Masks in times of COVID-19 increases the facial trustworthiness

Facial features are important information sources of trustworthiness expectations. Masks reduce the number of facial cues that are visible by partially covering the mouth and nose. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread use of face masks and other personal protection equipment affects and redefines who trusts whom in today’s society. This study used the classical investment game of interpersonal trust with Asian participants to explore the impact of three different face occlusions: No Mask (NM), Standard Mask (SM), and Protection Clothing (PC) on interpersonal trust during the COVID-19. Results showed that both undergraduates (Experiment 1) and non-student adults (Experiment 2) perceived faces wearing protective clothing more trustworthy than faces wearing standard masks, and faces wearing standard masks more trustworthy than faces not wearing masks. The investment income (difference between investment decision and expected return) in the NM condition and the SM condition was comparable, whereas the investment income in the PC condition was higher than that in the SM condition and that in the NM condition, indicating that the mechanisms by which masks and protective clothing enhance trustworthiness may differ. The study’s findings indicate that masks and protective clothing can enhance people’s trust in others in Asian societies. Given the prevalence of masks and the importance of trust between often-mask-wearing medical professionals and the public during the pandemic, we believe the findings of this study will be useful in elucidating the effects of personal protective equipment usage on perceptions of trustworthiness.