TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kleespies, Matthias
A1  - Dierkes, Paul Wilhelm
T1  - Exploring the construct of relational values: an empirical approach
T2  - Frontiers in Psychology
N2  - In recent environmental research, relational values (RVs) have emerged as a new group of values to explain environmental behavior. Although this new concept is attracting attention, empirical studies on the subject are still rare. On this basis, we have conducted three studies to analyze an existing measurement tool for RVs and compared the construct with the concept of connection to nature. In study 1, we confirmed convergent and discriminant validity of the RV scale by comparing it with the Two Factor Model of Environmental Values (2-MEV) model using a sample of n = 350 university students. Additionally, study 1 verified reliability using test–retest reliability on three different groups of students (n1 = 53; n2 = 37; n3 = 48). In study 2, principal component analyses were performed to examine the structure of RVs and to compare it to the concept of connection to nature by reusing the sample 350 university students from study 1. The results show that RVs and connection to nature are not fundamentally distinct constructs, but overlap. However, if the structure of the RV measurement is forced to a single factor, no perfect fit is found, making a multidimensional solution more likely. A third study was conducted to review the results from study 2 using confirmatory factor analysis on a new sample of 878 university and high school students. Study 3 confirmed RVs as a multidimensional construct with three factors: care, community, and connection. It also proved the overlap of the connection to nature and RV concepts to some extent.
KW  - relational values
KW  - connectedness to nature
KW  - connectedness to nature scale
KW  - scale validation
KW  - environmental behavior
KW  - two factor model of environmental values model
Y1  - 2020
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/54470
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-544702
VL  - 11
IS  - Article 209
PB  - Frontiers Research Foundation
CY  - Lausanne
ER  -