How do we form trust in others? Intuition and experience play a role

Trust is the foundation of any close relationship. But how do relationships based on trust form over the course of a lifetime? This question remains under-researched, especially during adolescence, which is one of the most important periods for establishing deeper close relationships. A new study by the INPSY team led by Jana Fikrlová looked at the process of trust formation in friends from early adolescence to adulthood. The research provides new insights into the different ways of forming trust in friends and the specifics of making friends in adolescence.

The study was conducted by Jana Fikrlová, Andrea Albrecht, Jan Šerek and Petr Macek from INPSY's Citizenship and Democracy team. To gain deeper insight into the issue, the authors conducted eight online focus groups with 39 respondents aged 11 to 50. The sample thus included early adolescents (11-12 years old), middle adolescents (14-15 years old), late adolescents (18-19 years old) and adults (30-50 years old). Data from the group interviews were then analysed by the authors using thematic analysis, which allowed for the identification of different ways in which trust was formed.

In what ways can trust in friends be formed?

The results outline several approaches to establishing trust-based friendships. Some participants preferred to build trust gradually, either through repeated positive experiences with the other person (e.g., experiences of being helped by the other) or through 'testing' the trustworthiness of friends in stressful situations (e.g., keeping secrets). Others initially trusted others and tried to develop friendships with them until they were given compelling reasons not to trust them.

Two ways of forming friendships based on trust were described only by adolescents, while adults did not mention them at all. Some adolescents relied on the feeling that they could trust the other. Others assumed that forming a trusting friendship depended mainly on placing their trust in the right or wrong person. In these approaches, emotions and moral evaluation play a key role - if they 'sit down' with someone and they find them to be a 'good, right person', they trust them without prolonged verification based on experience.

This study offers valuable insights into how people form intimate friendships from early adolescence to adulthood. The results show that the process of forming trust in others is not universal, but can take place in very different ways. Psychologists and practitioners may benefit from the finding that intimate friendships are formed in the diverse ways described above, with adolescents relying more on their emotions and on the division of others into good and bad people. This insight could be very important for supporting individuals in forming close and intimate relationships, especially for adolescents with peer relationship problems.

Recommended citation:

Fikrlová, J., Albrecht, A., Šerek, J., & Macek, P. (2025). “That’s how the trust began”: Forming trusting friendships from adolescence to adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 42(1), 52-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241287909