Attachment to Life: Psychometric Analyses of the Valuation of Life Scale and Differences Among Older Adults

Laura N. Gitlin · Jeanine M. Parisi · Jin Huang · Laraine Winter · David L. Roth

16 citations0/0 files storedThe Gerontologist

No readable copy stored yet — this record is metadata only.

No open-access location is known for this record yet.

Literature note Cite in a project Citation map

Aging and Gerontology Research Psychometric Methodologies and Testing Aging, Health, and Disability

Abstract

PURPOSE OF STUDY: Examine psychometric properties of Lawton's Valuation of Life (VOL) scale, a measure of an older adults' assessment of the perceived value of their lives; and whether ratings differ by race (White, Black/African American) and sex. DESIGN AND METHODS: The 13-item VOL scale was administered at baseline in 2 separate randomized trials (Advancing Better Living for Elders, ABLE; Get Busy Get Better, GBGB) for a total of 527 older adults. Principal component analyses were applied to a subset of ABLE data (subsample 1) and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on remaining data (subsample 2 and GBGB). Once the factor structure was identified and confirmed, 2 subscales were created, corresponding to optimism and engagement. Convergent validity of total and subscale scores were examined using measures of depressive symptoms, social support, control-oriented strategies, mastery, and behavioral activation. For discriminant validity, indices of health status, physical function, financial strain, cognitive status, and number of falls were examined. RESULTS: Trial samples (ABLE vs. GBGB) differed by age, race, marital status, education, and employment. Principal component analysis on ABLE subsample 1 (n = 156) yielded two factors subsequently confirmed in confirmatory factor analyses on ABLE subsample 2 (n = 163) and GBGB sample (N = 208) separately. Adequate fit was found for the 2-factor model. Correlational analyses supported strong convergent and discriminant validity. Some statistically significant race and sex differences in subscale scores were found. IMPLICATIONS: VOL measures subjective appraisals of perceived value of life. Consisting of two interrelated subscales, it offers an efficient approach to ascertain personal attributions.

Paper brief

Loading…

Cite this work

Citation unavailable for this work.

BibTeX RIS CSL-JSON

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Citations in this library

Citation map →

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 16 citations exist upstream.

References

1977The CES-D Scale 2001The PHQ-9 2015Older Adults' Reasons for Using Technology while Aging in Place 2000Positive psychology: An introduction.2000Positive psychology: An introduction.1978The Structure of Coping 2005Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions.2006The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life.

Cited by

2022The internet multiple: How internet practices are valued in later life 2021Loneliness and psychological well-being among the elderly in Buffalo City, South Africa 2021WWII traumatic events, subjective well-being and valuation of life in the very old 2018Valuation of Life Among Old and Very Old Adults: Comparison Between Germany and Japan

Explore the map →

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.

Imported from OpenAlex (CC0) — nothing here is generated.