Validation of the Attitude-Older Adult and Aging-Visual Analogue Scales (At-O-A)

The purpose of this study was to psychometrically test a tool developed by the authors to assess college students' attitudes toward older adults and the aging process. The Older Adult and Aging-Visual Analog Scales, or At-O-A, consists of two visual analog scales, one that measures attitudes toward older adults and the other that measures attitudes toward the aging process. The content validity of the tool was first assessed, and revisions were made based on experts' feedback. Then a convenience sample of undergraduate students from the University of Southern Indiana and York College of Pennsylvania was recruited to further test the reliability and validity of the At-O-A (n = 198). The revised Fraboni Scale of Ageism (Rupp, Vodanovich, & Crede, 2005) and the Anxiety About Aging Scale (Lasher & Faulkender, 1993) were used to assess concurrent validity of the At-O-A. Results of Pearson's Correlation tests indicate medium-to-strong relationships with the Fraboni Scale of Ageism and the Anxiety About Aging Sc...