INTERNALIZED GROUP THREAT IN LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS IN SPAIN: INITIAL EVIDENCE OF RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY/ESCALA DE AMENAZA GRUPAL INTERNALIZADA POR INMIGRANTES LATINOAMERICANOS EN ESPANA: EVIDENCIAS INICIALES DE FIABILIDAD Y VALIDEZ/ESCALA DE AMENAZA GRUPAL INTERNALIZADA POR INMIGRANTES LATINOAMERICANOS EN ESPANA: EVIDENCIAS INICIALES DE FIABILIDAD Y VALIDEZ

A scale was developed to measure the internalized group threat by LatinAmerican immigrants in the socioeconomic crisis that affects Spain. This construct is understood as the self-stigmatization that immigrants have from the group threat perspective. The aim of the study is to provide initial evidence of reliability and validity of the instrument with a sample of 508 LatinAmerican immigrants living in Spain (average age 36,47 years, SD= 40, 63,2% women), analyzing its factorial structure, its internal consistency and construct validity. The results show a good adjustment of the unifactorial model, being consistent with the theoretical proposal of the internalized group threat as a general factor. The established validity tests are discussed, as well as the theoretical and practical implications for use of this scale with immigrant populations. Finally, suggestions for future research are indicated.