The Validation of a “Desire for a Low Profile” Scale

• In Event: The El Paso Neighborhood Survey Project: A Reflection of Prior Work and Pathways Forward

Abstract

The body of research on immigrant behaviors continues to expand as scholarship explores the mechanisms underlying the immigrant-crime paradox. An important and underexplored area is the “desire for a low profile.” The term “low profile” refers to a set of behaviors that immigrants adopt to reduce or mitigate exposure to a various risk environments and institutional threats. However, this theoretical construct has not been validated. Given this background, the purpose of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of the “desire for a low profile” scale contained in the El Paso Neighborhood Survey. The present study relies on data collected in El Paso County, TX from about 1,000 residents across 46 neighborhood clusters. The “desire for a low profile” scale is examined in terms of its internal consistency, construct validity, concurrent validity, and the generalizability of characteristics such as gender and age groups. The methodological and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Author

• Hyunjung Cheon, University of Texas at El Paso