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. 2024 Nov 22;10(23):e40624.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40624. eCollection 2024 Dec 15.

Towards a unified measure of general interpersonal trust

Uyen Hoang  1 , Braden Tanner  1 , Dana Mahmoud-Elhaj  1 , Jenna Holt  1 , Muhammad Asif  1 , Adam Feltz  1
Affiliations

Towards a unified measure of general interpersonal trust

Uyen Hoang et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Trust is a well-studied attitude with many different conceptualizations, scales, and measurement techniques. However, the diversity of measurement and conceptualizations of trust can make comparisons between studies and instrument selection difficult. To help address these difficulties, we conducted 4 studies where we directly compared commonly used domain general trust measures. Study 1 (N = 155) compared 6 commonly used measures of trust (with a total of 10 factors reported in those measures) and submitted items in those scales to an exploratory factor analysis. We were able to identify 6 distinct, interpretable factors in those trust measures. Studies 2-4 (Ns = 234, 166, 355) reduced the 6 factors to 4 that were consistent with the theoretical literature: Confidence in others, belief in others' reliability, belief in others' honesty, and beliefs about others' trustworthiness. Study 4 also suggested that the 4 trust factors were largely unrelated to sex, political orientation, and disgust sensitivity (discriminant validity). The 4 trust factors were associated with other, related factors such as the personality trait agreeableness (convergent validity). Some of the trust factors predicted decisions about acceptance of water recycling (predictive validity) and predicted that acceptance beyond what was predicted by disgust sensitivity, sex, and political orientation (incremental validity).

Keywords: Confidence; General trust; Honesty; Reliability; Trustworthiness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Confirmatory Factor Analysis model with standardized estimates for Study 3. Note. The indicator items refer to the items listed in Table 3.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Confirmatory Factor Analysis model with standardized estimates for Study 4. Note. The indicator items refer to the items listed in Table 3.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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