Psychometric properties of the Kogan Attitudes toward Older People Scale: evidence from a German general-population survey.

INTRODUCTION: The Kogan Attitudes toward Older People Scale (KAOP) has been translated and validated in numerous languages, although a German version does not yet exist. The present study aimed to translate, adapt, and psychometrically evaluate the KAOP for German-speaking populations. METHODS: A convenience sample of 419 participants completed the 34-item German KAOP Scale (KAOP-D-34), 211 of whom took part in the retest after four weeks. Reliability was assessed using internal consistency, item analysis, and test-retest reliability. Structural validity was explored using principal component analysis (PCA), and construct validity was tested using the known-groups method. Convergent validity was assessed utilizing the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD), Age Stereotypes (AS), and Future Selves (FS). RESULTS: The KAOP-D-34 demonstrated good internal consistency (α = 0.870, ω = 0.863) and good test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.846, 95% CI: 0.802; 0.880). Items 7 and 8 were excluded due to poor content validity, increasing the reliability of the final 32-item scale (α = 0.876, ω = 0.867). PCA revealed a two-factor solution accounting for 30% of the total variance. Known-groups analyses showed significant differences in KAOP-D-32 scores according to gender, age group, educational level, and self-reported attitudes toward older adults. The final KAOP-D-32 total scores showed a significant correlation with the ASD (r = -0.40). Most AS and FS domains correlated significantly with KAOP-D32, except finances. Furthermore, higher KAOP-D-32 scores were associated with older age, better self-rated health, and greater life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: These results support that the KAOP-D-32 is a psychometrically robust instrument for assessing attitudes toward older adults.