Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2010
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.4061/2010/454218
Abstract
This study employed qualitative construct mapping and factor analysis to construct a scale to measure attitudes toward dementia. Five family caregivers, five professionals, and five college students participated in structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of the interviews led to a 46-item scale, which was reduced to 20 items following principal axis factoring with two different samples: college students () and certified nursing assistant students (). Confirmatory factor analysis was then conducted with another sample of college students (). The final scale, titled the Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS), essentially had a two-factor structure; the factors were labeled “dementia knowledge” and “social comfort.” Total-scale Cronbach's alphas ranged 0.83–0.85. Evidence for convergent validity was promising, as the DAS correlated significantly with scales that measured ageism and attitudes toward disabilities (range of correlations = 0.44–0.55; mean correlation ). These findings demonstrate the reliability and validity of the DAS, supporting its use as a research tool.
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, v. 2010, art. 454218
Scholar Commons Citation
O'Connor, Melissa L. and McFadden, Susan H., "Development and Psychometric Validation of the Dementia Attitudes Scale" (2010). Aging Studies Faculty Publications. 43.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/gey_facpub/43
