Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T08:43:53.151Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measurement of Activity in the Elderly: The Activities Checklist

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Tannis Y. Arbuckle ,
Dolores Pushkar Gold ,
June S. Chaikelson  and
Steven Lapidus
Tannis Y. Arbuckle
Affiliation:
Concordia University*
Dolores Pushkar Gold
Affiliation:
Concordia University*
June S. Chaikelson
Affiliation:
Concordia University*
Steven Lapidus
Affiliation:
Concordia University*
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study assessed the reliability and validity of the Activities Checklist (Reid & Ziegler, 1981) as well as its utility for predicting cognitive functioning in the elderly. Data were drawn from two longitudinal projects where elderly subjects had been tested on two occasions approximately five years apart. Test-retest reliabilities were .54 and .43 for the larger (N = 158) and smaller (N = 76) samples respectively. Validity was demonstrated by an age shift towards more passive activities and by positive correlations with education, occupational status, health and well-being. Weighted versions of activity scores were not superior to unweighted versions as predictors of cognitive functioning. For both samples activity levels significantly predicted performance on some cognitive measures. It was concluded that the Activities Checklist is a potentially useful instrument to employ in the study of individual differences in cognitive aging.

Résumé

Cette étude a pour but l'évaluation de la fidélité et de la validité du Questionnaire d'activités (Reid & Ziegler, 1981) ainsi que la vérification de son utilité comme prédicteur du fonctionnement cognitif des gens âgés. Les sujets proviennent de deux études longitudinales lors desquelles ils ont été testés à deux reprises espacées d'environ cinq ans. La fidélité test-retest est de .54 pour l'échantillon de 158 sujets et de .43 pour celui de 76 sujets. La validité est démontrée par le changement lié à l'âge vers des activités plus passives et par des corrélations positives avec le niveau de scolarité, l'occupation, la santé et le bien-être. Des versions pondérées des scores d'activité ne s'avèrent pas supérieures aux versions non pondérées pour prédire le fonctionnement cognitif. Les niveaux d'activité prédisent la performance à certaines tâches cognitives. Ces résultats suggèrent que le Questionnaire d'activités est un outil potentiellement utile pour étudier les différences individuelles dans le vieillissement cognitif.

Keywords

AgingActivity LevelsInstrumentationCognitive Functioning.Vieillissementniveau d'activitéinstrumentfonctionnement cognitif.
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , Winter/hiver 1994 , pp. 550 - 565
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arbuckle, T.Y., Chaikelson, J.S., & Gold, D.P. (1994). Social drinking and cognitive functioning revisited: The role of intellectual endowment and psychological distress. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 55, 352–361.Google Scholar
Arbuckle, T.Y., & Gold, D.P. (1993). Aging, inhibition and verbosity. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 48, P225–P232.Google Scholar
Arbuckle, T.Y., Gold, D., & Andres, D. (1986). Cognitive functioning of older people in relation to social and personality variables. Psychology and Aging, 1, 55–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arbuckle, T.Y., Gold, D.P., Andres, D., Schwartzman, A., & Chaikelson, J. (1992). Psychosocial context, age and intelligence in memory performance of older men. Psychology and Aging, 7, 25–36.Google Scholar
Atchley, R.C. (1989). A continuity theory of normal aging. The Gerontologist, 29, 183–190.Google Scholar
Blishen, B.R., & McRoberts, H.A. (1976). A revised socioeconomic index for occupations in Canada. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 23(1), 71–79.Google Scholar
Brim, G. (1992). Ambition: How we manage success and failure throughout our lives. New York: Harper Collins.Google Scholar
Burrus-Bamel, L.L., & Bamel, G. (1985). Leisure and recreation. In Birren, J.E. & Schaie, K.W. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging 2nd ed. (pp. 848–863). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.Google Scholar
Cockburn, J., & Smith, P.T. (1991). The relative influence of age and intelligence on everyday memory. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 46, P31–P36.Google Scholar
Crabtree, D.A., Antrim, L.R., & Klenke, R. (1990). The effects of activity levels on controlled information processing in older adults. Activities, Adaptation and Aging, 14, 77–88.Google Scholar
Craik, F.I.M., Byrd, M., & Swanson, J.M. (1987). Patterns of memory loss in three elderly samples. Psychology and Aging, 2, 79–86.Google Scholar
Csiksezentmihali, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper & Row.Google Scholar
Eysenck, H.J., & Eysenck, S.B.G. (1968). Manual: Eysenck Personality Inventory. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.Google Scholar
Field, D., Schaie, K.W., & Leino, E.V. (1988) Continuity in intellectual functioning: the role of self-reported health. Psychology and Aging, 3, 385–392.Google Scholar
Gold, D., Andres, D., Arbuckle, T., & Schwartzman A. (1988). Measurement and correlates of verbosity in elderly people. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 43, P27–P34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Golden, R.R., Teresi, J.A., & Gurland, B.J. (1984). Development of indicator scales for the comprehensive assessment and referral evaluation (CARE) interview schedule. Journal of Gerontology, 39, 138–146.Google Scholar
Gribbin, K., Schaie, K.W., & Parham, I.A. (1980). Complexity of lifestyle and maintenance of intellectual abilities. Journal of Social Issues, 36, 47–61.Google Scholar
Havighurst, R.J. (1963). Successful aging. In Williams, R.H., Tibbits, C., & Donahue, W. (Eds.), Processes of aging Vol 1. New York: Atherton.Google Scholar
Hultsch, D.F., Hammer, M., & Small, B.J. (1993). Age differences in cognitive performance in later life: Relationships to self-reported health and activity life style Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 48, P1–P11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kozma, A., & Stones, M.J. (1983). Re-validation of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness. Canadian Journal on Aging, 2(1), 27–29.Google Scholar
Larson, R., (1978). Thirty years of research on subjective well-being of older Americans. Journal of Gerontology, 33, 109–125.Google Scholar
Read, D. (1987). Neuropsychological assessment of memory in the elderly. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 41, 158–174.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reid, D.W., & Ziegler, M. (1977). A survey of the reinforcement and activities elderly citizens feel are important for their general happiness. Essence, 2, 5–24.Google Scholar
Reid, D.W., & Ziegler, M. (1981). The Desired Control Measure and adjustment among the elderly. In Lefcourt, H. (Ed.), Research with the Locus of Control construct (pp. 127–159). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Rey, A. (1964). L'examen clinique en psychologie. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.Google Scholar
Schaie, K.W. (1983). The Seattle longitudinal study: A 21-year exploration of psychometric intelligence in adulthood. In Schaie, K.W. (Ed.), Longitudinal studies of adult psychological development (pp. 64–135). New York: Guilford.Google Scholar
Schaie, K.W., & Willis, S.L. (1986). Can decline in adult intellectual functioning be reversed? Developmental Psychology, 22, 223–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schonfield, D. (1973). Future commitments and successful aging. I. The random sample. Journal of Gerontology, 28, 189–196.Google Scholar
Schwartzman, A., Gold, D., Andres, D., Arbuckle, T., & Chaikelson, J. (1987). Stability of intelligence: A 40-year follow-up. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 41, 244–256.Google Scholar
Silverstein, A.B. (1986). Statistical power lost and statistical power regained: The Bonferroni procedure in exploratory research. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 46, 303–307.Google Scholar
Stones, M.J., & Kozma, A. (1986). Happiness and activities as propensities. Journal of Gerontology, 41, 85–90.Google Scholar
Ujimoto, K.V. (1990). Time-budget methodology for research on aging. Social Indicators Research, 23, 381–393.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1945). A standardized memory scale for clinical use. Journal of Psychology, 19, 87–95.Google Scholar