Table of Contents
ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS) Inventory/Questionnaire
Description
The ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS; Cuadrado et al., 2023) is an inventory designed to measure the affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of an individual’s connectedness to nature. Rooted in the understanding of attitudes as a tridimensional construct, the ABC-CNS was developed to assess how individuals (a) feel emotionally connected with nature, (b) tend to act as an integral part of the natural world, and (c) believe they are part of the natural world. In its construction, three items were directly translated from existing scales, six were adapted (mostly by shortening them), and the remaining six were newly created. The questionnaire was administered to university students in both Ecuador and Spain. Factor analysis subsequently supported a 15-item structure across these three dimensions. The developers have reported results regarding the scale’s reliability, validity, and cross-cultural invariance. They acknowledge the limitation of using primarily university students in their initial research and suggest that future research should involve a more diverse population to further corroborate and expand upon their findings.
Purpose
The ABC-CNS scale serves as an integral, reliable, and concise tool for quantifying connectedness to nature through its affective, behavioral, and cognitive aspects. It is intended for environmental professionals and researchers to evaluate individuals’ connectedness to nature, recognizing this as a psychological variable that can influence a person’s mental health and pro-environmental behavior.
Validity
Construct Validity: Factor analysis results provided support for the structural validity of the measure, confirming its underlying theoretical framework.
Convergent and Discriminant Validity: The scale demonstrated convergent validity through expected correlations between the ABC-CNS (including its affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions) and measures of appreciation for and preservation of nature, environmental attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors (specifically recycling and consumption behaviors). As anticipated, the scale also showed divergent validity, with no observed relationships between the ABC-CNS factors and ecological behaviors of participants’ classmates.
External Validity: Consistent with prior research, individuals who reported higher levels of general connectedness to nature and higher levels across all three dimensions of the ABC-CNS also reported more positive general pro-environmental attitudes and more frequently engaged in appreciating and preserving nature.
Reliability
Internal Consistency: The ABC-CNS demonstrated strong internal consistency. Cronbach’s α values ranged from .73 to .96, while the H coefficient varied between .80 and .98.
Factor Analysis
Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. The exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors, which collectively explained 69.75% of the variance. All items loaded appropriately onto their respective proposed dimensions. The cross-cultural invariance of this tridimensional structure, identified in the EFA, was subsequently tested using multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The tridimensional model fit well for both the Spanish and Ecuadorian samples. The fit indices were acceptable in almost all cases for both countries. Specifically, the fit was excellent in Ecuador, with the RMSEA being acceptable, and very good in Spain, also with the RMSEA being acceptable.
Instrument
Test Type: Original Inventory/Questionnaire
Format: Items are rated using a 5-point Likert scale.
Language Available: Spanish, English
Population Group: Human, Male, Female
Age Group: Adulthood (18 yrs & older), including Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs), Thirties (30-39 yrs), and Middle Age (40-64 yrs).
Population Details: The initial respondents were university students located in Ecuador and Spain.
Test Methodology: The development and validation of the ABC-CNS involved Test Validity, Construct Validity, Convergent Validity, Discriminant Validity, Test Reliability, Internal Consistency, Factor Analysis (Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Factor Analysis), Measurement Invariance, and Structural Equation Modeling.
Keywords
Affective Connectedness, Behavioral Connectedness, Cognitive Connectedness, Connectedness to Nature, Divergent Validity, External Validity, Pro-environmental Attitudes, Pro-environmental Behavior
Authors
Cuadrado, Esther
Author ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-9903-0052
Affiliation: University of Cordoba, Department of Psychology
Email Address: [email protected]
Correspondence Address: Departamento de psicología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación y Psicología, Avda San Alberto Magno S/N, Córdoba, Spain, 14071, [email protected]
Macias-Zambrano, Luis
Affiliation: University of Córdoba, Department of Zoology
Carpio, Antonio J.
Author ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0002-6989-970X
Affiliation: University of Córdoba, Department of Zoology
Tabernero, Carmen
Author ORCID Identifier: orcid.org/0000-0003-4338-7367
Affiliation: University of Salamanca, Department of Social Psychology
Files
No file is available.
Permissions & Fee and Test Year
Permissions: Contact Publisher
Commercial: No
Fee: No
Test Year: 2023
References
Cuadrado, E., Macias-Zambrano, L., Carpio, A. J., & Tabernero, C. (2023). The ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale: Development and validation of a scale with an approach to affective, behavioural, and cognitive aspects. Environmental Education Research, 29(2), 308–329. doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2111407
Items of the ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale
The ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale is a 15-item measure. The specific items are available in Appendix 1, Page 327 of the source reference: Cuadrado, E., Macias-Zambrano, L., Carpio, A. J., & Tabernero, C. (2023). The ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale: Development and validation of a scale with an approach to affective, behavioural, and cognitive aspects. Environmental Education Research, 29(2), 308–329. doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2022.2111407.
ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS)
| Dimension | Spanish Version | English Version | Scale of Origin |
| Cognitive (Concerning how I perceive myself in relation to nature…) | 1. Soy parte integrante de la naturaleza. | I am an integral part of nature. | Adapted from Item 4 of the NRS (Nisbet, Zelenski, and Murphy 2009) |
| 2. Mi conexión con la naturaleza es una parte importante de quien soy. | My relationship to nature is an important part of who I am. | Translated from Item 2 of the NRS (Nisbet, Zelenski, and Murphy 2009) | |
| 3. Percibo un sentido de unidad con el mundo natural que me rodea. | I feel a sense of oneness with the natural world around me. | Adapted from Item 1 of the CNS (Mayer and Frantz 2004) | |
| 4. Me siento espiritualmente conectado con la naturaleza. | I feel spiritually bound with nature. | Adapted from Item 9 of the LCN scale (Perkins 2010) | |
| 5. Percibo el mundo natural como una comunidad a la que pertenezco. | I think of the natural world as a community to which I belong. | Translated from Item 2 of the CNS (Mayer and Frantz 2004) | |
| Affective (Concerning how I feel in relation to nature…) | 6. Siento alegría al estar en la naturaleza. | I feel joy just being in nature. | Adapted from Item 1 of the LCN scale (Perkins 2010) |
| 7. Siento un profundo amor por la naturaleza. | I feel a deep love for nature. | Translated from Item 5 of the LCN scale (Perkins 2010) | |
| 8. Me siento conectado emocionalmente con la naturaleza. | I feel emotionally connected to nature. | Adapted from Item 6 of the LCN scale (Perkins 2010) | |
| 9. Me siento feliz y como en casa cuando estoy en plena naturaleza. | I feel happy and at home when I am in the midst of nature. | Adapted from Item 4 of the LCN scale (Perkins 2010) | |
| 10. El contacto con la naturaleza me proporciona un sentimiento de paz y tranquilidad. | Contact with nature gives me a feeling of peace and tranquility. | Ad hoc | |
| Behavioural (Concerning how I behave in relation to nature…) | 11. Salgo a menudo al campo o naturaleza. | I often go out to the countryside or nature. | Ad hoc |
| 12. Cuando estoy en plena naturaleza, me fundo con ella. | When I am in the midst of nature, I merge with it. | Ad hoc | |
| 13. Cuido de la naturaleza como si fuese una parte de mí mismo. | I take care of nature as if it were a part of myself. | Ad hoc | |
| 14. A menudo escucho y observo la naturaleza. | I often listen and watch nature. | Ad hoc | |
| 15. Cuido de los animales como si fuesen seres humanos. | I take care of animals as if they were human beings. | Ad hoc |
Note
NRS = Nature Relatedness scale; CNS = Connectedness to Nature scale; LCN = Love and Care for Nature scale. Items are rated using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree).
Cite this article
Mohammed looti (2026). ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/abc-connectedness-to-nature-scale-abc-cns/
Mohammed looti. "ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 5 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/abc-connectedness-to-nature-scale-abc-cns/.
Mohammed looti. "ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/abc-connectedness-to-nature-scale-abc-cns/.
Mohammed looti (2026) 'ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/abc-connectedness-to-nature-scale-abc-cns/.
[1] Mohammed looti, "ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.
Mohammed looti. ABC Connectedness to Nature Scale (ABC-CNS). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.