Trust in People Scale [TIPS-3]

Questionnaire Description

The Trust in People Scale (TIPS-3) is a brief measure designed to assess an individual’s general level of trust in other people. It focuses on the extent to which others are perceived as trustworthy within social and interpersonal relationships. In the available source, the scale is presented as a measure of social trust and is discussed in terms of reliability and validity.

Aim

The main aim of the TIPS-3 is to provide a measure of generalized social trust. It can be used to examine how trust is associated with social cohesion, interpersonal relationships, and social well-being, as well as to explore factors that influence the development of trust within communities.

Analysis and Psychometric Evaluation

Psychometric evaluation of the scale may include assessment of internal consistency through Cronbach’s alpha, test–retest reliability, and validity through comparisons with other measures of social trust and through factor analysis.

Scoring

According to the available material, responses are rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = “Strongly Disagree” to 5 = “Strongly Agree.” Total scores are calculated by summing the individual item scores, with higher scores indicating a greater level of trust in other people.

Applications

The TIPS-3 may be used in sociology, social psychology, and broader social research, particularly in studies examining social trust, cooperation, social cohesion, interpersonal relationships, and social well-being.

References

The available source identifies Rosenberg (1956) as a foundational reference concerning the measurement of trust and Yamagishi and Yamagishi (1994) as an important contribution examining the relationship between social trust and social cooperation.