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Academically reviewed by Dr. Sabina Alispahić, Ph.D., professor of psychology.
Symbolic Racism Policy Prediction Test
Psychologists P.J. Henry and David O. Sears developed the Symbolic Racism Scale to facilitate research into symbolic racism in the general population.
Though exclusively designed to measure negative affect toward Black Americans and people of African heritage, data from the American National Election Studies reveals that this simple questionnaire predicts a person’s views on far more issues than simply their attitude towards the status of African Americans in American society.
What do your views on African American issues reveal about general worldview? For each of the following statements, indicate your level of agreement below.
Question 1 of 8
The way black groups have been voicing their demands is responsible for a significant amount of the racial tension that exists in the United States today.
| Disagree | Agree |
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Psychometric review of the Racism Test, 25-AUG-2026
The IDR-SRPP© test is the property of IDR Labs International. The Symbolic Racism Scale is the property of P.J. Henry and David O. Sears. The 2018, 2016, and 2012 ANES Studies (American National Election Studies) are the property of Stanford University & the University of Michigan.
The IDR-SRPP© test is not endorsed by the ANES or the above-mentioned researchers. The information and results provided here are for educational purposes only.
The IDR-SRPP© test is a relevant and modern index and instrument for measuring perceptions of Symbolic Racism in America. Impartial reviewers have generally assessed the quality of the ANES polling data to be high. The original datasets were published by Stanford University & the University of Michigan under the auspices of the American National Election Studies. They are available on their webpage. In crafting this dataset, ANES polled thousands U.S. adults, adhering to best practice standards at every step along the way. Basing our test on the ANES findings is thus assumed to yield high degrees of validity in pegging the respondent's answers to the stated opinions of the ANES dataset. As the title indicates, contemporary research on views of anti-black prejudice in America — among men and women; urban and rural inhabitants; and Republicans and Democrats — indicates that the various population groups in American society are very far from each other in their perceptions of issues pertaining to anti-black prejudice and which factions in American society they perceive as sympathetic.
The IDR-SRPP© test should not be construed as associated with, or endorsed by, P.J. Henry, David O. Sears, or the American National Election Studies. The Symbolic Racism Scale is the property of P.J. Henry and David O. Sears. The 2018, 2016, and 2012 ANES Studies (American National Election Studies) are the property of Stanford University & the University of Michigan. The IDR-SRPP© test is the property of IDR Labs International. The authors of this online Symbolic Racism Policy Prediction test are certified in the use of numerous personality tests and have worked professionally with politics, polling, and personality testing. The results of our Symbolic Racism Policy Prediction test are provided "as-is", and should not be construed as providing professional or certified advice of any kind. For more on our online personality test, please consult our Terms of Service.
References
- Stanford University & the University of Michigan (2018, 2016, 2012): ANES Studies 2018, 2016, 2012. American National Election Studies.
- Henry, P. J., & Sears, D. O. (2002): The Symbolic Racism 2000 Scale. Political Psychology, 23, 253-283.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Symbolic Racism Policy Prediction Test measure?
It measures negative affect toward Black Americans and people of African heritage using the Symbolic Racism Scale developed by psychologists P.J. Henry and David O. Sears.
What does the test say about how symbolic racism relates to other political views?
Data from the American National Election Studies shows that answers on this scale predict views on many issues beyond attitudes toward the status of African Americans.
Who owns the Symbolic Racism Scale and the IDR-SRPP test?
The Symbolic Racism Scale belongs to P.J. Henry and David O. Sears, and the IDR-SRPP test is the property of IDR Labs International.
Do predicted policy views necessarily match my own views?
No. Predictions are based on relationships between survey responses in the reference data. They may not capture your reasons or positions on any particular issue.
Why might I agree with some statements and disagree with others?
The statements address distinct beliefs about inequality, discrimination, and responsibility. Answer each statement on its own merits; a combined score cannot capture every nuance of your views.
Why Use This Test?
1. Free and reliable. This online Symbolic Racism Policy Prediction test is delivered to you free of charge and will allow you to have your perceptions of sympathy towards various factions in American society squared against empirically validated parameters.
2. First of its kind. The data and background surveys that inform this test are derived from high-quality polling of thousands of U.S. adults.
3. Statistical controls. Test scores are logged into an anonymized database. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.
4. Made by professionals. The authors of this free online personality test are certified in the use of different personality tests and have worked professionally with personality testing and politics.