Social engagement in coastal adaptation processes: Development and validation of the CoastADAPT scale

Engaging citizens and communities is considered a central element and a good practice in coastal management. However, individuals still demonstrate a general disengagement with coastal risks. To understand the factors that underlie the citizens’ engagement in coastal risks processes and to implement evidence-based strategies aimed at enhancing public participation in coastal management, is pivotal to the success of coastal adaptation. Therefore, this study sought to develop and validate an assessment tool aiming at measuring individuals’ engagement in coastal adaptation processes and their underlying factors. A cross-sectional and 2-phase research was implemented to analyze the psychometric properties of the CoastADAPT scale. The Phase 1 study (N = 491) determined the CoastADAPT scale’s factorial structure, through Exploratory Factor Analysis; its reliability, through internal consistency and test-retest reliability; and construct validity, through convergent and divergent validity. The Phase 2 study (N = 207) confirmed the CoastADAPT scale’s factorial structure, through Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Analyses indicated that the CoastADAPT scale showed good psychometric properties and a 3-factor structure consisting of the following domains: Experiential Processing (Affective component), Risk Awareness (Cognitive component) and Environmental Justice (Social value orientation component). The CoastADAPT scale is a reliable and valid measure of citizens’ engagement in coastal risk adaptation processes. It may be a useful tool to facilitate the development of strategies to overcome individuals’ disengagement with coastal management and to provide a deeper understanding of the predictors of individuals’ engagement in coastal risk processes.