Adaptation and Validation of the Symbolic Racism Scale for Andean Indigenous Communities in Peru Adaptación y Validación de la Escala de Racismo Simbólico para las Comunidades Indígenas Andinas en Perú

Symbolic racism encompasses prejudiced attitudes masked by seemingly benevolent rhetoric, traditionally studied in relation to Afro-descendant populations. This study adapted and validated the Symbolic Racism Scale (srs) within a Peruvian sample, focusing on historically marginalised Andean indigenous communities. A total of 342 individuals aged 18 to 84 years (M = 32.49, SD = 13.98) were selected through non-probabilistic sampling. The validation process included translation, cultural adaptation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and internal consistency evaluation (ω = 0.88), demonstrating high reliability. Results revealed a bifactorial structure accounting for 59% of the accumulated variance, supporting the scale’s internal validity. Additionally, a significant correlation was found between the srs and Social Dominance Orientation (r = -0.58, p < 0.001), confirming its convergent validity. This study contributes to the development of tools that enable a more precise approach to addressing racist attitudes in contexts outside the USA, focusing on reducing structural discrimination against indigenous communities.