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Abstract

This paper describes the development and validation of the Stereotypic-Beliefs Inventory (SBI), an instrument that measures individual differences in the extent to which Canadians hold stereotypic-beliefs and non-stereotypic beliefs about ethnic groups. A stereotypic-belief is defined as the belief that members of cultural/ethnic outgroups differ systematically in specific personality characteristics from members of cultural/ethnic ingroups. Non-stereotypic-beliefs, polar opposite to stereotypic-beliefs, are beliefs that members of cultural/ethnic outgroups do not systematically differ in specific personality characteristics from members of cultural/ethnic ingroups. In Phase 1 of the study 21 graduate students generated 50 stereotypic-belief and 50 non-stereotypic-belief items. In Phase 2, 119 undergraduate students rated the items for social desirability; in Phase 3 a new sample of 107 undergraduate students rated the extent to which they agreed with the items. Item analytic procedures reduced the item pool to a 24-item scale (SBI) that was balanced for social desirability and acquiescence. Factor analysis yielded a 2-factor solution; Factor 1: disagreement with non-stereotypic-beliefs and Factor 2: agreement with stereotypic-beliefs. In the last phase, Phase 4, 50 undergraduate students completed the SBI, Paulhus' (1988) Balanced Inventory for Desirable Responding, Rosenberg's (1965) Self-Esteem Scale, Altemeyer's (1981) Authoritarianism Scale, McConahay's (1986) Modern Racism Scale (MRS), and the Canadian Modern Racism Scale (CMRS), a modified version of the MRS. Except for the non-significant correlation between the SBI and the Self-Esteem Scale, predicted relations between the administered scales were observed, indicating moderate construct validity for the SBI. The SBI's reliability was assessed (Cronbach alpha = .93; 2-week test-retest reliability r(38) = .83). Also, the new CMRS (Cronbach alpha = .79) correlated in meaningful ways with the conceptually related scales, supporting high construct validity for the CMRS. Strengths, weaknesses, and implications for further research are presented and discussed.