What do we measure when we measure perceptions of everyday discrimination?

RATIONALE

The Everyday Discrimination Scale forms the backbone of hundreds of studies documenting the health effects of perceived discrimination. Researchers regularly use the scale to examine specific types of discrimination (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender- and age-based) as well as discrimination more generally among the "general population." To date, no study has analyzed the frameworks respondents use to interpret and answer the questions that comprise the scale. As such, what exactly researchers are measuring when they ask about "everyday discrimination" - and how this may vary within and across social groups - remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study analyzes data from cognitive interviews to assess patterns of interpretation and response to the EDS to assess whether the meaning of the resulting data may vary across diverse social groups.

METHODS

Researchers conducted structured cognitive interviews with a diverse sample of thirty-eight adults in the Southeastern United States (US). Interview transcripts were qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA, in a process of reiterative coding.

RESULTS

Results show that respondents interpret the survey questions in markedly different ways, with some interpreting the scale as asking about negative interactions; others viewing it through a lens of social inequalities; and still others through a lens specifically of racism. Racial/ethnic and gender statuses may structure question interpretation.

CONCLUSIONS

Pronounced and patterned variation in respondents' interpretation raises questions about its validity. Findings underscore the importance of schemas for assessing the meaning of data generated by the EDS and for measuring the health effects of perceived discrimination and mistreatment.