Development and Validation of the German Climate Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (GCAS-A)
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, Vol. 74, No. 4, 05.2025, p. 350-370.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Development and Validation of the German Climate Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (GCAS-A)
AU - Voltmer, Katharina
AU - Harloff, Lars
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
PY - 2025/5
Y1 - 2025/5
N2 - Because the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, climate change related negative emotions like anxiety become more prominent, particularly among younger populations. This study introduces psychometric properties and validity of the German Climate Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (GCAS-A), a tool specifically designed to assess climate anxiety in German-speaking adolescents. Results of a sample of 136 adolescents (Mage = 18.21 years, SD = 2.92, range: 14 to 24 years, 66 % female) are presented. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure (factors affective, behavioral, physiological and impairment). Further analyses revealed significant associations between climate anxiety, gender, age, pro-environmental behavior, and awareness of climate change, thus aligning with previous research. The findings suggest that the GCAS-A is a valid and internally consistent tool for assessing climate anxiety in adolescents. This study highlights the importance of investigating climate anxiety in adolescents. Future research should focus on exploring the generalizability and validity of the scale across more diverse samples and on analyses of direction of effects in longitudinal studies.
AB - Because the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, climate change related negative emotions like anxiety become more prominent, particularly among younger populations. This study introduces psychometric properties and validity of the German Climate Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (GCAS-A), a tool specifically designed to assess climate anxiety in German-speaking adolescents. Results of a sample of 136 adolescents (Mage = 18.21 years, SD = 2.92, range: 14 to 24 years, 66 % female) are presented. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure (factors affective, behavioral, physiological and impairment). Further analyses revealed significant associations between climate anxiety, gender, age, pro-environmental behavior, and awareness of climate change, thus aligning with previous research. The findings suggest that the GCAS-A is a valid and internally consistent tool for assessing climate anxiety in adolescents. This study highlights the importance of investigating climate anxiety in adolescents. Future research should focus on exploring the generalizability and validity of the scale across more diverse samples and on analyses of direction of effects in longitudinal studies.
KW - adolescents
KW - climate anxiety
KW - factorial analysis
KW - scale development
KW - Psychology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105006460391&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.13109/prkk.2025.74.4.350
DO - 10.13109/prkk.2025.74.4.350
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 40400153
AN - SCOPUS:105006460391
VL - 74
SP - 350
EP - 370
JO - Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie
JF - Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie
SN - 0032-7034
IS - 4
ER -