Written by Maria:
I conducted a study to test the trust level of students on the UNCSA campus. Armed with a partially empty tray of pumpkin cheesecake, fudge brownies, and apricot fig almond bars, I walked up to any student I saw and asked them to take their pick. Every single student accepted the offer without hesitation and very few even asked where the treats came from - the only inquiries came after the first bite, "wow! did you make these?" In an hour the huge tray was entirely empty and not a single person had looked at me with even a hint of suspicion. In conclusion: Either UNCSA students are extraordinarily trusting (of each other), or UNCSA students are willing to try anything edible that doesn't come from the cafeteria, or UNCSA students are always hoping someone will offer them sweets full of drugs.
I agree when you say that we're more trusting here but especially since we all live together. I think if you were to do that in the mall or the park people would think twice..especially if you weren't asking money for them.
ReplyDeleteAs cool as this was... I'm mad that I didnt get any!
ReplyDeleteI think this experiment shows how much social capital UNCSA actually does have. People accepted the food because they trust other people here. I would probably take it too!!
I wish I could have gotten a treat! Because UNCSA is a community with common interests in art, there is more trust between strangers. These sweets sound too good to deny!
ReplyDeleteI think it makes complete sense that UNCSA students were willing to take some! It seems like everytime I pass the pickle or the Well there is someone giving out food. The listening post is always there every Wednesday giving out treats and sometimes there will be stands passing out cookies. Our community is very tight-knit and we trust eachother.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing trust lab! I feel as if age may make a difference as well? Granted, we are a VERY tight knit community, and there is a great deal of trust, but it always seems as if younger people are more reluctant to trust others...as well as eat more treats :)
ReplyDeleteI find that i am also more trustworthy of people on campus as well. I would be interesting to do this same lab in a public place to see how the results compare
ReplyDeleteI missed the treats! Oh well. Food is always a way to bring people together, and people who go to this school are always hungry. An interesting contrast is to the other lab that people did with the same experiment at the mall, where only 30% accepted the brownies.
ReplyDelete