Table 3.

Descriptive analysis of the set of 38 items in the Brazilian sample (n = 424)

Item content	Mean	SD	MV(%)	Distribution					Skew	Kurt
				1	2	3	4	5
1 People as old as they feel	3.42	1.18	0	7.3	19.3	13.7	42.9	16.7	-.52	-.76
2 Better able to cope with life	3.81	.781	0	.9	6.4	16.7	62.3	16.7	.781	1.411
3 Old age time of illness	2.24	1.015	0	25	42.2	17.5	14.4	.9	.554	-.549
4 Privilege to grow old	3.96	.93	0	1.9	6.6	14.6	47.6	29.2	-.96	.82
5 Interested in new technology	3.0	1.02	0	6.8	27.1	30.7	30.2	5.2	-.087	-.748
6 Interested in love	3.64	.881	0	2.4	8	25.2	52.4	12	-.766	.666
7 Old age is a time of loneliness	2.27	1.029	0	23.3	44.1	16.3	14.6	1.7	1.029	-.409
8 Wisdom comes with age	3.76	.872	0	1.4	8.7	18.2	55.9	15.8	.872	.664
9 Pleasant things about growing older	3.79	.826	0	1.2	7.8	16.5	60.1	14.4	.826	1.082
10 Old age depressing time of life	2.38	.997	0	19.1	41.5	22.2	16.5	.7	.997	-.752
11 Capacities and abilities decline with age	3.54	.870	.2	3.1	11.6	18.4	62.4	4.5	-1.145	.832
12 Important to take exercise at any age	4.26	.666	0	.7	1.4	4	59	34.9	.666	4.101
13 Growing older easier than I thought	3.41	.981	0	5.9	9.7	30.2	45.8	8.5	.981	.261
14 More difficult to talk about feelings	2.44	1.118	0	25.9	26.4	26.9	19.1	1.7	1.118	-1.073
15 More accepting of myself	3.10	1.097	0	10.1	18.4	29.2	35.6	6.6	1.097	-.674
16 I don't feel old	3.40	1.132	0	8.3	12.3	25.2	39.4	14.9	1.132	-.389
17 Old age mainly as a time of loss	2.17	1.137	0	38.4	23.3	22.2	14.6	1.4	1.137	-.970
18 Personal beliefs mean more as I grow older	3.61	1.18	0	9.5	8.5	16	44.8	21.5	-.868	-.051
19 My identity is not defined by my age	3.29	1.133	.2	11.6	9.9	25	44.3	9	1.133	-.333
20 More energy than I expected for my age	3.32	1.063	.2	6.9	16.1	23.3	44.7	8.7	1.063	-.408
21 Loss physical independence as I get older	2.80	1.156	0	18.2	20.3	28.5	29	3.8	1.156	-1.039
22 Physical health problems don't hold me back	3.25	1.176	.2	11.1	15.1	22.2	40.4	11.1	1.176	-.686
23 Unhappy with changes in physical appearance	2.16	1.128	.2	38.5	23.9	21.7	14.7	1.2	.496	-.979
24 More difficult to make new friends	2.08	1.162	0	44.8	19.6	18.6	15.8	.9	1.162	-1.030
25 Pass on benefits of experience	3.94	.821	.5	1.4	4.3	15.4	56.6	22.3	.821	1.618
26 Fear loosing financial independence	2.36	1.287	.2	38.1	17	19.9	21	4	-.358	-1.239
27 Time to do things that really interest me	3.43	1.00	.5	5.9	11.1	26.1	47.7	9.5	-.741	.109
28 Want continue doing work long as possible	3.58	1.23	.2	10.2	9.5	16.8	39.2	24.3	-.760	-.372
29 Worried I'll become a financial burden to family	2.23	1.28	.2	40.9	21.5	16.5	15.6	5.4	.636	-.855
30 Believe my life has made a difference	3.73	.847	.2	2.4	5.4	22.2	56.5	13.5	.847	1.369
31 Just as meaning now as always	3.73	.931	.5	2.4	9.7	16.8	54.5	16.6	-.882	.602
32 Don't feel involved in society	2.55	1.184	.5	25.9	21.5	25.5	24.3	2.4	1.184	-1.229
33 Want to give a good example	4.07	.735	.2	1.4	1.9	9.7	62.6	24.3	.735	3.619
34 I feel excluded because of my age	2.17	1.143	.2	39.2	20.8	25	13	1.9	1.143	-.928
35 Future fills me with dread	2.12	1.15	.5	41	23	21.8	11.1	3.1	.673	-.597
36 Health is better than expected for my age	3.38	1.122	.2	8.7	13	22	44.4	11.8	1.122	-.361
37 Keep myself fit and active by exercising	3.02	1.284	.5	17.1	17.8	23.7	29.1	12.3	1.284	-1.077
38 Important relationships become more satisfying	3.26	1.03	.2	7.8	12.3	34.5	36.9	8.5	-.499	-.195

Items in bold were retained in the international final version