Marketing & consumer behavior
Environmental concern: what it is and how to measure it
- Concept
- Environmental Concern (NEP)
- Field
- Marketing & consumer behavior
- Scales in the library
- 1
- Items
- 15
Environmental concern is the degree to which a person worries about environmental problems and supports protecting nature. The revised NEP scale of Dunlap et al. (2000) measures ecological worldview and is often used as a general measure of this concept: 15 items covering 5 facets (limits to growth, anti-anthropocentrism, fragility of nature's balance, rejection of human exemptionalism, possibility of ecocrisis), 7 of which are worded in the opposite direction. In Vietnam, the concept is often an antecedent of attitude in studies on green consumption, waste sorting and ecotourism.
Comparing the scales
| Scale | Author (year) | Items | Response format | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) New Ecological Paradigm scale | Dunlap et al. (2000) | 15 | Likert 5-point | 15 items, 7 reverse-coded (NEP2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14). |
Items of each scale
Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or
[brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.
New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) · New Ecological Paradigm scale
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
| NEP1 | We are approaching the limit of the number of people the earth can support |
| NEP2 (R) | Humans have the right to modify the natural environment to suit their needs |
| NEP3 | When humans interfere with nature it often produces disastrous consequences |
| NEP4 (R) | Human ingenuity will ensure that we do NOT make the earth unlivable |
| NEP5 | Humans are severely abusing the environment |
| NEP6 (R) | The earth has plenty of natural resources if we just learn how to develop them |
| NEP7 | Plants and animals have as much right as humans to exist |
| NEP8 (R) | The balance of nature is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial nations |
| NEP9 | Despite our special abilities humans are still subject to the laws of nature |
| NEP10 (R) | The so-called “ecological crisis” facing humankind has been greatly exaggerated |
| NEP11 | The earth is like a spaceship with very limited room and resources |
| NEP12 (R) | Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature |
| NEP13 | The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset |
| NEP14 (R) | Humans will eventually learn enough about how nature works to be able to control it |
| NEP15 | If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major ecological catastrophe |
Source: Dunlap et al. (2000). Response scale, licence and APA reference: New Ecological Paradigm scale.
(R): reverse-coded item; recode before analysis. New Ecological Paradigm scale: 1–5 scale: new score = 1 + 5 − score = 6 − score.
Tips
- The 7 even-numbered items are reverse-coded; recode them before computing scores.
- 15 items is fairly long; many theses shorten it, but you must keep a balance of positive and reverse items and cite the source.
- The factor structure of the NEP is unstable across countries; run EFA or CFA on your own sample before combining scores.
- A common model: environmental concern affects attitude, and attitude affects green purchase intention (following TPB).
Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What does the NEP scale measure?
Ecological worldview, that is, how far a person endorses the view that humans are part of nature and that nature has limits; often used as a measure of environmental concern.
Why does the NEP have so many reverse-coded items?
To reduce acquiescence bias (respondents agreeing with every item). Remember to recode the 7 even-numbered items.
Where does environmental concern usually sit in a TPB model?
As an antecedent of attitude, or as an extra independent variable alongside the three TPB variables.
References
- Dunlap, R. E., Van Liere, K. D., Mertig, A. G., & Jones, R. E. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 425–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00176