1. ^aCenter for Risk Research, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
2. ^bCenter for Risk Psychology, Environment, and Community Resilience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

Correspondence: Lennart Sjöberg, Center for Risk Psychology, Environment, and Community Resilience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway. E -mail: lennartsjoberg@gmail.com

Abstract

Components of social trust were studied with regard to 23 different actors or organizations. Perceived antagonism was found to be an important factor in social trust, getting a higher (negative) weight than the traditional trust components such as honesty or competence. The relation between competence and trust was moderated by the level of perceived antagonism. With a high level of antagonism, competence was a negative factor. Antagonism was more important than social trust in accounting for perceived risk. In a second study, concerned with nuclear waste, SEM models were estimated and epistemic trust (trust in science as distinguished from trust in experts and scientists) was found to be an important factor in accounting for perceived risk and acceptance of a nuclear waste repository. Antagonism also contributed to accounting for perceived risk. The role of social trust was minor. Its effects were mediated by epistemic trust but it accounted for only part of the variance of epistemic trust. Implications for risk communication are discussed.