Development of a knowledge about aging scale

The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid knowledge about aging scale. Two hundred and ninety-eight subjects (128 males, 170 females) from the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and members of the general population, ranging from 17 to 65 years of age, and having 0 to 12 years of post secondary education, participated in this study. Subjects were chosen on the basis of having gerontological, versus no gerontological training. Subjects responded to computer randomized Likert scale questionnaires consisting of the initial 60 item Proto Knowledge About Aging Scale, Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ), and Kogan's Old People Scale (OP). Responses to the initial Proto scale were used to construct a psychometrically appropriate 40 item scale that consisted of three factor dimensions interpreted as Psychological, Biological Change, and Social Lifestyle/Histological Change. This 40 item scale had a Chronbach's alpha of 0.839 and a construct validity value of 0.701. Analysis of Covariance results indicated that the independent variables of age, gender, and years of post secondary education, had no significant extraneous confounding influence (p≤ 0.05) on Proto scale results. However, type of training did influence Proto scale results, with those subjects having gerontological training scoring significantly higher (Duncan's Multiple Range Test p≤ 0.05) than those with no gerontological training. Investigation into Proto's scale characteristics were further analyzed in relation to the subjects in this investigation, Palmore's FAQ, and Kogan's OP scale, with discussion focussing on Proto's psychometric rigor as compared to Palmore's FAQ.Education, Faculty ofEducational Studies (EDST), Department ofGraduat