Daily Discrimination Scale – Chinese Version

Description

Discrimination is widely understood as a form of biased and unfair treatment based on different social group identities, arising from differences with the majority society members. It is a social phenomenon related to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Discrimination is often represented by terms such as “感知到的歧视” (Perceived Discrimination), “歧视经历” (Perceived Experiences of Discrimination), and “自我报告的歧视” (Self-reported Discrimination). While these terms have slight nuances, they are usually used interchangeably in literature and refer to subjective experiences at the self-assessment level. Discrimination poses certain hazards to individuals’ behavioral adjustments. Experiencing discrimination increases the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, further affecting an individual’s health level. The perception of discrimination diminishes individual self-control resources and depletes energy, leading to a lack of effort or resources for making healthy behavior choices, ultimately increasing involvement in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, alcohol abuse, and neglecting health check-ups. Research shows that individuals with significant stigma are more likely to experience discrimination and generally possess weaker self-control abilities compared to those without such stigma. Psychological health issues related to discrimination and stigmatization are prevalent, profoundly affecting individuals. This impact threatens social adaptability and mental health through processes such as harming interpersonal relationships, reducing employment opportunities, limiting educational opportunities, and experiencing unfair treatment in the workplace. These factors may exacerbate inequality among individuals and society as a whole. Everyday discrimination, as a unique stressor, is associated with poorer mental health, including depression, psychological grief, and reduced well-being. These research findings are widely supported in the literature. For example, some studies find that perceived discrimination positively predicts the emergence of depressive emotions. Other studies suggest that discrimination is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, lower self-assessed mental health levels, mental illnesses, and increased substance abuse. Kessler et al. (2010) also demonstrated that even after controlling for individuals’ gender, age, and socioeconomic status, greater perceptions of discrimination lead to increased occurrences of generalized anxiety disorder. Zhang Xiaoling (2018) highlights that the perceived discrimination experienced by marginalized migrant populations affects their sense of social belonging, identity, and adaptability. Beyond cross-sectional studies confirming the correlation between discrimination and mental health, longitudinal studies by Pavalko, Mossakowski, and Hamilton (2003) illustrated that after controlling for baseline mental health levels, initial perceptions of discrimination were related to mental health issues nine years later, with higher baseline discrimination perceptions linked to lower reported happiness and emotional health states. Similarly, Brown et al. (2000) confirmed a positive correlation between early perceptions of discrimination and depressive states one year later.

Authors and Contact Email

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Purpose

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Test Year

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Administration Method and Scoring

The Daily Discrimination Scale involves questions related to daily interactions. Respondents are asked to rate the frequency of certain events occurring in their daily lives on a Likert scale: (1=从不; 2=很少; 3=有时候; 4=常常; 5=几乎总是).

Reliability and Validity

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Factors and Subscales

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Keywords

Discrimination, Mental Health, Self-control, Marginalization, Stigmatization

Items in Chinese

1. 与其他人比起来，你没有被足够礼貌地对待。
2. 你没有得到应得的尊重。
3. 在饭馆或商店里，服务员给你的服务比给别人的差。
4. 别人对待你的方式看起来好像觉得你不够聪明。
5. 别人对待你的方式看起来好像他们害怕你。
6. 别人对待你的方式看起来好像觉得你不够诚实。
7. 别人对待你的方式看起来好像他们有优越感。
8. 你被别人起外号或者被羞辱。
9. 你被别人威胁或者骚扰。

Items in English

1. Compared to others, you are not treated with enough politeness.
2. You do not receive the respect you deserve.
3. In restaurants or stores, the service you receive is worse than that given to others.
4. The way others treat you suggests they think you are not smart enough.
5. The way others treat you suggests they are afraid of you.
6. The way others treat you suggests they think you are not honest enough.
7. The way others treat you suggests they feel superior.
8. You are nicknamed or humiliated by others.
9. You are threatened or harassed by others.

References

王航. 日常歧视与身心健康[D].华东师范大学,2020.DOI:10.27149/d.cnki.ghdsu.2020.001894