The Influence Of Children’s Trust Propensity And Trustworthiness On School Adjustment In Primary School

Some people always trust others easily, and some people look more trustworthy, whichreflect the individuals’ two characteristics: trust propensity and trustworthiness. It has beenproved that trust propensity and trustworthiness would play important roles in ourdevelopment process, but most of the conclusions came from the study of adults, and alwaysfocused on one of the characteristics. Then, what roles do trust propensity and trustworthinesswill play in children? The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of trustpropensity and trustworthiness on the school adjustment among primary school children andits age differences.In this study, we investigated the trust propensity, trustworthiness and school adjustmentfrom primary school children of8,10and12years old through scale rating and questionnairesurvey method. In order to examine the relationship among trust propensity, trustworthinessand school adjustment from a developmental perspective, this study investigated thedevelopmental characteristics of the children in these three areas first, the results showed thattrust propensity and trustworthiness increased with age grows, and girls had higher trustpropensity and trustworthiness than boys; In school adjustment,12years old children hadbetter emotional adjustment and self-adjustment, in addition, compared with boys, girls hadmore positive self-cognition, and fewer rejected by their peers.Second, this study investigated the relationship between trust propensity and schooladjustment, the results showed that trust propensity could influence children’s schooladjustment, and there were age differences. Specifically speaking, the primary schoolchildren’s trust propensity could predict their emotional adjustment and self-adjustmentsignificantly; The influence of trust propensity on their academic adjustment had agedifference,8years old children’s trust propensity had direct effect on academic adjustment,10years old children’s trust propensity would influence their academic adjustment indirectlythrough self-adjustment,12years old children’s trust propensity couldn’t predict academic adjustment significantly;8years old children’s trust propensity will influence theirinterpersonal adjustment indirectly through self-adjustment.Third, this study investigated the relationship between trustworthiness and schooladjustment, also found that trustworthiness could influence children’s school adjustment, andthere were age differences. Specifically speaking, the primary school children’strustworthiness could predict their interpersonal adjustment and academic adjustmentsignificantly, and10years old children’s trustworthiness would influence their academicadjustment indirectly through self-adjustment; The influence of trustworthiness on theirself-adjustment and emotional adjustment had age differences,8and10years old children’strustworthiness would influence their self-adjustment directly, in addition, theirtrustworthiness would influence emotional adjustment indirectly through self-adjustment;12years old children’s trustworthiness would not influence their self-adjustment and emotionaladjustment significantly.Fourth, the study investigated the influence of trust propensity and trustworthiness onschool adjustment, and found that there were age differences. Specifically speaking,trustworthiness played a greater role in interpersonal adjustment and academic adjustment;Trustworthiness played greater role in emotional adjustment at8years old children, but at10and12years old children, it was that trust propensity was more important; Then inself-adjustment, trustworthiness was more important at8years old children, and at10yearsold children, trust propensity played a greater role in self-esteem, whereas trust propensityplayed a greater role in self-confidence at10years old children; In addition, trust propensityplayed greater role in self-adjustment at12years old children.