Modern Racism Scale – MRS
Measures modern, subtle forms of racial prejudice and bias toward Black Americans.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Modern Racism Scale – MRS was developed by John B. McConahay (1986). It is designed to measure Modern Racism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 7 items.
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 7 to 35. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low modern racism: 7 – 14
- Moderate modern racism: 15 – 27
- High modern racism: 28 – 35
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.86.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.