Development and Validation of the Biophilic Attitudes Inventory (BAI).

Abstract

This study investigated the viability of an instrument called the Biophilic Attitudes Inventory (BAI), a pen-and-paper instrument intended to measure attitudes toward nature that, according to naturalist Edward O. Wilson, are rooted in an innate predisposition that humans possess to connect with other forms of life. Utilizing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), two models were tested (n=334) – a seven-factor model that reflected Stephen Kellert's biophilia typology and a more parsimonious two-factor model. However, neither model proved viable in terms of construct validity. As a result, a new model with four factors was developed via exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A subsequent CFA revealed a reasonable fit between the data and the four-factor model. An inspection of the correlations between the four factors and established measures of attitudes toward nature provided evidence of the four-factor model's convergent and discriminant validity.