Developing and Validating the Japanese Version of the Essentialist Beliefs About Ageing Scale: The Otassha Study

ABSTRACT Background This study aimed to develop and validate a Japanese version of the Essentialist Beliefs about Ageing (EBA‐J) scale, examining its factor structure, reliability for internal consistency, and criterion validity. Methods In total, 544 Japanese older adults ( M age = 73.81, SD = 6.47; 206 men, 338 women) completed the EBA‐J scale along with assessments of subjective health and subjective age bias. This scale was developed through rigorous translation and cultural adaptation. Subjective health and subjective age bias (calculated as subjective age minus chronological age) were selected as criterion variables owing to their association with ageing beliefs and broad applicability across cultures. Using confirmatory factor analysis, we compared single‐ and two‐factor models. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha; criterion validity was evaluated via correlations between the EBA‐J score, subjective health, and subjective age bias. Results Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two‐factor structure—perceived malleability and biological determinism—over a single‐factor model. Both factors showed acceptable internal consistency ( α = 0.83 and 0.76, respectively). Perceived malleability correlated positively with subjective health ( r = 0.17) and negatively with subjective age bias ( r = −0.15); biological determinism correlated negatively with subjective health ( r = −0.13). Conclusions The EBA‐J scale demonstrated a reliable two‐factor structure with acceptable internal consistency. Its associations with subjective health and subjective age bias, which were small yet meaningful, provided initial evidence of criterion validity. Overall, the scale is useful for measuring beliefs regarding ageing in Japan, supporting cross‐cultural studies of ageing perceptions.