Development of a New Measure of Intergenerational Contact

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Intergenerational relationships significantly impact adult development and well-being.
• Effective evaluation of intergenerational programs requires a validated measure of contact.
• Existing measures may not adequately capture the nuances of familial and non-familial intergenerational contact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a comprehensive measure of intergenerational contact (IGC) for familial and non-familial contexts.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the IGC Measure across different adult age groups.
• To provide a reliable tool for researchers and practitioners studying intergenerational dynamics.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase approach involving Delphi review, focus groups, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Expert consensus building with researchers and practitioners (n=16).
• Psychometric validation using data from younger (n=364), middle-aged (n=250), and older adults (n=331).

Main Results:

• The Delphi review and focus groups refined the measure's content, clarity, and feasibility.
• Confirmatory factor analyses supported an eight-item, two-factor structure (positive/negative contact) for both familial and non-familial scales.
• The non-familial subscale demonstrated scalar invariance across age groups, while the familial subscale showed configural and metric invariance.

Conclusions:

• The Intergenerational Contact (IGC) Measure is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing familial and non-familial contact across the adult lifespan.
• The measure's invariance properties support its use in comparative studies across age groups, particularly for non-familial contact.
• This validated instrument will enhance research on adult development and aid in the evaluation of intergenerational initiatives.