Measurement Noninvariance of the Everyday Discrimination Scale by Race, Sexual Identity, and Cohort in a National Sample of LGB Adults

Allen Mallory , University of Texas at Austin
Jessica Fish, University of Maryland
Stephen T. Russell, University of Texas at Austin

Using the first nationally representative sample of sexual minorities in the US, the current study assessed measurement equivalence of the everyday discrimination scale (EDS, Williams, Yu, Jackson, & Anderson, 1997) across groups defined by cohort, race, and sexual identity. Results indicate that the EDS was not equivalent across all groups. Most frequently, non-equivalence was due to item level means difference in the frequency of discrimination. Some expected differences emerged such as the Black LGB group reporting higher means on all items compared to White LGB group. But also, some unexpected non-equivalence emerged such as items loading differently for Black and Latinx LGB groups. Future studies interested in using the EDS in national samples of LGB adults need to account for measurement non-equivalence across cohort, racial groups and sexual identity groups.

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 Presented in Session 9. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions; Gender, Race, & Ethnicity