Measuring Anti-Asian Bias: A Scoping Review of Post-COVID-19 Studies Focusing on Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement

Background and Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a rise in anti-Asian bias and discrimination in the United States. There has been a proliferation of studies examining this phenomenon, utilizing diverse methodological approaches. However, given the varied theoretical frameworks, the operationalization and measurement of "anti-Asian bias" have differed across these studies.This paper aims to review the empirical literature in order to: 1) understand how researchers have conceptualized and operationalized the construct of anti-Asian bias in their studies, and 2) examine the different methods and measures used to quantify and assess anti-Asian bias. By synthesizing the existing research, this review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge regarding the conceptualization and measurement of anti-Asian bias in the post-COVID-19 context within the United States.

Methods

The initial literature search was conducted across three key databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, and APA PsycNet. The search terms used included: "anti-Asian" OR "Asian" OR "Asian American" AND "bias" OR "stereotype" OR "attitude" OR "prejudice". This search strategy yielded a total of 50 articles. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to meet the following criteria: 1) published in a peer-reviewed journal, 2) written in English, 3) conducted in the United States, 4) focused on the COVID-19 pandemic timeframe or later, and 5) quantitatively measured anti-Asian bias among non-Asian individuals. After removing duplicates, abstract screening was performed, which identified 17 papers that met the eligibility criteria.

Results

The reviewed studies employed a range of methodological approaches to examine anti-Asian bias. The majority of the studies (n=14) utilized survey-based designs to investigate relationships between various factors and anti-Asian bias. In contrast, a smaller subset of studies (n=3) utilized experimental methods to capture implicit biases, often through the use of visual stimuli depicting Asian individuals. Theoretically, the most common frameworks applied were intergroup threat theory and behavioral immune system theory. Regarding the operationalization and measurement of anti-Asian bias, some studies focused on perceptions and attitudes towards Asian Americans as a broader group, while others assessed biases towards individual Asian people by showing participants photos and having them rate their perceptions. The core components measured across studies included perceptions of foreignness, warmth/coldness, threat, and fear.

Conclusions and Implications

This scoping review provided a comprehensive overview of how researchers have conceptualized, operationalized, and measured anti-Asian bias in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from this review highlight both the importance of understanding anti-Asian bias and the gaps that exist in understanding anti-Asian discrimination following the COVID-19 pandemic that brought racism against Asian-Americans to the forefront of sociopolitical contexts. As scholarly interest has been increasing toward understanding anti-Asian stigma, the findings from this review underscore the need to further develop rigorous and consistent approaches to better capture this complex phenomenon. This review responds to the growing need socially and politically to address the evolution of anti-Asian hate in recent years for greater research, intervention, and policy in this population.