Effect of interpersonal trust on perception of the other in conflict

The paper examines the effect of interpersonal trust on the characteristics of the “Other” in conflict. It is pointed out that the main function of trust is to regulate interpersonal relations. Interpersonal trust, being a personal characteristic of an individual, performs a predictive function in the interaction of people. The level of interpersonal trust affects human behavior in a given situation, including conflict. The image of the “Other” is a part of the image of the conflict situation, which is viewed as an organized representation of a conflict situation in the individual’s system of knowledge. It is pointed out that the perception of the “Other” in a conflict situation undergoes specific changes because the recipient’s degree of subjectivity increases. The distortion of the image of the “Other” is caused by the conflict situation getting schematic. The “Other” is usually attributed immoral, aggressive, deliberate actions in the conflict. Negative characteristics and personality traits of the “Other” seem more intensive and are exaggerated. Using factor analysis the author reveals a two-factor structure of the concept of the “Other” in conflict: “rejecting me  accepting me,” “non-aggressive  aggressive.” A positive correlation between the “interpersonal trust” and “rejecting me  accepting me” indicators has been identified. The author gives evidence that interpersonal trust has an effect on the perception of the “Other” in conflict.