Development of Cognitive and Affective Trust in Teams

The present research examines the development of two dimensions of trust, cognitive and affective, in student project teams over the course of a semester. Empirical examination of the evolution of multidimensional trust and its unique antecedents was explored. The results show that early trust emerges as a one-dimensional factor early in the life span of a team; cognitive and affective trust emerge as separate components over time; unique and distinct predictors positively and negatively affect early trust, cognitive trust, and affective trust; and affective trust has a stronger positive relationship with team performance than cognitive trust.