3. Researchers for the most part have assumed that people know what they
think is desirable and therefore can report a person’s values.
The most typical way to measure values is through a self-report.
Measuring Values
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4. Different Approaches to Measurement:
1. Ask respondents about specific attitudes and behaviors that
presumably reflect a given value. From the pattern of responses, the
value is inferred.
2. Indirect strategy of value assessment
people can offer abstract judgments about their value that prove scientifically
reliable and valid as long as the questions asked to not stray too far away
from the value.
Measuring Values
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5. 3. Direct Strategy Approach
Simple Yes/No endorsement of a value
5 point or 7 point sliding scale of endorsement of a value
One question per value and then collectively determining if a value is
evident from the combined answers of all the questions
4. Ranking Values
Reflects how people use values in daily life
Helps to build a value hierarchy for an individual
Measuring Values
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6. Ranking cont..
Research tool that is widely used is the Rokeach Value Survey
Developed by social psychologist MiltonRokeach (Univ. of Southern Cal)
Best known for working with mentally ill patients who believed they were
Jesus Christ (research study The Three Christ of Ypsilanti-1964)
Best known books – Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values (1964) & Nature of Human
Values (1973)
Measuring Values
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7. Rokeach Value Survey
Consists of two scales of 18 values (scale 1- terminal values, scale 2-
instrumental values)
Research participants are asked to place the values in order according to
their feelings of importance within their lives
As a result, the ranking of values yields ipsative scores: positions of each
value held by the individual relative to other values. (ex. Power may rank as
#1 but benevolence as #12 in one’s value system)
Note: ranking yields much of the same results as rating ( ex.5 point or 7 point scale).
You can rely on simpler rating scale if desired
Measuring Values
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9. Universal Value System Across Nations:
Social Psychologist Shalom Schwartz pioneered in this research field
Set out to identify universally recognized human values by studying value
agreements in various countries
Best known for addressing the relationship among different values
(structures) and began to study entire value systems globally not just
individually
His studies became scientifically worthy because they allowed distinct
conclusions about the consequences of holding certain values rather than
others (meaning- in emphasizing one value, we may be de-emphasizing another)
Universal Structure of Human Values
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10. In Schwartz study, he looked at values people distinguished and how
these values were related.
Study was performed in 70 countries and he found Ten Different
Values that are consistently distinguished around the world
Universal Structure of Human Values
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11. Ten Different Values Consistently Distinguished Around The World:
1. Achievement - personal success through the demonstration of competence in
accordance with society’s standards (ex. ambition)
2. Benevolence - preservation and enhancement of the welfare of others in one’s
immediate social circle (ex. forgiveness)
3. Conformity – restraint of actions that violate social norms or expectations ( ex.
politeness
4. Hedonism – personal gratification and pleasure ( ex. leisure, enjoyment of food, sex)
Universal Structure of Human Values
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12. Ten Different Values Consistently Distinguished Around The World:
5. Power – social status, prestige, dominance, and control over others (ex. wealth)
6. Security – safety, harmony, and stability of society (ex. law & order)
7. Self Direction – independent thought and action ( ex. freedom)
8. Stimulation – excitement, novelty, and challenge in life ( ex. variety)
9. Tradition – respect for and acceptance of one’s cultural or religious customs ( ex.
religious devotion)
10. Universalism- understanding, appreciating, and protecting all people and nature (ex.
equality)
Universal Structure of Human Values
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14. Helps us to make sense of someone’s value system as a whole
and the tradeoff that often a person makes within their own
value system
ex. Someone whose value is strong in security may have a strong passion for
becoming involved in an environmental rally (universalism). However, they
will not actively walk or demonstrate in the environmental rally because it’s
against the laws of the city (security)
The Schwartz Circumplex Model
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16. Where do our Values come from?
Where do our Values originate?
The explanation is usually reflected in what psychological theory is
prevalent at the time
Origin of Values
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17. 1940s and 1950s
Reinforcement Theories- obtaining values was explained in terms of reward and punishment
Generations Later
The social learning theory of Rotter and Bandura. Value acquisition was explained in terms of
modeling or emulating what influential others say and do
The Era of Cognitive Revolution
Value acquisition was explained in terms of inherent tendencies to be consistent in what one believes
or Beliefs are in agreement with one’s values which therefore bring harmony to the person
Origin of Values
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18. Today from a Positive Psychology Point of View:
Peterson , our author, states that people may acquire values by a
deliberate or conscious process of asking what is the right thing
and then choosing an answer which in turn becomes a value
Origin of Values
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19. Interesting Points from Peterson:
The deliberate or conscious embracing of value priorities might be
occasioned by events in our lives that trigger scrutiny
ex. people who have recovered from a life threatening illness show elevated levels of
love or gratitude and as a result, virtues slide into a person’s values
People who have had a brush with death say they now “know” what is
important in life
Origin of Values
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20. Overall :
All of these processes of reward and punishment,
modeling, cognitive consistency, and self- examination
work in partnership to explain how we acquire given values
Origin of Values
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21. Values Self – Confrontation Strategy
Developed by Milton Rokeach
Believed people may place insufficient emphasis on a particular value
because they have not confronted the contradiction among their values or
priorities
The VSCS is a deliberate strategy of changing one’s values by exposing a
person to contradiction among one’s value priorities
Origin of Values
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22. VSCS Process:
Rokeach would confront respondents with their value priorities, explicitly
interpret the contradictions found within their values, and wait to see how
the respondents would react
In a majority of his studies, change in a respondent’s values would occur to
satisfy the contradiction
ex. In benevolence and honesty- You may want to tell the truth to someone but
you have a tendency to please others. However, you may have to say an
unpleasant truth even if means causing friction between you and the other party
Origin of Values
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23. World Value Survey:
Created by Political Scientist Ronald Inglehart
A study that periodically surveys people around the world with respect to their
attitudes, beliefs, and values
Questions range from the mundane( ex. throwing away litter justifies) to the sacred
(ex. thoughts about the meaning and purpose of life)
81 different countries (85% of the world’s population) was surveyed
Samples were representative- represents a range of individuals across boundaries
(age, ethnicity, education, gender, etc..)
Origin of Values
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24. Results of the Survey:
Values emphasized in a nation are strongly associated with its political and economic
institutions
As nations develop industrially, specialized and educated labor forces emerge. These
individuals value freedom and self expression in all areas of life
With industrialization comes trends toward democracy and the endorsement of
values that are liberal and secular
Generational replacement - value priorities of younger generations eventually replace
older generations. Not related to people changing what they value.
Traditional and secular values are unrelated to happiness. Value is reflected in what
people say is most important in determining their personal happiness
Origin of Values
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25. Additional Findings of the Survey:
The United States is an inconsistency- the most affluent nation in the world but
remains highly traditional in it’s value priorities, especially with respect to religion and
nationalism
While every nation has a common language, history, and ethnicity to unite citizens,
the U.S. only has a common value system where most Americans share same
values and typically endorse moderate attitudes, even in disagreements.
Origin of Values
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26. Values and Media
Ongoing societal debate that media and the people in media have a role in shaping
values
Overall, people exercise a choice over the media and messages which they expose
themselves
Surveys show that people listen to news which they already agree
In terms of media violence, social scientist agree that exposure to media violence
leads people, on average, to be more violent themselves and more desensitized to
violence
Origin of Values
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27. Values and Media
The attempt, in the Positive Psychology perspective, implies that the media
should fairly represent the world, what is good about it, what isn’t good
about it thereby supplying a range of values to aspire
Positive Psychology further believes images of violent role models should
be balanced with images of role models who can elevate and inspire us
Origin of Values
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28. Conclusions
Values are measurable- most typical way to measure is through self-report
Values can be Ranked- most popular tool is the Rokeach Survey which ranks how
individuals rank terminal vales and instrumental values
Shalom Schwartz discovered Ten Different Values that are consistently distinguished
around the world
The Schwartz circumplex helps to explain an individual’s value system and the
tradeoffs one makes to achieve their highest ranked values
The explanation of value origins is usually reflected in the psychological theory that
is present at the time
Origin of Values
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29. Conclusions
Value Self-Confrontation Theory- change one’s value by exposing a person to
contradiction within their value system
World Values Survey
Values in a nation are strongly associated with it’s political and economic institutions
As nations develop, freedom and self expression become important
Industrialization brings trends of democracy which bring forth liberal and secular values
Younger generational values eventually replace older generational values
Values are reflective but unrelated to happiness
Origin of Values
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30. Conclusions
Positive Psychology believes media should fairly represent both the good and the
bad thereby giving people a range of values to aspire
Positive psychology believes there should be a balance of positive and negative role
models in media to can elevate and inspire the public
Origin of Values
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