The present study utilized advanced psychometric methods (i.e., Rasch analysis and confirmatory factor analysis [CFA]) to evaluate the factor structure of the Multiple Intelligence Scale (MIS) and its validity among Taiwanese older adults.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study design using convenience sampling was conducted among 200 community-dwelling participants aged 65 years or older.

RESULTS: The Rasch analyses showed that the MIS had good structure validity and unidimensionality. Among various CFA models testing the MIS factor structure, exploratory structural equation modelling performed the best given its parsimonious and excellent fit indices.

CONCLUSIONS: The MIS can be used among older adults in a culturally-fair way for understanding their multiple intelligences. Using the MIS, healthcare providers could encourage older people to assess their own strengths and weaknesses of intelligence. The results suggest that more research on older adults' MI is needed to tailor bespoke therapeutic programs to individual needs in community settings.