Effects of Relationship Status and Locus of Control on Trust and Faith
Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of locus of control and current relationship status on both trust and faith. 77 college students completed a survey containing psychological scales such as Internal versus External Locus of Control Scale and the Trust Scale as well as several demographic questions. A between groups factorial ANOVA found a main effect for current relationship status with both trust and faith. Those who were married had higher trust and faith than those who were dating and not dating. This follows from previous research that there are higher levels of trust and faith with a more developed relationship. This implies that the more committed the relationship is, the more trust and faith the members of the relationship have. Introduction Julian Rotter defined interpersonal trust as a “generalized expectancy held by an individual that the word, promise, oral or written statement of another individual or group can be relied on.” (Feist & Feist, 2002) There are also three primary components of trust: faith, predictability, and dependability. Rempel, Zanna, and Holmes (1985) described faith as reflecting an emotional assurance used to predict a partner’s behaviors in a vague future.