THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INFLUENCE AS A FACTOR IN THE FORMATION OF TRUST IN A STUDENT GROUP

Abstract

The article examines the psychology of influence as a factor in the formation of trust within a student group. The relevance of the topic is determined by the fact that trust in the academic environment is an important condition for effective communication, cooperation, psychological safety, and group cohesion. The theoretical basis of the study is Robert Cialdini’s approach, which makes it possible to interpret trust through the mechanisms of consistency, reciprocity, social proof, liking, unity, and authority. From this perspective, trust appears as the result of specific interactional experience within which students evaluate one another’s reliability, predictability, and goodwill. The purpose of the article is to analyze how the mechanisms of the psychology of influence affect the level of trust within a student group. The empirical basis of the study consists of the results of a survey of 92 higher education students. For the assessment, 8 statements were used that reflected general trust in fellow students, honesty of interaction, adherence to agreements, willingness to rely on others in joint activities, mutual assistance, as well as caution regarding personal openness and entrusting important matters to others. The generalized trust index was 3.54 points on a five-point scale, and the internal consistency of the scale was acceptable at α = 0.70. It was found that the most pronounced components of trust are honesty of interaction, adherence to agreements, and functional mutual support. This indicates the predominance of working trust associated with joint activity, responsibility, and reliability. At the same time, lower indicators were recorded in the sphere of personal openness and psychological safety, which points to the lower stability of deeper interpersonal trust. Special attention is paid to trust in the teacher as a factor that determines the normative and psychological context of group interaction. It is concluded that trust in a student group is formed gradually on the basis of honest, consistent, and reciprocal interaction and requires purposeful support within the educational environment.