IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i11p4519-d1402429.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Development and Validation of the Readiness to Change Scale (RtC) for Sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Mirko Duradoni

    (Department of Education, Literatures, Intercultural Studies, Languages and Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy)

  • Giulia Valdrighi

    (Department of Education, Literatures, Intercultural Studies, Languages and Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy)

  • Alessia Donati

    (Department of Education, Literatures, Intercultural Studies, Languages and Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy)

  • Maria Fiorenza

    (Department of Education, Literatures, Intercultural Studies, Languages and Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy)

  • Luisa Puddu

    (Department of Education, Literatures, Intercultural Studies, Languages and Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy)

  • Andrea Guazzini

    (Department of Education, Literatures, Intercultural Studies, Languages and Psychology, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy
    Centre for the Study of Complex Dynamics, University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy)

Abstract

The climate emergency is increasingly looming, and its consequences on nature and human systems are increasingly severe and pervasive, as reported by the world’s leading conferences and organizations on the subject. There appears to be an immediate need to adopt more sustainable behaviors in order to stem consequences that are becoming increasingly dramatic. In this regard, environmental psychology and other related disciplines have sought and still seek to understand how to translate the environmental concerns of individuals and communities into effective and efficient conservation and protection actions to contain the emergency and avoid further consequences. The contribution of psychological theories, particularly the transtheoretical model of change and the planned behavior model, appears very promising for assessing and promoting the potential for activation toward sustainability. The aim of this study was to develop a new conceptualization of the psychological construct of readiness to change (RtC) applied to sustainability issues and validated internally and externally through two separate studies (N1 = 228, N2 = 713). The sample for the two studies was recruited by distributing an anonymous online survey. For Study 1, we administered an online survey investigating basic sociodemographic characteristics and the preliminary set of 42 items of the readiness to change scale. For Study 2, the survey was composed of the following tools: a sociodemographic form, the readiness to change scale, a connectedness to nature scale, a climate change attitude survey, consumers’ perceived readiness toward green products, and a pro-environmental behaviors scale. Through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, 29 items were selected from an initial set of 42. The 29 items were divided and organized into seven factors (namely: perceived importance of the problem/change, motivation, self-efficacy, effectiveness of the proposed solution, social support, action and involvement, and perceived readiness). Each factor showed adequate reliability (McDonald’s ω range: 0.74–0.87). Regarding external validity, the scale showed correlations—with typical to large effect sizes—with pro-environmental identity, green attitudes, sustainable intentions, and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) (i.e., conservation, environmental citizenship, food, transportation). Given the results obtained, we can say that the scale we constructed can infer the individual’s propensity to enact PEBs, and consequently it can give input to the implementation of interventions aimed at stimulating RtC and, therefore, sustainable behaviors. In conclusion, the scale appears valid and usable for assessing the activation potential of both individuals but also at the group and community levels—the latter factor being an important contribution to scientific research, since most of the instruments used to date fail to estimate this aspect.

Suggested Citation

  • Mirko Duradoni & Giulia Valdrighi & Alessia Donati & Maria Fiorenza & Luisa Puddu & Andrea Guazzini, 2024. "Development and Validation of the Readiness to Change Scale (RtC) for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-27, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4519-:d:1402429
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4519/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4519/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thøgersen, John & Noblet, Caroline, 2012. "Does green consumerism increase the acceptance of wind power?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 854-862.
    2. Qinyuan Wan & Wencui Du, 2022. "Social Capital, Environmental Knowledge, and Pro-Environmental Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-17, January.
    3. Luszczynska, Aleksandra, 2006. "An implementation intentions intervention, the use of a planning strategy, and physical activity after myocardial infarction," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 900-908, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cristiano Codagnone & Giuseppe Alessandro Veltri & Francesco Bogliacino & Francisco Lupiáñez-Villanueva & George Gaskell & Andriy Ivchenko & Pietro Ortoleva & Francesco Mureddu, 2016. "Labels as nudges? An experimental study of car eco-labels," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 33(3), pages 403-432, December.
    2. Jana Hojnik & Mitja Ruzzier & Tatiana S. Manolova, 2020. "Sustainable development: Predictors of green consumerism in Slovenia," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(4), pages 1695-1708, July.
    3. Nidal F. Eshah, 2013. "Predischarge education improves adherence to a healthy lifestyle among Jordanian patients with acute coronary syndrome," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(3), pages 273-279, September.
    4. Marco Antonio Vieira da Silva & Thaís Moreira São-João & Valéria Cândido Brizon & Décio Henrique Franco & Fábio Luiz Mialhe, 2018. "Impact of implementation intentions on physical activity practice in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, November.
    5. Magnus Bergquist & Andreas Nilsson & Emma Ejelöv, 2019. "Contest-Based and Norm-Based Interventions: (How) Do They Differ in Attitudes, Norms, and Behaviors?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    6. Yongliang Yang & Yuting Zhu & Xiaopeng Wang & Yi Li, 2022. "The Perception of Environmental Information Disclosure on Rural Residents’ Pro-Environmental Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-22, June.
    7. Gómez, Patricia & Shaikh, Nazrul I. & Erkoc, Murat, 2024. "Continuous improvement in the efficient use of energy in office buildings through peers effects," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 360(C).
    8. Chad M. Baum & Christian Gross, 2017. "Sustainability policy as if people mattered: developing a framework for environmentally significant behavioral change," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 53-95, April.
    9. J. Hidalgo-Crespo & Andrés Velastegui-Montoya & J. L. Amaya-Rivas & M. Soto & Andreas Riel, 2023. "The Role of Personality in the Adoption of Pro-Environmental Behaviors through the Lens of the Value-Belief-Norm Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-25, August.
    10. Jana Hojnik & Mitja Ruzzier & Maja Konečnik Ruzzier, 2019. "Transition towards Sustainability: Adoption of Eco-Products among Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-29, August.
    11. Szczuka, Zofia & Kulis, Ewa & Boberska, Monika & Banik, Anna & Kruk, Magdalena & Keller, Jan & Knoll, Nina & Scholz, Urte & Abraham, Charles & Luszczynska, Aleksandra, 2021. "Can individual, dyadic, or collaborative planning reduce sedentary behavior? A randomized controlled trial," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    12. Piera Cascioli & Dario D’Ingiullo & Donatella Furia & Iacopo Odoardi & Davide Quaglione, 2024. "Towards Greener Futures: Investigating the Nexus of Social, Human, and Institutional Capital in Sustainable Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-15, June.
    13. Katarzyna Pawlewicz & Iwona Cieślak, 2024. "An Analysis of the Relationships between Social Capital Levels and Selected Green Economy Indicators on the Example of Polish Voivodeships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-22, February.
    14. Hong Tian & Xinyu Liu, 2022. "Pro-Environmental Behavior Research: Theoretical Progress and Future Directions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-16, May.
    15. Goff, Sandra H. & Waring, Timothy M. & Noblet, Caroline L., 2017. "Does Pricing Nature Reduce Monetary Support for Conservation?: Evidence From Donation Behavior in an Online Experiment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 119-126.
    16. Hojnik, Jana & Ruzzier, Mitja & Fabri, Stephanie & Klopčič, Alenka Lena, 2021. "What you give is what you get: Willingness to pay for green energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 733-746.
    17. Busse, Maria & Siebert, Rosemarie, 2018. "Acceptance studies in the field of land use—A critical and systematic review to advance the conceptualization of acceptance and acceptability," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 235-245.
    18. Jian Cao & Hongliang Qiu & Alastair M. Morrison & Wei Wei, 2022. "The Role of Social Capital in Predicting Tourists’ Waste Sorting Intentions in Rural Destinations: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-20, October.
    19. Lea Marie Heidbreder & Josephine Tröger & Manfred Schmitt, 2023. "Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 3405-3428, April.
    20. Nauges, Céline & Wheeler, Sarah Ann, 2017. "The Complex Relationship Between Households' Climate Change Concerns and Their Water and Energy Mitigation Behaviour," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 87-94.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:11:p:4519-:d:1402429. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.