Description

The Preparation for Bias measure assesses the frequency with which caregivers engage in conversations with their child about racial bias, discrimination, and cultural advocacy. Adapted from Hughes and Chen’s conceptualization of racial socialization, this 6-item scale asks caregivers how often they discuss topics such as racism, unfair treatment based on race, the need for greater effort to succeed, activism around Native issues, and the correction of historical misinformation about Native peoples. Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from “Never” to “Often.” This measure is designed to capture how caregivers prepare their children to understand, cope with, and respond to race-related challenges, with higher scores indicating more frequent engagement in such preparation

AI/AN Communities where the measure has been used

Communities in the northern Midwestern United States and Canada

Demographics of AI/AN participants where the scale has been used

Adult caregivers with children

Notes on adaptations or modifications

  1. Reduced number of items (6 items taken from the preparation for bias subscale in the racial socialization measure developed by Hughes and Chen)
  2. Language changes and additions to some items (+ specific references to AI identity)
  3. Likert scale response options slightly adapted to Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often

Modality and administration

Self-report; this measure is administered via in-person/phone interviews or an online REDCap link is sent to the participant

Scoring

Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, and Often, with an additional option for Don’t Know/Refuse to Answer. Responses are scored from 0 (Never) to 3 (Often), and total scores are calculated by summing the item responses.

Psychometric evidence

The measure demonstrated significant associations with various factors, indicating construct validity through correlations with dimensions of racial socialization. A significant slope of the relation between interpersonal prejudice and “Preparation for Bias” suggests that this measure effectively captures variations in parental attitudes based on children’s ages, implying criterion-related validity. Hughes & Chen. (1997)

Citation(s)

Hughes, D., & Chen, L. (1997). When and what parents tell children about race: An examination of race-related socialization among African American families. Applied Developmental Science, 1(4), 200–214. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532480xads0104_4