People’s perception of biodiversity loss: Validation of a scale in Germany

The rapid global loss of biodiversity is one of the most urgent crises threatening people and the environment. Yet, biodiversity loss is far less prevalent in public discourse than other environmental problems, such as climate change. How do people perceive this urgent but hidden crisis, and what determines their perceptions? To address this question, we developed and validated the Biodiversity Loss Perception Scale (BiLoPS), which measures people’s perceptions of the reality, causes, and consequences of biodiversity loss. The BiLoPS demonstrated a robust factor structure, excellent reliability, convergent validity, predictive validity, and discriminant validity, as well as measurement invariance among members of the German public ( n = 404). Using the BiLoPS, as an accessible and reliable tool, offers the potential to measure the perception of biodiversity loss in different countries and contexts. We anticipate that this scale will be valuable for researchers who intend to investigate individuals’ perceptions of biodiversity loss and how those perceptions relate to other relevant concepts. Further research on BiLoPS can provide valuable scientific insights, and guiding strategies for public awareness, biodiversity education campaigns, and conservation actions.