Distinguishing Personal and Social Values

Abstract

This study establishes an empirical distinction between values applied to one's own behaviors and goals (personal values) and the same values applied to other persons' behaviors and to goals one holds for society (social values). This distinction is demonstrated through the construction of seven pairs of personal and social value scales (the Indiana Value Scales) and an examination of their intercorrelations. These scales, together with the Survey of Personal Values and the Survey of Interpersonal Values by Gordon, and with the Rokeach Value Survey were administered to 100 college students. Correlations of the personal and social scales of the Indiana Value Scales with counterpart scales in the Rokeach and Gordon Inventories are compared to determine the extent to which these popular standardized value inventories are focusing on personal vs social value applications.