Description

The Two Major Environmental Values Questionnaire (TMEV-20), also known as the 2-MEV (Two Major Environmental Values) questionnaire, is an internationally recognized and standardized instrument designed to assess environmental attitudes and value orientations, particularly among adolescents and young people.

The questionnaire is based on the theoretical assumption that environmental values are structured around two independent dimensions: Preservation and Utilization. Preservation represents a biocentric orientation, reflecting positive attitudes toward the protection and conservation of the natural environment, whereas Utilization represents an anthropocentric orientation, referring to the use of natural resources for the satisfaction of human needs.

The TMEV-20 consists of 20 statements, with 10 items assessing the Preservation dimension and 10 items assessing the Utilization dimension. Participants respond using a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree.

Objective

The main objective of the TMEV-20 is to investigate fundamental value orientations related to individuals’ environmental attitudes.

The questionnaire aims to identify the tendency toward environmental preservation or utilization and provides an interpretative framework for understanding intentions and possible behaviours related to human interaction with nature.

Additionally, the instrument contributes to understanding the cognitive, emotional, and moral dimensions involved in the development of environmental awareness and ecological consciousness.

Structure and Content

The TMEV-20 evaluates two independent dimensions of environmental values.

The Preservation dimension reflects ecological awareness, protection of biodiversity, and a positive orientation toward maintaining the natural environment. High scores indicate stronger environmental concern and more positive attitudes toward conservation.

The Utilization dimension reflects an anthropocentric perspective, emphasizing the use and exploitation of natural resources to satisfy human needs. Higher scores indicate stronger tendencies toward resource utilization and human dominance over nature.

The two dimensions are interpreted separately because they are considered statistically independent and orthogonal.

Scoring Method

The scoring of the TMEV-20 is based on the calculation of average scores for each of the two dimensions.

The mean score of the 10 Preservation items is calculated separately from the mean score of the 10 Utilization items.

For the Preservation dimension, higher scores, approaching 5, indicate stronger positive environmental attitudes. For the Utilization dimension, higher scores indicate a stronger orientation toward exploitation and control of natural resources.

Data Analysis and Use

The data collected through the TMEV-20 are analysed separately for the two environmental value dimensions.

The results may be used in correlation studies with other psychological measures, variance analyses, regression models, and investigations of environmentally responsible behaviour.

The questionnaire can also be applied in educational and research contexts to examine how environmental values develop across different age groups, social groups, and cultural contexts.

It may support the design and evaluation of environmental education programmes and contribute to the development of environmental awareness policies.

Validity and Reliability

The psychometric evaluation of the TMEV-20 has demonstrated satisfactory reliability and construct validity.

The construct structure of the questionnaire has been examined through factor analysis, confirming the presence of the two main environmental value dimensions.

The instrument demonstrates satisfactory internal consistency and has been validated for use in studies examining environmental attitudes and behaviours.

Applications

The TMEV-20 can be applied in environmental psychology, educational research, sustainability studies, and research examining ecological attitudes and behaviours.

It is particularly useful for evaluating environmental awareness, understanding differences in environmental value orientations, and assessing the effectiveness of environmental education interventions.

References

Kaiser, F. G., & Wilson, M. (2004). Goal-directed conservation behavior: The specific composition of a general performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(7), 1531–1544.

Bogner, F. X., & Wiseman, M. (2006). Adolescents’ attitudes towards nature and environment: Quantifying the 2-MEV model. The Environmentalist, 26(4), 247–254.

Kaiser, F. G. (1998). A general measure of ecological behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(5), 395–422.

Milfont, T. L., & Duckitt, J. (2010). The environmental attitudes inventory: A valid and reliable measure to assess the structure of environmental attitudes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(1), 80–94.