Cross-Cultural Validation of Environmental Values and Concerns: Evidence from India

This study aimed to validate two key instruments in environmental psychology: the Environmental Portrait Value Questionnaire (EPVQ) and the Dispositional Empathy with Nature Scale (DENS) within an Indian adolescent sample. Data were collected from 538 participants aged 10 to 19 years. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional structure for the DENS (α = .94) and a two-factor structure for the EPVQ, representing self-transcendence (biospheric and altruistic values) and self-enhancement (egoistic and hedonic values). Both instruments demonstrated high internal consistency and meaningful intercorrelations. Empathy toward nature showed a significant positive association with self-transcendent values (r = .46, p < .001) and a moderate association with self-enhancement values (r = .35, p < .001). These findings indicate that environmental empathy and values are expressed through culturally embedded moral and emotional frameworks in India. The study provides reliable tools for examining environmental attitudes and highlights cultural variations in value organization and ecological concern.