A psychometric investigation of the biophilic values profile indicator: a new measure of environmental values

Abstract Researchers studying outdoor experiences for educational or recreational purposes will benefit from better capturing the environmental values of the individuals and communities they serve, as both antecedent predictors and outcome measures. The Kellert-Shorb Biophilic Values Indicator (KSBVI) is an instrument that has shown promise as a tool for assessing environmental values. However, the length of the KSBVI makes it impractical to use, especially in field settings where brief measures are desirable. Therefore, this study’s purpose was to explore environmental values in a college student population relative to Kellert’s (2002) typology and to reduce the KSBVI to a more practicable length. Kellert’s biophilic values framework is advantageous for researchers wanting to avoid deficit characterizations of different user groups and examine the direct and indirect effects of outdoor and environmental education programme interventions. The current study followed four steps: (1) consultation with the original KSBVI authors, (2) expert panel rankings of items according to their perceived fit with each of the nine values, (3) Exploratory Factor Analysis on the full 99-item KSBVI, and (4) Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the new 45-item Biophilic Values Profile Indicator (BVPI). The results of these four steps successfully yielded a shorter instrument. Reliability estimates of the reduced KSBVI range from poor to excellent. The current study supports the construct validity of the reduced KSBVI. The authors encourage caution with future use of the current BVPI because of the provisional nature of all reporting on surveys under development. Future environmental value-focused studies will benefit from refined instruments such as the BVPI that support a range of research purposes with increasingly diverse participants interacting with nature in distinctive ways.