Measurement of Aging Anxiety in Taiwan: An Application of a Multidimensional Item Response Model

The reliability and validity of the Anxiety about Aging Scale–Taiwan version (AAST), translated from the Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS) developed by Lasher and Faulkender (1993) was investigated using both classical and multidimensional Rasch analysis. Age and gender effects were also investigated in terms of 4 latent traits: fear of old people, psychological concerns, physical appearance, and fear of losses. Taiwanese adults ( N = 334) participated and analytical results allowed for empirical validation of the 16-item AAST and demonstration of it being a reliable measure of aging anxiety. Young adults experienced more aging anxiety than older adults did and females exhibited more anxiety about their physical appearance in relation to aging compared to males.