This study investigates how a network of general trust affects willingness to communicate (WTC) in English among Japanese people. Network analysis of 1362 participants (761 university students and 601 social survey participants) revealed that four variables related to general trust directly positively influenced WTC. Centrality indices (node strength, closeness, expected influence) identified key variables in the network. While regression analysis showed an overall positive effect of general trust on WTC, the network analysis provided a deeper understanding of the interactions between variables, offering insights valuable for intervention studies.

Takehiko Ito