Spanish version of the personal experience of aging scale: psychometric analyses from classical and network psychometrics approaches in a Chilean sample

Abstract

How people experience aging is linked to health, well-being, and engagement in later life, but Spanish-language measures for capture self-perceptions of aging in Latin America remain limited. To adapt the Personal Experience of Aging Scale (PEAS) into Spanish and evaluate its psychometric properties in Chilean adults aged 50 and older. The instrument was translated into Spanish, and content validity was examined by expert judges. Two independent community samples from Chile (exploratory sample: N =  207; confirmatory sample: N =  361) completed the PEAS. Dimensionality was examined using factor-analytic and network-based approaches, followed by confirmatory testing. Reliability, convergent/discriminant validity, measurement invariance across age groups (<60 vs. ≥ 60), and construct validity were assessed using measures of ageist stereotypes and perceived age discrimination. Expert ratings supported content validity. Exploratory and confirmatory evidence supported a three-factor structure. A 12-item model demonstrated good fit (CFI = .993, TLI = .992, SRMR = .068, RMSEA = .079) with strong standardized loadings ranging from .721 to .989. Although the adapted version retains the original 12-item length, it differs from the original structure in the distribution of items across dimensions due to the addition of one item and the removal of another during the adaptation process. This distinction should be considered when comparing findings across studies. Measurement invariance up to thresholds was supported across age groups (< 60 vs. ≥ 60; ΔCFI ≤ .01). Reliability was adequate to excellent across factors (α = .771 to .883; ω = .776 to .888). Physical Decline and Social Loss correlated positively with ageist stereotypes and perceived age discrimination (ρ = .286 to .427), whereas Continuous Growth showed small negative correlations (ρ = -.129 to -.167). The Spanish PEAS shows robust evidence for a three-dimensional structure, good reliability, and measurement invariance up to thresholds across age groups in Chilean adults. The adapted 12-item version provides a parsimonious option with strong item functioning.