Description

Teenager Experience of Racial Socialization (TERS-40) is a psychometric tool designed to measure how teenagers perceive and experience racial socialization—messages they receive about race, ethnicity, and culture from family, peers, media, and other societal sources. The TERS-40 consists of 40 items that assess various dimensions of racial socialization, including cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust. The scale is commonly used in research to understand the impact of racial socialization on adolescents’ identity development, psychological well-being, and social experiences.

Data Analysis and Utilization

The analysis of TERS-40 data typically involves several steps:
Data Collection: Responses to the TERS-40 are collected from adolescent participants. Each item is rated on a Likert scale, reflecting the frequency or intensity of specific racial socialization experiences.
Reliability and Validity Checks: Before analyzing the data, it is essential to confirm the reliability (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) and validity (e.g., factor analysis) of the scale. High reliability indicates that the scale consistently measures the construct of racial socialization across different groups of respondents.
Descriptive Statistics: Initial analysis often includes descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation) for each item and for the overall scale. This provides an overview of the general trends in the data.
Factor Analysis: Exploratory or Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA/CFA) is used to understand the underlying structure of the TERS-40. This helps in identifying distinct factors or dimensions of racial socialization.
Comparative Analysis: Researchers may compare the racial socialization experiences across different demographic groups (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status). This can be done using t-tests, ANOVA, or regression analysis.
Correlational Analysis: Researchers often examine the correlations between TERS-40 scores and other variables, such as self-esteem, academic performance, or mental health outcomes. This helps in understanding the impact of racial socialization on various aspects of adolescent development.
Regression Analysis: Multiple regression analysis can be used to predict outcomes based on TERS-40 scores, controlling for other variables. This is useful for understanding the relative importance of different types of racial socialization experiences.
Interpretation: The findings are interpreted in the context of existing literature on racial socialization, considering both the positive and negative effects on adolescents. Cultural and contextual factors are also considered in the interpretation.

Calibration

Calibration of the TERS-40 involves ensuring that the scale accurately reflects the experiences of different adolescent populations. This may require adapting the scale for use in diverse cultural or linguistic contexts. Calibration can include:
Item Analysis: Reviewing each item for cultural relevance and clarity. This may involve modifying or translating items to ensure they are appropriate for the target population.
Pilot Testing: Administering the revised scale to a small sample to assess its reliability and validity in the new context.
Adjustments: Based on pilot testing results, further adjustments may be made to the scale before it is used in the full study.
Norming: Establishing normative data for different demographic groups, which helps in interpreting individual scores relative to the broader population.

Bibliography

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.
Lesane-Brown, C. L. (2006). “A review of race socialization within Black families.” Developmental Review, 26(4), 400-426.
Neblett, E. W., Smalls, C. P., Ford, K. R., Nguyen, H. X., & Sellers, R. M. (2009). “Racial socialization and racial identity: African American parents’ messages about race as precursors to identity.” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(2), 189-203.
Hughes, D., Rodriguez, J., Smith, E. P., Johnson, D. J., Stevenson, H. C., & Spicer, P. (2006). “Parents’ ethnic-racial socialization practices: A review of research and directions for future study.” Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 747-770.
Sellers, R. M., Copeland-Linder, N., Martin, P. P., & Lewis, R. L. (2006). “Racial identity matters: The relationship between racial discrimination and psychological functioning in African American adolescents.” Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16(2), 187-216.