Scaling up research on discrimination and health: The abridged Explicit Discrimination Scale

Abstract

Using data from two studies conducted among diverse undergraduate students, we assessed the scalar structure of the Explicit Discrimination Scale (EDS), and developed an abridged version of the instrument. Our findings suggest that the EDS has acceptable scalability properties, including an adequate dispersion of items along the latent trait continuum. Results also support the idea that increasing raw scale scores reflect higher intensities of perceived discrimination. This shortened version of the EDS may be used in large-scale studies on the health impacts of discrimination.

Keywords: Brazil; mental health; psychological factors; psychometrics; social discrimination.