Development and Validation of the Chinese Trust Scale: A Culturally Appropriate Measure Based on the Three-Factor Model of Chinese Trust

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown that trust has cross-cultural differences. Currently, China has limited tools and scales for measuring trust. Referring to Wu and Huang’s three-factor model of Chinese trust, we develop a Chinese Trust Scale (CTS) for Chinese people and measure its reliability and validity. This scale contains 20 items and three factors: (1) public awareness, (2) trust from others, and (3) trust in others. We explore the dimensions and preliminary items of the CTS using item analysis and exploratory factor analysis on one sample ( N = 551) and confirmatory factor analysis on a second sample ( N = 831) to replicate the suggested factor structure and validate the scale’s reliability and validity. Both the overall and subscale scores of the CTS were significantly correlated with inclusive general trust, belief in a just world, social capital, and satisfaction with life. The results suggest that newly developed CTS could be an effective tool for Chinese trust measurement.