The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS): A New Resource to Protect the Environment and Promote Health

Abstract

(1) Background: Environmental issues are among society’s most pressing concerns as they can significantly impact the environment and human health. The Eco Generativity Scale (EGS), a 28-item four-factor scale has been introduced to promote a constructive outlook on the matter. It encompasses two types of generativity, namely ecological and social generativity, as well as environmental identity and agency/pathways. The aim of the current study was to examine the EGS’s psychometric properties among 375 Italian university students. (2) Methods: To evaluate the scale’s factor structure, both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Internal consistency was evaluated via Cronbach’s alphas and McDonald’s omega. Concurrent validity was analyzed with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Satisfaction with life Scale (SWLS), Meaningful Life Measure (MLM), and Flourishing Scale (FS). (3) Results: The exploratory factor analysis showed the best fit for a four-factor solution. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a four-factor higher-order model provided the best fit to the data with good internal consistency. Furthermore, each factor and the total score showed a good concurrent validity with the PANAS, SWLS, MLM, and FS. (4) Conclusions: The Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS) showed good psychometric properties for its use in research and intervention as a promising tool to measure eco-generativity.

The Eco-Generativity Scale-Short Form: A Multidimensional Item Response Theory Analysis in University Students

“…Di Fabio and Svicher (2023) have recently proposed a paradigm shift to increase resilience associated with environmental concerns and occurrences by advancing the construct of ecogenerativity and developing a new measure: the Eco-Generativity Scale (EGS). The EGS integrated previous constructs (see Di Fabio and Svicher, 2023) in line with both the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development (Di Fabio & Cooper, 2023;Di Fabio & Rosen, 2018) and strength-based prevention perspectives (Di Fabio & Saklofske, 2021) which emphasize the building of psychological health and well-being in individuals.…”

“…The 28-item EGS self-report scale assesses eco-generativity as a resource to contribute to environmental preservation for the benefit of future generations by means of sustainable practices, awareness, and responsibility towards the environment, communities, and the common good (Di Fabio & Svicher, 2023). The EGS demonstrated a higher-order factor of eco-generativity composed of four factors: ecological generativity, social generativity, environmental identity, and agency/pathways.…”

“…Finally, agency/pathways reflects the individual's self-perception of achieving goals and developing successful plans. The EGS showed adequate factor structure, internal consistency, and positive correlations in relation to measures of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (Di Fabio & Svicher, 2023). However, the authors highlighted the need to further examine the psychometric properties of the scale using Item Response Theory models (Di Fabio & Svicher, 2023).…”

“…The EGS showed adequate factor structure, internal consistency, and positive correlations in relation to measures of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (Di Fabio & Svicher, 2023). However, the authors highlighted the need to further examine the psychometric properties of the scale using Item Response Theory models (Di Fabio & Svicher, 2023). In this line, Multidimensional Item Response Theory (MIRT) (Reckase, 2006) is a psychometric approach that extends IRT to multidimensional scales involving item-level statistics.…”

Editorial

“…The framework of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development (Di Fabio & Rosen, 2018) is a space for an in-depth study of processes at various levels of careers and organizations (Di Fabio & Cooper, 2023; Peiró, 2022), in the continuous search for harmonization (Di Fabio & Tsuda, 2018) in geographical and temporal perspectives, including meaningful and purposeful construction processes from the past to the present, and into the future. It asks for promoting reflexivity at the individual, group, community, social, national and global levels, gaining access to eco-generativity (Di Fabio & Svicher, 2023).…”