Functional theories of human values: Comment on Gouveia, Milfont, and Guerra (2014)

Abstract

Gouveia et al. (2014) presented a functional theory of basic human values which they describe as an improvement on current dominant value models, in particular, the theory of Schwartz (1992). This comment responds to their unwarranted criticisms of the Schwartz theory. It emphasizes the centrality of the idea of a motivational continuum for a parsimonious theory of values. It notes elements of the two theories that overlap or differ, identifying missing elements in the Gouveia et al. (2014) approach and suggests ways to improve their approach by drawing constructively on the Schwartz theory.