Effect of Social Trust on Worry about the Future in Comparative Cross-Cultural Perspective

Abstract

Objective. Analysis of the effect of social trust on anxiety regarding the occurrence of various negative circumstances in the future.
Background. Experiences of instability and uncertainty prompt us to reconsider the role of social trust. It is important to determine whether social trust is an independent factor that reduces anxiety about the future, or only an effect of the possession of other resources.
Study design. The study examined the main effects of social trust on anxiety regarding the occurrence of various negative circumstances and the interaction effects of trust with other resources. The presence of significant effects and their direction were tested using multilevel ordinal logistic regression analysis. Participants. Data from Wave 7 of the World Values Survey, collected 2017-2021 in 62 countries. Country sample sizes range from 1000 to 3200.
Measurements. Items from the World Values Survey are indicators of generalized social trust and anxiety regarding various negative circumstances, as well as sociodemographic variables. GDP per capita at purchasing power parity.
Results. Social trust reduces anxiety about the future. This effect is independent and manifests itself when controlling for the level of possession of other resources. There also exists a negative interaction effect between social trust and other resources.
Conclusions. Social trust reduces anxiety about the future and enhances a similar effect for indicators of the possession of other resources.