Validation of 2 factual quizzes on mistreatment towards older adults and a quiz on ageism with university students

PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER:

Marie Beaulieu, Ph. D., Sherbrooke University

RESEARCH TEAM:

Jean Vézina, Laval University

Mark Yaffe, McGill University

CHAIR PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT:

Josée Lévesque, research assistant

GRANTING AGENCY AND GRANT AMOUNT:

Quebec Network for Research on Aging (RQRV): 7 000$

PROJECT COMPLETION DATES:

October of 2010 to March of 2012

ROLE OF THE CHAIR IN THE PROJECT:

Choosing the tools needing validation. Particular analysis in relation with the factual Quiz on aging as well as the two factual quizzes on mistreatment towards older adults.

RESEARCH PROBLEM:

Countering ageism and different issues linked to negative depictions associated with aging is done with knowledge to then address the subject of attitude and behaviours. There is not a lot of validated research tools to measure ageism and the knowledge surrounding it. Researchers of the RQRV have developed or adapted some tools: the Facts on Aging (inspired by Palmore’s quiz), the Facts on Mistreatment towards older adults Quiz I and II, the Fraboni scale of ageism, etc. What is their validity in the Québec culture?

GOAL OF THE PROJECT OR RESEARCH QUESTION:

A first grant allowed the creation of the final version of the quizzes; nevertheless, no validity study was done on it, such as the evaluation on the internal consistency, test-retest, validity of the structures, and establishment of the norms. This is what this project aims to accomplish, by incorporating the quizzes with two other scales of ageism to establish comparisons, which are the modified Fabroni scale of ageism and the revised version of the semantic differential (SD).

OBJECTIVES:

Evaluate the psychometric and edumetric qualities of the Facts on Mistreatment towards older adults Quiz (1 and 2) and the Facts on Aging Quiz.

METHODOLOGY:

In this study, the sample used were students enrolled in a summer class on aging, which was close to 700 students. The participants filled in the questionnaires directly on the Internet, through the platform PIANO (project funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation to J. Vézina).

PROJECT ADVANCEMENT:

The funding has allowed to prepare the PIANO consultation in April, to gather the data in March and June of 2011, to analyse them in July and write an article on the development, acceptability and validity of the Facts on Aging Quiz. The same type of article is in progress for the Facts on Mistreatment towards older adults Quiz.

COMMUNICATIONS:

Beaulieu, M., Lévesque. J., & Vézina, J. (October 20th, 2012). The Québec version of the Facts on Aging Quiz. 41st Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Gerontology. Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada).

PUBLICATIONS:

N.a.