C022

Baseline Trust Disposition

B03 Social Cognition & Self-Direction
Core LayerMML-1

Version v1.3.2

Definition

A default stance toward trust under incomplete information; whether people are assumed broadly trustworthy or broadly risky until proven otherwise.

Poles

Each HES element is a spectrum, not a category: the Low and High poles describe how it presents at its two extremes, while the Reference marks the typical, everyday middle. The poles map variation across the range — neither end is inherently better or worse.

Low Pole

Baseline distrust: defaults to distrust; requires substantial evidence before relaxing, delegating, or opening up.

High Pole

Baseline trust: defaults to trust; opens up and delegates more readily, assuming most people are “generally okay.”

Reference

Moderate trust, quickly calibrated by signals and facts.

Measure

Initial trust level in ambiguous social scenarios before additional information is obtained.

Measuring Methods

• Scenario-based ratings (“how much trust do you grant at the start?”).
• Simplified trust-game behavior patterns.
• Delegation/opening-up decisions under matched uncertainty.

Empirical Anchor

Generalized trust (Rotter, 1967); social trust (Yamagishi, 2001); trust game paradigm (Berg et al., 1995).

Notes

Boundary note: C022 captures default interpersonal trust as a stable disposition; C050 captures the baseline probability of trusting in day-to-day ambiguous situations. They are related but not identical: one is a trait-like orientation, the other is a practical default threshold.
• Not naivety or wisdom per se; different environments reward different baselines.
• Risks at MIN: reduced cooperation, isolation, lost alliances.
• Risks at MAX: vulnerability to manipulation and fraud.

Citation

APA

Human Elements System. (2026). Baseline Trust Disposition (HES Passport C022, v1.3.2). hestable.com. https://hestable.com/passport/C022

BibTeX

@misc{hes_C022, author = {{Human Elements System}}, title = {{Baseline Trust Disposition}}, year = {2026}, note = {HES Passport C022, v1.3.2}, howpublished = {\url{https://hestable.com/passport/C022}} }