Construction and validation of Life Regrets Scale for elderly people in Pakistani culture

Iqra Safdar, Saba Ghayas, Amina Obaid Khawaja, Syeda Tooba Akhatr

Accepted August 30, 2020

First published August 30, 2020

https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.288.3

Abstract

The present study aimed at construction and validation of Life Regrets Scale for elderly people in Pakistan culture. In the first phase of Study I, an initial item pool was developed on the basis of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development and semi structured interviews from old people of Pakistan. A pilot study was carried out in phase II. After ensuring the content validity, factorial validity, and internal consistency were determined in phase III on a sample of 506 participants including both older men (n = 317) and women (n = 189) with a minimum age of 60. Factor analysis revealed a three factor solution that accounted for 32.63% cumulative variance with .92 alpha reliability. Factors were named,
familial regrets, religious regrets, and personal growth related regrets respectively. Moreover, In Study II, confirmatory factor analysis validated the three factor structure with excellent model fit indices. Study III revealed a significant positive correlation of the Life Regrets Scale with depression and death anxiety while Life Regrets Scale appeared to be a
significant negative correlate of ego integrity and quality of life. Findings of the Study III provided strong evidence for the construct validity of the Life Regrets Scale.

Keywords: Life regrets, Elderly population, Construct validity, Reliability

Construction and validation of Life Regrets Scale for elderly people in Pakistani culture

References

  • ABDEL-KHALEK, A.M. (2004). Death anxiety in clinicaland non-clinical groups. Death studies, 29, 251-259.

    doi.org/10.1080/07481180590916371
  • AMBREEN, S. & SAMER, K. (2015). Personality traits and decisionregret- a study on managerial level. International Journal ofEconomics and Management Sciences, 4 (3).

    doi.org/10.4172/2162-6359.1000231
  • BAUER, I. & WROSCH, C. (2011). Making up for lost opportunities:The protective role of downward social comparisons for copingwith regrets across adulthood. Personality & Social PsychologyBulletin, 37 (2), 215-228.

    doi.org/10.1177/0146167210393256
  • BEIKE, D.R., MARKMAN, K.D. & KARADOGAN, F. (2009). Whatwe regret most are lost opportunities: A theory of regret intensity.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 385-397.

    doi.org/10.1177/0146167208328329
  • BUCHANAN, J., SUMMERVILLE, A., LEHMANN, J. & REB, J.(2016). The Regret Elements Scale: Distinguishing the affectiveand cognitive components of regret. Judgment and DecisionMaking, 11 (3), 275-286. doi; 10.1037/t13679-000

  • ERIKSON, E. (1959). Childhood and Society (2nd ed.). New York:Norton.

  • FAROOQI, Y. & HABIB, M. (2010). Gender differences in anxiety,depression and stress among survivors of suicide bombing.Pakistan Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 8 (2), 145-153.

  • FEENEY, A., GARDINER, D.R., JOHNSTON, K., JONES, E. &McEVOY, R.J. (2005). Is regret for inaction relatively self-enhancing? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19 (6), 761-777.

    doi.org/10.1002/acp.1113
  • GABLE, R.K. & WOLF, M.B. (1993). Instrument development in theaffective domain: Measuring attitudes and values in corporate andschool settings. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

  • GHAYAS, S. & BATOOL, S.S. (2016). Experiencing old age anddeterminants of death anxiety. PhD Dissertation, Department ofPsychology, GCU Lahore.

  • GILOVICH, T. & MEDVEC, V.H. (1995). The experience of regret:What, when, and why. Psychological Review, 102, 379-395.

  • GILOVICH, T., WANG, R.F., REGAN, D. & NISHINA, S.(2003). Regrets of action and inaction across cultures.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 34 (1), 61-71.

    doi.org/10.1177/0022022102239155
  • GLOSTER, A.T., KLOTSCHE, J., CIARROCHI, J., EIFERT, G.,SONNTAG, R., WITTCHEN, H.U. & HOYER, J. (2017).Increasing valued behaviors precedes reduction in suffering:Findings from a randomized controlled trial using ACT.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 91, 64-71.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.01.013
  • GORSUCH, R.L. (1983). Factor analysis (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum.

  • HAIR, J.F., BLACK, W.C., BABIN, B.T., ANDERSON, R.E. &TATHMAN, R.L. (2006). Multivariate data analysis. (6th ed.).New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

  • HATCHER, L. (1994). A step-by-step approach to using the SAS(R)system for factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Cary,NC: SAS Institute.

  • JOKISAARI, M. (2004). Regrets and subjective well-being: A life-course approach. Journal of Adult Development, 11, 281-288.

    doi.org/10.1023/B:JADE.0000044531.11605.d5
  • JOO, M.J. & CHONG, Y.S. (2009). Relationships of locus of controland regret experiences with subjective well-being in the aged.Korean Journal of Developmental Psychology, 22 (4), 15-36.

  • KAISER, H.F. (1960). An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika,39, 31-36.

  • KESEBERG, M. (2017). Understanding the good life during aging: Aqualitative study. Bachelors dissertation, Faculty of BehavioralManagement and Social Science, University of Twente,Netherlands.

  • KIM, J.O. & MUELLER, C.W. (1978). Introduction to factor analysis:What it is and how to do it. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

  • KOMIYA, A., MIYAMOTO, Y., WATABE, M. & KUSUMI, T. (2010).Cultural grounding of regret: Regret in self and interpersonalcontexts. Cognition and Emotion, 25 (6), 1121-1130.

    doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2010.516962
  • KOMIYA, A., OISHI, S. & LEE, M. (2016). The rural-urban differencein interpersonal regret. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,42 (4), 513-525.

    doi.org/10.1177/0146167216636623
  • KROGER, J. (2007). Identity development: Adolescence throughadulthood. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

  • LANDMAN, J. (1993). Regret: A theoretical and conceptualanalysis. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 17, 135-160.

    doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5914.1987.tb00092.x
  • LAU, L.W.R. & CHENG, S. (2011). Gratitude lessens death anxiety.European Journal of Ageing, 8, 169-175.

    doi.org/10.1007/s10433-011-0195-3
  • LEHTO, H.R. & STEIN, F.K. (2009). Death anxiety: An analysis ofan evolving concept. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice:An International Journal, 23 (1), 23-41.

    doi.org/10.1891/1541-6577.23.1.23
  • LOVIBOND, P.F. & LOVIBOND, S.H. (1995). The structure ofnegative emotional states: Comparison of the DepressionAnxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression andAnxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33 (3),335-343.

    doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-u
  • MacLELLAN, L. (2018). A new study on the psychology of persistentregrets can teach you how to live now. Retrieved from: https://qz.com/work/1298110/a-new-study-on-the-psychology-of-persistent-regrets-can-teach-you-how-to-live-now/

  • MAGAI, C. (2008) Long-lived emotions: A life course perspective. InM. Lewis, J.M. Haviland-Jones & L.F. Barrett (Eds.), Handbook ofEmotions (3rd ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.

  • MARSH, H.W., HAU, K.T., BALLA, J.R. & GRAYSON, D. (1998).Is more ever too much? The number of indicators per factor inconfirmatory factor analysis. Multivariate Behavioral Research,33 (2), 181-220.

  • MAXIMO, S., BERLANGA, K.N.B., AQUISAY, A.P.F., VALENCIA,M.C.P. & DAOEN, R.T. (2012). Regrets and well-being of seniorcitizens. The Journal of Behavioral Science, 7 (1), 29-46.

    doi.org/10.14456/ijbs.2012.2
  • McKEE,K.J.,WILSON,F.,CHUNG,M.C.,HINCHLIFF,S.,GOUDIE,F., ELFORD, H. & MITCHELL, C. (2005). Reminiscence, regretsand activity in older people in residential care: Associations withpsychological health. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(4), 543-561.

    doi.org/10.1348/014466505X35290
  • MEYER, J. (2020). Correlated errors in confirmatory factor analysis.Retrieved from https://www.theanalysisfactor.com/correlated-errors-in-confirmatory-factor-analysis/

  • NEWALL, N.E., CHIPPERFIELD, J.G., DANIELS, L.M., HLADKYJ,S. & PERRY, R.P. (2009). Regret in later life: Exploringrelationships between regret frequency, secondary interpretivecontrol beliefs, and health in older individuals. The InternationalJournal of Aging and Human Development, 68 (4), 261-288.

    doi.org/10.2190/AG.68.4.a
  • PARKER, D.W. (2013). The relationship between ego integrity anddeath attitudes in older adults. American Journal of AppliedPsychology, 2 (1), 7-15.

    doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20130201.12
  • PECK, W.J. (1968). The significance of Bonhoeffer’s interest in India.Harvard Theological Review, 61 (3), 431-450.

  • PETHTEL, O.L. (2012). Decision-making competence, life regrets,and subjective well-being in mature adults. Doctoral dissertation,Bowling Green State University.

  • PRUDON,P.(2015).Confirmatoryfactoranalysisasatoolinresearchusing questionnaires: A critique. Comprehensive Psychology, 4,03-CP.

    doi.org/10.2466/03.CP.4.10
  • REHMAN, A., JINGDONG, L. & HUSSAIN, I. (2015). The province-wise literacy rate in Pakistan and its impact on the economy.Pacific Science Review B: Humanities and Social Sciences, 1 (3),140-144.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.psrb.2016.09.001
  • ROBINSON, M.A. (2017). Using multi‐item psychometric scalesfor research and practice in human resource management.Human Resource Management, 57 (3), 739-750.

    doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21852
  • ROESE, N.J. (2005). What we regret most and why. Personality& Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1273-1285.

    doi.org/10.1177/0146167205274693
  • ROESE, N., EPSTUDE, K., FESSEL, F., MORRISON, M.,SMALLMAN, R., SUMMERVILLE, A., GALINSKY, A. &SEGERSTROM, S. (2009). Repetitive regret, depression, andanxiety: Findings from a nationally representative survey. Journalof Social and Clinical Psychology, 28 (6), 671-688.

    doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2009.28.6.671
  • RYFF, C.D. & HEINCKE, S.G. (1983). Subjective organization ofpersonality in adulthood and aging. Journal of Personality and,Social Psychology, 44 (4), 807-816.

  • RYLANDS, K.J. & RICKWOOD, D.J. (2001). Ego-integrity versusego-despair: The effect of “accepting the past” on depression inolder women. The International Journal of Aging and HumanDevelopment, 53 (1), 75-89.

    doi.org/10.2190/1LN2-J92C-2168-THPH
  • TABACHNICK, B.G. & FIDELL, L.S. (2007). Using multivariatestatistics (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

  • TASSONE, D., REED, A.E. & CARSTENSEN, L.L. (2019). Time mayheal wounds: Aging and life regrets. Psychology Aging, 34 (6),862-866.

    doi.org/10.1037/pag0000381
  • TOMER, A. & ELIASON, G. (2005). Life regrets and death attitudesin college students. Omega, 51 (3), 173-195.

    doi.org/10.2190/B22C-
  • CFFA-216G-R2PNTORGES, C.M., STEWART, A.J. & DUNCAN, L.E. (2008). Achievingego integrity: Personality development in late midlife. Journalof Research in Personality, 42 (4), 1004-1019.

    doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2008.02.006
  • Van DIJK, E. & ZEELENBERG, M. (2005). Investigating the appraisalpatterns of regret and disappointment. Motivation and Emotion,26, 321-331.

    doi.org/10.1023/A:1022823221146
  • WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (1999). Health Futures.Geneva. Available on-line at http://www.who.int/hpr/expo

  • WROSCH,C.,BAUER,I.&SCHEIER,M.F.(2005).Regretandqualityof life across the adult life span: The influence of disengagementand available future goals. Psychology and Aging, 20, 657-670.

    doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.20.4.657
  • WROSCH, C. & HECKHAUSEN, J. (2002) Perceived control of liferegrets: Good for young and bad for old adults. Psychology andAging, 17, 340-350.

    doi.org/10.1037//0882-7974.17.2.340
SHOW ALL REFERENCES (53)HIDE REFERENCES

Related articles

Article info

Issue:

Keywords:

Views:

1139

Downloads:

128

Cite the article:

Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Safdar Iqra . Ghayas Saba . Khawaja Amina Obaid . Akhatr Syeda Tooba . Construction and validation of Life Regrets Scale for elderly people in Pakistani culture. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2020;288(1):30-43. doi:10.26387/bpa.288.1.

Citation tool

How to cite this article

Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Safdar Iqra . Ghayas Saba . Khawaja Amina Obaid . Akhatr Syeda Tooba . Construction and validation of Life Regrets Scale for elderly people in Pakistani culture. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2020;288(1):30-43. doi:10.26387/bpa.288.1.