Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation (2022) / Chapter Skim
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5 Measuring Sexual Orientation and Identifying Sexual Minority Populations
5 Measuring Sexual Orientation and Identifying Sexual Minority Populations
Pages 73-102
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From page 73... ...
Following this brief overview, we review existing approaches for assessing sexual orientation identity as an indicator of sexual orientation, allowing for the enumeration of sexual majority and sexual minority populations. We then offer our recommendations for measurement practices to document sexual orientation identities, and we conclude with recommendations for future research.
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From page 74... ...
. Although the study of erotic and romantic attractions can serve many important data collection goals, in administrative setting and general population surveys, measures of sexual attraction have often been included as an indicator of sexual orientation when there are concerns that stigma and prejudice may inhibit individuals' self-disclosure of their sexual orientation identity.
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From page 75... ...
. Given the implications for measuring identity when tracking services and outcomes for sexual minority populations and the long-standing inclusion of measures of sexual orientation identity as a tool for assessing sexual orientation, the remainder of the chapter focuses on a review and recommendation of measurement approaches of sexual orientation identity.
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From page 76... ...
Most of the measures assessing sexual orientation identity use the third approach in which the focus is documenting which sexual orientation identity labels people use to describe themselves, with slight variations in stems and response options. Across the surveys assessing identification with sexual orientation labels, slightly different wording is used in the question stems, such as "do you consider yourself," "describe your sexual orientation," or "think of yourself." The panel weighed concerns related to our principle of precision over whether naming the construct "sexual orientation" or "sexual identity" in the question stem was required for adequate performance of the measure.
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From page 77... ...
. Evidence of Measure Performance in the United States The panel explored whether the existing sexual orientation identity measures use a stem and response options with strong face construct validity (see above and Chapters 1 and 4)
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From page 78... ...
. We also assessed whether the measure met the content standard by including a stem and response options that reflected a focus on sexual orientation identity labels separate from gender identity, sexual behavior, or attraction.
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From page 79... ...
Household surveys often require proxy reporting on household members. A recent effort to test whether a similar measure of sexual orientation identity could be reliably collected by proxy has concluded that it is feasible (Holzberg et al., 2019)
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From page 80... ...
80 MEASURING SEX, GENDER IDENTITY, AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION TABLE 5-1 Item Nonresponse Rates and Sexual Minority Population Prevalence for Recommended Sexual Orientation Identity Measure Percentage Lesbian, Nonresponse/ Gay, Survey Question Unknown Rate Bisexual 2016 NCVS Which of the following best 2.8% 1.9% represents how you think of (weighted) yourself?
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From page 81... ...
These countries also use very similar measures for sexual orientation identity: each country offers the same three major response categories, and all include the option of a write-in response. A question on sexual orientation identity was included for the first time in the 2021 census for England and Wales and will be included in the 2022 census of Scotland.
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From page 82... ...
Its currently recommended measure for sexual orientation identity is a close version of the United Kingdom's question stem and response options (see Table 5A-2)
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From page 83... ...
The recommended measure allows for respondents to answer their sexual orientation identity using one of these popular terms or to write-in a response for other terms. Response Categories In considering the ordering of response categories, the panel decided to list the response options as they appear in existing surveys.
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From page 84... ...
• Recommended by the Federal Interagency Working Group on Improving Measure ment of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Federal Surveys (2016) Conceptual fit • Measures sexual orientation identity only (i.e., does not conflate identity with attrac tion and/or behavior)
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From page 85... ...
≤3% Adjustments to previously • Removed "something else" and replaced with open-text and wording of "I use a diftested item included in ferent term" recommended measure • Include Two-Spirit category in automated data collection where racial identity is col lected and AIAN is indicated Weaknesses and challenges • Narrow set of responses that do not reflect current culture and terms used by many sexual minorities (e.g., queer, Two-Spirit) • Write-in sexual orientation identity field will have to be cleaned and coded for report ing; newer terms not listed (e.g., pansexual)
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From page 86... ...
. Cognitive interviews found that many straight respondents had little need to express a salient sexual orientation identity because they represent the heteronormative majority.
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From page 87... ...
For example, the panel discussed whether additional response categories need to be added to the recommended measure to capture the use of sexual orientation identities such as "queer," "pansexual," or "same gender loving." However, the panel did not have sufficient evidence to warrant making such a recommendation at this time. Almost none of the general population survey questions the committee considered included these response categories (see Table 5A-1)
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From page 88... ...
Given the high probability of producing data on Two-Spirit people that inaccurately reflects AIAN populations, the panel does not recommend making this a response option for all respondents. However, inclusion of a Two-Spirit response option for AIAN respondents would provide a way for surveys to explicitly include a category that represents sexual and gender minority populations that are culturally specific to the AIAN population.
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From page 89... ...
When automated programming of response options is not feasible, researchers need to be cognizant of possibility of the appropriation of an Indigenous identity category by non-Indigenous people in their analyses and interpretation of results. RECOMMENDED RESEARCH AREAS The panel's recommended sexual orientation identity measure is the result of a review of currently available evidence.
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From page 90... ...
. In addition to the issues noted above, these include the following concerns: • whether concerns about straight people's comprehension of the sexual orientation identity terms are still warranted, in English and other languages; • whether changes are needed to the ordering of the response options; • how best to integrate standardized questions for sexual attraction as a measure of sexual orientation and determine under which conditions it is equally or more useful than identity measures; • the need for further assessment of item performance across all survey modes, including proxy reporting, in languages other than English, in all major U.S.
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From page 91... ...
Given the limited evidence on whether response order would affect response rates, the panel encourages research to examine whether response ordering affects the measure's performance. Item Performance of "Attraction" in General Population Data Collection Sexual attraction does not require individuals to identify or conform with a sexual orientation identity, nor does it require individuals to engage in sexual behavior.
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From page 92... ...
and age groups. Inclusion and Potential Expansion of Identity Categories There are a growing number of sexual orientation identity labels and increasing popularity in adopting some of these labels.
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From page 93... ...
Ongoing testing examination of how additional response categories may affect the performance of the panel's recommended measure is warranted, as it may offer the necessary evidence to empirically determine whether different responses need to be integrated into population-based surveys and acknowledge the presence of diverse sexual orientations in our society to the public without negatively affecting the currently established measures. The panel acknowledges the need for continued psychometric testing of the measure to incorporate changes in response category terminology, particularly as the social meaning of sexual orientation identity continues to evolve.
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From page 94... ...
• Guidelines for measures that capture other dimensions of sexual orientation, including sexual behavior and sexual attraction: in particular, standards for assessing asexual identities should be de veloped and tested. • The utility of including sexual orientation identity response options that may be more prevalent in subsets of the LGBTQI+ population, such as "queer" and "questioning" or, in African American com munities, "same gender loving." • The performance of existing measures and identification of best practices for how to assess sexual minority status among adoles cents, including whether sexual orientation identity is the most ef fective dimension to track (compared with attraction or behavior)
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From page 95... ...
• How reporting of sexual orientation identity is affected when re porting is done by proxy, such as when a single household respon dent responds on behalf of all household members.
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From page 96... ...
● Prefer not to answer Do you consider yourself to ● Heterosexual or straight American National be heterosexual or straight; ● Homosexual or gay or Election Studies (ANES) homosexual or gay or lesbian; lesbian Women Only or bisexual?
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From page 97... ...
● Refused National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
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From page 98... ...
● Bisexual Lesbian or gay, that is, homosexual ● Don't know, or Straight, that is, heterosexual ● Another sexual orientation Bisexual Don't know, or Another sexual orientation As I read the list again, please say ‘Yes' when you hear the option that best describes how you think of yourself. Do you think of yourself as: ● Lesbian or gay, that is, High School Longitudinal homosexual Study of 2009 (HSLS:09)
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From page 99... ...
● Straight, that is, not Lesbian Survey (NATS-NCHS) or Gay; ● Bisexual; ● Something else; ● Respondent does not understand response options; ● Don't Know/Not Sure; ● Refused Which of the categories on the ● Heterosexual (straight)
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From page 100... ...
attracted to people of your own sex; National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent ● Bisexual that is, attracted to and Adult Health (Add men and women equally; Health -- SOGI-SES ● Mostly homosexual (gay) , Supplement)
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From page 101... ...
● Gay or Lesbian; Surveillance System (YRBSS) ● Bisexual; ● Not sure; [Additional response options added in 2021]
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From page 102... ...
Scotland ● Other sexual orientation (Office of National Statistics, (free-text)
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