Validation of a Measure of Ethical Sensitivity and Examination of the Effects of Previous Multicultural and Ethics Courses on Ethical Sensitivity.

Publication Year
2003

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

This article describes the development of a computerized version of a measure of ethical sensitivity to racial and gender intolerance, the Racial Ethical Sensitivity Test (REST; Brabeck et al., 2000). The REST was based on James Rest's (1983) 4-component model of moral development and the professional codes of ethics from school-based professions. The new version, Racial and Ethical Sensitivity Test-Compact Disk (REST-CD), consists of 5 videotaped scenarios (used in the original REST) followed by an interactive "interview" presented on compact discs. Data from a study with 58 students provides initial validation of the REST-CD. Ethical sensitivity to racial and gender intolerance in schools, as measured by the REST-CD, was moderately related to attitudes toward racial and gender equity issues in society as measured by the Quick Discrimination Index (Ponterotto et al., 1995). The results provide evidence for both interrater and internal reliability of the REST-CD scores. This study also tests the hypothesized relationship between REST-CD scores and previous multicultural and ethics course work. Students with multicultural and ethics course experience have scored significantly higher on the REST-CD than students without course work. The paper-and-pencil tests are not significantly related to previous ethics/multicultural course work. In this article, we discuss the implications of the results and directions for future research.

Journal
Ethics & Behavior
Volume
13
Pages
221-235
Type of Article
Journal Article
Full text

The following is an excerpt of the intervention methodology. For more information, please see the full text of the article on the publisher's website or through your institution's library.

METHODS

Participants Participants were 58 students at a large metropolitan university. There were 39 female and 19 male students whose ages ranged from 18 to 46, with a mean age of 24 years and 7 months (SD = 6.58). Based on participant’s self-identified racial/ethnic group, the racial/ethnic composition of the sample was 56.9% European-American, 13.8% Asian American, 12% bicultural/multicultural, 10.3% Hispanic/Latino, 3.4% African American, and 3.4% who identified their racial/ethnic group as “other.”

Measures Participants [...] answered three paper-and-pencil questionnaires in the following order: Demographic questionnaire, multicultural experience questionnaire, and the QDI. Next, they took the REST–CD. [...] The multicultural experience questionnaire designed for this study included open-ended questions about various experiences that the participants might have had with multicultural issues [...]. The REST–CD consists of an introduction, the same five scenarios that were used in the original videotape version, and an interactive interview created by a computer multimedia specialist. [...] we selected three scenarios with strong psychometric properties for this study: Faculty Lounge, Math Class, and Residence Hall. Brief descriptions of these scenarios follow: Faculty Lounge: Two teachers are discussing a student in front of a new faculty member. The two veteran teachers discuss the student’s academic and private life in stereotypical and derogatory ways. They show no concern for her privacy and a complete disregard for her rights to confidentiality. In addition, it is clear that they have no understanding of her culture [...] Math Class: A teacher who usually teaches honors math is asked to teach a basic math skills class. A second teacher is observing the class. Throughout the class, the math teacher demonstrates his cultural ignorance and his incompetence in teaching a math class of this level. He makes stereotypical remarks and in his attempt to connect with his students, allows racial and gender bias to affect his interaction with his students.  [...] Residence Hall: A meeting is being held in a residence hall. A European-American girl stands up and complains that the Latina girls speak Spanish in front of the rest of them, and she thinks that this should not be allowed. [...]

The Quick Discrimination Index. The QDI is a 30-item paper-and-pencil test that measures racial and gender bias among late adolescents and adults. The items are placed on a 5-point Likert-type scale that ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The QDI scale has three subscales: Cognitive Attitudes Toward Racial Diversity (Subscale 1, 9 items), Affective Attitudes Toward Multiculturalism as It Influences One’s Personal Life (Subscale 2, 7 items), and General Attitudes About Women’s Equality Issues (Subscale 3, 7 items). [...]

Procedures Participants [...] received headphones, three randomly ordered CD-ROMs which included the three scenarios of the REST described previously, the standardized interview [...], and a blank diskette for recording their entry. [...]

Type of Prejudice/Bias
Country
Method