That's how the trust began

Forming trusting friendships from adolescence to adulthood

Bibliographic Data

ID2928076
AuthorsJana Fikrlová (0000-0002-2409-2531, Masaryk University, corresponding author), Aaron Albrecht (0000-0002-4530-6383, Masaryk University), Jan Šerek (0000-0003-2358-7329, Masaryk University), Petr Macek (0000-0002-6977-5811, Masaryk University)
Year2025
Volume42
Issue1
Pages52-72
Publication date2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Social and Personal Relationships (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0265-4075 • E-ISSN: 1460-3608
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/02654075241287909
OpenAlexW4402824050
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited34

Adolescence represents a sensitive period for embarking on trust-based friendships, which lay the foundation for successful close relationships later in life. The recent trust sequence model assumes that the trust process is universal regardless of the developmental stage. However, how the trust process may vary has been under-researched, especially during the critical period of adolescence and in the context of friendships. Therefore, this study qualitatively explored how people experience the process of forming trust in friends from early adolescence to adulthood. We conducted eight focus groups ( N = 39 participants) with early (11-12 years), middle (14-15 years), and late (18-19 years) Czech adolescents and a comparative sample of adults. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, employing an inductive, semantic, and experiential approach. We identified four overarching themes: (1) Experiential Trust Building, (2) Absence of Reasons to Not Trust, (3) Relying on Intuitive Connection, and (4) Trusting the Right/Wrong Person (the third and fourth themes being exclusive to adolescents). Participants thus described multiple variations of the trust process, with much of the variation residing in the perceived importance of diminishing the leap of faith, i.e., the risks and uncertainties inherent in trusting. Immediate affect and stronger moral essentialism were relevant to trust formation among adolescents but not adults. These findings provide unique insights into experiences with forming trusting friendships from early adolescence to adulthood and extend the trust sequence model. Further research should explore the trust process in low- and high trust societies

Adolescent development · Developmental psychology · Friendship · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology

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