Student evaluation
Allophilia measure for assessing attitudes towards older adults
What is this measuring?
Measures of allophilia (like or love toward others) are commonly utilized to assess attitudes towards an outgroup. The original Pittinsky et al., (2011) allophilia 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 older adults [people over the age of 65].
| 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 people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 2. I respect people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 3. I like people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 4. I feel positively toward people over the age of 65. | 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 people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 6. I am comfortable when I hang out with people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 7. I feel like I can be myself around people over the age of 65. | 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 people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 9. I feel kinship with people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 10. I would like to be more people over the age of 65. | 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 people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 12. I am motivated to get to know people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 13. To enrich my life, I would try and make more friends who are people over the age of 65. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 14. I am interested in learning about the experiences of people over the age of 65. | 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 people over the age of 65. | 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:
From Wagner & Luger (2017)
Affection: 0.86
Comfort: 0.85
Kinship: 0.81
Engagement: 0.86
Enthusiasm: 0.76