ADAPTATION OF SPIELBERGER STATE-TRAIT ANX IETY INVENTORY (FORM-Y) FORPEOPLE AGED 65 AND OLDER (STAI-Y65+)

This article reports on two studies that describe the adaptation of Sp ielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (form Y) for people aged 65 and older. The aim of the first study is to assess the necessity to mo dify the format of the STAI for the aged. Verbal reports of 22 subject s suggest difficulties reading the items, respecting the instructions and using the Likert scale. Item-remainder correlations supported thes e observations. Therefore, the size of the text was doubled and the st ate or trait instructions, as well as the choices of the Likert scale, were repeated in each item. A second study is carried out to test if these modifications enhanced the understanding of the items, and simpl ified the use of the STAI-Y. Verbal report and internal consistency sh owed a significant improvement. Our results support the recommendation of other authors that adapting an instrument for the elderly necessit ates important modifications.