Dual-Attribution Model of Trust Development between Contracting Parties in Construction Projects: Psychological Perspective

The importance of understanding individuals’ psychology when studying interorganizational trust has been increasingly acknowledged by researchers in the construction industry. However, few studies have purposely examined the individual’s psychological process in trust development between contracting parties. This research investigated how individuals make inferences about the counterparty’s trustworthiness from the party’s cooperative behaviors. A dual-attribution model of trust development was developed based on the attribution theory and the dual-process theory. Seven hypotheses were proposed and tested. Data collected from 310 practitioners through a questionnaire survey were analyzed with hierarchical multiple regression and Sobel Test. The results suggest that the counterparty’s relational behaviors—which are cooperative behaviors outside of contractual enforcement—will trigger individuals’ dispositional attribution, resulting in positive expectations for their counterparty’s trustworthiness. Reduced conflict perception and aroused affection contribute to the attribution process, analytically and intuitively. Both the theoretical model and the empirical evidence will provide support for contracting parties to develop relational trust in construction projects.