Age differences in the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale

In this research we examined age differences in the factorial structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale. In particular, we viewed the covariance structure of the PGC Morale Scale items as a function of several parameter matrices. We analyzed the factorial invariance by testing hypotheses involving the equivalence constraints of one or more parameter matrices in the young-old (65-74) and the old-old (75 and over) populations. Data for this research came from the 1968 National Senior Citizens Survey. Analysis of covariance structures, or LISREL, was used to assess the factorial invariance of the PGC Morale Scale. Although there are some statistically significant age differences in the factorial structure, substantively they are less important.