Dear Editor:

Webster College Edition Dictionary defines TRUST as "a firm belief or confidence in the honesty, integrity, reliability and justice of another person(s) or thing trusted."Theories on trust are concerned with social behavior from the interactive point of view: that is how a person behaves in the presense of another and how they may be influenced by them.Trust, if used appropriately, builds self confidence and willingness to accept responsibility or obligation without fear of outcome. It grows by use but is not depleted by use. We are each born dependent on other human beings and the greater part of life is spent in interaction with them.Individual behavior is influenced by the social context in which it occurs: It is created by participating stimuli and response action. This unique relationship determines many of the things humans do and how they feel. Many conflicting encounters are presented by both behavioral and emotional encounters.To study behavior from a social context theory is to study the inter-relationship of the numerous regularities, expectations and rules of a society. We are concerned with social structure when the totality of society is under examination.All these terms show our behavior depends upon the various demands and constraints upon us that arise through the social context in which we live with historical traditions and contemporary social organization.Trust, if used appropriately, is a successful conflict resource by using one's integrity to negotiate resolution of societal problems.Thank you.K JonesJim Thorpe