Differences in trust between elderly and young people, and the psychological mechanisms behind these differences

As the global population continues to age rapidly, it becomes particularly important to understand the social decision-making processes of older individuals. Previous studies have focused primarily on age-related differences in prosocial behaviors, but there has been little research conducted on age differences in trust-based reciprocal behaviors. Three experiments were conducted to examine the differences in trust-based reciprocal behaviors between older and younger individuals, as well as the psychological mechanisms behind these behaviors. The results showed that: (1) After receiving trust, older individuals exhibit more trust-based reciprocal behaviors compared to younger individuals; (2) Interpersonal responsibility plays a mediating role in the age-related differences in trust-based reciprocal behaviors; (3) The role of reputation considerations is marginal: younger individuals are more sensitive to reputation-related information.