The federal government mandates that school personnel select race and ethnicity identifiers for students who do not provide that information. This process is called "observer identification," and it poses a potential threat to the validity of self-identified race/ethnicity data because (a) evidence from other fields suggests that about…

Item response models (IRMs) were used to analyze Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) scores. Rasch analysis scores were compared with classical test theory (CTT) scores. The partial credit model demonstrated a high goodness of fit and correlations between Rasch and CTT scores ranged from 0.91 to 0.99. CRIS scores are supported by both methods.…

The Racial Identity Attitude Scale, form B, was completed by 540 African Americans. Item, subscale, and factor analyses indicated that problems exist with the internal structure; four subscales received unequal support (Encounter was not supported); two scoring versions (forms A and B) were not equivalent; and score distributions were skewed for…

This article describes the revision of the White Racial Consciousness Development Scale (D. Claney & W. M. Parker, 1989). A multistage approach including item generation, item refinement and selection, and evaluation of score validity and reliability was used to test construction and validation. Implications for theory, practice, and future…

Tests the validity of scores on the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI) using confirmatory factor analysis and correlations. Results show partial support for construct validity. An item analysis was performed to identify problematic items. Discusses implications for racial identity research. (Contains 54 references and 2 tables.)…

Describes preliminary research findings on the Multi-Construct African American Identity Questionnaire, designed to measure components of racial/ethnic identity for African American youth. Data from 67 youth in one city and 92 in another provide some insight into the reliability and validity of the measure as well as descriptive information for…

In this article, the authors examine the internal consistency and structural validity of scores on the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS; Vandiver et al., 2000; Worrell, Vandiver, & Cross, 2000) in a sample of 105 adults. Exploratory factor analyses provided support for the six-factor structure of the CRIS. Reliability estimates for the scores…

Examined the construct validity of the Racial Identity Attitude Scale, an instrument designed to measure attitudes consistent with the four stages of Cross's (1971) Negro-to-Black conversion experience. Found strong support for Cross's pre-encounter, immersion-emersion, and internalization stages, and little support for the construct of encounter…

Two studies evaluated items developed for the Attitudes Toward Multiracial Children Scale. Researchers administered the scale to diverse college students, revised it, then administered it again. The scale's psychometric properties were such that the instrument could be used to research adults' attitudes regarding psychosocial development of…

Racial identity attitude has become a popular research topic. Primary purposes of this study were twofold: (a) assessing the effects of college environment on racial identity attitudes and then (b) the effects of environment and racial identity attitude on African American men's body size preferences regarding women. Using weighted scale scores,…

Racial and ethnic socialization are an integral part of African American parenting strategies. Varied conceptualizations and operationalizations of racial and ethnic socialization exist within the literature with limited evidence of the validity of existing measures. The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive definition of racial and…

Used two investigations to assess competing interpretations of a racial identity measure. A meta analysis suggested that the measure's structure is less complex than the theory it is assumed to measure. Confirmatory analysis of two data sets likewise revealed that scale structure found in the data are more parsimonious than those suggested by…

Argues that a study which assessed a white racial identity measure failed to account for other possible variables, such as failing to correct appropriately for artifacts in the data sets. Discusses tentative theory-relevant implications of the study for the construct validity of the racial identity measure. (RJM)

Argues that an earlier assessment of a racial identity scale was appropriate. Claims that "possible failures" of the analysis were addressed in the study and confirms that the complex patterns expected from the racial identity measure do not exist in the data. Other results, along with implications for counseling research, are discussed.…

During the last 10-15 years, there has been a burgeoning interest in ethnicity as a variable in research on objective personality assessment, particularly with respect to black-white differences. Racial differences in responses to items on the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) were investigated to identify nonpathological differences…