Determinants of Prejudice Among Police Cadets–Model

Abstract

The Determinants of Prejudice Among Police Cadets–Model (Demirkol & Nalla, 2023) is a comprehensive measurement instrument developed to systematically investigate the antecedents of prejudice directed toward foreigners. This scale operates within the theoretical framework of Intergroup Threat Theory. The primary goal of the model is to accurately assess the levels of prejudice held by police cadets against various ethnic and foreign groups.

The instrument comprises 29 items, adapted from established prior research, including works by Scheepers et al. (2002), Altemeyer (1981), and Mummendey et al. (2001). The development process involved initial construction in English, followed by rigorous translation into Turkish, and subsequent back-translation into English to ensure cross-cultural accuracy and validity. The final measure was administered electronically to a sample of police cadets across three police vocational schools located in Turkey. Validation and factor structure were rigorously evaluated using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), confirming acceptable fit, reliability, and validity.

Keywords

Prejudice, Anomie, Authoritarianism, Nationalism, Realistic Threat, Symbolic Threat, Intergroup Threat Theory, Foreigners, Immigration, Intergroup Dynamics, Structural Equation Modeling.

Authors

Demirkol, Ismail Cenk, Nalla, Mahesh K.

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Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Determinants of Prejudice Among Police Cadets–Model is to provide a robust, multi-dimensional tool for measuring the extent and sources of prejudice among individuals entering law enforcement careers. Specifically, it focuses on assessing negative attitudes held by police cadets toward foreign nationals and other ethnic groups.

The scale serves a critical research function by allowing scholars to empirically test the relationships between various psychological and sociological constructs—such as authoritarianism, anomie, and perceived threat—and resulting prejudice levels within the context of police training environments in Turkey.

Construct

The model measures the overarching construct of Prejudice Against Immigrants and Law Enforcement Prejudice by operationalizing six distinct, interrelated factors based on the theoretical underpinnings of social and intergroup dynamics.

These six latent constructs are theorized to contribute significantly to overall prejudice levels. They include Prejudice (the outcome variable), Anomie (social instability or erosion of norms), Authoritarianism (a tendency toward conventionalism and submission to authority), Nationalism, Realistic Threat (concerns over tangible resources), and Symbolic Threat (concerns over cultural and value differences).

Validity

The validation process for the instrument primarily utilized Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to confirm the integrity of the proposed factor structure and the relationships between the constructs.

Specific attention was paid to Discriminant Validity. Factor analysis results strongly supported the discriminant validity of the six constructs, indicating that each factor measures a unique psychological domain separate from the others. Furthermore, all individual scale items were found to be significantly related to their respective latent constructs, providing evidence of strong indicator reliability within the model.

Reliability

The reliability of the Determinants of Prejudice Among Police Cadets–Model was assessed by calculating internal consistency coefficients for the constituent factors.

The reliability coefficients reported for the six factors ranged from a low of .54 to a high of .76. These figures indicate that the measure possesses acceptable to moderate internal consistency across its subscales for a newly developed instrument.

Factor Analysis

The factor structure of the scale was established and confirmed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), a key component of Structural Equation Modeling.

The analysis of the hypothesized measurement model, which included six distinct factors, demonstrated an overall acceptable fit to the collected data from the police cadets. Key fit indices were reported as follows: χ² (359) = 889.98, p < .001; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = .90; Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) = .90; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = .05; and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = .05. These values collectively support the hypothesized six-factor structure.

Instrument

Test Type: Original

Format: The measure includes 29 items. Items are rated using a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Language Available: Turkish

Population Group: Human; Male; Female

Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older); Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs); Thirties (30-39 yrs)

Population Details: Respondents: Police Cadets, Location: Turkey

Test Methodology: Test Validity; Discriminant Validity; Test Reliability; Internal Consistency; Factor Analysis; Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Measurement Model; Structural Equation Modeling

Keywords

Prejudice; Anomie; Authoritarianism; Nationalism; Realistic Threat; Symbolic Threat; Intergroup Threat Theory; Foreigners; Immigration; Intergroup Dynamics; Police Personnel; Racial and Ethnic Attitudes; Theories; Threat; Social and Interpersonal Measures; Forensic Assessment; Law Enforcement Employee Attitudes.

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Authors

The scale was developed by Ismail Cenk Demirkol and Mahesh K. Nalla.

Author ORCID Identifier: Nalla, Mahesh K.: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6337-7468

Affiliation:

• Demirkol, Ismail Cenk: Independent Researcher
• Nalla, Mahesh K.: Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice

Email addresses: Nalla, Mahesh K.: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Nalla, Mahesh K.: Michigan State University, School of Criminal Justice, 560 Baker Hall, East Lansing, Michigan, United States, 48824, [email protected]

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions: Researchers interested in utilizing this instrument must contact the Corresponding Author for permission.

Commercial: No data is Available regarding commercial use.

Fee: No fee is charged for the use of this instrument.

Test Year: 2023

References

Demirkol, I. C., & Nalla, M. K. (2023). Sources of prejudice among police cadets toward foreigners: A test of intergroup threat theory. Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal, 23(2), 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1177/17488958211037464

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Items of the Determinants of Prejudice Among Police Cadets–Model

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

No data is Available