Zu and associates assessed links between the topography of an area and interpersonal trust there. They share that “To determine whether physical topography also impacts generalized trust, we conducted an exploratory study to investigate the relationship between mountainousness and individual's generalized trust . . . in China. . . . analysis revealed positive associations between the standard deviation of elevation and generalized trust. . . . analyses confirmed mountainousness indicators as significant predictors of generalized trust. . . . Our results revealed that individuals residing in China's mountainous areas are more prone to trust others.”
Liang Zu, Shaoran Zeng, Zehua Jiang, Zaoyi Sun, Hongting Li, and Liuchang Xu. 2023. “From Peaks to People: The Association Between Physical Topography and Generalized Trust in China.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 91, 102136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102136