Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychological University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, Medical Faculty, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
PLoS One. 2024 Nov 14;19(11):e0312995. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312995. eCollection 2024.
Epistemic trust, defined as trust in socially transmitted knowledge, is discussed as a psychopathological factor in the context of new transdiagnostic approaches for the assessment of mental disorders. The aim of this study is to test the factorial, convergent, and discriminant validity of the German version of the new Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity-Questionnaire (ETMCQ). Data were collected cross-sectionally from the German-speaking general population (N = 584) and in a second sample of clinical (n = 30) and non-clinical (n = 30) participants. The previously proposed three-factor structure of the ETMCQ was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The ETMCQ's ability to differentiate between clinical and non-clinical participants was tested with t-tests. Correlations with early childhood trauma, maladaptive personality traits, and impairments in personality functioning were examined. The relationship between epistemic trust and mentalization was analyzed in a structural equation model. Regarding the factorial validity, the model fit of the originally proposed ETMCQ proved to be insufficient. The model fit to the data was good for a shortened 12-item version. The study was unable to identify any significant differences between clinical and non-clinical participants. For mistrust and credulity, correlations with associated constructs supported their construct validity. However, the results for the trust subscale were heterogeneous. The study offers initial empirical support for a revised 12-item self-report measure of epistemic trust and for the link between mistrust and credulity with markers of psychopathology. Further investigation of the ETMCQ and its psychometric properties, as well as research on integration of epistemic trust into new, transdiagnostic approaches to psychopathology is needed.
认识信任，定义为对社会传递知识的信任，被讨论为新的跨诊断方法评估精神障碍的心理病理学因素之一。本研究旨在检验新的认知信任、不信任和轻信问卷（ETMCQ）德语版本的因子、收敛和判别有效性。数据来自德语人群的横断面研究（N=584）和临床（n=30）和非临床（n=30）参与者的第二样本。使用验证性因子分析分析了 ETMCQ 先前提出的三因素结构。使用 t 检验测试了 ETMCQ 区分临床和非临床参与者的能力。还检查了与早期童年创伤、适应不良人格特征和人格功能障碍相关的相关性。在结构方程模型中分析了认知信任与心理化之间的关系。关于因子有效性，最初提出的 ETMCQ 的模型拟合度证明不足。对于缩短的 12 项版本，数据的模型拟合良好。研究未能确定临床和非临床参与者之间存在任何显著差异。对于不信任和轻信，与相关结构的相关性支持了它们的建构有效性。然而，信任子量表的结果存在异质性。本研究为经过修订的 12 项认知信任自我报告测量以及不信任和轻信与精神病理学标志物之间的联系提供了初步的实证支持。需要进一步研究 ETMCQ 及其心理计量特性，以及将认知信任纳入新的跨诊断精神病理学方法的研究。
