Skin Tone Identity and Inequalities Project (STiiP): 2018-2020, Journal Article "Measuring Skin Color: Consistency, Comparability, and Meaningfulness of Rating Scale Scores and Handheld Device Readings"

As U.S. society continues to diversify and calls for better measurements of racialized appearance increase, survey researchers need guidance about effective strategies for assessing skin color in field research. The <b>Skin Tone Identity and Inequalities Project</b> <b>(STiiP) </b>research team based at the<b> University of Illinois-Chicago</b> develops and tests novel techniques for collecting skin color data in social science research and collects data on the relationships between skin color and social determinants of health. From 2018 to 2020, the STiiP team conducted a study examining the consistency, comparability, and meaningfulness of the two most widely used skin tone rating scales (Massey-Martin and PERLA) and two portable and inexpensive handheld devices for skin color measurement (Nix colorimeter and Labby spectrophotometer). Data was collected in person in 2018 using these four instruments from 46 college students (sample 1. "in person/college students") selected to reflect a wide range of skin tones across four racial-ethnic groups (Asian, Black, Latinx, White). In 2019 and 2020, these college students, five study staff, and 459 adults from an online sample also rated 40 stock photos (sample 2. "online sample"), again selected for skin tone diversity. This deposit includes the 40 stock photos used in the study and the Stata do files containing the code used to analyze project data for inclusion in the journal article "Measuring Skin Color: Consistency, Comparability, and Meaningfulness of Rating Scale Scores and Handheld Device Readings." IRB-approved protocols for this study precludes the inclusion of raw data in this deposit. <br>