2014/09/24 by Ben Seyd · 92 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Economics #Expectancy theory #Law #Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering #Perception #Political science #Politics #Process (computing) #Psychology #Public Policy and Administration Research #Public opinion #Public relations #Public trust #Sample (material) #Social Capital and Networks #Social psychology #Survey data collection #Task (project management) #Trustworthiness
paper · doi:10.1111/1467-9248.12163
published in Political Studies 63(1_suppl), 73-90 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2014/09/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
This article examines how citizens judge the trustworthiness of public officials, focusing on one aspect of the cognitive process through which trust is assessed. It considers how far trust reflects not only the perceptions of how politicians behave but also prior expectations of that behaviour. ‘Expectancy disconfirmation’ models suggest that attitudes to public services are largely shaped by performance perceptions adjusted for expectations. Drawing on survey data from a sample of citizens in the UK, the results of this study are inconsistent with this model. Instead, trust is found primarily to reflect performance perceptions alone; expectations play little additional role in shaping citizen evaluations. This suggests that policy makers are unlikely to boost levels of political trust by reducing what citizens expect of politicians. Instead, policy makers concerned to improve their public image will have to undertake the harder task of improving their performance.