engleski

Measurement of values: How stable is the measured construct?

Working assumption of much research on values is that individual’ s value system is fairly stable, expressing coherence over time and situations, guiding the individual in choosing appropriate behaviors and making decisions. An alternative view suggests that the value system we construct is very much dependent on the context in which we are asked to do it. The aim of this research was to test the alternative hypothesis and examine the possible effects of situational context on the structure of value systems. An experiment was conducted, with 360 subjects divided into 4 experimental and 4 control conditions. "Schwartz Value Survey" was used to measure the hierarchy and structure of values in all groups. Additional four instruments were used to create the experimental condition of four different types of "context". Each context was created to target one of the "higher order value types" according to Schwartz value theory: Self-Transcendence (benevolence and universalism), Self-Enhancement (achievement and power), Openness to Change (including self-direction and stimulation) and Conservation (security, conformity, tradition). Results show that although the rated importance of single values does change with regard to specific context and target issues, the structure of the whole value system remains fairly stable.

Measurement; Personal Values; Stability of Value Systems

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