From ego-centred to eco-centred: an investigation of the association between authenticity and ecological sensitivity

Published in the Person Centred & Experiential Psychotherapies, this article is written by Professor Stephen Joseph and Awa Sabrina Ottiger who are members of the School of Education's Centre for Research in Human Flourishing.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to assess the empirical validity of Carl Rogers’ vision of the authentic person to be ecologically minded. 238 participants were asked to complete the Authenticity Scale, the Connectedness to Nature Scale, the Love and Care for Nature Scale, the Ethically Minded Consumer Behavior Scale, and the Brief Social Desirability Scale. It was found that higher scores on authenticity were associated with higher scores on feelings of connection to nature, love and care for nature, and ethically minded consumer choices. Associations remained statistically significant even controlling for social desirability effects. This is the first study to provide empirical support for Rogers’ hypothesis that more congruent individuals will be more environmentally aware and concerned.

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