Environmental Behavior in the Private Sphere – Development and Evaluation of the Personal Pro-Environmental Behavior (PPB) Scale

Human pro-environmental behavior in the private sphere is an important factor which influences nature and the environment and thus can contribute to the management of environmental problems. Although there are a variety of self-reported measurement tools for pro-environmental behavior, an established and validated measurement instrument for pro-environmental behavior in the private sphere is still missing. Therefore, in this investigation, the personal pro-environmental behavior (PPB) scale, was developed and validated on 7000 individuals. In study 1, eight appropriate items were selected and the factor structure was exploratory examined. It was shown that the scale represents a multidimensional construct. In study 2, the results from study 1 were supported using confirmatory methods. In the final study 3, evidence for the validity of the scale were found. Thus, it could be shown that the PPB scale can be a suitable measurement tool for pro-environmental behavior in the private sphere.