Trust Reduces Social Aggression: Trust and Social Aggression Co-Development and the Longitudinal Relationship Among College Students.

Abstract

Introduction: In the Chinese cultural context, which emphasizes the harmony of interpersonal relationships, social aggression, as a behavior that destroys others' social relationships, may cause greater harm to the victim. However, the longitudinal relationship between social aggression and protective factors (i.e., trust) has not been explored in depth. This study used a longitudinal follow-up design to investigate the effects of college students' trust on the trajectory of change in social aggression and the longitudinal relationship between them.

Methods: Conducted across six time points between October 2018 and April 2021 (October 2018; April 2019; October 2019; May 2020; October 2020; April 2021), this longitudinal study collected data from 1148 college students (63.7% female; M_age = 18.46 years; age range: 16-24.67 years) in six universities spanning five Chinese regions (Beijing, Sichuan, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Chongqing). Assessments employed self-reported measures of general trust, social aggression, and trait hostility. The initial cohort of 1390 participants yielded 1148 complete responses through six waves of data collection at 6-month intervals.

Result: The results showed that general trust could slow down the growth trend of social aggression. Moreover, the higher the general trust of college students, the lower their level of social aggression, and vice versa.

Conclusion: High trust among college students can reduce both the level and growth rate of social aggression. Trust in college students is an important protective factor against social aggression and should be incorporated into intervention practices for social aggression.