One of us (Sara) spent hours studying the nature of trust in the healthcare system for a book that included interviewing over 70 people who have lost this faith; during this research, she came across a sizable literature on the question of whether or not trust is uniquely human. It’s not, although the nature of trust in other species might be less sophisticated than the human version of this concept.

First, what does trust actually mean? Many people think they have a good working definition but for most, the concept is still quite vague. In an interpersonal setting, which is where trust most frequently manifests, trust is defined as “confidence in the dependability of someone or something.” Trust is also frequently framed in terms of risk, for example, whether or not you feel comfortable taking the risk of trusting someone, since the stakes can be high if you are wrong and the other person (or people or institution)........

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