Trust breaches among mission-based groups like churches and charities impact Australia's most vulnerable populations. By highlighting the psychological factors that lead to inaction in the face of allegations, the research has the potential to defeat organisational cultures of corruption, abuse and neglect. This project will also shed light on the ways that trust between mission-based groups and the community can be restored after a transgression. Finally, the project will generate new psychological theories and models that account for how people respond when they are presented with disturbing information about a group for which they care deeply.

Project members

Researchers

Professor Matthew Hornsey (School of Psychology, UQ)

Associate Professor Nicole Gillespie (UQ Business School)

Professor Karen Healy (School of Nursing, UQ)