Trust and Power in Adults: An Investigation Using Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings

Abstract

Trust is a critical element in establishing a therapeutic nurse-client relationship that can help to change people’s health experiences and quality of life. This study’s purpose was to examine the relationship between trust and power using Rogers’science of unitary human beings and Barrett’s theory of power. A national sample, comprised of 189 women and men, aged 21 to 60, completed Barrett’s Power as Knowing Participation in Change Test that measured power and Gibb’s TORI Self-Diagnosis Scale that measured trust, trust of self, and trust of others. Correlation analyses revealed support for the three hypotheses stated which predicted a positive relationship between power and trust, trust of self, and trust of others. Findings support the conceptualization of trust and power.