Determining the Applicability and Use of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory in the Context of Water Conservation

Urgent action is needed to educate the public and encourage water conservation behaviors amidst the global threat of water scarcity impacting billions by 2050. Crafting tailored educational programs about water conservation is crucial for incentivizing behavior change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Intrinsic motivation, which is shaped by personal interests and values, plays a fundamental role in understanding individual behavior in various contexts, and therefore may aid in our understanding of water conservation behaviors. Despite the widespread application of the intrinsic motivation inventory (IMI) to measure intrinsic motivation, its adaptation and utilization in water conservation education remains largely unexplored, prompting this study to establish a relevant scale for intrinsic motivation in the context of water conservation education. Data were collected from 907 respondents in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama and subsequently analyzed using an exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to establish and confirm factor structures related to intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, perceived choice, and relatedness in water conservation. The study findings established the Water Conservation IMI as a reliable tool for measuring intrinsic motivation in water conservation education. Further validation of measures for extrinsic motivation in environmental literature are needed to enhance comprehensive education strategies for sustainability.