Stays wary
People toward this end take longer to rely on what others say or offer. They may look for signs of self-interest, keep personal information guarded, and reserve confidence until someone’s actions have held up over time.
Types / Personality facets / Trust in people
A facet inside Agreeableness
Trust in people
How readily you believe that other people are honest and mean well.
What this facet measures
This one is about how readily you believe people are honest, well-intentioned, and worthy of a fair chance. The lower end brings more wariness and suspicion into your view of others.
The two ends
This is one scale with two ends, not two camps. Most people land somewhere between them, and neither end is better. The labels describe different ways of answering the statements.
Gives trust
People toward this end give others room to explain themselves and usually begin with goodwill. That openness can make cooperation easier, especially when a new colleague or neighbor needs a fair chance. It can also leave them slow to notice manipulation, broken promises, or motives that deserve closer attention.
The six parts of Agreeableness
See the Agreeableness page →Agreeableness is the average of six facets, and Trust in people is one part of it. Someone can land differently on each of the six scales, so the broad result doesn’t tell the whole story.
Trust in people
How readily you believe that other people are honest and mean well.
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Fair dealing
How strongly you avoid using, cheating or exploiting people to get ahead.
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Helping others
How naturally you notice others’ needs and make time to help them.
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Keeping peace
How much you avoid fights, insults, retaliation and escalating disagreements.
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Humility
How much you avoid seeing yourself as better than others or boasting.
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Concern for people struggling
How strongly you respond to people who are struggling or worse off.
See where all 30 land
Answer 120 short statements for a reading across all 30 facets, with each scale explained in plain English.
Questions
Is a low score a bad score?
No. Each end comes with something that helps and something that gets in the way. Some scale names sound like faults in everyday English, but an end label describes what the statements asked about, not a grade.
What if this part disagrees with its trait?
It happens often, and it’s the reason these 30 facets exist. A broad score is an average of six parts, so one part can point the other way. Nothing is wrong when a facet and its broad trait don’t match perfectly.
Who is this score compared with?
A score is compared with 320,128 U.S. adults who answered the original statements online during the roughly 12 years before 2014. Their published average and spread provide a typical range for the facet, showing how the score compares with that group.