Trust in Event Contacts

Abstract Chapter 3 is about the origins of trust in bridge ties, focusing on contacts recalled for their help during significant business events. These “event contacts” are highly trusted, but unlike typical strong ties, their trust is not explained by network structure—such as mutual friends—but by interpersonal history. Three findings support the statement: (1) Trust in event contacts is independent of structural embedding, (2) that pattern holds across different kinds of events, and (3) trust grows with years of knowing the contact, especially during the early years of a relationship. Family is sometimes involved, but most trusted event contacts are not family, suggesting trust stems from experience, not kinship. Events themselves are not inherently important; rather, they serve as contexts that reveal and reinforce trustworthiness. This chapter deepens the strong-bridge puzzle: these are ties formed over time and tested in moments of need, embodying durable trust across structural gaps.