Can we trust this short scale? Validation of a Brief Self-Report Measure of Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity (ETMCQ-R-6) in a sample of the U.K. general population

David Riedl, Henry Delamain, Peter Fonagy, Astrid Lampe, Samuel Eke, Tobias Nolte, Hanna Kampling, Johannes Kruse and Chloe Campbell

PLOS Mental Health, 2026, vol. 3, issue 8, 1-21

Abstract: The concept of the epistemic stance (i.e., an individual’s openness to learning from others) has been increasingly recognized as a key construct associated with mental health. This study validated a six-item short form of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ-R) in a UK quota-balanced community sample (N = 515). Using stepwise item reduction and confirmatory factor analysis, a three-factor structure with two items per subscale (trust, mistrust, credulity) was identified. The ETMCQ-R-6 showed acceptable fit (scaled χ²(6)=22.13, p = .001; robust CFI = .978; robust TLI = .945; robust RMSEA = .073 [90% CI: .042, .107]; SRMR = .029) and acceptable reliability for the trust (α = .75) and credulity (α = .77) subscales, while the mistrust subscale fell below the conventional threshold (α = ρ = ω = .68). Configural, metric, scalar, and structural invariance across gender and age groups was supported, while strict invariance was not established. Correlations between the long and short form were high (r = 0.83–0.87; φ = 0.95–1.00). Hierarchical regression analyses confirmed significant incremental predictive validity for epistemic mistrust and credulity across psychopathology outcomes, while the trust subscale demonstrated domain-specific incremental validity for attachment avoidance. The ETMCQ-R-6 offers a brief, psychometrically stable assessment of epistemic stance suitable for epidemiological research.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pmen00:0000591

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000591

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