The utility and limitations of the New Ecological Paradigm scale for children

Rosa, Claudio D. ; Collado, Silvia (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Larson, Lincoln R.

Resumen: The New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale adapted for use with children (NEP-C) is one of the most frequently used measures of children’s environmental beliefs. Though widely utilized, the limitations of the NEP-C instrument are often overlooked. Based on a systematic synthesis of existing literature examining the NEP-C, we argue that the scale assesses specific types of beliefs within the larger NEP, that some children have difficulty comprehending items of this scale, and that the one-factor and three-factor models proposed in the original NEP-C did not achieve an exact fit to empirical data. Additionally, the relevance of the NEP-C total score as a predictor of children’s pro-environmental behaviors is questionable. Although the NEP-C is useful for measuring specific types of environmental beliefs, many researchers using this scale may be interested in broader constructs. We highlight potential benefits and drawbacks of using the NEP-C and discuss new directions for environmental education research.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1080/00958964.2022.2044281

Año: 2022

Publicado en: JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION 53, 2 (2022), 87-98
ISSN: 0095-8964

Factor impacto JCR: 3.1 (2022)

Categ. JCR: EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH rank: 91 / 269 = 0.338 (2022) - Q2 - T2
Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES rank: 67 / 128 = 0.523 (2022) - Q3 - T2

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 6.0 - Social Sciences (Q1) - Environmental Science (Q1)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.955 - Environmental Science (miscellaneous) (Q1) - Education (Q1)

Tipo y forma: Artículo (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Psicología Social (Dpto. Psicología y Sociología)