关键词: 数字资本, 数字融入, 老年人, 量表开发, 测量工具

Abstract:

[Purpose/Significance] The global population is aging at an unprecedented pace. As a key tool to address the challenges of digital inclusiveness for the elderly, developing a digital capital scale is of utmost importance. Digital capital not only encompasses the abilities and skills of the elderly in using information technology, but also focuses on the interaction among the social resources, cultural capital, and economic capital they acquire in the digital environment. Therefore, it helps enhance the theoretical understanding of the heterogeneity of the elderly's digital capabilities. [Method/Process] First, a semi-structured interview method was adopted to conduct in-depth interviews with 24 elderly individuals based on the digital capital framework, and combined with the digital life scenarios in China. We also referred to existing studies on the digital literacy and digital capabilities of the elderly. Based on the coding results of the interview transcripts, a 7-dimensional scale for measuring the digital capital of the elderly was derived. Then, a preliminary reliability and validity analysis was conducted on a pre-test sample of 180 respondents, and the dimension indicators were appropriately adjusted. Subsequently, using the data from 380 formal questionnaires, the scale was verified and improved. Based on the principle of conceptual interpretability, the factor names of the four dimensions were re-examined, and the final version of the scale was established. Elbow estimation and the K-means clustering algorithm were then used to classify the digital capital levels of the elderly. [Results/Conclusions] The final scale consists of 19 items, covering four dimensions: digital resource acquisition ability, digital creation and expression ability, digital environment adaptation ability, and digital tool learning ability. Following optimization, the scale demonstrates excellent reliability and validity, and aligns closely with the aging-friendly scenarios. The tool can be used as a standardized tool to measure the digital capital level of the elderly population in China, laying the foundation for future large-scale surveys. By applying this scale, it is possible to effectively distinguish between groups of elderly individuals with varying levels of digital capital, providing empirical support for personalized digital services for the elderly people. For the first time, this study systematically applies the digital capital theoretical framework to the elderly population, which compensates for the lack of standardized measurement tools and highlights the unique needs and challenges of the elderly in terms of the dimensions, usage scenarios, and capability transformation. The proposed hierarchical model of digital capital among the elderly deepens our theoretical understanding of the differences in digital capabilities among this population.

Key words: digital capital, digital integration, older adults, scale development, measuring tool