Measuring Personality Systems in Older Adults: Age-Neutrality of the Dutch BIS/BAS Questionnaire

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive Statistics, Analysis of Variance and Effect Sizes for the BIS/BAS Scales for Younger (n = 130), Middle-Aged (n = 130) and Older (n = 130) Adults

Scale	Cronbach’s Alpha (AIC)			Younger		Middle-Aged		Older		Analysis of Variance		Effect Size η2
	Younger	Middle-Aged	Older	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	F(2, 389)	p value
BIS	0.85 (0.45)	0.81 (0.38)	0.75 (0.30)	21.86	3.93	21.05	4.12	20.76	3.56	2.809	0.061	0.014
BAS Reward Responsiveness	0.57 (0.21)	0.38 (0.10)	0.61 (0.25)	17.32	1.72	17.15	1.82	16.51	2.23	6.349	0.002	0.032
BAS Drive	0.72 (0.39)	0.72 (0.40)	0.70 (0.37)	11.48	2.10	11.18	2.58	10.47	2.45	5.950	0.003	0.030
BAS Fun Seeking	0.40 (0.15)	0.51 (0.19)	0.43 (0.17)	11.15	1.81	10.48	2.22	9.96	2.13	10.800	0.000	0.053
BAS Total	0.73 (0.18)	0.73 (0.17)	0.76 (0.19)	39.94	4.29	38.81	5.10	36.94	5.38	12.198	0.000	0.059

Abbreviations: M, mean; SD, standard deviation; η2, Eta- squared.

Table 2 Items Meeting Bonferroni Adjusted Criteria for Large DIF When Comparing Young Adults to Older Adults

Scale	Item	Context	Mantel χ²	L-A LOR	Cox’s B
Items displaying DIF against younger adults (older > younger)
BIS	B8R	Criticism or scolding hurts me quite a bit.	36.81	−1.81	−1.91
BAS Drive	B12R	If I see a chance to get something I want I move on it right away.	15.00	−1.11	−0.56
BAS Reward Responsiveness	B4R	When I am doing well at something I love to keep at it.	15.06	−1.37	−1.23
BAS Fun Seeking	B10R	I will often do things for no other reason than that they might be fun.	11.32	−0.86	−0.61
Items displaying DIF against older adults (younger > older)
BIS	B2	Even if something bad is about to happen to me, I rarely experience fear or nervousness.	31.96	1.79	1.09
BAS Drive	B3R	I go out of my way to get things I want.	28.57	1.47	1.01
BAS Reward Responsiveness	B7R	When I get something I want, I feel excited and energized.	45.34	2.25	1.55
BAS Fun Seeking	B20R	I crave excitement and new sensations.	36.15	1.71	1.12

Abbreviations: L-A LOR, Liu-Agresti Common Log Odds Ratio; Cox’s B, Cox’s Noncentrality Parameter Estimator; R, Reverse scored items.

Table 3 Items Meeting Bonferroni Adjusted Criteria for Large DIF When Comparing Middle-Aged Adults to Older Adults

Scale	Item	Context	Mantel χ²	L-A LOR	Cox’s B
Items displaying DIF against older adults (younger > older)
BAS Reward Responsiveness	B7R	When I get something I want, I feel excited and energized.	11.98	0.94	0.71

Abbreviations: L-A LOR, Liu-Agresti Common Log Odds Ratio; Cox’s B, Cox’s Noncentrality Parameter Estimator; R, Reverse scored items.

Table 4 BAS Items Meeting Bonferroni Adjusted Criteria for Large DIF When Comparing Young Adults to Older Adults

BAS Subscale	Item	Context	Mantel χ²	L-A LOR	Cox’s B
Items displaying DIF against younger adults (older > younger)
BAS Drive	B12R	If I see a chance to get something I want I move on it right away.	23.01	−1.42	−1.1
Items displaying DIF against older adults (younger > older)
BAS Drive	B3R	I go out of my way to get things I want.	21.7	1.27	0.81
BAS Reward Responsiveness	B7R	When I get something I want, I feel excited and energized.	25.14	1.44	1.06
BAS Fun Seeking	B20R	I crave excitement and new sensations.	32.41	1.53	1.04

Abbreviations: L-A LOR, Liu-Agresti Common Log Odds Ratio; Cox’s B, Cox’s Noncentrality Parameter Estimator; R, Reverse scored items.