Operationalization of epistemic trust

Persons involved: Svenja Taubner, Alessandro Talia, Jana Volkert, Paul Schröder-Pfeifer

The construct of Epistemic Trust (ET), originally derived from communication research, is the capacity of an individual to categorize interpersonally transmitted information as trustworthy, generalizable, and personally relevant. This is of central importance for the therapy of individuals with severe personality disorders, who are characterized by a particular rigidity in thinking and behavior. This rigidity is conceptualized in the context of mentalization theory as a lack of confidence in the validity of interpersonal communication, i.e., an absence of ET. The construct of ET has recently entered the discussion of general efficacy factors in psychotherapy. As part of the project, we are piloting one of the first measurement instruments for ET and exploring the connections between ET and related constructs such as mentalizing ability.

Duration: 2016 - Ongoing