The psychological consequences of the ecological crisis: Three new questionnaires to assess eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, and ecological grief

Csilla Ágoston; Róbert Urbán; Bence Nagy; Benedek Csaba; Zoltán Kőváry; Kristóf Kovács; Attila Varga; Andrea Dúll; Ferenc Mónus; Carrie A. Shaw; Zsolt Demetrovics

Climate Risk Management (Jan 2022)

The psychological consequences of the ecological crisis: Three new questionnaires to assess eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, and ecological grief

Csilla Ágoston,
Róbert Urbán,
Bence Nagy,
Benedek Csaba,
Zoltán Kőváry,
Kristóf Kovács,
Attila Varga,
Andrea Dúll,
Ferenc Mónus,
Carrie A. Shaw,
Zsolt Demetrovics

Affiliations

Csilla Ágoston: Institute of People–Environment Transaction, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy utca 23-27, 1075 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary; Corresponding author at: Institute of People–Environment Transaction, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy utca 23-27, 1075 Budapest, Hungary.
Róbert Urbán: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
Bence Nagy: Doctoral School of Education, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy utca 23-27, 1075 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
Benedek Csaba: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
Zoltán Kőváry: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
Kristóf Kovács: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
Attila Varga: Institute of People–Environment Transaction, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy utca 23-27, 1075 Budapest, Hungary
Andrea Dúll: Institute of People–Environment Transaction, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Kazinczy utca 23-27, 1075 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Sociology and Communication, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Egry J. utca 1, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
Ferenc Mónus: Institute of Psychology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4010 Debrecen, Hungary
Carrie A. Shaw: Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar Europa Point Campus, GX11 1AA Gibraltar, Hungary
Zsolt Demetrovics: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella utca 46, 1064 Budapest, Hungary; Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar Europa Point Campus, GX11 1AA Gibraltar, Hungary

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 37
p. 100441

Abstract

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As climate change develops reactions such as eco-anxiety, eco-guilt and ecological grief are becoming increasingly common. Our aim was to develop questionnaires to assess these psychological consequences, and to examine their relationship with pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Items of the questionnaires were generated based on literature review and the qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews (N = 17). The first item pool was administered to a large adult sample (N = 4608) along with assessing PEB. The Eco-Guilt Questionnaire (EGuiQ-11) and the Ecological Grief Questionnaire (EGriQ-6) each had a one-factor structure, while the Eco-Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ-22) consisted of two factors: habitual ecological worry and the negative consequences of eco-anxiety. The factors were positively associated with PEB. The questionnaires had a robust factor structure, and they are suitable for the assessment of a wide range of negative emotional states related to climate change and the ecological crisis. Our results indicate the possible utility of negative emotions in reinforcing PEB.

Published in Climate Risk Management

ISSN: 2212-0963 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Physics: Meteorology. Climatology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/climate-risk-management/

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