Nature connection has important predictive power for many facets of pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Yet up to now, there has been no theory-based measurement to differentiate the affective and cognitive dimensions of nature connection. We followed four-step strategy to develop such an instrument. In the first step, we evaluated items from established scales, based on semantic analysis, to identify possible items to assign to affective and cognitive dimensions. In the second step, we quantitatively validated the chosen items by applying the new scales in a quantitative questionnaire survey completed by German university students (n = 237, Mage = 22.12, SD = 3.09). In the third step, we used confirmatory factor analysis to empirically separate the dimensions. Finally, in the fourth step, we conducted correlations and structural equation modeling between the newly proposed cognitive and affective nature connection dimensions and the external validation variables self-transcendence and environmental concern. Affective nature connection showed higher correlations with self-transcendence and environmental concern than its cognitive counterpart. Furthermore, self-transcendence predicted 6% of the cognitive dimension of nature connection and 20% of the affective dimension. Although both dimensions correlated significantly with each other, only affective nature connection could predict (13%) environmental concern. Moreover, self-transcendence showed a significant indirect effect on environmental concern via affective nature connection. We successfully developed a new instrument that independently measures the cognitive dimension and affective dimension of nature connection.

VandenBos, G. R. (2007). APA dictionary of psychology. American Psychological     Association.

Beery, T. H. (2012). Establishing reliability and construct validity for an instrument to measure environmental connectedness. Environmental Education Research, 1 (April       2015), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2012.687045.

Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research (2nd ed.). New York     and London: Guilford Publications.

Carmi, N., Arnon, S., & Orion, N. (2015). Transforming Environmental Knowledge into     Behavior: The Mediating Role of Environmental Emotions. Journal of Environmental     Education, 46(3), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958964.2015.1028517.

Christ, O., & Schlüter, E. (2012). Strukturgleichungsmodelle mit Mplus: eine praktische     Einführung [‘Structural equation modelling with Mplus: a practical introduction’].     Walter de Gruyter.

Conn, S. (1998). Living in the earth: Ecopsychology, health and psychotherapy. Humanist.     Psychol. 26, 179–198. doi: 10.1080/08873267.1998. 9976972.

Dunlap, R. E., & Van Liere, K. D. (1978). The ‘new environmental paradigm’: a proposed     measuring instrument and preliminary results. Journal of Environmental Education, 9,                  10–19. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEE.40.1.19-28.

TeleForm, Cardiff Inc. (2017). Electric Paper Informationssysteme GmbH, Version 10.8.     Lüneburg.

Ellis, R. J., & Thompson, F. (1997). Culture and the environment in the Pacific Northwest.     American Political Science Review, 91(04), 885-897.

Geng, L., Xu, J., Ye, L., Zhou, W., & Zhou, K. (2015). Connections with nature and     environmental behaviors. PloS one, 10(5), e0127247.

Henson, R. K., & Roberts, J. K. (2006). Use of Exploratory Factor Analysis in Published     Research: Common Errors and Some Comments on Improved Practice. Educational     and Psychological Measurement, 66(3), 393–416.     https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164405282485.

Kals, E., Schumacher, D., & Montada, L. (1999). Emotional affinity toward nature as a     motivational basis to protect nature. Environment and Behavior, 31(2), 178-202.

Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (4th ed.). New     York: Guilford Publications.

Li, J., & Ernst, J. (2015). Exploring value orientations toward the human-nature relationship:     a comparison of urban youth in Minnesota, USA and Guangdong, China.     Environmental       Education Research, 21(4), 556–585. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2014.910499.

Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of     individuals’ feeling in community with nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology,     24(4), 503-515.

Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2017). Mplus User´s Guide. (Eighth Edition). Los           Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.

Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Murphy, S. A. (2009). The nature relatedness scale: Linking     individuals' connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior.     Environment and Behavior, 41(5), 715-740.

Nisbet, E. K., & Zelenski, J. M. (2013). The NR-6: a new brief measure of nature relatedness.     Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 813.

Perrin, J. L., & Benassi, V. A. (2009). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of     emotional connection to nature? Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29(4), 434-    440.

Pooley, J. A., & O’Connor, M. (2000). Environmental education and attitudes emotions and     beliefs are what is needed. Environment and Behavior, 32(5), 711-723.     https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916500325007.

Rhead, R., Elliot, M., & Upham, P. (2015). Assessing the structure of UK environmental     concern and its association with pro-environmental behaviour. Journal of     Environmental Psychology, 43, 175–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.06.002.

Schmidt, P., Bamberg, S., Davidov, E., Herrmann, J., & Schwartz, S. H. (2007). Die Messung     von Werten mit dem ‚Portraits Value Questionnaire‘[‘Measurement of values with     the Portrait Value Questionnaire’]. Zeitschrift Für Sozialpsychologie, 38(4), 261–    275.          https://doi.org/10.1024/0044-3514.38.4.261.

Schultz, P. W. (2001). The Structure of Environmental Concern: Concern for Self, Other     People, and the Biosphere. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 21(4), 327–339.     https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.2001.0227.

Schultz, P. W., Shriver, C., Tabanico, J. J., & Khazian, A. M. (2004). Implicit connections     with nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24(1), 31–42.     https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(03)00022-7.

Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical     advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1-65.

Stern, P. C. (2000). Toward a Coherent Theory of Environmentally Significant Behavior.     Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 407–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00175.

Tam, K. P. (2013). Concepts and measures related to connection to nature: Similarities and                         differences. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 34, 64-78.