A higher-order model of ecological values and its relationship to personality

Abstract

Questionnaire batteries attempting to quantify ecological attitudes measure first-order factors, each investigator employing his own battery and each battery yielding factors specific to itself. The history of factor-analytic studies of personality demonstrates the severe limitations of this approach and the advantages of higher-order factors. We present a theory encapsulating ecological attitude-sets in two orthogonal higher-order factors: Utilisation (UT) and Preservation (PRE); and relate these to Eysenck's personality factors of Psychoticism (P), Extraversion (E) and Neuroticism (N) and to the associated "fake good" (L) Scale quantifying social desirability response set. Results (corrected for social desirability) are as expected: high P-scorers tend to favour an anthropocentric approach to the environment, high N-scorers a biocentric one. E is unrelated to the ecology factors. The "fake good" (L) component of PRE is strikingly high, while UT is essentially uncontaminated. L permeates responses to varying degrees throughout the questionnaire, demonstrating the necessity of including a measure of social desirability response set in ecological questionnaire batteries. Relationships with Attitude Theory are discussed.