what measurements do sociologists use to calculate prejudice?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060804190719AA3hcYI
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1447727
http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.soc.26.1.135
AXIA reading ETH 125 chapter 2 page 34. Surveys, observations, questionaires, experiments
Sociologists use various measurements to calculate prejudice, such as:
1. Surveys and self-report scales: Sociologists often design surveys that include questions specifically aimed at measuring prejudice. These questions can ask individuals about their attitudes and beliefs towards different social groups, such as racial or ethnic groups, religious groups, or individuals with different sexual orientations.
To calculate prejudice using surveys, researchers assign numerical values to responses on a Likert scale (e.g., strongly agree to strongly disagree). By analyzing the pattern of responses, sociologists can determine the level of prejudice within a population.
2. Implicit Association Test (IAT): This psychological tool measures implicit biases that individuals may have towards certain social groups. The IAT assesses the strength of an individual's automatic association between mental representations of different social groups (e.g., positive or negative associations with particular racial or ethnic groups).
To calculate prejudice using the IAT, sociologists analyze response times and accuracy in associating different social groups with positive or negative attributes. The greater the difficulty or inconsistency in associating certain groups with positive attributes, the higher the level of implicit prejudice.
3. Content analysis: Sociologists conduct content analyses of various forms of media, such as news articles, television shows, movies, or social media posts. These analyses involve examining the language, narratives, and representations used to describe different social groups.
To calculate prejudice using content analysis, researchers code the content based on predefined categories, such as positive or negative portrayals, stereotypes, or discriminatory language. A quantitative analysis of the coded content can provide insights into the prevalence and nature of prejudice.
4. Observational studies: Sociologists may engage in participant observation or field research to observe interactions and behaviors that reflect prejudice in real-world settings. These studies involve actively engaging with social groups and documenting behaviors and interactions.
To calculate prejudice using observational studies, researchers typically develop coding schemes to document specific behaviors or interactions that are indicative of prejudice. They then analyze the frequency and patterns of these behaviors to assess the level of prejudice within the observed population.
It is important to note that these are just some common methods used by sociologists to measure prejudice. Different studies may employ other tools or combinations of tools based on their research objectives and the context in which they are studying prejudice.