Institutional trust, power distance and civic honesty

A new research article published in the International Journal of Psychology reveals that trust in institutions doesn’t always promote civic honesty. 

Drawing on data from over 2,000 participants across eight countries, the study found that for people who strongly believe in rigid hierarchies and the special privileges of authority figures—a mindset known as power-distance orientation—institutional confidence was associated with lower civic honesty among people high in power-distance orientation. These findings shed light on how deep-seated beliefs about power can shape the way institutional trust relates to everyday ethics.

The article was co-authored by the Secret Power project research team.