The Quality of Parent-Adolescent and Peer-Adolescent Relationships and Trust in Strangers

Trust experiences gained from close others may generalize to trust interactions with strangers. In this longitudinal study, we examined the association between the quality of relationships with parents and peers and trust in strangers over age. The three waves were 12 months apart (parent relationship: N : 547, M age : 12.5; N : 505, M age : 13.5; N : 406, M age : 14.5; peer relationship: N : 567, M age : 12.6; N : 511, M age : 13.5; N : 416, M age : 14.5). The quality of parent and peer relationships were measured using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Revised. Trust was measured using an experimental paradigm called the Trust Game. Using multi-level analyses, no evidence was found for age-related changes across the three waves regarding the association between the quality of the parent-adolescent and the peer-adolescent relationship, and trust. Unexpectedly, the results showed weak evidence for a negative relationship between the quality of parent-adolescent relationships and trust in strangers independent of age. Given the non-significant findings, we recommend future studies to differentiate between relationships with different caregivers.