Incorporating a Race Salience Subscale Into the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS)

Abstract

In this study, we examined the internal consistency and structural validity of scores on an expanded version of the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) consisting of the original six subscales—Assimilation, Miseducation, Self-Hatred, Anti-White, Afrocentricity, and Multiculturalist Inclusive—and a seventh subscale called Race Salience. Participants consisted of two samples of African Americans. Sample 1 had 324 participants, most of whom were students at historically Black institutions, and Sample 2 had 340 students attending a predominantly White institution. CRIS subscale scores, including Race Salience were internally consistent in Sample 1, and an exploratory factor analysis supported the structural validity of the race salience score. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the seven-factor structure. Internal consistency and structural validity results were replicated in Sample 2. Future studies should examine other aspects of construct validity on this expanded version of the CRIS, such as convergent and discriminant validity, and the impact of seven subscales on the number and type of racial identity profiles that CRIS scores can yield.