Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (REMS)

Abstract

The Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (REMS) is a widely utilized psychological scale developed by Kevin L. Nadal in 2010 and published in 2011. This instrument was designed to measure the frequency and impact of microaggressions experienced by individuals belonging to marginalized racial and ethnic groups. REMS focuses specifically on subtle, often unintentional, verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that communicate hostile or negative messages based solely upon one’s membership in a minority group.

Comprising 45 items, the REMS assesses experiences across six distinct factors, reflecting the multifaceted nature of racial bias in daily life. It employs a 6-point Likert scale to gauge the frequency of these events over the past six months, providing researchers and clinicians with a robust quantitative measure of racial stress and its potential psychological and physical health consequences.

Keywords

Racial Microaggressions, Ethnic Microaggressions, Racial Stress, Psychological Measurement, Nadal, REMS, Discrimination, Racism, Microinvalidations, Racial Bias.

Authors

Kevin L. Nadal

Purpose

The primary purpose of the REMS is to provide a comprehensive, psychometrically sound instrument for quantifying the exposure to subtle, pervasive forms of discrimination known as microaggressions. Before the development of REMS, measurement of these experiences often relied on less standardized methods. The scale allows researchers to link specific types of racial and ethnic slights to various health and psychological outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and physical health issues.

The structure of the scale, divided into six specific factors, allows for a nuanced assessment, moving beyond general reports of racism to identify the thematic categories of microaggressive experiences (e.g., assumptions of inferiority versus microinvalidations). This level of detail is crucial for informing targeted clinical interventions and anti-racism training programs, particularly in academic and workplace settings.

Construct

The REMS measures the construct of racial and ethnic microaggressions. This construct refers to brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults to people of color. The scale operationalizes this construct across 45 specific items, focusing on the frequency of experienced events over a defined time period (the past six months).

The scale encompasses microaggressions that fall into several established categories, including Microinsults (communications that convey rudeness or insensitivity) and Microinvalidations (communications that negate the experiences of people of color), while also identifying specific contextual exposures like those occurring in academic or professional settings.

Validity

The initial validation study by Nadal (2011) established strong psychometric properties for the REMS. The scale demonstrated good construct validity through its clear six-factor structure, which aligned theoretically with existing literature on racial microaggressions. Furthermore, the REMS showed evidence of concurrent validity by correlating significantly with measures of psychological distress and racial identity development, confirming its ability to measure the intended construct.

The development process involved rigorous item generation and refinement, utilizing qualitative data from individuals of various racial and ethnic backgrounds to ensure content relevance and ecological validity. Subsequent research has consistently supported the validity of the REMS across diverse samples of people of color in the United States, linking higher REMS scores to negative physical and mental health outcomes.

Reliability

The REMS exhibits high internal consistency, indicating strong reliability across its subscales. Nadal’s (2011) study reported high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for all six factors, suggesting that the items within each factor consistently measure the same underlying dimension of microaggression experience. The reported alpha coefficients for the six factors are consistently strong, demonstrating the instrument’s high degree of internal consistency and dependability for measuring these experiences in research settings.

Factor Analysis

The REMS was developed using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, which revealed a robust six-factor structure. This structure helps researchers differentiate between various forms of racial and ethnic slights. The factors, along with their respective internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach’s Alpha), are:

1. Assumptions of Inferiority (Alpha = 0.894)
2. Second-Class Citizen and Assumption of Criminality (Alpha = 0.883)
3. Microinvalidations (Alpha = 0.888)
4. Exoticization and Assumptions of Similarity (Alpha = 0.852)
5. Environmental Microaggressions (Alpha = 0.85)
6. Workplace and School Microaggressions (Alpha = 0.85)

This multidimensional structure is critical, as it supports the theoretical understanding that microaggressions manifest in distinct ways, ranging from individual interactions to systemic and representational issues.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report frequency questionnaire

Format: 45 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = none of the time, 2 = a little bit of the time, 3 = some of the time, 4 = a good bit of the time, 5 = most of the time, 6 = all of the time). The reference period is “In the past six months.”

Language Available: English (Primary)

Population Group: Individuals identifying as people of color/racial or ethnic minorities.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically used with college-aged populations and older).

Population Details: The scale was initially validated using diverse groups of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, including African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans, and others.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate the frequency with which they have experienced each microaggressive behavior or event within the last six months. Scores are calculated by summing responses for the total scale and for each of the six distinct factors.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, Racial trauma, Counseling psychology, Racial identity, Microaggressions, Mental health outcomes, Race relations, Psychometrics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and first published in 2011 by Kevin L. Nadal, based on initial work conducted around 2010. Specific information regarding permissions and associated fees for non-academic use should be obtained directly from the author or the publisher (American Psychological Association, Journal of Counseling Psychology).

The original PDF detailing the construction, reliability, and validity of the instrument can be downloaded here: Nadal (2011).

Reference’s

The foundational references for the REMS include:

• Nadal, K.L. (2011). The Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (REMS): Construction, reliability, and validity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58, 470-480.
• Nadal, K.L., & Davidoff, K. (2012). The impact of racial microaggressions on the physical health of people of Color. Paper presented at the 29th Annual Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology & Education, New York, NY.
• Rivera, David Paul. (2012). Microaggressions and Health Outcomes for Latina/o Americans: Understanding the Influences of External characteristics and Psychological Resources. Columbia University. Doctoral Dissertation. Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:14491

Items of the Racial and Ethnic Microaggressions Scale (REMS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

In the past six months

1. I was ignored at school or at work because of my race.
2. Someone’s body language showed they were scared of me, because of my race.
3. Someone assumed that I spoke a language other than English.
4. I was told that I should not complain about race.
5. Someone assumed that I grew up in a particular neighborhood because of my race.
6. Someone avoided walking near me on the street because of my race.
7. Someone told me that she or he was colorblind.
8. Someone avoided sitting next to me in a public space (e.g., restaurants, movie theaters, subways, buses) because of my race.
9. Someone assumed that I would not be intelligent because of my race.
10. I was told that I complain about race too much.
11. I received substandard service in stores compared to customers of other racial groups.
12. I observed people of my race in prominent positions at my workplace or school.
13. Someone wanted to date me only because of my race.
14. I was told that people of all racial groups experience the same obstacles.
15. My opinion was overlooked in a group discussion because of my race.
16. Someone assumed that my work would be inferior to people of other racial groups.
17. Someone acted surprised at my scholastic or professional success because of my race.
18. I observed that people of my race were the CEOs of major corporations.
19. I observed people of my race portrayed positively on television.
20. Someone did not believe me when I told them I was born in the US.
21. Someone assumed that I would not be educated because of my race.
22. Someone told me that I was “articulate” after she/he assumed I wouldn’t be.
23. Someone told me that all people in my racial group are all the same.
24. I observed people of my race portrayed positively in magazines.
25. An employer or co-worker was unfriendly or unwelcoming toward me because of my race.
26. I was told that people of color do not experience racism anymore.
27. Someone told me that they “don’t see color.”
28. I read popular books or magazines in which a majority of contributions featured people from my racial group.
29. Someone asked me to teach them words in my “native language.”
30. Someone told me that they do not see race.
31. Someone clenched her/his purse or wallet upon seeing me because of my race.
32. Someone assumed that I would have a lower education because of my race.
33. Someone of a different racial group has stated that there is no difference between the two of us.
34. Someone assumed that I would physically hurt them because of my race.
35. Someone assumed that I ate foods associated with my race/culture every day.
36. Someone assumed that I held a lower paying job because of my race.
37. I observed people of my race portrayed positively in movies.
38. Someone assumed that I was poor because of my race.
39. Someone told me that people should not think about race anymore.
40. Someone avoided eye contact with me because of my race.
41. I observed that someone of my race is a government official in my state.
42. Someone told me that all people in my racial group look alike.
43. Someone objectified one of my physical features because of my race.
44. An employer or co-worker treated me differently than White co-workers.
45. Someone assumed that I speak similar languages to other people in my race.