AN ANALYSIS OF THE APPROACHES TO MEASURING TRUST
Abstract
Subject. An unstable environment has a significant effect on the functioning of society and its sustainable development. One of the factors determining the potential for sustainable development is trust. To study the potential of trust as a factor of stability in society it is necessary to measure the level of trust. This is, however, hindered by the lack of a unified approach and the limitations of the existing approaches. Purpose. The purpose of our study was to analyse the main approaches to measuring the level of trust in a community and to identify the limitations of each approach. We analysed the survey-based and the experiment-based approaches, as well as cases of the indirect assessment of the level of trust based on social dysfunctions and using econometric tools. Methodology. To achieve our purpose, we studied the relevant literature by both Russian and international scholars and methodological guidelines of international organisations concerning the subject. We also used the dialectical method and performed an analysis. Conclusions. In this article, we systematised the existing methods and approaches to measuring the level of trust in society and analysed the main advantages and disadvantages of the survey- and experiment-based approaches that are most commonly used to measure trust. We also studied the cases of measuring the level of trust based on social dysfunctions and social capital. Taking into account the limitations of the existing methods and approaches, we considered the possibility of using mathematical modelling in order to search for connections between various socio-economic parameters and the level of trust (the article presents a model with latent variables and describes its advantages). As a result, we determined the strengths and the limitations of the existing approaches to measuring trust and identified the need for further research in the area and elaboration of these approaches.