title: Age differences in trust: an investigation across 38 countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Population aging is a global challenge in the 21st century. As social relationships contribute significantly to older adults' well-being and trust lays the foundation of constructive social interactions, it is theoretically and practically significant to examine age differences in trust in a worldwide sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study examined age differences in generalized trust and trust toward family members, friends, neighbors, and strangers, using data from the World Value Survey based on 57,497 individuals from 38 countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age was positively related to generalized trust and trust toward the four target groups across the 38 countries. Age differences in trust toward friends, neighbors, and strangers were also moderated by contextual factors (i.e., income inequality, developing status, and individualism).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that, across countries, enhancing trust toward others may be one mechanism through which older adults maintain emotional connectedness with others. Future studies are encouraged to investigate the mechanism underlying the age differences in trust.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Studies, The Hong Kong Institute of Education.
authors.forename: Tianyuan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Helene H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult