What is a Good Way to Ask About Racist Experiences? Exploring the Gap Between Direct and Indirect Measures

Abstract

Surveying racist attitudes and actions has shifted from using direct to using indirect measures. However, investigating the different forms of racist attitudes and actions has yet to translate into the measurement of racist experiences. This poses a challenge for capturing the prevalence of racist experiences amidst divergent patterns of racist attitudes and actions. To address this gap, we conducted a comparative analysis of two instruments: a direct and an indirect measure of racist experiences. We aimed at determining the prevalence of racist experiences using both of these instruments, as well as identifying differences in reporting among respondents. Our findings indicate that the instruments yield different prevalence rates, with the indirect instrument reporting a higher prevalence. Additionally, based on the indirect measure, men, younger respondents and immigrants are more likely to report racism, while the level of respondents’ education had no discernible effect on the measurement.