Assessing Diversity Dimensions: Challenges and Recommendations
Presenters: Robert Gaschler (FernUniversität Hagen) & Helen Landmann (Universität Klagenfurt)
Time / date: Fr. 28.02.2025, 13:00 - 14:30
ZOOM - LINK:
https://fernuni-hagen.zoom-x.de/j/63032771855?pwd=WbzPSEH0cwhfa2miYQiLTbyuxaKFIa.1
Countdown_To_Bochum_Assessing_Diversity
28.Feb. 2025 01:00 PM
Meeting-ID: 630 3277 1855, Code: 52453729
The aim of this online session is to discuss challenges of assessing diversity from two perspectives. The speakers will follow-up on the Diversity-Symposium at the DGPs conference in Vienna, providing more detailed results and points for discussion with the audience. Robert Gaschler begins by presenting data of an assessment of diversity within the German Psychological Society (DGPs) so that potential implications for measures and initiatives within the society can be discussed. In the second part, Helen Landmann will present review-based recommendations on how to assess and take into account diversity in psychological research with self-report instruments.
Based on a mandate by the board of the German Psychological Society (DGPs) to assess the status quo concerning diversity issues in the society a survey addressed members of this society. The survey provides insights concerning diversity in terms of person characteristics, attitudes, felt inclusion as well as experienced and observed discrimination and its correlates in terms of mental health outcomes. The results in parts suggest lack of diversity in the scientific society. About half of the members report to have experienced discrimination in the last 24 months (and this is associated with less positive well-being and felt inclusion). Furthermore, the survey shows a substantial age divide within the scientific society concerning opinions about the relevance diversity, inclusion and discrimination issues should have in psychological research and teaching.
The work by Helen Landmann (Landmann et al. 2003) compares and extends existing approaches for the operationalization of sociodemographic characteristics and provides recommendations for capturing and documenting diversity psychological studies. It includes measures of specific diversity dimensions (migration/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation) and provides recommendations for assessing them. Minimal item sets for health sciences (DiMIS) and social sciences (https://osf.io/x2hnz/) are presented. These guidelines serve as examples to discuss further needs and strategies to improve diversity assessment in psychological research. Feedback as well as ideas for collaboration are welcome.
Landmann, H., Kachel, S., Kommerscheidt, L., Lange, F., & Richter, I. (2023). Assessing diversity dimensions in Environmental Psychology: Challenges and recommendations. Umweltpsychologie, 27(1), 8-33..
PDF: osf.io/7cx4k/download