‘Trust me, we can sort this out’: a theory-testing case study of the role of epistemic trust in fostering relationships

Sprecher, Eva; Li, Elizabeth; Sleed, Michelle; Midgley, Nick

doi:10.1080/14780887.2022.2033898

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…2. This finding may be related to epistemic mistrust, if the learning of adaptive skills by others is viewed as an expression of epistemic trust (Sprecher et al, 2022). Foster care is an uncertain business and in many cases both the TBF family and the foster child do not know how long the placement (and thus the relationship) will last.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Qualitative studies have, for example, focused on children's and young people's experiences of foster care, parents' experiences of having their child in foster care or foster parents experiences of being foster parents (e. g. Andersson, 2016;Christiansen et al, 2013;Höjer, 2009;Ie, 2022;Join-Lambert & Reimer, 2022). Other qualitative studies aim to deepen the understanding of processes in foster families and in the context of foster care (e. g. Rostill-Brookes et al, 2011;Sprecher et al, 2022;Wissö et al, 2019). As the number of qualitative studies has become large, reviews and research overviews have also been made of qualitative studies in recent years.…”

Section: Foster Care Research Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Relationally focused specialized foster care : Relational experiences and changes in mental health and adaptive functioning

Åkerman

2023

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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Background: Foster care is a relatively common arrangement when parents are unable to meet the needs of their children. Specialized foster care is sometimes applied in cases when problems are more serious and complex. More knowledge is needed about the effects of such specialized foster care. Aims: To explore trajectories of change associated with specialized foster care in a treatment model with a relational and mentalization-based orientation, and to develop the understanding of foster children's and their foster parents' experiences of their relationship living in a treatment foster family. Methods: Children and young people between the ages of 5 and 20 years who received treatment within a specialized foster care model, Treatment By Foster care (TBF), participated in this study. Longitudinal data collected in a naturalistic setting were analyzed quantitatively. In Studies 1 and 2, the number of participants at baseline varied for different instruments between 76 -105. The Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) was used to measure how psychiatric symptoms change from the perspectives of the foster children, the foster parents, and teachers. The Adaptive Behavior Assessment Systemsecond edition (ABAS-II) was used to measure adaptive functioning from the foster parents' perspective. Self-ratings by the children and young people of their emotional and social problems were measured with the Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional and Social Impairment (BYI). Data about experiences of the relationship between child and foster parent were collected through repeated individual short interviews/speeches with both children and their foster parents according to Five Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) (n = 14). Interviews/speeches were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (TA). Results: The ratings of foster parents and foster children differed. The analyses showed a significant reduction in psychiatric symptoms, emotional and social problems according to the self-ratings by the children and young people. According to foster parents and teachers, psychiatric symptoms did not decrease. The baseline ratings of adaptive functioning by foster parents showed that adaptive functioning was considerably below peers from the Swedish non-clinical norm group. Adaptive functioning did improve but not enough to approach or catch up with peers.Analysis of the interviews/speeches generated three main themes containing seven subthemes. Main themes were: No 'real' family, A co-created relationship, and Time. Participants related to a norm for what a 'real' family is and seemed to presuppose that the biological family is the 'real' family. A co-created relationship related to No 'real' family as an answer or a solution. The challenges in the foster family constellation could be overcome by a mutual ambition to build a relationship and by liking each other. Time appeared as a common theme and both as an opportunity and a threat to the rela-tionship. Despite the fact that no interview question concerned the duration of the relationship, ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Foster Care Research Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationally focused specialized foster care : Relational experiences and changes in mental health and adaptive functioning

Åkerman

2023

Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science

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“…This interpretation of the findings may be related to epistemic mistrust. Low adaptive skills and rigidity, in the sense of difficulties to learn, can be understood as an expression of epistemic mistrust related to experiences of early neglect (Sprecher et al, 2022). Also, this finding may imply that on average, foster parents do not succeed in building a sufficiently secure and trustworthy relation with the child in foster care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent years, there has been a growing interest in research focusing on the concept epistemic trust (e.g. Ensink et al, 2014; Fonagy & Campbell, 2017; Sprecher et al, 2022). The concept epistemic trust is taken from the theory of natural pedagogy and tries to explain how human, cultural knowledge is transferred between people (Csibra & Gergely, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What changes during specialized foster care? A study on adaptive functioning and emotional and social problems

Åkerman

Holmqvist

Falkenström

2022

Child & Family Social Work

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Various models of specialized foster care have been developed, but research on them is limited. This longitudinal, exploratory study analysed data on adaptive functioning, emotional and social problems and self-concept in a specialized foster care service in Sweden. The focus of the study was on the development of the children and young people in placement. The Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS-II) was used to measure adaptive functioning, and the Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional and Social Impairment (BYI) was used to measure self-rated emotional and social problems and self-concept. Self-ratings showed significant improvements in disruptive behaviour, anger, anxiety and depression. Adaptive functioning as rated by foster parents improved but not enough to catch up with the non-clinical norm group. The average adaptive functioning among the participants at baseline was considerably below the Swedish norm group. Similar to the results of a previous study of the same treatment model, children and young people rated improvement while their foster parents did not do so to the same extent. Possible explanations for this are discussed in the paper. The study is limited by the lack of a control group and by data attrition.

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“…For example, Sjöberg & Herber ( 2008 ) considered epistemic trust as a specific trust in science and technology. In addition, theoretical or case studies that used the theory of epistemic trust to explain their findings (Byrne, 2020 ; Folmo et al ., 2019 ; Kamphuis & Finn, 2019 ; Knapen et al ., 2020; Sprecher et al ., 2022 ) were not included in the review as they did not produce direct empirical evidence. Finally, in the process of screening, we discovered a substantial number of studies on related concepts, such as interpersonal trust in social psychology and persuasive communication in cognitive psychology.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epistemic trust: a comprehensive review of empirical insights and implications for developmental psychopathology

Li,

Campbell,

Midgley

et al. 2023

RES PSYCHOTHER-PSYCH

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Originally rooted in philosophy and sociology, the concept of epistemic trust has recently transitioned to developmental psychopathology, illuminating social-cognitive processes in psychopathology. This narrative review synthesizes empirical evidence on epistemic trust to inform future research. A literature search highlighted 3 areas: i) the development of selective trust in children; ii) epistemic trust in non-clinical adults; iii) its link to mental health. Young children demonstrate selective learning from reliable sources using epistemic cues. Empirical studies beyond childhood were greatly facilitated in the last 2 years with the introduction of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire, a self-report scale measuring epistemic stance. Cross-sectional studies pinpointed dysfunctional epistemic strategies as factors in mental health vulnerability, and some qualitative work offered initial evidence linking restored epistemic trust to effective psychotherapy. For future research, we propose focusing on 3 primary areas. First, empirical investigations in adolescent samples are needed, as adolescence seems to be a pivotal phase in the development of epistemic trust. Second, more experimental research is required to assess dysfunctional and functional epistemic stances and how they relate to vulnerability to mental health disorders. Finally, intervention studies should explore the dynamics of epistemic stances within and between therapy sessions and their impact on therapeutic outcomes.

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‘Trust me, we can sort this out’: a theory-testing case study of the role of epistemic trust in fostering relationships

Cited by 11 publications

References 38 publications

Relationally focused specialized foster care : Relational experiences and changes in mental health and adaptive functioning

Relationally focused specialized foster care : Relational experiences and changes in mental health and adaptive functioning

What changes during specialized foster care? A study on adaptive functioning and emotional and social problems

Epistemic trust: a comprehensive review of empirical insights and implications for developmental psychopathology

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