Here, of course, the vagueness of the instrument, which may be necessitated in part by the nature of survey research, is at fault in that it does not give respondents much leeway. Sensible respondents must read this question as not being about substantial issues, such as whether one could trust another to donate a kidney or to repay a large, unsecured personal loan, or even much less substantial issues. Hence although it is unspecified, the range of matters on which “most people can be trusted” is not likely to be unrestricted.

DEFINE: Clarifies how 'most people can be trusted' survey items really measure limited, context-bound trust rather than generalized trust, despite lacking explicit scope.

Russell Hardin, Trust and Trustworthiness, loc. 890