What is the best measure of discrimination against trans people?: A systematic review of the psychometric literature

ABSTRACT

To understand the levels and types of discrimination experienced by a minoritised group such as trans people, it is essential that researchers have access to psychometrically sound indicators of discrimination. While a surfeit of measures exist assessing trans individuals’ experiences of transnegativity, to date, no systematic review of these instruments has been conducted. In the current study, 116 scales were evaluated on the basis of their adherence to best practices in psychometric testing. The findings indicated that, for most of the instruments assessed, limited information was provided about their psychometric properties (in particular, item development and refinement, factor structure, and scale score reliability and validity). The measures that evidenced strongest adherence to best practice recommendations in scale development are identified, and recommendations are made for the creation of new instruments assessing trans people’s experiences of transnegativity.

KEYWORDS:

• Trans
• transgender
• transphobia
• discrimination
• stigma
• psychometric
• validity
• reliability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Rotondi et al.’s (2011a) measure of transnegativity examined ‘the frequency of direct and indirect transphobic experiences, including discrimination and harassment, exposure to ideas of non-normalcy, familial embarrassment, or being fetishized’ (p. 139).

2. For a brief overview of Classical Test Theory (CTT), please consult De Champlain (2010).

3. Best practice recommendations for the use and reporting of CFA also have been elucidated (e.g. Jackson, Gillaspy Jr, & Purc-Stephenson, 2009).

4. We, subsequently, conducted a search using the Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC). No additional measures were found.

5. Entries five through seven in Table 1 are identical to entries two through four; however, different predictions were tested using different samples.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by an Insight Grant awarded from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada (435-2016-1485).

Notes on contributors

Melanie A. Morrison

Melanie A. Morrison is a Professor in Social Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan. Melanie investigates gender and anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice and discrimination, particularly covert forms, and uses feminist principles to inform her research practice.

CJ Bishop

C. J. Bishop recently obtained his PhD in Social Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan under the supervision of Dr. Todd Morrison. CJ conducts research on sexual and gender minority groups, and is currently a research associate at the University of Alberta.

Todd G. Morrison

Todd G. Morrison is a Professor in Social Psychology at the University of Saskatchewan. Todd conducts research in the areas of sexual and gender minority psychology, gay pornography, body image, and feminism.