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The Meaning and Measurement of Productive Engagement in Later Life

Author

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  • Christina Matz-Costa
  • Jacquelyn James
  • Larry Ludlow
  • Melissa Brown
  • Elyssa Besen
  • Clair Johnson

Abstract

This study draws from the work engagement literature to define engagement as an indicator of role quality and to develop a measure—The Productive Engagement Portfolio (PEP)—that can be used to assess engagement in work, volunteering, caregiving, and informal helping among older adults. A Rasch measurement approach was used to develop both Likert-based and semantic-differential-based measures of engagement across 4 roles. Items for both scales were developed through an iterative process that included focus groups, 4 pilot tests, and one full-scale administration. Results suggest that the psychological state of engagement can be conceptualized and measured on a meaningful continuum defining a unidimensional and hierarchical construct ranging from lower to higher levels of engagement. The technical characteristics of the items were found to be invariant across each productive role type for both measurement approaches and the meaning of person scores within a role were found to be independent of the response format for both approaches. Using score conversion charts designed to translate the scale scores into a form that is readily transparent and usable for practitioners, our scales can easily and meaningfully chart a person’s level of engagement pre- and post-intervention. The PEP instrument can also be used in survey research or by practitioners in community or medical settings to assess the extent to which older adults are involved in roles that enhance their overall quality of life. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Christina Matz-Costa & Jacquelyn James & Larry Ludlow & Melissa Brown & Elyssa Besen & Clair Johnson, 2014. "The Meaning and Measurement of Productive Engagement in Later Life," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 1293-1314, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:118:y:2014:i:3:p:1293-1314
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-013-0469-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vera Toepoel, 2013. "Ageing, Leisure, and Social Connectedness: How could Leisure Help Reduce Social Isolation of Older People?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 113(1), pages 355-372, August.
    2. David Andrich, 1978. "A rating formulation for ordered response categories," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 43(4), pages 561-573, December.
    3. Lindsey Baker & Lawrence Cahalin & Kerstin Gerst & Jeffrey Burr, 2005. "Productive Activities And Subjective Well-Being Among Older Adults: The Influence Of Number Of Activities And Time Commitment," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 73(3), pages 431-458, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lawrence B. Sacco & Stefanie König & Hugo Westerlund & Loretta G. Platts, 2022. "Informal Caregiving and Quality of Life Among Older Adults: Prospective Analyses from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 845-866, April.
    2. Sacco, Lawrence B & König, Stefanie & Westerlund, Hugo & Platts, Loretta G., 2020. "Informal caregiving and quality of life among older adults: Prospective analyses from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH)," SocArXiv qk6xr, Center for Open Science.

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