title: Attitude instrument analysis: an examination of factor consistency across two samples.
abstract: The factor analytic model of the practitioner-oriented opinions about people (OAP) was tested with a population of gerontological practitioners (N =558). A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to ascertain the degree-of-fit between these data and the published OAP factor model. After results supported the hypothesis that the two samples differed, a second factor analysis was designed to yield estimates of communalities by a least squares multiple regression technique. This analysis eliminated nine items not warranting inclusion in the instrument, redistributed the factors, and brought out a completely new factor. Finally, to test the hypothesis that attitudes toward aging and the aged are uncorrelated, a third analysis was performed in which the six scales of the oblique solution were refactored. The resulting higher order dimensions tended to support this hypothesis.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011581:Psychological Tests