Retirement psychology scale: development and standardization

ObjectivesThis study was conducted with the aim of developing a scale to measure 'retirement psychology' in order to better understand the impact of the retirement process on individuals' psychological states.MethodA total of 437 retired people took part in the study. The Retirement Psychology Scale was developed in five stages. In the first stage, items were generated through interviews with retired individuals and validity and reliability tests were conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were then carried out to test the validity and reliability of the scale.ResultsThe analyses revealed that the scale consists of four dimensions: negative impact, positive impact, relaxation and economic dimension, with a total of 37 items. This study provides a scientific tool for identifying and measuring the potential impact of the retirement process on individuals' psychological states.ConclusionThe developed scale can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the psychological effects of the retirement process and its aftermath. Investigating the impact of retirement on individuals' quality of life and happiness is of both individual and societal importance, and this study can be seen as an important step in this regard.