Scale library · Consumer behavior
New Ecological Paradigm scale: Dunlap et al. (2000)
The revised NEP scale published by Dunlap et al. (2000) measures endorsement of an ecological worldview and is widely used as a general measure of environmental attitudes and concern. Its 15 items cover five facets: limits to growth, anti-anthropocentrism, the fragility of nature's balance, rejection of human exemptionalism and the possibility of an eco-crisis. Seven items are worded in the opposite direction to reduce acquiescence bias. It suits theses on green consumption, eco-friendly purchase intention, waste sorting and ecotourism, often as an antecedent of attitude in TPB models.
Cite the original, not the blog.
- Model or scale: NEP
- Constructs: 1
- Items: 15 (7 reverse-coded)
Original English items
Items marked (R) are reverse-coded: recode them before computing reliability or scale scores. Replace bracketed placeholders such as [system] with the name of the system, brand or organization you study.
New Ecological Paradigm (NEP, 15 items)
| Code | Item wording | Reverse-coded |
|---|---|---|
| NEP1 | We are approaching the limit of the number of people the earth can support | No |
| NEP2 (R) | Humans have the right to modify the natural environment to suit their needs | Yes |
| NEP3 | When humans interfere with nature it often produces disastrous consequences | No |
| NEP4 (R) | Human ingenuity will ensure that we do NOT make the earth unlivable | Yes |
| NEP5 | Humans are severely abusing the environment | No |
| NEP6 (R) | The earth has plenty of natural resources if we just learn how to develop them | Yes |
| NEP7 | Plants and animals have as much right as humans to exist | No |
| NEP8 (R) | The balance of nature is strong enough to cope with the impacts of modern industrial nations | Yes |
| NEP9 | Despite our special abilities humans are still subject to the laws of nature | No |
| NEP10 (R) | The so-called “ecological crisis” facing humankind has been greatly exaggerated | Yes |
| NEP11 | The earth is like a spaceship with very limited room and resources | No |
| NEP12 (R) | Humans were meant to rule over the rest of nature | Yes |
| NEP13 | The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset | No |
| NEP14 (R) | Humans will eventually learn enough about how nature works to be able to control it | Yes |
| NEP15 | If things continue on their present course, we will soon experience a major ecological catastrophe | No |
Response scale
5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly disagree … 5 = Strongly agree), with 3 = Unsure. After reverse-scoring the even-numbered items, higher scores mean a more ecological worldview.
Recoding reverse-coded items: 1–5 scale: new score = 1 + 5 − score = 6 − score.
Licence and permission
The items are published in an academic article and widely used in research. Cite Dunlap et al. (2000); no permission is needed for non-commercial academic use.
Sources (APA 7)
- Dunlap, R. E., Van Liere, K. D., Mertig, A. G., & Jones, R. E. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 425–442. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00176
- Marcineková, L., Štěrbová, M., Výbošťok, J., Hajdúchová, I., Giertliová, B., Šulek, R., Sarvašová, Z., & Šálka, J. (2024). Slovakia and its environmental transformation: Measuring environmental attitudes using the new ecological paradigm. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1320451. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1320451
- Pettersson, A., Swärdh, E., Brodin, N., & Palstam, A. (2026). Experience, awareness, attitudes and ecological worldviews related to sustainable development among physiotherapy students in Sweden: A cross-sectional survey. BMC Medical Education, 26, 1094. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-09838-9
Vietnamese translation
A Vietnamese translation of every item, with sample-size advice and studies that used the scale, is on the Vietnamese page for this scale.