This study deals with the concepts of trust and trustworthiness. The vagueness in which both concepts are defined, measured and related to other concepts in the social sciences impedes the accumulation of scientific knowledge. Building on previous conceptions and research, an attempt is made to provide a general conception for both concepts. This conception may serve as a starting point for future research. It is flexible enough to describe a wide variety of relationships in which both concepts are at stake and it is useful in comparing and structuring past research. Various implications of this conception are discussed such as its relation to other relatively closely linked concepts. Moreover, it is applied to a current discussion concerning dimensions of political trust (Fisher et al. 2010, 2011; Hooghe 2011) to illustrate its usefulness in solving conceptual misunderstandings.
