Assessing the Integrity of Environmental Worldview Over Time Using the New Environmental Paradigm Scale

• In Event: 046 - Section on Environment and Technology Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 13. Environmental Concern and Worldviews

Abstract

The present study reexamines the original NEP (New Environmental Paradigm) Scale, focusing on the specific factors and dimensions reflected in these items. We offer here that the NEP exhibits a stable high-degree belief constraint as measured over two survey years incorporating a 15-year time span. The longitudinal nature of the current study provides additional evidence of consistency in environmental attitudes and the dimensions reflected by the NEP scale. Findings from this study are based on longitudinal data collected at two different time periods (1997 and 2012) from three communities (two in Colorado and one in Wyoming) with different levels of community recycling services in place. A central goal of this study is to fine-tune and clarify the specific dimensions of the NEP scale, and to examine whether these factors remain consistent over time, demonstrating longitudinal consistency of belief constraint.

Authors

• Jan Buhrmann, Illinois College

• Chenyang Xiao, American University