Anxiety about Aging Scale – AAS
Measures multidimensional anxiety about aging across psychological, physical, and social domains.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Anxiety about Aging Scale – AAS was developed by Kathleen Patterson Lasher & Patricia J. Faulkender (1993). It is designed to measure Aging Anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Fear of Old People, Psychological Concerns, Physical Appearance, Fear of Loss.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Fear of Old People | 1,3,10,13,19 | 5 |
| Psychological Concerns | 5,7,11,17,18 | 5 |
| Physical Appearance | 4,9,12,15,20 | 5 |
| Fear of Loss | 2,6,8,14,16 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 13 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Aging Anxiety: 20 – 46
- Moderate Aging Anxiety: 47 – 73
- High Aging Anxiety: 74 – 100
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.82.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.