The Racial/Ethnic Group Disadvantage Scale: A Scale for Use with Multiple Groups in Diverse Geographical Contexts


  •  Julie Spencer-Rodgers    
  •  Meaghan Gilbert    
  •  Kaiping Peng    

Abstract

The Racial-Ethnic Group Disadvantage Scale (REGDS) is a new brief (7-item) measure of general perceptions
of racial/ethnic group disadvantage, designed for use with multiple racial/ethnic groups in diverse geographical
contexts. The scale measures the extent to which individuals believe that their racial/ethnic group has lower
social status, fewer economic resources, and less political power than other racial/ethnic groups in society,
combined with collective experiences of discrimination, social exclusion, and negative stereotyping. We report
the results of several studies conducted with international and American college students (White, Asian-, Latino-,
and African-American students), and present evidence establishing the reliability and validity of the REGDS,
including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion (known-groups) validity, and concurrent validity.


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