Generalized trust is critical for societies and organizations because it facilitates cooperation
beyond the circle of familiar individuals. In contrast to specific trust, which is contained within
a relationship, generalized trust represents one's general willingness to trust others before
knowing any specific information about a partner. We present a new theoretical model—the
Diversity-Uncertainty-Valence (DUV) Model of Generalized Trust Development—which
identifies the factors that determine generalized trust levels. We propose that three elements …