The theory of basic human values is a theory of cross-cultural psychology and universal values developed by Shalom H. Schwartz. The theory extends previous cross-cultural communication frameworks such as Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. Schwartz identifies ten basic human values, distinguished by their underlying motivation or goals, and explains how people in all cultures recognize them. There are two major methods for measuring these ten basic values: the Schwartz Value Survey and the Portrait Values Questionnaire. In value theory, individual values may align with, or conflict against one another, often visualised in a circular diagram where opposing poles indicate values that are in conflict. An expanded framework of 19 distinct values was presented from Schwartz and colleagues in a 2012 publication, creating on the theory of basic values. These values are conceptualized as "guiding principles" that influence the behaviors and decisions of individuals or groups.
Motivational types of values The theory of basic human values recognizes eleven universal values, which can be organized in four higher-order groups. Each of the eleven universal values has a central goal that is the underlying motivator.
Openness to change Self-direction – independent thought and action—choosing, creating, and exploring Stimulation – excitement, novelty and challenge in life
Self-enhancement Hedonism – pleasure or sensuous gratification for oneself Achievement – personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards Power – social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources
Conservation Security – safety, harmony, and stability of society, of relationships, and of self Conformity – restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms Tradition – respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas that one's culture or religion provides
Self-transcendence Benevolence – preserving and enhancing the welfare of those with whom one is in frequent personal contact (the 'in-group') Universalism – understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature
Other Spirituality was considered as an additional eleventh value, but was rejected when it was found that it did not exist or play a major role in all cultures.
The structure of value relations The theory of basic values identifies ten core values and also examines their interrelationships. Pursuing certain values can either align with or conflict against others. For instance, conformity and security align, while benevolence and power often conflict. Tradition and conformity share similar motivational goals and thus are grouped within the same category. The values are arranged in a circular model along two main bipolar dimensions. The first dimension, openness to change versus conservation, contrasts values of independence with those centered on obedience. The second dimension, self-enhancement versus self-transcendence, contrasts self-focused interests with values oriented toward the welfare of others. Although the theory distinguishes ten values, the borders between the motivators are artificial and one value flows into the next, which can be seen by the following shared motivational emphases:
Power and Achievement – social superiority and esteem Achievement and Hedonism – self-centered satisfaction Hedonism and Stimulation – a desire for affectively pleasant arousal Stimulation and Self-direction – intrinsic interest in novelty and mastery Self-direction and Universalism – reliance upon one's own judgement and comfort with the diversity of existence Universalism and Benevolence – enhancement of others and transcendence of selfish interests Benevolence and Tradition – devotion to one's in-group Benevolence and Conformity – normative behavior that promotes close relationships Conformity and Tradition – subordination of self in favor of socially imposed expectations Tradition and Security – preserving existing social arrangements that give certainty to life Conformity and Security – protection of order and harmony in relations Security and Power – avoiding or overcoming threats by controlling relationships and resources Furthermore, people are still able to follow opposing values through acting differently in different settings or at different times. The structure of Schwartz's 10-value type model (see graph above) has been supported across over 80 countries, gender, various methods such as importance ratings of values (using the surveys listed below), direct similarity judgment tasks, pile sorting, and spatial arrangement, and even for how the values of other people, such as family members, are perceived.
Measurement methods Several models have been developed to measure the basic values to ensure that the values theory is valid independent of the methodology employed. The main differentiator between the Schwartz Value Survey and the Portrait Values Questionnaire is that the former is explicit, while the latter is implicit.
Schwartz Value Survey The Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) reports values of participants explicitly, by asking them to conduct a self-assessment. The survey entails 57 questions with two lists of value items. The first list consist of 30 nouns, while the second list contains 26 or 27 items in an adjective form. Each item is followed by a brief description for clarification. Out of the 57 questions, 45 are used to compute the 10 different value types – the number of items to measure a certain value varies according to the conceptual breadth. The remaining 12 items are used to allow better standardization in calculation of an individual's value. The importance of each of value item is measured on a non-symmetrical scale in order to encourage the respondents to think about each of the questions.
7 (supreme importance) 6 (very important) 5, 4 (unlabeled) 3 (important) 2, 1 (unlabeled) 0 (not important) −1 (opposed to my values) The survey has been conducted so far on more than 60,000 individuals in 64 nations.
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