Compliance under distrust: do people comply less when they feel distrusted?

Abstract Several studies indicate that people are less compliant when they feel distrusted. This can pose a challenge for public administration, as some forms of control may signal distrust towards people and could undermine their motivation to comply. In this study, we question whether feeling distrusted is necessarily negative for compliance. In two experiments on tax compliance (N = 239), we examine the case in which the individual is distrusted by the authority. Mediation analyses indicate that distrust reduces opportunism, and this is in turn associated with higher compliance. In a survey experiment on compliance with COVID-19 rules (N = 590), we examine the case in which the individual’s group is distrusted by other members of society. A mediation analysis indicates that distrust increases opportunism, but only for participants who already see themselves as less compliant than average, and this is in turn associated with a lower willingness to comply in the near future. These findings challenge the notion that distrust necessarily leads to retaliation or negative reciprocity, and indicate that the cautious communication of distrust may even be positive in some cases.