Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS)

Abstract

The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS) is a widely utilized psychometrics instrument designed to assess subjective well-being and morale among older adults. Developed originally in the 1960s and formally revised by M. Powell Lawton in 1975, the PGCMS serves as a concise measure of how elderly individuals perceive their current life circumstances, emotional state, and attitudes toward aging. The scale is structured around key psychological dimensions, providing researchers and clinicians with a robust tool for evaluating psychological adjustment in geriatric populations, especially those dealing with chronic illness or significant life changes.

Keywords

Morale, Geriatrics, Aging, Psychological Assessment, Life Satisfaction, Subjective Well-being, PGCMS, Psychometric Scale, Elderly

Authors

M. P. Lawton, J. Liang, K. A. Bollen

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PGCMS is to provide a standardized, brief, and reliable measure of morale and psychological adjustment in older populations. It aims to capture the subjective feelings of happiness, satisfaction with life, and the absence of debilitating psychological distress, which are crucial indicators of successful aging.

The scale is particularly valuable in research settings focused on gerontology and health services, allowing for the quantification of emotional responses to factors such as social support, health status, and living environment. Its structure facilitates the identification of specific areas of distress, such as loneliness or agitation, guiding targeted interventions.

Construct

The PGCMS measures the psychological construct of Morale, which, within the context of gerontology, is defined as a generalized sense of satisfaction, optimism, and positive outlook regarding one’s past, present, and future life situation. Morale is understood to be a multidimensional concept, encompassing affective, cognitive, and behavioral components related to psychological well-being.

The revised 17-item scale breaks down this complex construct into three distinct subscales or factors, allowing for a nuanced understanding of an individual’s psychological state. These factors represent core areas of emotional and situational response characteristic of the aging process: Agitation, Attitude toward one’s aging, and Lonely dissatisfaction.

Validity

The validity of the PGCMS has been extensively studied since its revision. Lawton (1975) established its concurrent validity by demonstrating significant correlations with other measures of life satisfaction and mental health status commonly used in geriatric research. Furthermore, the scale exhibits strong construct validity, as confirmed through various factor analysis studies which support the underlying structure of the three distinct subscales.

Later studies, such as those reinterpreting the scale structure, have consistently confirmed that the PGCMS effectively differentiates between individuals with high and low levels of psychological well-being, confirming its utility as a measure predictive of adjustment and mental health outcomes in the elderly population.

Reliability

The PGCMS is recognized for its satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Studies involving the 17-item revised version typically report acceptable to high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, indicating strong internal consistency across the items measuring the overall morale construct. Specific reliability coefficients often vary slightly depending on the population sample (e.g., chronically ill vs. community-dwelling elderly), but generally meet standard psychometrics criteria for clinical and research use.

The stability of the measure over time (test-retest reliability) has also been demonstrated, suggesting that the scale provides consistent results when administered repeatedly, provided no significant intervening life events have occurred. This stability is essential for longitudinal studies tracking changes in morale over time.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the PGCMS has been a subject of ongoing factor analysis since its revision. Lawton’s 1975 revision identified a robust three-factor structure, which organizes the 17 items into theoretically meaningful dimensions:

• Agitation: Measures restlessness, worry, and emotional reactivity (Items 4, 7, 12, 13, 16, and 17).
• Attitude toward one’s aging: Reflects acceptance or despair regarding the aging process and loss of function (Items 1, 2, 6, 8, and 10).
• Lonely dissatisfaction: Captures feelings of isolation, sadness, and general lack of life satisfaction (Items 3, 5, 9, 11, 14, and 15).

While this three-factor model remains influential, subsequent analyses, such as those conducted by Liang and Bollen (1983), suggested alternative interpretations. These studies sometimes propose a slightly different factor configuration or argue for the dominance of a strong general factor of morale, but they generally reaffirm the scale’s fundamental ability to measure distinct aspects of psychological well-being in the elderly.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Assessment Scale

Format: Structured questionnaire, often employing dichotomous (Yes/No or Agree/Disagree) or simple categorical response formats (e.g., Better/Worse).

Language Available: Primarily English; translations exist in various languages used in gerontology research globally.

Population Group: Older Adults / Elderly

Age Group: Typically 65 years and older

Population Details: Used across diverse elderly populations, including community-dwelling seniors, institutionalized individuals, and those with chronic illnesses, as referenced in the study by Van Lent (1988).

Test Methodology: The scale is typically administered verbally or via self-completion. Scoring involves assigning points to responses reflecting positive morale, summing the scores to yield a total morale score, and often calculating subscale scores based on the three identified factors.

Keywords

Lawton Scale, Morale Measurement, Geriatric Health, Psychological Well-being, Agitation, Lonely Dissatisfaction, Attitude Toward Aging, Psychometrics

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not available in source content)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not available in source content)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not available in source content)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The PGCMS, particularly the 17-item revised version, was published in 1975 by M. P. Lawton. As a widely cited academic instrument, it is generally considered to be in the public domain for non-commercial academic research use, though researchers should always cite the original Lawton (1975) source. Specific permissions might be required for commercial applications or formal translations. The instrument was found on page 70 of a Master’s thesis detailing its use in chronically ill elderly. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/276820/1/azu_td_1335067_sip1_m.pdf

Reference’s

• Lawton‚ M. P. (1975). The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: A revision. Journal of Gerontology‚ 30(1)‚ 85-89.
• Liang‚ J.‚ Bollen‚ K.A. (1983). The structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: a reinterpretation. Journal of Gerontology‚ 38:181–189.
• Van Lent, D. (1988) The relationship of spirituality‚ self-transcendence‚ and social support to morale in chronically ill elderly. University of Arizona. Master OF SCIENCE Thesis.

Items of the The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Do things keep getting worse as you get older?

2. Do you have as much pep as you had last year?

3. How much do you feel lonely? Not much‚ A lot

4. Do little things bother you more this year?

5. Do you see enough of your friends and relatives?

6. Do you feel that as you get older you are less useful?

7. Do you sometimes worry so much that you can’t sleep?

8. As you get older‚ are things than you thought? Better‚ worse or Same

9. Do you sometimes feel that life isn’t worth living?

10. Are you as happy now as you were when you were younger?

11. Do you have a lot to be sad about?

12. Are you afraid of a lot of things?

13. Do you get mad more than you used to?

14. Is life hard much of the time?

15. How satisfied are you with your life today? Satisfied‚ Not Satisfied

16. Do you take things hard?

17. Do you get upset easily?

1. Things keep getting worse as I get older.

2. I have as much pep as I had last year.

3. How much do you feel lonely? Not much_____ A lot_____

4. Little things bother me more this year.

5. I see enough of my friends and relatives.

6. As you get older‚ you are less useful.

7. I sometimes worry so much that I can’t sleep.

8. As I get older‚ things are (better/worse) than I thought they would be. Better_____ Worse_____

9. I sometimes feel that life isn’t worth living.

10. I am as happy now as I was when I was younger.

11. I have a lot to be sad about.

12. I am afraid of a lot of things.

13. I get mad more than I used to.

14. Life is hard for me much of the time.

15. How satisfied are you with your life today? Satisfied _____ Not satisfied____

16. I take things hard.

17. I get upset easily.

18. If you could live where you wanted‚ where would you live?*

19. Most days I have plenty to do*

20. People had it better in the old days*

21. My health is (good‚ not so good)*

22. A person has to live for today and not worry about tomorrow*