Economic thinking and cultural enrichment beliefs about immigration: Development and validation of the ETCEI scale

In Canada, political discourse on immigration is often framed in terms of (cultural and economic) contribution. Research on immigration attitudes, however, are primarily framed in terms of realistic and symbolic threat and competition. We develop a scale assessing Economic Thinking and Cultural Enrichment Beliefs About Immigration (ETCEI; Study 1-3) to reflect this contemporary discourse. Economic thinking was negatively associated with cultural enrichment beliefs––a pattern reflected in their association with ideological dispositions and personality (Study 1-2). Cultural enrichment beliefs were associated with ideological dispositions and traits associated with pro-diversity orientations, predicting preferences for expanding immigration and positive attitudes towards non-White European groups. Economic thinking was associated with prejudice-related ideological dispositions and individual differences, preferences towards economic migrants, East Asians (Study 2). Looking at measurement invariance and group differences (Study 3), immigrants and men scored higher on economic thinking; women and racialized people scored higher on cultural enrichment beliefs.