DOI: 10.3886/e142261v1
title: 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"

description: 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>
description: Response Rates: <b>Sample 1. ("In Person/College Sample"):</b> 230 screeners were collected from college students assessing study eligibility. 141 students were contacted with invitations to provide schedule availability, and 87 responses were received (cooperation rate of 87/141 = 62%). 82 visits were scheduled to achieve the targeted 50 participants (cooperation rate of 50/82 = 61%; calculations based on COOP1;AAPOR 2016 p. 63). Data collected from the first four participants were omitted due to a problem with the Labby device software.<br><br><b>Sample 2. ("Online Sample"):</b> Data was collected using online participant recruitment platform Prolific. Participants were asked to verify their age, vision, sex, and race-ethnicity; if any contradicted their Prolific screening profile, then they exited the survey (n= 26). Qualtrics survey software settings also screened out participants who Qualtrics geographic (city) location detected to be outside of the U.S. (n= 9).Participants using a mobile device also exited (n= 42).<br>
description: Presence of Common Scales: Massey-Martin skin color scale.<br>Project on Ethnicity and Race in Latin America (PERLA) skin color scale. <br>L*a*b* values from the Nix colorimeter and Labby spectrophotometer.<br>
description: <b>Sample 1. ("In Person/College Sample"):</b> Screeners assessing study eligibility were collected from college students at the University of Illinois-Chicago. To recruit participants, study staff visited undergraduate classrooms to gather initial screener questionnaires. The screener asked potential participants to report their: (a) gender, (b) race-ethnicity, and (c) skin tone. Study staff reviewed the screener questionnaires on a rolling basis each week and used a stratified selection process to select 50 participants from a range of genders, race-ethnicities, and skin tones.<br><br><b>Sample 2. ("Online Sample"):</b> Data was collected using online participant recruitment platform Prolific, which caters to scientific researchers. Prolific pre-screening features were used to recruit U.S. residents ages 20-39, were fluent in English, who had 20/20 vision or were wearing corrective glasses/contacts, were not color blind, and had at least a 97% approval rate after completing at least five prior Prolific studies. Sixty eligible participants each were selected in eight categories that cross-classified Prolific’s pre-screened binary sex (female, male) and four racial-ethnic (Non-Latinx Asian, Black, and White; Latinx) categories.
description: United States.
description: This deposit does not include raw data files. The Stata do files in this deposit share the code used for statistical analyses included in the journal article "Measuring Skin Color: Consistency, Comparability, and Meaningfulness of Rating Scale Scores and Handheld Device Readings." Additional files include the 40 stock photographs rated in the study surveys.