ECOSCALE

What it measures

One of the earliest comprehensive psychometric instruments for measuring environmentally responsible consumer behaviour in marketing research, developed to address the multidimensional nature of green consumption. The ECOSCALE captures both behavioural dimensions (RCY, PURCH, CONS) and attitudinal/normative dimensions (SOC, ECQ), recognising that recycling behaviour, purchasing choices, conservation actions, social norms, and underlying environmental attitudes are empirically distinct constructs. Validated with consumer samples using CFA to confirm the factor structure. The scale predicts actual environmental behaviour beyond attitude-only measures and enables granular profiling: consumers may score high on recycling but low on environmentally conscious purchasing, indicating distinct intervention targets. The SOC dimension is particularly relevant for social norm campaigns (e.g., descriptive norm interventions referencing community behaviour). PURCH is the most predictive dimension for green marketing responses. The ECOSCALE preceded broader SEM adoption in green consumer research and informed subsequent instruments including the New Ecological Paradigm (Dunlap et al., 2000) and the Ecologically Conscious Consumer Behavior scale (Roberts, 1996).

Response format

5-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree for attitude items; 1=never to 5=always for behaviour items); 6 items per subscale; subscale means computed separately

Scale items

Recycling — RCY (6 items): frequency of personal recycling behaviours. 5-point frequency scale (1=never to 5=always). Items averaged.

• I sort my garbage for recycling purposes.
• I recycle newspapers and paper products.
• I recycle glass bottles and jars.
• I recycle aluminium and metal cans.
• I recycle plastic containers.
• I take items to a recycling centre or drop-off location.

Environmentally Responsible Purchasing — PURCH (6 items): purchasing decisions that reflect environmental impact considerations. 5-point Likert (1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree). Items averaged.

• I try to buy products that come in recyclable containers.
• When possible, I buy products made from recycled materials.
• I choose products with minimal or reduced packaging.
• I buy environmentally safe products even if they cost more.
• I try to buy products from companies with good environmental records.
• I look for an environmental or recycling symbol when buying products.

Conservation — CONS (6 items): energy and resource conservation behaviours in daily life. 5-point frequency scale (1=never to 5=always). Items averaged.

• I turn off lights when leaving a room to save energy.
• I turn off the television or appliances when not in use.
• I conserve water when brushing my teeth or washing dishes.
• I set my thermostat at an energy-conserving level in winter or summer.
• I try to reduce my overall use of electricity at home.
• I use public transport, carpool, or cycle to reduce energy consumption.

Social Influence — SOC (6 items): perceived social norms and peer influence on environmental behaviour. 5-point Likert. Items averaged.

• People I know think it is important to recycle.
• My friends and family engage in environmentally responsible behaviours.
• People whose opinions I value think I should act in an environmentally responsible way.
• I feel social pressure to behave in an environmentally responsible manner.
• My friends and acquaintances try to buy environmentally friendly products.
• Environmental responsibility is valued by those I associate with.

Environmental Concern/Quality — ECQ (6 items): attitudinal orientation toward the environment and personal concern for environmental quality. 5-point Likert. Items averaged.

• I am concerned about the quality of our environment.
• Environmental pollution is a very serious problem.
• I feel that protecting the environment is personally important to me.
• I believe it is my responsibility to help protect the environment.
• The health of our planet depends on individuals making environmentally responsible decisions.
• Future generations will suffer if we do not act to protect the environment today.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

The ECOSCALE mixes frequency-format behaviour items (1=never to 5=always) with Likert agreement attitude items — verify the original scoring instructions when adapting, and do not combine across formats without recalibration. The SOC dimension measures perceived social influence rather than subjective norm per se; distinguish from Ajzen's TPB subjective norm items in model comparisons. Some items (e.g., glass bottle return, specific energy conservation technology) may be contextually dated; adapt behavioural referents to contemporary recycling infrastructure when deploying in new national contexts. Recommend supplementing with the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP, Dunlap et al., 2000) for attitudinal depth and the GREEN Consumer Values scale (Haws et al., 2014; id:506) for individual difference moderation analysis. When testing intervention effects, the RCY and CONS dimensions are most sensitive to behaviour-change manipulations; PURCH is most sensitive to green marketing and eco-label manipulations.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Stone, G., Barnes, J.H., & Montgomery, C. (1995). ECOSCALE: A scale for the measurement of environmentally responsible consumers. Psychology & Marketing, 12(7), 595–612.

Keywords