Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Factors Influencing Particpants' Trust In Outdoor Organizations And Outdoor Leaders, Karen Paisley, Jim Sibthorp, Wynn Shooter

Research in Outdoor Education

Trust plays a critical role in the field of outdoor education. The building of trust among participants is a common goal of outdoor educators (Honchalk, 1982; Smith, Roland, Hanes, & Hoyt, 1992; Fox & Mick, 1996) and 1s believed to influence learning outcomes (Rotter, 1967). The absence of trust in one's leader may result in unrealized goals and lack of productivity (Kramer & Cook, 2004 ). The purpose of the current study was to explore, through action research, how trust is established between consumers and outdoor organizations and between participants in outdoor programs and their outdoor leaders. The identification of …