Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Lazio, Italy.
Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Lombardia, Italy.
PLoS One. 2023 Jan 26;18(1):e0280328. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280328. eCollection 2023.
The construct of epistemic trust has received much consideration in recent psychological literature, even though mainly from a theoretical perspective. The overall aim of this study was to validate the first self-report measure of epistemic trust-the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ)-in an Italian sample. Our primary goal was to test the factorial validity of the instrument, also exploring the influence of age, gender, and level of education on epistemic trust (Study 1, n = 843). Secondarily, we investigated the associations between epistemic trust, mistrust, credulity, and other aspects of psychological functioning, as well as with the presence of adverse childhood experiences in a smaller number of participants (Study 2, n = 445). Besides the ETMCQ, the survey included an ad hoc questionnaire investigating socio-demographic characteristics and self-report measures of reflective functioning, mentalized affectivity, traumatic experiences, attachment, and psychological symptoms. Statistical analysis showed a three-factor hierarchical structure similar to the model proposed in the original validation, with some differences that suggest an influence of cultural factors in determining individuals' epistemic stance. Our results corroborate previous theoretical contributions regarding the association between epistemic trust and psychological wellbeing, and between epistemic disruptions and higher levels of psychological suffering. Both Mistrust and Credulity were significantly related to the presence of childhood traumatic experiences, attachment avoidance and anxiety, lower levels of mentalization, lower abilities in emotional regulation, and higher levels of psychopathological symptoms. The ETMCQ represents an easily administered and time-effective tool. Its use could pave the way for interesting clinical and theoretical findings.
在最近的心理学文献中，认识信任的结构受到了广泛关注，尽管主要是从理论角度进行的。本研究的总体目的是在意大利样本中验证认识信任、不信任和轻信的第一个自我报告测量工具——认识信任、不信任和轻信问卷（ETMCQ）。我们的主要目标是测试该工具的因子有效性，同时探索年龄、性别和教育水平对认识信任的影响（研究 1，n=843）。其次，我们调查了认识信任、不信任、轻信与心理功能的其他方面之间的关联，以及在较少数量的参与者（研究 2，n=445）中与不良童年经历的存在之间的关联。除了 ETMCQ，调查还包括一个专门的问卷，调查社会人口统计学特征和自我报告的反思功能、心理化情感、创伤经历、依恋和心理症状的测量。统计分析显示，与原始验证中提出的模型相似的三因素层次结构，存在一些差异，表明文化因素在确定个体的认识立场方面有影响。我们的结果证实了之前关于认识信任与心理健康之间的关联，以及认识障碍与更高水平的心理痛苦之间的关联的理论贡献。不信任和轻信都与童年创伤经历、依恋回避和焦虑、心理化水平较低、情绪调节能力较低以及心理病理症状水平较高显著相关。ETMCQ 是一种易于管理和高效的工具。它的使用可以为有趣的临床和理论发现铺平道路。
