Talk shared with the Michigan Farm Bureau Voice of Agriculture Conference in Traverse City, MI. Emphasis was on fostering a discussion about how the farm community could be more specific/strategic in trying to foster trust by demonstrating and communicating trustworthiness (i.e., ability/expertise, benevolence/caring, integrity, openness, shared values).

1. This material is based upon
work supported by the National
Science Foundation (NSF, Grant
AISL 1421214-1421723. Any
opinions, findings, conclusions,
or recommendations expressed
in this material are those of the
authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the NSF.
How Do You Want to Be
Perceived : Three Questions
about Trust and Trustworthiness
John C. Besley
Ellis N. Brandt Professor
Communication Arts and Sciences
Michigan State University
Twitter: @Johnbesley … Slides will be shared on slideshare.com

2. My goals:
I would like to help you think
in scientific, sophisticated, and specific
ways about trust as ‘people perceptions’
(a.k.a.: trustworthiness/fairness beliefs, relationship factors, reputation, etc.)
I want to learn how others are thinking
so I can make better research choices

3. The three questions
1. Why do ‘people perceptions’ matter?
2. How do you want to be perceived?
3. What can you do to ethically (re)shape perceptions?
Behavioral
Goals
Communication
Objectives
Tactics

4. The goal question:
Why do ‘people perceptions’ matter?
a) We tend to pay more attention to
people we see as trustworthy
(i.e., we see them as credible);
b) We tend to cooperate with people and
accept decisions when made by people
we see as trustworthy and fair; and
c) People tend to share insight with
people they see as trustworthy and fair
Trust involves
making oneself vulnerable
1.

5. The goal question:
Why specificity about ‘people perceptions’?
Would you prefer a
chef who knows the
difference between
various green herbs?
Specificity about
problems allows
specificity about
potential solutions
1.
Danielle Walquist Lynch, Fresh Herbs, via Flickr Creative Commons

6. The goal question:
Why specificity about ‘people perceptions’?
But how
do people
perceive
farmers?
1.

7. The goal question:
Why specificity about ‘people perceptions’?
1.
2020 Iowa Energy Poll (n = 660 Iowa voters): How much do you
trust each of the following to provide an accurate explanation
as to how climate change is impacting Iowa?...Farmers
But how
do people
perceive
farmers?

8. The goal question:
Why specificity about ‘people perceptions’?
1.
2001 Pew Research Center (n = 1,001 US Adults): Do you trust
what they have to say about genetically modified foods a great
deal, some, not too much, or not at all? ...Farmers
But how
do people
perceive
farmers?

9. The goal question:
Why specificity about ‘people perceptions’?
1.
2016 Pew Research Center (n = 4,000+ US Adults): % of U.S.
adults who say they trust each of these groups___ to give full
and accurate information about the health risks and benefits of
eating genetically modified foods
Getting a little
more specific ?

10. The goal question:
Why specificity about ‘people perceptions’?
1.
1986 CBS News (n = 1,174 US Adults): In general, do you think
life on a farm is more honest and moral than life in the rest
of the country?
Old … but
a little more
specific?

11. 2.
The communication objectives question:
How do you want to be perceived?

12. The communication objectives question:
How do you want to be perceived?
Honest Caring Willing to listen Similar Competent
Smile, eparles; Listen, Montse PB; Charlotte, Sisters 4; Lindsay Bremer, Lamu Kenya: Stonetown Academy Suggestion Box, State Farm, Graduation & Safe Driving, all via Flickr Creative Commons
2.
[Together, these constitute ‘trustworthiness’/’fairness’]

13. The communication objectives question:
How do you want to be perceived?
Honest Caring Willing to listen Similar Competent
Smile, eparles; Listen, Montse PB; Charlotte, Sisters 4; Lindsay Bremer, Lamu Kenya: Stonetown Academy Suggestion Box, State Farm, Graduation & Safe Driving, all via Flickr Creative Commons
2.
[Together, these constitute ‘trustworthiness’/’fairness’]
Meyer, Davis, & Schoorman’s
Integrative Model of Organizational Trust
(+ Research on Procedural Fairness and Identity)

14. Don’t get stuck on the words …
Meyer, Davis, & Schoorman’s
Integrative Model of Organizational Trust
(+ Research on Procedural Fairness)
a.k.a. expertise, competence, etc.
a.k.a. caring, warmth, goodwill, etc.
a.k.a. honesty, trustworthiness, etc.
+ many ‘trustworthiness’ words and tactics overlap
+sub-dimensions … makes translation hard
a.k.a. credibility
(confidence? reputation?)

15. 2018 Gallup/Wellcome
Trust World Monitor
USA
Japan
Scientists can do better.
Especially when it comes
to non-competence-based
trustworthiness beliefs.

16. See also: Hendriks, F., Kienhues, D., & Bromme, R.
(2015). Measuring laypeople’s trust in experts in a digital
age: The Muenster Epistemic Trustworthiness Inventory
(METI). PLoS ONE, 10(10), e0139309.
+ Research by Pew, Wellcome Trust/Gallup, Edelman, 3M
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
Trust-Direct (4 var.)
Trust-Willing. to be vulern. (3 var.)
Openness (8 var.)
Benevolence (5 var.)
Integrity (8 var.)
Ability (5 var.)
GM Food General
Scientists can do better.
Especially when it comes
to non-competence-based
trustworthiness beliefs.

17. What were the best predictors of choosing
agricultural or natural resource majors?
Personal benefits? Perceptions of others? Past
experiences? Demographics?
• Familiarity
• Perception that such careers can have positive impact
• Perception that people like them choose such careers
• Perception that people in area are warm/caring
(n = 620 midwestern high schoolers and 710 MSU college students)?

18. The communication tactics question:
What can you do to (re)shape perceptions?
Honest Caring Willing to listen Similar
How could you act?
(Procedures, Timing, Setup, etc.)
What could you say?
(Messages)
How could say it?
(Tone, Style)
Who should say it?
(Source)
What formats?
(Channel, group size, etc.)
Smile, eparles; Listen, Montse PB; Charlotte, Sisters 4; Lindsay Bremer, Lamu Kenya: Stonetown Academy Suggestion Box, State Farm, Graduation & Safe Driving, all via Flickr Creative Commons
3.

19. What can you do to be
perceived as willing to listen?
Willing to listen
How could you act?
(Procedures, Timing, Setup, etc.)
Are you modeling respectful listening?
Did you leave enough time so people don’t worry about taking up time?
What could you say?
(Messages)
Do leaders describe how past listening has helped?
Do leaders regularly re-iterate specific commitments?
How could say it?
(Tone, Style)
How often to you use jargon that excludes?
To what degree are demonstrating empathy?
Who should say it?
(Source)
Do you have people tasked with bringing quiet people into discussions?
Do you have people tasked with introducing people (i.e., a host)?
What formats?
(Channel, group size, etc.)
Are you allowing people to share views in multiple ways?
Does the technology/channel enable dialogue?
Smile, eparles; Listen, Montse PB; Charlotte, Sisters 4; Lindsay Bremer, Lamu Kenya: Stonetown Academy Suggestion Box, State Farm, Graduation & Safe Driving, all via Flickr Creative Commons
3b.

20. The communication tactics question:
What can you do to be perceived in that way?
Honest Caring Willing to listen Similar
How could you act?
(Procedures, Timing, Setup, etc.)
What could you say?
(Messages)
How could say it?
(Tone, Style)
Who should say it?
(Source)
What formats?
(Channel, group size, etc.)
3.
But you can’t
prioritize
everything

21. The implementation question:
What should you do next?
4.
JCB: What’s your goal?
Communicator: “We want to fight mistrust in X?
How do they currently
perceive your integrity,
motivations, openness,
values, and abilities?
(And what do you know
about their character?)
Who specifically do you
think would behave
differently if they trusted
you more?
(And in what way would
they behave differently)
How would you like them to
perceive your integrity,
motivations, openness,
values, and abilities?
(And are you all those things?)
(The goal questions) (The objectives questions)

22. The implementation question:
What role for farming community in building trust?
4.
Individuals:
• Be the people you want to be (while sharing your efforts)
• Ask for communication help, if feasible
Organizations/Leaders:
• Make sure you’re being realistic about your character
• Collectively decide what perceptions you want to prioritize
• Collectively decide on tactics to advance priorities
• Ensure someone is responsible for implementing priorities
• Identify and support for professional communicators