Using Rasch analysis to investigate the validity of the Everyday Discrimination Scale in a national sample

Abstract

The Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) is a widely used measure of discrimination. Rasch analysis was used to examine the psychometric properties of the EDS based on a national sample ( N = 2666). Items largely fit the Rasch model and yielded excellent separation and item reliability. However, severe floor effects were observed. Implications are discussed for use of the scale in populations that experience low levels of discrimination. An ordinal-to-interval conversion table for the EDS is also provided.