Measuring Perceived Minority Threat: Testing the Structural Invariance and Distinctness of Two Perceived Threat Scales

• In Event: Race, Immigration, and Fear of Crime

Abstract

The mechanism of perceived minority threat is the “theoretical lynchpin” of the minority threat perspective; yet, research dedicated to the measurement of perceived threat constructs is in nascent stages. The majority of research testing Blalock’s perspective has relied on macro-level indicators of threat (e.g., racial composition), seldom testing perceived threat mechanisms directly. Consequently, key questions remain surrounding the empirical validity of Blalock’s perspective, especially as it relates to the threat-control processes of different racial and ethnic groups. Using data from a Southwestern university, this study tested the structural invariance and distinctness of two perceived minority threat scales—the Perceived Black Threat Scale (PBTS) and the Perceived Latino Threat Scale (PLTS). Findings show that perceived threat is psychometrically sound across eliciting minority groups (i.e., structurally invariant), and the PBTS and PLTS represent valid and distinct constructs that demonstrate unique associations with relevant factors. Thus, perceived threats operate similarly across racial and ethnic groups. Nevertheless, respondents are still able to distinguish between threats posed by different groups; these threats, in turn, have distinct implications for race- and ethnicity-specific outcomes. Implications for research and theory are discussed.

Author

• Arynn Infante, Portland State University