A validation check can be done on any column in a base object. The downgrade resulting from the validation check can be applied to the same column, as well as to any other columns that can be validated. Invalid data in one column can therefore result in trust downgrades on many columns.
For example, supposed you used an address verification flag in which the flag is OK if the address is complete and BAD if the address is not complete. You could configure a validation rule that downgrades the trust on all address fields if the verification flag is not OK. Note that, in this case, the verification flag should also be downgraded.