Adaptation of the aging semantic differential scale into Turkish

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to adapt the Aging Semantic Differential Scale into Turkish. Rosencranz and McNevin (1969) first developed this scale to measure ageism and specific attitudes toward old people. Since then, this scale has been adapted into many languages, though not Turkish, and widely used in gerontology literature. Method: This current study involved 204 volunteer Turkish undergraduate students registered at Hacettepe University (139 females, mean age 20.6). They completed the questionnaires in a test-retest format in their classrooms. Results: Factor analyses revealed that the Turkish form had 26 items and 4 factors with an eigenvalue greater than 1 and explaining 46.8% of the total variance. The scale also highly correlated to two other scales on ageism, The Attitudes Toward Old People Scale and The Ageism Attitude Scale. Its internal reliability and two-week interval test-retest reliability scores were high. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Turkish form of the Aging Semantic Differential Scale is a valid and reliable tool. By adapting a well-known ageism scale into Turkish, this study makes an important contribution to Turkish gerontology literature.