Preliminary Validation and Gender Invariance of the Technology Anxiety Scale in Older Spanish Adults

Abstract

Background: Technology anxiety is more prevalent in older people and can compromise their functionality in an increasingly techno-dependent world. There are no validated instruments to assess it in older Spanish people. Method: A technology anxiety scale was cross-culturally adapted and applied to 355 Spaniards (66% women, M = 78.63, SD = 6.77). Two models were tested by confirmatory factor analysis: a one-dimensional model (technology anxiety) and a model with two correlated factors (fear and confidence in technology, respectively). Results: Both showed an adequate fit, although higher in the two-factor correlated model (χ2 = 243.797, df = 26, CFI = .969, TLI = .945, SRMR = .039). Concurrent validity was confirmed through correlations with psychological well-being, quality of life, and health satisfaction. Configural, metric, and scalar factorial gender invariance were also verified. Conclusion: Our data support the preliminary validity of the Technology Anxiety Scale in older Spanish men and women.

Keywords

• technology anxiety
• technology anxiety scale
• confirmatory factor analysis
• factorial invariance
• gender
• elderly