© 2022 Ipsos 1

Frances M. Barlas, Ph.D., Kip Davis, 

Randall K. Thomas, & Megan A. Hendrich

Ipsos Public Affairs

Effects of and Reactions to Response Formats for 

Race and Ethnicity Measurement in the U.S.

2022 FCSM Research & Policy Conference

October 25th – October 27th, 2022

Washington D.C.
© 2022 Ipsos 3

Many surveys use questions for race and Latino ethnicity that align 

with the US Census in order to allow for benchmarking and 

weighting adjustment. 

This typically means asking Latino ethnicity separately from asking 

about one’s racial identity. 

All respondents, including those who identify as Latino, are asked 

the follow-up question to identify their race or races. 

Study Background
© 2022 Ipsos 4

Study Background

American Community Survey

Current Population Survey

Follow-up for Latino origin in a 

second question
© 2022 Ipsos 5

The Census acknowledges that there are problems 

with their method of asking about race and ethnicity. 

In 2015, the Census put out a report summarizing a 

content test that they conducted to inform updates to 

measurement of race and ethnicity. 

Two recommendations stood out: 

• merging the race and Latino ethnicity into a single question increased 

accuracy and demonstrated that Latino people can better find themselves 

in the response options 

• the use of a distinct Middle Eastern on North African (MENA) category 

produced more accurate data for respondents who identify as MENA

Study Purpose
© 2022 Ipsos 6

Taking these recommendations into consideration, we designed some 

alternative measures to test with a couple of goals in mind:

1. Would a new measure still allow for reasonable benchmarking to the 

U.S. Census?

2. Would respondents react more favorably to the revised measures 

compared to the more traditional measures? 

Study Purpose
© 2022 Ipsos 7

Study Design – Fielding

Sample: We conducted a study using KnowledgePanel, a probability-based 

online panel in the US

We began with a general population sample of adults 18 and older and 

selected additional samples of Black/African American, Latino, and those who 

identify with a different race or multi-race. 

Respondents: 4,042 responded 

Field Period: April 8 to April 18, 2022

Mode of Administration: Web-based questionnaire

Average length of interview (LOI): 6.6 minutes
© 2022 Ipsos 8

Study Design

Respondents were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 conditions –

• Traditional Census two questions like CPS

• Traditional Census two questions like CPS with MENA

• One question with Hispanic/Latino

• One question with Four Hispanic/Latino origins 

• One question with Hispanic/Latino and MENA 

• One question with Four Hispanic/Latino origins and MENA
© 2022 Ipsos 9

Study Design – Conditions 1 and 2

Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? 

1. Yes, of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin

2. No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin

Which of the following do you consider yourself to 

be? Please select ALL that apply.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Asian

4. American Indian or Alaska Native 

5. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 

6. A different race or ethnicity, please 

describe:__________________

Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? 

1. Yes, of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin

2. No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin

Which of the following do you consider yourself to 

be? Please select ALL that apply.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Asian

4. Middle Eastern or North African

5. American Indian or Alaska Native 

6. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 

7. A different race or ethnicity, please 

describe:__________________
© 2022 Ipsos 10

Study Design – Conditions 3 and 4

Which of the following do you consider yourself to 

be? Please select ALL that apply.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Hispanic or Latino

4. Asian

5. American Indian or Alaska Native 

6. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 

7. A different race or ethnicity, please 

describe:__________________

Which of the following do you consider yourself to 

be? Please select ALL that apply.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Mexican, Mexican American, or Chicano 

4. Puerto Rican

5. Cuban or Cuban American

6. Other Hispanic, Latino, or Latin American

7. Asian

8. American Indian or Alaska Native 

9. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 

10. A different race or ethnicity, please 

describe:__________________
© 2022 Ipsos 11

Study Design – Conditions 5 and 6

Which of the following do you consider yourself to 

be? Please select ALL that apply.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Hispanic or Latino

4. Asian

5. Middle Eastern or North African

6. American Indian or Alaska Native 

7. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 

8. A different race or ethnicity, please 

describe:__________________

Which of the following do you consider yourself to 

be? Please select ALL that apply.

1. White

2. Black or African American

3. Mexican, Mexican American, or Chicano 

4. Puerto Rican

5. Cuban or Cuban American

6. Other Hispanic, Latino, or Latin American

7. Asian

8. Middle Eastern or North African

9. American Indian or Alaska Native 

10. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 

11. A different race or ethnicity, please 

describe:__________________
© 2022 Ipsos 12

Study Design – Random Assignments

The table below reflects the distributions of the stored profile values we 

had on respondents for race/ethnicity (based on traditional Census 

questions). Differences were not statistically significant but enough to 

make comparisons difficult. 

Profiled Race/Ethnicity

Traditional 

two 

questions

Two 

questions 

with MENA

One 

question

One question 

with Latino 

origins 

One question 

with MENA

One question 

with Latino 

origins and 

MENA

White, Non-Latino 50.3% 50.5% 52.9% 53.0% 53.3% 49.4%

Black, Non-Latino 13.5% 16.4% 13.5% 14.8% 14.9% 14.8%

Latino 18.8% 16.0% 14.9% 13.2% 13.8% 16.9%

Other, Non-Latino 8.9% 10.9% 11.6% 10.9% 9.8% 11.3%

2+ races, Non-Latino 8.6% 6.3% 7.2% 8.2% 8.2% 7.6%
© 2022 Ipsos 13

Study Design

To make the groups more comparable, we weighted within condition to 

Census benchmarks for age by gender, education, income, and region. 

Benchmarks for race/ethnicity were the total across all conditions just to 

equate the groups. The table below reflects the weighted proportions.

Profiled Race/Ethnicity

Traditional 

two 

questions

Two 

questions 

with MENA

One 

question

One question 

with Latino 

origins 

One question 

with MENA

One question 

with Latino 

origins and 

MENA

White, Non-Latino 50.4% 50.5% 50.5% 50.4% 50.4% 50.4%

Black, Non-Latino 14.6% 14.6% 14.6% 14.6% 14.6% 14.6%

Latino 17.3% 17.3% 17.4% 17.4% 17.4% 17.3%

Other, Non-Latino 8.5% 10.7% 10.5% 9.9% 9.4% 10.6%

2+ races, Non-Latino 9.2% 6.9% 7.1% 7.7% 8.3% 7.1%
© 2022 Ipsos 14

Study Design

We also asked respondents:

• How difficult it was to answer the race/ethnicity question(s) to which they 

were assigned immediately following the race/ethnicity question(s)

• If they are generally offended by being asked questions about their race 

and ethnicity 

• If they’ve found any of the following to be true when they answer 

race/ethnicity questions generally:

 My race is usually not included in the list

 My ethnic group is usually not included in the list

 I don’t know what to select

 It is unclear what the difference is between race and ethnicity 

 I am concerned about data privacy

 I don’t like answering those types of questions
© 2022 Ipsos 15

Results
© 2022 Ipsos 16

Looking at respondents’ reactions to being asked about their race and 

ethnicity generally, we can see people of color are more likely to have 

issues with how to answer these questions whereas we have made it 

easy for white people, indicating we have work to do. 

Results

White Black Latino

Different 

Race 2+ Races

Missing 

Race

My race is usually not included in the list 1.7% 2.7% 10.6% 9.5% 5.7% 14.8%

My ethnic group is usually not included in the list 2.5% 2.7% 10.1% 11.3% 7.4% 18.5%

I don’t know what to select 2.4% 3.4% 16.4% 5.6% 11.7% 14.3%

It is unclear what the difference is between race and ethnicity 9.5% 11.7% 26.8% 19.9% 20.1% 14.8%

I am concerned about data privacy 8.9% 14.9% 10.4% 16.9% 13.8% 17.9%

I don’t like answering those types of questions 7.4% 10.8% 6.9% 10.4% 10.7% 39.3%

None of the above are true for me 75.3% 66.1% 47.0% 54.4% 55.7% 29.6%

2052 559 658 444 298 31

Race-ethnicity of Respondent
© 2022 Ipsos 17

Overall, we see a high level of people indicating that they find answering 

questions about race and ethnicity offensive in a survey. 

Results - Offended

White Black Latino

Different 

Race 2+ Races

Missing 

Race

10.7% 14.1% 11.3% 15.6% 14.5% 62.1%

Race-ethnicity of Respondent
© 2022 Ipsos 18

Results - Comparability

Results were fairly comparable across the experimental conditions –

differences were not statistically significant. 

Survey Response 

Traditional 

two 

questions

Two 

questions 

with MENA

One 

question

One question 

with Latino 

origins 

One question 

with MENA

One question 

with Latino 

origins and 

MENA

White, Non-Latino 51.9% 52.4% 51.7% 50.8% 50.1% 50.2%

Black, Non-Latino 14.1% 14.0% 14.1% 13.6% 14.3% 13.7%

Latino 14.9% 15.9% 14.9% 17.0% 17.7% 18.0%

Other, Non-Latino 11.6% 10.9% 11.5% 10.3% 10.1% 12.2%

2+ races, Non-Latino 7.5% 6.8% 7.8% 8.3% 7.8% 6.0%
© 2022 Ipsos 19

Results - Comparability

We did not find a consistent increase in identification as Latino when 

listing four responses with Latino origins vs one response “Hispanic or 

Latino”

Survey Response 

Traditional 

two 

questions

Two 

questions 

with MENA

One 

question

One question 

with Latino 

origins 

One question 

with MENA

One question 

with Latino 

origins and 

MENA

White, Non-Latino 51.9% 52.4% 51.7% 50.8% 50.1% 50.2%

Black, Non-Latino 14.1% 14.0% 14.1% 13.6% 14.3% 13.7%

Latino 14.9% 15.9% 14.9% 17.0% 17.7% 18.0%

Other, Non-Latino 11.6% 10.9% 11.5% 10.3% 10.1% 12.2%

2+ races, Non-Latino 7.5% 6.8% 7.8% 8.3% 7.8% 6.0%
© 2022 Ipsos 20

Results - Comparability

We do not see systematic increase or decrease to white or Black when 

including Middle Eastern or North African as a separate category.

Survey Response 

Traditional 

two 

questions

Two 

questions 

with MENA

One 

question

One question 

with Latino 

origins 

One question 

with MENA

One question 

with Latino 

origins and 

MENA

White, Non-Latino 51.9% 52.4% 51.7% 50.8% 50.1% 50.2%

Black, Non-Latino 14.1% 14.0% 14.1% 13.6% 14.3% 13.7%

Latino 14.9% 15.9% 14.9% 17.0% 17.7% 18.0%

Other, Non-Latino 11.6% 10.9% 11.5% 10.3% 10.1% 12.2%

2+ races, Non-Latino 7.5% 6.8% 7.8% 8.3% 7.8% 6.0%

MENA 0.5% 0.7% 0.4%
© 2022 Ipsos 21

Across the conditions, Latino respondents are the most likely to find the 

race/ethnicity questions difficult to answer, with the two separate 

questions having the largest share indicating they were difficult to 

answer. 

Results - Difficulty

Two 

questions

Two questions 

with MENA One question

One question 

with Latino 

origins 

One question 

with MENA

One question 

with Latino 

origins and 

MENA

White, Non-Latino 5.5% 6.8% 4.4% 5.6% 7.2% 4.9%

Black, Non-Latino 10.1% 9.1% 6.5% 7.4% 11.7% 11.5%

Latino 19.7% 23.9% 13.1% 14.8% 17.8% 15.5%

Other, Non-Latino 10.0% 12.8% 7.9% 9.5% 6.6% 7.5%

2+ races, Non-Latino 5.6% 10.3% 14.0% 12.8% 9.4% 13.0%

Overall 9.1% 11.1% 7.1% 8.2% 9.6% 8.5%
© 2022 Ipsos 22

Conclusions and Discussion 

Overall, we found that results were fairly comparable across the 

conditions that we tested. 

The high levels of people reporting that they have difficulty answering 

the questions, that they are offended by the questions, and that they 

have difficult locating themselves among response options shows us that 

we have work to do in improving these measures. 

By trying to align with Census measures as they are currently written, we 

may be undermining our own sample representativeness. 

We need to improve our measures so that respondents can more easily 

and comfortably answer the questions. This is critical in ensuring that 

our research is representative of all voices here in the US. 
Frances M. Barlas, Ph.D.

frances.barlas@ipsos.com

Thank you!