Structural Re-Examination and Cross-cultural Validation of the Attitudes Towards Older Adults Using Technology (ATOAUT) Scale

Digital ageism, conceptualized as implicit or explicit stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against older adults in relation to digital technologies, has gained attention in recent years alongside vast technological developments. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of strong psychometric support for measuring (digital) ageism and limited cross-cultural validation in this field. This study evaluates the psychometric properties and validity of the Attitudes Towards Older Adults Using Technology (ATOAUT) Scale by exploring a new structural conceptualization and cross-culturally validating it across two sociocultural contexts: a U.S. English-speaking and a mainland Chinese-speaking samples. The study followed the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN). A pilot phase included forward-backward translation from English to Chinese, expert consultations to increase content validity, and a pilot study with laypeople to increase face validity and readability. Subsequently, a validation phase with 398 English-speaking (48.5% female, M age =51.6) and 410 Chinese-speaking (65.9% female, M age =51.5) participants tested the psychometric properties of the revised scale. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed good fit for the one-factor model used in previous research and better fit for a three-factor model with subscales of (1) motivation, (2) competence, and (3) intergenerational comparison. Invariance analysis showed partial scalar invariance, indicating similar factor configuration and item loadings across cultures, though comparing observed means should be considered with caution. Scale reliability improved in both languages. Convergent and discriminant validity were established using other ageism measures, technology usage, and wellbeing indicators. This study provides a new conceptualization for future research exploring cultural differences in digital ageism. • This study improved the psychometric properties of the Attitudes Towards Older Adults Using Technology (ATOAUT) scale, measuring digital ageism. • A cross-cultural analysis shows the ATOAUT can be further used between U.S. English-speaking and mainland Chinese-speakers societies. • A 3-factor structure was found for the ATOAUT scale measuring: competence, motivation, and intergenerational comparison. • This study provides a new conceptualization for future research exploring cultural differences of digital ageism.