A Bifactor Model of Trait Trust, Distrust, and Suspicion

• Published in: Journal of individual differences Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 79 - 88
• Main Authors: Alarcon, Gene M., Capiola, August, Jessup, Sarah A., Ryan, Tyler J., Gibson, Anthony M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hogrefe Publishing 01-04-2022
• Subjects: Agreeableness; Female; Human; Item Response Theory; Male; Personality Traits; Suspicion; Trust (Social Behavior); trust; distrust; bifactor item response theory; suspicion
• ISSN: 1614-0001; 2151-2299
• DOI: 10.1027/1614-0001/a000356

We explored competing models using bifactor item response theory (IRT) analyses to determine the relationship between trait measures of trust, distrust, and suspicion. The model with a general factor for all three scales fits the data best. We explored the relationship of the emergent general factor by correlating it with two latent traits: Agreeableness and the Trust facet of Agreeableness. The exploratory findings showed evidence that the general factor from the best-fitting model was practically identical to the Trust facet of Agreeableness. We concluded that trait trust, distrust, and suspicion reside on a continuum represented by the general factor, which is dispositional trust.