"I want to do something green": A set of green basic interest markers

The world of work is subject to the transition toward a sustainable economy. This requires a corresponding reflection in vocational interest research and practice, and updates where necessary, including motivational changes when professional activities gain meaning due to their increased relevance for the planet. In current measures, interests are hardly contextualized according to this transition, meaning that they are implemented as independent of a reference object, e.g., interest in technology without differentiating regarding the existence of an ecological context. Our work fills this gap by providing specific green basic interest markers with contextualized items reflecting the potential motivation to contribute to specific areas of the ecological transition. This is based on the analysis and initial validation of a set of 25 markers which were derived from the European Commission's official green skills and knowledge concept. The psychometric analysis demonstrates high internal consistency, as indicated by the findings of a sample of n = 415 individuals, as well as structural, convergent, and discriminant validity, confirming the extracted dimensional structure. The derived measures may serve as a first step toward a more context-sensitive approach to vocational interests with respect to research and career counseling.