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. 2019 May 17;59(3):e130-e140.
doi: 10.1093/geront/gnx213.

Measuring Awareness of Age-Related Change: Development of a 10-Item Short Form for Use in Large-Scale Surveys

Roman Kaspar  1 , Martina Gabrian  2 , Allyson Brothers  3 , Hans-Werner Wahl  2 , Manfred Diehl  3
Affiliations

Measuring Awareness of Age-Related Change: Development of a 10-Item Short Form for Use in Large-Scale Surveys

Roman Kaspar et al. Gerontologist. .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Existing measures of subjective aging have been useful in predicting developmental outcomes. Unlike other constructs of subjective aging, Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) focuses on how adults' self-perceptions of aging result in an awareness of age-related gains and losses. We developed a 10-item short form (SF) of the existing 50-item AARC questionnaire as a reliable, valid, and parsimonious solution for use primarily in large-scale surveys but also in applied contexts.

Research design and methods: AARC was assessed in a German and North American sample of 819 individuals. Item selection for the suggested AARC-10 SF was based on multidimensional item response theory (MIRT). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test for measurement invariance (MI) across groups of participants in middle age (40-69 years), early old age (70-79 years), and advanced age (80+ years). Concurrent and discriminant validity in old age was assessed with regard to established measures of subjective aging, well-being, and health.

Results: The AARC-10 SF showed adequate fit to the data and reliability for the perceived gains and losses composites. Valid comparison of latent means was confirmed for early old and advanced age respondents and with some reservation also for middle-aged individuals due to partial MI. Concurrent and discriminant validity were confirmed.

Discussion and implications: The proposed AARC-10 SF offers an economic device to measure AARC and use the construct as an antecedent or outcome in the context of substantive model testing in large-scale survey data.

Keywords: Adult Development; Multidimensional Item Response Theory; Self-Perceptions of Aging.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of perceived AARC losses and gains in the full sample and distribution of response category thresholds in items from different behavioral domains. All parameter estimates are person-centered, i.e., a value of 0 on the logit scale refers to the mean of the respective propensity distribution of perceived gains and losses and a value of −1 represents one standard deviation below the mean. Items selected for the AARC-10 SF are highlighted.
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