Stability of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: A Multidimensional Item Response Model and Rasch Analysis

The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal structural and measurement invariance of the 17-item Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) using a multidimensional item response model and the unidimensional Rasch model in contrast to prior work employing classical test theory. Participants (n = 177) were assigned to three interventions and assessed at three time points. The structural analyses found that a 3-factor model fit better than a 1-factor or a 2-factor model using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Schwartz’s Bayesian information criterion (BIC) though not with the AICPC or the BIC PC. With respect to item fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and correlation of item logit positions, the PGCMS was quite stable. However, Items 4 and 5 were problematic in terms of fit. The internal consistency reliabilities of three factors were also relatively lower than desirable at one point and adequate at others.

[1]  S. Folstein,et al.  "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. , 1975, Journal of psychiatric research.

[2]  J. Morris,et al.  A retesting and modification of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. , 1975, Journal of gerontology.

[3]  B. J. Mcculloch.  A longitudinal investigation of the factor structure of subjective well-being: the case of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. , 1991, Journal of gerontology.

[4]  N. Lohmann.  Correlations of life satisfaction, morale and adjustment measures. , 1977, Journal of gerontology.

[5]  K. Bollen,et al.  Cross-cultural comparability of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: an American-Japanese comparison. , 1987, Journal of gerontology.

[6]  K. Green,et al.  Strengthening the late-life care process: effects of two forms of a care-receiver efficacy intervention. , 2007, The Gerontologist.

[7]  R. D. Bock,et al.  Marginal maximum likelihood estimation of item parameters , 1982 .

[8]  K. Green,et al.  Coping with late-life challenges: Development and validation of the care-receiver efficacy scale. , 2006, The Gerontologist.

[9]  H. Inagaki,et al.  Subjective well‐being as a predictor of all‐cause mortality among middle‐aged and elderly people living in an urban Japanese community: A seven‐year prospective cohort study , 2006 .

[10]  G. Schwarz.  Estimating the Dimension of a Model , 1978 .

[11]  K. Bollen,et al.  The structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale scale: a reinterpretation. , 1983, Journal of gerontology.

[12]  R. M. Smith,et al.  Using item mean squares to evaluate fit to the Rasch model. , 1998, Journal of outcome measurement.

[13]  Hideki Ito,et al.  Low Well‐Being Is an Independent Predictor for Stroke in Elderly Patients with Diabetes Mellitus , 2004, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[14]  H. Akaike.  A new look at the statistical model identification , 1974 .

[15]  Nicholas D. Myers,et al.  An Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Coaching Efficacy Scale for Coaches From the United States of America , 2005 .

[16]  K. Bollen,et al.  Race differences in factorial structures of two measures of subjective well-being. , 1987, Journal of gerontology.

[17]  K. Bollen,et al.  Age differences in the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. , 1986, Psychology and aging.

[18]  Y. Gustafson,et al.  Morale in the oldest old: the Umeå 85+ study. , 2005, Age and ageing.

[19]  Raymond J. Adams,et al.  The Multidimensional Random Coefficients Multinomial Logit Model , 1997 .

[20]  C. Fox,et al.  Applying the Rasch Model: Fundamental Measurement in the Human Sciences , 2001 .

[21]  M. Ryden.  Morale and Perceived Control in Institutionalized Elderly , 1984, Nursing research.

[22]  K. Bollen,et al.  Sex differences in the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. , 1985, Journal of gerontology.

[23]  Allan S. Cohen,et al.  IRT Model Selection Methods for Dichotomous Items , 2007 .

[24]  E. Hui,et al.  Examination of the Philadelphia Geriatric Morale Scale as a subjective quality-of-life measure in elderly Hong Kong Chinese. , 2004, The Gerontologist.

[25]  J. Bennett,et al.  The structure of PGC Morale Scale in American and Japanese aged: A further note , 1992, Journal of cross-cultural gerontology.

[26]  Bruno D. Zumbo,et al.  Three Generations of DIF Analyses: Considering Where It Has Been, Where It Is Now, and Where It Is Going , 2007 .

[27]  J. Yesavage,et al.  Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS): Recent evidence and development of a shorter version. , 1986 .

[28]  L. Carstensen,et al.  Social desirability and the measurement of psychological well-being in elderly persons. , 1983, Journal of gerontology.

[29]  B. Levy,et al.  Mind Matters: Cognitive and Physical Effects of Aging Self-stereotypes Internalization of Aging Stereotypes , 2022 .

[30]  R. D. Bock,et al.  Marginal maximum likelihood estimation of item parameters: Application of an EM algorithm , 1981 .

[31]  P. Coleman,et al.  Does the use of the Geriatric Depression Scale make redundant the need for separate measures of well-being on geriatrics wards? , 1995, Age and Ageing.

[32]  M P Lawton,et al.  The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: a revision. , 1975, Journal of gerontology.

[33]  Y. Gustafson,et al.  Depression among the oldest old: the Umeå 85+ study , 2005, International Psychogeriatrics.

[34]  T. Inui,et al.  The Sickness Impact Profile as a Measure of the Health Status of Noncognitively Impaired Nursing Home Residents , 1989, Medical care.