Older adult evaluation
Allophilia measure for assessing attitudes towards younger people
What is this measuring?
Measures of allophilia are commonly utilized to assess attitudes towards an outgroup. The original Pittinsky et al., (2011) scale was adapted by Wagner and Luger (2017) to specifically measure positive intergenerational attitudes (older persons assess attitudes towards younger persons; younger persons assess attitudes toward older persons).
Source(s):
Pittinsky, T.L., Rosenthal, S.A., & Montoya, R.M. (2011). Measuring positive attitudes toward outgroups: Development and validation of the Allophilia Scale. In L. Tropp & R. Mallett (Eds.), Beyond prejudice reduction: Pathways to positive intergroup relations (pp. 41-60). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
Wagner, L.S., & Luger, T.M. (2017) Assessing positive attitudes toward older and younger adults. Educational Gerontology, 43:3, 147-165, DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2016.1272890.
Survey items – question wording and instructions to participants:
Please indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the following statements related to younger adults.
Identity Experiences:
| Affection | 1 Strongly disagree | 2 Somewhat disagree | 3 Slightly disagree | 4 Neutral | 5 Slightly agree | 6 Somewhat agree | 7 Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. In general, I have positive attitudes about younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 2. I respect younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 3. I like younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 4. I feel positively towards younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Comfort | 1 Strongly disagree | 2 Somewhat disagree | 3 Slightly disagree | 4 Neutral | 5 Slightly agree | 6 Somewhat agree | 7 Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. I am at ease around younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 6. I am comfortable when I hang out with younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 7. I feel like I can be myself around younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Kinship | 1 Strongly disagree | 2 Somewhat disagree | 3 Slightly disagree | 4 Neutral | 5 Slightly agree | 6 Somewhat agree | 7 Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8. I feel a sense of belonging with younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 9. I feel kinship with younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 10. I would like to be more like younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Engagement | 1 Strongly disagree | 2 Somewhat disagree | 3 Slightly disagree | 4 Neutral | 5 Slightly agree | 6 Somewhat agree | 7 Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. I am truly interested in understanding the points of view of younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 12. I am motivated to get to know younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 13. To enrich my life, I would try and make more friends who are younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 14. I am interested in learning about the experiences of younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Enthusiasm | 1 Strongly disagree | 2 Somewhat disagree | 3 Slightly disagree | 4 Neutral | 5 Slightly agree | 6 Somewhat agree | 7 Strongly agree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. I am impressed by younger adults. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 16. I feel inspired by people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 17. I am enthusiastic about people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Coding – answer choices:
1 (Strongly disagree), 2 (Somewhat disagree), 3 (Slightly disagree), 4 (Neutral), 5 (Slightly agree), 6 (Somewhat agree), and 7 (Strongly agree)
Scaling – how to combine items / score:
This measure assesses the five domains of positive attitudes by summing or averaging item scores in the five domains: affection (4 items), comfort (3 items), kinship (3 items), engagement (4 items), and enthusiasm (3 items), with higher numbers indicating more positive attitudes in each domain.
Psychometrics – Cronbach’s alpha:
Affection: 0.91
Comfort: 0.93
Kinship: 0.83
Engagement: 0.93
Enthusiasm: 0.87