Role of perceived ecological quality in a scale for measuring attitude toward earthen building techniques; some findings from a survey on compressed stabilized earth blocks in Auroville, India

This study employed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to assess how perceived ecological quality influences attitudes toward earthen building techniques (EBTs). The aim was to validate scales for measuring attitudes toward compressed stabilized earth blocks (CSEB) and fired bricks in homes. The experimental attitude scales consist of 12 themes, with only 6 themes being selected for measuring attitudes toward CSEBs. Data was collected from Auroville, a city in southern India known for CSEB buildings. Mean values on a 1 to 7 scale showed that CSEB (M = 5.15) and CSEB homes (M = 5.33) were perceived as more ecological (p < 0.01) than fired bricks (M = 3.96) and fired brick homes (M = 4.22). However, EFA results suggested that perceived ecological quality was less important in attitude scales for CSEBs, fired bricks, and homes, warranting its exclusion. The conclusions suggest that education and awareness campaigns that highlight the environmental benefits of EBTs could be used to address the persistent cognitive bias that leads people to perceive fired bricks as neutral. The development of a common scale for assessing attitudes toward EBTs would enable more effective comparisons between different EBTs and the development of targeted promotion strategies. Further confirmatory studies are needed to validate the concept of attitude toward EBTs.