Trust under development: The Italian validation of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ) for adolescents
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Milesi A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11346731 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description: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.
| S-EPMC9879475 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Epistemic trust refers to the trust in communicated knowledge, specifically an individual's ability to regard knowledge conveyed by others as meaningful, relevant to oneself, and applicable to other contexts. This area has received considerable attention in recent psychological literature, though predominantly from a theoretical perspective. The main objective of this study was to test the factorial validity of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ) on an Argentine setting. Based on two studies (Study 1, n = 1018; Study 2, n = 559), the factorial structure of the instrument and its internal consistency were examined (S1 Appendix). In the second study, the factorial structure was confirmed, test-retest reliability was analysed, and associations between epistemic stances and sociodemographic variables, hypomentalisation, attachment styles, childhood traumatic experiences, and anxious-depressive symptomatology were explored. A satisfactory three-factor solution with 15 items and residual correlations was found in both studies, with stable scores over time. Significant positive correlations were found with anxious and fearful-avoidant attachment, hypomentalisation, childhood traumatic experiences, and psychopathological symptomatology. Post-hoc analysis revealed that, on the one hand, gender acts as a moderator in the relationship between hypomentalisation and epistemic mistrust. On the other hand, economic level and educational level moderate the relationship between hypomentalisation and epistemic credulity. Measurement invariance across gender was tested and found satisfactory, with significant differences subsequently observed in the epistemic trust factor. In conclusion, the Argentine version of the ETMCQ provides an empirical measure for use in non-clinical samples. Its application could facilitate clinically and theoretically relevant findings.
| S-EPMC11449354 | biostudies-literature
Project description: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.
| S-EPMC11563411 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionEpistemic trust, or trust in transmitted knowledge, has been proposed as a critical factor in psychopathology and psychotherapy. This study aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ) in Iran.MethodData were collected from 906 participants. Along with the ETMCQ, measures of mentalizing, mindfulness, perspective-taking, attachment, emotion dysregulation, and borderline personality disorder were administered. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to determine factorial structure.ResultsThe ESEM model showed an acceptable fit and outperformed the confirmatory model. A 14-item version of the ETMCQ was retained after examining item performance. Our findings also established criterion-related validity for mistrust and credulity, an acceptable internal consistency for credulity, discriminant power for mistrust and credulity in detecting positive screens for borderline personality disorder, and measurement invariance across sexes.ConclusionThis study provides evidence for the cross-cultural applicability of the ETMCQ. Nonetheless, the validity of the trust and internal consistency of the mistrust subscale require particular attention in future research.
| S-EPMC10918607 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Epistemic trust (ET) refers to trust in communicated knowledge. This paper describes the development and validation of a new self-report questionnaire, the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ). We report on two studies (Study 1, n = 500; Study 2, n = 705) examining the psychometric properties of the ETMCQ and the relationship between EMTCQ scores (i.e., an individual's epistemic stance) and exposure to adverse childhood experiences, mental health symptoms, attachment, mentalizing and general self-efficacy. The factor structure of the ETMCQ was examined using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, and its reliability and test-retest reliability were tested. Both studies yielded three correlated yet distinct factors-Trust, Mistrust and Credulity-and confirmed the reliability and validity of the ETMCQ. Preregistered hypotheses were confirmed and replicated across both studies. Main findings suggest intriguing links between the ETMCQ and developmental psychopathology constructs and are consistent with thinking on the role of epistemic stance in undermining adaptation and increasing the developmental risk of mental health problems. Mistrust and Credulity scores were associated with childhood adversity and higher scores on the global psychopathology severity index and both factors partially mediated the link between early adversity and mental health symptoms. Mistrust and Credulity were positively associated with difficulties in understanding mental states and insecure attachment styles. Post-hoc analysis identified that different attachment styles were associated with differences in epistemic stance. In addition, Trust was not associated with reduced levels of mental health symptoms and did not moderate the impact of childhood adversity-findings are congruent with the suggestion that the reduction of mistrust and credulity may be crucial common factors in promoting resilience and the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions. This investigation and the ETMCQ provide an empirical measure of what until now has been largely a theoretical concept and open new avenues for future research.
| S-EPMC8051785 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSchool resilience, encompassing factors like teacher involvement and school supportiveness, is crucial for positive educational outcomes in adolescents. However, few validated scales measure school resilience. This study aimed to develop and validate the School Resilience Questionnaire (SRQ) for Iranian adolescents.MethodsThe study used a cross-sectional design. The SRQ was developed through expert reviews, interviews with students, and evaluation of existing resilience measures. After expert feedback, the final 55-item questionnaire was used. Participants were high school adolescents from Tehran, Iran (2021-2022). A multi-stage cluster random sampling approach was used. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) involved 200 students, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) included 310 students to validate the factor structure. Convergent validity was assessed by examining correlations with academic support, while divergent validity was evaluated using academic burnout measures. Construct validity and reliability were also assessed.ResultsEFA revealed six consistent factors across the sample. CFA confirmed significant and acceptable factor loadings for all SRQ items. Fit indices were RMSEA = 0.076; SRMR = 0.070, CFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.94, RFI = 0.93. Convergent validity showed positive correlations between SRQ subscales and academic support. Divergent validity showed negative correlations between SRQ subscales and academic burnout (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe study successfully developed and validated the 55-item SRQ for Iranian adolescents. The questionnaire demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties, making it a valuable tool for research and evaluation purposes in this context.
| S-EPMC10795288 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This paper presents two studies on the development and validation of a ten-item scale of epistemic vice and the relationship between epistemic vice and misinformation and fake news. Epistemic vices have been defined as character traits that interfere with acquiring, maintaining, and transmitting knowledge. Examples of epistemic vice are gullibility and indifference to knowledge. It has been hypothesized that epistemically vicious people are especially susceptible to misinformation and conspiracy theories. We conducted one exploratory and one confirmatory observational survey study on Amazon Mechanical Turk among people living in the United States (total N = 1737). We show that two psychological traits underlie the range of epistemic vices that we investigated: indifference to truth and rigidity. Indifference manifests itself in a lack of motivation to find the truth. Rigidity manifests itself in being insensitive to evidence. We develop a scale to measure epistemic vice with the subscales indifference and rigidity. The Epistemic Vice Scale is internally consistent; has good convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity; and is strongly associated with the endorsement of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Epistemic vice explains additional variance in the endorsement of misinformation and conspiracy theories over and above demographic and related psychological concepts and shows medium to large effect sizes across outcome measures. We demonstrate that epistemic vice differs from existing psychological constructs, and show that the scale can explain individual differences in dealing with misinformation and conspiracy theories. We conclude that epistemic vice might contribute to "postfactive" ways of thinking.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13164-021-00562-5.
| S-EPMC8231755 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundBrace questionnaire (BrQ) is a tool used to evaluate Health Quality of Life (HRQoL) in patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) that undergo bracing treatment. The BrQ has not been translated and validated for Italian-speaking patients with AIS. The aim of the study was to perform a trans-cultural validation of BrQ to be used in an Italian speaking population.MethodsTranslation into Italian (I-BrQ) and back translation to the original Greek (G-BrQ) was performed. The final I-BrQ was then analyzed for Italian cultural characteristics and no inconsistencies were found. After that, construct validity was measured analyzing the I-BrQ relationship with 1) Scoliosis Research Society-22 patient Questionnaire (SRS-22), in order to evaluate the relationship with another patient-oriented questionnaire not focused on brace therapy; 2) Cobb degree scale, in order to evaluate the relationship with the magnitude of the curve. Reproducibility was also tested.ResultsTranslation of the G-BrQ into Italian was successful and back-translation to Greek corresponded well with the original Greek version.Global I-BrQ correlated strongly with SRS-22 (r = 0.826; p < 0.001). Almost all sub scores from each I-BrQ domain strongly correlated with the single domain scores of SRS-22. Only two I-BrQ sub scores weakly inversely correlated with Cobb degree value.Reproducibility was good (Spearman-Brown coefficient value was 0.943; p < 0.05).ConclusionsTrans-cultural validation in Italian language showed the validity and reliability of the I-BrQ.
| S-EPMC3765932 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Individuals that attend cancer genetic counseling may experience test-related psychosocial problems that deserve clinical attention. In order to provide a reliable and valid first-line screening tool for these issues, Eijzenga and coworkers developed the Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer (PAHC) questionnaire. The aim of this work was to develop an Italian adaptation of the PAHC (I-PACH). This prospective multicenter observational study included three stages: (1) development of a provisional version of the I-PAHC; (2) pilot studies aimed at testing item readability and revising the questionnaire; and (3) a main study aimed at testing the reliability and validity of the final version of the I-PAHC with the administration of a battery comprising measures of depression, anxiety, worry, stress, and life problems to 271 counselees from four cancer genetic clinics. Adapting the original PAHC to the Italian context involved adding two further domains and expanding the emotions domain to include positive emotions. While most of the items were found to be easy to understand and score, some required revision to improve comprehensibility; others were considered irrelevant or redundant and therefore deleted. The final version showed adequate reliability and validity. The I-PAHC provides comprehensive content coverage of cancer genetic-specific psychosocial problems, is well accepted by counselees, and can be considered a sound assessment tool for psychosocial issues related to cancer genetic counseling and risk assessment in Italy.
| S-EPMC8329440 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study developed and provided initial validation for the Support for Healthy Lifestyle (SHeL), a set of scales designed to measure adolescent-perceived social support of healthy eating and physical activity. Item pool development utilized a prior focus group study of adolescents' perceptions of socially supportive behavior and a review of the literature on social support for health behavior change in adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis of the item pool completed by 220 adolescents, internal consistency estimates, and expert review of items and consensus resulted in 9 scales for the SHeL: Family Healthy Eating Support, Family Physical Activity Support, Family Hypocritical Control, Peer Health Eating Support, Peer Physical Activity Support, Peer Undermining, Professional Healthy Eating Support, Professional Physical Activity Support, and Professional General Support. Scale internal reliability estimates were α = 0.73-0.96. Supporting construct validity, the SHeL showed a pattern of stronger correlations between measures of the same source (parent/peer) and target behavior (healthy eating/physical activity) and stronger correlations with corresponding Sallis scales vis-à-vis other Sallis scales, with exceptions related to peer support for healthy eating. Divergent validity was somewhat limited, including in two instances, the SHeL scale was more strongly correlated with another SHeL scale. Supporting criterion validity, often the SHeL scales were correlated with related health behaviors. This study provided important psychometric information for a new measurement of social support for health behavior for adolescents. Further research with larger, more diverse, and treatment-seeking populations is needed to provide further validation of the SHeL and to begin to establish normative scores.
| S-EPMC6708506 | biostudies-literature