Being Trusting Can Be a Good Thing

Contrary to what is generally believed, trusting others does not make you a fool but it is rather a sign of intelligence, according to a new study appearing in the current Social Psychological and Personality Science.

The research involved 2nd year MBA students that were asked to watch taped job interviews, and study co-authors Nancy Carter and Mark Weber of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto concluded that “high trusters [were] better lie detectors than [were] low trusters [and] they also formed more appropriate impressions and hiring intentions.”

The interviewees were all told to do their best to get the job, so half of them only told the truth while the other half told at least three lies that made them more attractive.

As all interviewees were guaranteed $20 for making the job interview tape, both the liars and truth-tellers hoped to receive an extra $20 if the person that watched the tape believed they were telling the truth, Science Daily reports.

A few days before viewing the tapes, study participants filled out questionnaires evaluating their trust in people, thanks to questions like “Most people are basically honest,” and “Most people are basically good-natured and kind.”

As they watched the videos and rated the honesty of the interviewees, the most trusting participants were the more accurate liar detectors, as apparently they were more able to differentiate a lie from the truth.

Thus, contrary to preconceived ideas, people that believed others had a tendency of wanting to hire honest interviewees and discard the liars, while low trusting people got fooled by liars and were more willingly to hire them.

The study authors say that “although people seem to believe that low trusters are better lie detectors and less gullible than high trusters, these results suggest that the reverse is true.

“People who trust others are not pie-in-the-sky Pollyannas, their interpersonal accuracy may make them particularly good at hiring, recruitment, and identifying good friends and worthy business partners.”