title: The importance of survey content: testing for the context dependency of the New Ecological Paradigm Scale.
abstract: Using a regression-based analysis of a survey of U.S. households, we demonstrate that both environmental concern, as measured by the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale, and facets of environmental concern, as measured by three NEP factors, are influenced by survey context. Survey respondents were presented with detailed information about two to four threatened and endangered marine species in the United States, including the Endangered Species Act listing status of the species and threats to the survival of the species. All else being equal, measures of environmental concern are influenced by both which species were included in the survey and by the concern expressed about these species. As such, measures of environmental concern are found to be context dependent since they are correlated with the species included in each survey. We also demonstrate that NEP-based measures of environmental concern are affected by socio-demographic variables, opinions about government spending, and environmental knowledge. Given the wide, multi-disciplinary use of the NEP Scale, it is important for researchers to recognize that NEP-based measures of environmental concern may be sensitive to information included in surveys.
authors.affiliation: Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Electronic address: efpienaar@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Pienaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: Dan.Lew@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.affiliation: Office of Science and Technology, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA. Electronic address: kristy.wallmo@noaa.gov.
authors.forename: Kristy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wallmo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001290:Attitude; D004463:Ecology; D056727:Endangered Species; D004777:Environment; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013045:Species Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
keywords: Context dependency; Endangered species; New Ecological Paradigm Scale; Survey context; Threatened species