust focuses on written or oral agreement. People can hardly work together without agreeing. Such agreement occurs either verbally, via handshakes, or in written form. In the midst of agreement lies the trust that people will do as they said.
This level of trust is what moves friendships, relationships, and businesses forward, especially when it comes to employers and their team members. Initial exchanges can take place in electronically signing a document, over the phone, or through in-person interactions. Contractual trust defines expectations between two parties. Understanding the nature of this type of trust lays the foundation for skills-based trust, which is also known as competence trust.
Competence trust
This is a type of trust that is based on skills. The majority of people go to their doctors based on the physician’s medical competence. In other words, you may not need to know your physician’s social life for you to allow them to treat you.
The skills type of trust depends heavily on their years of training in a particular area. For example, a landscaper who mows your lawn does so based on their area of training. A coach who coaches a team does so based on their expertise. A registered nurse cares for their patients based on their clinical training. An attorney represents their clients in court based on legal competence. Interestingly, people are willing to authorize others to serve them once they establish mutual trust. Simply put, competence-based trust demands a high level of commitment and professionalism that is not necessarily required on a personal level.
Trust Essential Reads
On a personal note, I have had my landscaper for more than 20 years. He does his job exceptionally well. In fact, he has a passion for taking care of grass and doing yard work. But in those 20 years of our business relationship, he is always late—sometimes by hours and sometimes by days.
At the beginning of our business together, I realized that he’s not good at time management. I had to make an executive decision about whether to discharge him of his duties because of his tardiness or to retain him for his ability to pay attention to details when taking care of my yard. You’ll find similar examples apply in other areas.
A physician can be great in treating their patients but can be anti-social outside of work; a comedian can entertain their audiences on a contractual basis yet be an introvert when they’re not working. Categorically, one can be good and trusted in one aspect, and yet unreliable in another area.
Understanding this concept of viewing trust through the different lenses of goodwill, contractual, or competence can help people ask the right questions before making a decision about whether to let someone go or give them a second chance. Everyone is unique. To live an inclusive life, trusting people based on these shared levels of trust can promote diversity and a sense of community.