Differential item functioning on the Schedule of Racist Events: exploring a modified scale for samples with black and white participants.

OBJECTIVE Although both Black and White individuals report racial discrimination, self-report measures of exposure to racial discrimination that can be used across races/ethnicities are rare. The primary aim of our study was to determine if the Schedule of Racist Events (SRE), which was designed for use in Black samples, should also be used in White samples, and if so, what modifications to the scale are necessary. METHODS In a sample of 302 adults, approximately equally divided by race, we investigated whether item endorsement differed between Black and White respondents. RESULTS Results of confirmatory factor analysis and differential item functioning (DIF) analysis suggest that changing the item stem (from 'because you are Black' to 'because of your race/ethnicity') and removing four items that show differential item functioning and/or do not load on the first factor, results in a psychometrically sound scale with no evidence of measurement bias. CONCLUSION Researchers interested in measuring racial discrimination in samples that include both Black and White respondents may consider using this version of the SRE. Future studies should investigate other forms of validity in Black and White samples.