Florida Cognitive Activities Scale: Initial development and validation

Abstract

We used a rational-empirical approach in the construction and validation of a cognitive activity scale for use with elderly populations. The scale development effort produced a 25-item scale with a reasonably high level of internal consistency in a sample of 200 elderly individuals. Scale scores were positively correlated with years of education and measures of various domains of cognitive ability. In a separate cross-validation sample, a similar pattern of reliability and validity coefficients was obtained. The full scale score was found to contribute significantly to the prediction of cognitive ability after controlling for the effects of age, education, and gender. Two subscales (Higher Cognitive Abilities and Frequent Cognitive Abilities) and a measure of self-reported maintenance of cognitive activity were also developed. In a separate study, the maintenance score was found to differ significantly between the validation sample and a sample of individuals with a history of neurological disorder, with a moderate effect size (d approximately = .7). Further cross-validation studies in minority groups and groups of varying socioeconomic status will be critical in establishing the research and clinical value of the scale and subscales.

Development and initial validation of a 15-item informant version of the Geriatric Depression Scale

“…In selecting items and developing a brief informant version of the GDS, we examined item analysis metrics per the recommendations of Clark and Watson (1995) and as demonstrated in Schinka et al (2005): item means, corrected item-scale correlations, item squared multiple correlations, scale means and variances, and alpha reliability coefficients. The validity of the scale was investigated by examining convergent correlations with the other versions of the GDS and by evaluating the pattern of convergent and discriminant correlations with external demographic and personality variables.…”

How Can We Not ‘Lose It’ if We Still Don’t Understand How to ‘Use It’? Unanswered Questions about the Influence of Activity Participation on Cognitive Performance in Older Age – A Mini-Review

“…Florida Cognitive Activities Scale [63,64] ; Lifetime Experiences Questionnaire [65] ), but only time will tell whether these items provide the optimal evaluation of activity for the purposes of testing the 'use it or lose it' hypothesis. At the moment, there is no single 'best' list, and unfortunately the likelihood of discovering one is complicated due to potential differences relating to socioeconomic status, culture, and geographic region.…”

Characteristics of the Florida Cognitive Activities Scale in Older African Americans

“…In a recent study, Schinka et al (2005) developed and validated a self-report cognitive activities scale for use with elderly populations. These authors acknowledged several constraints on the development of such a scale, particularly noting that the size of interitem correlations for a pool of cognitive activity items would be limited by the fact that time constraints limit the number of activities that an individual can accomplish in any given period.…”