A Scoping Review of Scales to Measure LGBTQ Microaggressions

Background. Microaggressions are subtle forms of discrimination that often unintentionally communicate negative messages to members of marginalized groups. They can manifest interpersonally and environmentally, and include microinsults, microinvalidations, and microassaults (Sue, 2010). Microaggressions are powerful mechanisms of contemporary oppression because of their ubiquity and chronicity, and can contribute to mental health problems and other negative outcomes among targeted groups, including LGBTQ individuals. Understanding the nature and consequences of LGBTQ microaggressions is critical to fostering equity and wellbeing for this marginalized community. To do so, measurement tools are needed.

A plethora of LGBTQ discrimination scales are available, however most address blatant, intentional forms of interpersonal discrimination. Little is known about the measures assessing subtle, often-unintentional, forms of discrimination. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review of the published and gray literatures to identify existing quantitative measures assessing experiences of microaggressions and other subtle discriminatory acts targeting sexual and gender minorities.

Methods. Following established scoping review methods (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005), inclusion criteria were established: quantitative study; utilized multi-item LGBTQ experiential discrimination scale inclusive of, but not limited to, subtle discrimination; sample included sexual and/or gender minorities. We searched 14 electronic databases utilizing team-developed search terms and specifications. The reference list from a recent psychometric review of LGB discrimination measures (Morrison et al., 2016) was also searched and relevant studies added. Inclusion criteria were applied across two stages: (1) title and abstract review, and (2) full-text review. Relevant data were extracted from all selected studies. Two researchers examined each study; discrepancies were resolved through team discussion.  

Results. We identified 96 multi-item scales inclusive of at least one microaggression question, of which 20 were original scales and 76 were adaptations or reused in their original form; 11 of the original scales were used only once. Of the 20 original scales, 14 focused on subtle discrimination, 9 of which include the term microaggressions in the scale’s title. The other 6 original scales were comprised of items addressing both subtle and blatant discrimination; some of the adapted measures focused specifically on subtle discrimination. Ten of the original scales measured both interpersonal and environmental discrimination (4 subtle-only, 1 of which assessed interpersonal and environmental discrimination separately), 7 examined interpersonal discrimination (4 subtle-only), and 3 documented environmental discrimination (2 subtle-only). Except for 2 of the original scales, all reported internal consistency and 10 underwent additional psychometric testing.

Of the 96 scales, 9 applied to both sexual and gender minorities (2 original scales,1 of which specifically assessed microaggressions) and 4 focused exclusively on the experiences of trans* people (2 original scales,1 of which specifically assessed microaggressions).

Discussion. Study findings offer researchers a much-needed synthesis of measures to investigate subtle LGBTQ discrimination. We will highlight strengths and limitations of key measures and present recommendations for future development of LGBTQ microaggression measures.  As microaggressions remain a powerful, but understudied, mechanism of LGBTQ oppression, identifying promising measurement tools can both advance research and help address broader disparities resulting from these oppressive experiences.