Scale Overview
The Trust in People Scale – TPS was developed by Survey Research Center, University of Michigan (1969). It is designed to measure Generalized Trust. The scale is intended for use with General adult population.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 3 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Trusting response (Most people can be trusted / Try to be helpful / Try to be fair), 0 = Distrusting response (Can't be too careful / Look out for themselves / Take advantage).
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 3. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Trust: 0 – 1
- High Trust: 2 – 3
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 2 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.