Individual-level Values Research Articles

Why We Don’t Mind the Gap

Abstract Rising socio-economic inequality has been paired with tolerance of inequality. When explaining individual tolerance of unequal income distribution, contextual factors capturing socio-economic conditions and objective inequality are less important than individual-level values and beliefs about the origins of and reasonings behind the unequal circumstances. These inequality-legitimizing narratives constitute a range of ideas from equal opportunities and individual liberties to egalitarian values and beliefs about the function of meritocracy. Findings from the linear mixed effects models on the cross-sectional data from the Integrated Values Study (2017–2020) on 34 OECD countries support the argument that individuals’ agreement with inequality legitimizing narratives predicts higher tolerance of unequal income distribution. However, country-level objective inequality and economic prosperity both fail to directly predict tolerance of unequal incomes. When compared to contextual factors, the acceptance of inequality legitimizing narratives is a significantly better predictor of inequality tolerance.

Culture, value commitments, and supervisors’ ethics: Exploring a multilevel mediation model

Significant research provides evidence of social and individual factors that influence ethics. However, consideration of the cultural assimilation process that simultaneously emphasizes the roles of national-level and individual-level values is scarce. Building on the arguments of Merton's anomie theory (1938, 1968), this study considered a multilevel mediation model to investigate the direct effects of cultural values on supervisors' ethics as well as the indirect effects through value commitments. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was employed to perform a centered within context with the reintroduction of the subtracted means at Level-2 (CWC(M)) mediation analysis on the data of 9813 supervisors across 30 countries. The study's findings contribute to Merton's anomie theory by deliberating on the importance of the assimilation of society's cultural values as reflected by individual value commitments in shaping supervisors' ethicality. Considering that some results opposed the propositions of Merton's anomie theory, this paper offered arguments that complement them.

A comparative evaluation of seven instruments for measuring values comprising Hofstede's model of culture

Culture and its measurement are foundational to International Business research. Hofstede's model of culture dominates cross-cultural research. Unfortunately, the evidence of poor psychometric properties of Hofstede's instrument for measuring cultural values, the VSM, has been mounting, which prompted the development of numerous alternative instruments for measuring cultural values comprising Hofstede's model of culture. The abundance of choices makes it challenging to determine which of the instruments is most suitable for a given study. Using a large international sample (N = 12,462), we evaluated the psychometric properties of seven different instruments for measuring individual-level values in Hofstede's cultural framework and assessed their content validity, reliability, factor structure, and measurement equivalence. Our tests confirmed that Hofstede's instrument suffers from several psychometric deficiencies, while other instruments, notably those developed by Dorfman and Howell (1988), Yoo et al. (2011), and Taras et al. (2013), showed good reliability and validity. Guidelines for selecting the most suitable instrument and directions for future instrument development are provided.

Energy Metabolism in Gynecological Cancers: A Scoping Review.

Determining energy requirements is vital for optimizing nutrition interventions in pro-catabolic conditions such as cancer. Gynecological cancer encompasses the most common malignancies in women, yet there is a paucity of research on its metabolic implications. The aim of this review was to explore the literature related to energy metabolism in gynecological cancers. We were particularly interested in exploring the prevalence of energy metabolism abnormalities, methodological approaches used to assess energy metabolism, and clinical implications of inaccurately estimating energy needs. A search strategy was conducted from inception to 27 July 2021. Studies investigating energy metabolism using accurate techniques in adults with any stage of gynecological cancer and the type of treatment were considered. Of the 874 articles screened for eligibility, five studies were included. The definition of energy metabolism abnormalities varied among studies. Considering this limitation, four of the five studies reported hypermetabolism. One of these studies found that hypermetabolism was more prevalent in ovarian compared to cervical cancer. Of the included studies, one reported normometabolism at the group level; individual-level values were not reported. One of the studies reported hypermetabolism pre- and post-treatment, but normometabolism when re-assessed two years post-treatment. No studies explored clinical implications of inaccurately estimating energy needs. Overall, commonly used equations may not accurately predict energy expenditure in gynecological cancers, which can profoundly impact nutritional assessment and intervention.

Abstract A039: Transcriptomic analysis of canine osteosarcoma from a precision medicine perspective reveals limitations of differential gene expression studies

Abstract Despite significant advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, osteosarcoma (OSA), an aggressive primary bone tumor, has eluded attempts at improving patient survival for many decades. Spontaneously occurring OSA in the dog shares remarkably similar clinical, histological, and molecular characteristics and therefore serves as an excellent model for the disease. The difficulty in managing OSA lies in its extreme genetic complexity, drug-resistance, and heterogeneity, making it improbable that a single-target treatment would be beneficial for the majority of affected individuals. Precision medicine seeks to fill this gap by addressing the intra- and inter-tumoral heterogeneity to improve patient outcome and survival. Characterization of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) provides insight into the phenotype and can be useful for informing appropriate therapies as well as development of novel treatments. To identify relevant DEGs, RNA profiles of primary tumor should be contrasted with that of normal tissue derived from the same cell-of-origin as the tumor prior to chemotherapy, as convoluted drug-resistant pathways make interpretation difficult. Traditional DEG analysis combines patient data to derive statistically inferred genes that are dysregulated in the group; however, the results from this approach are not necessarily consistent across individual patients, thus contradicting the basis of precision medicine. In this preliminary study, we use transcriptomic sequencing of RNA isolated from primary canine OSA tumor and patient-matched normal bone from seven dogs prior to chemotherapy to identify DEGs in the group. We then evaluate the universality of these changes in transcript levels among patients by deriving individual-level fold-change values using strict filtering parameters. The results from this study can be useful for reframing our perspective of transcriptomic analysis from a precision medicine perspective by identifying variations in DEGs among individuals. Citation Format: Rebecca L. Nance, Sara Cooper, Dmytro Starenki, Xu Wang, Maninder Sandey, Jey Koehler, Payal Agarwal, Brad Matz, Stephanie Lindley, Annette Smith, Ashley Smith, Noelle Bergman, Bruce F. Smith. Transcriptomic analysis of canine osteosarcoma from a precision medicine perspective reveals limitations of differential gene expression studies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolutionary Dynamics in Carcinogenesis and Response to Therapy; 2022 Mar 14-17. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A039.

Revisiting Values and Self-Esteem: A Large-Scale Study in the United States

Person-culture fit perspectives posit that individuals have higher self-esteem when their values match the values of the sociocultural environment in which they live. The current study tested this hypothesis by examining the associations between value congruence and self-esteem in a large-scale sample in the United States ( N = 48,563). Multilevel response surface analyses revealed no evidence of value congruence effects on self-esteem, such that the agreement between individual- and state-level values did not positively predict self-esteem for any of the 10 basic values. Instead, we found positive (stimulation, security) and negative (conformity) linear associations between individual-level values and self-esteem. We also found positive curvilinear relationships between individual-level achievement and tradition values and self-esteem, and negative curvilinear relationships between individual-level self-direction, hedonism, power, benevolence, and universalism values and self-esteem. In addition, state-level values moderated the relationship between values and self-esteem for tradition, universalism, and conformity values. In federal states with stronger endorsement of tradition values, individuals’ tradition values were more positively associated with self-esteem. In contrast, in states with stronger endorsement of universalism values, individuals’ universalism values were more negatively associated with self-esteem. Lastly, individuals’ conformity values were negatively associated with self-esteem, particularly in states with weaker endorsement of conformity values.

Origins of Values Differences: A Two-Level Analysis of Economic, Climatic and Parasite Stress Explanations in the Value Domain

What variables are associated with cross-cultural differences in values at the individual level? In this study, the statistical effect of variables associated with ecological demands and available economic and cognitive resources on self-reported values are investigated in two independent samples to test the replicability of effects. Values are operationalized using a 10-item version inspired by Schwartz’ value theory. The effects of national wealth, climatic demands, availability of cool water, and parasite stress at the national level are used to predict value scores of individuals within nations using nationally representative data from all inhabited continents ( k = 49 and k = 58; Ns = 64,491 and 81,991). Using mixed-effect models, new insights into individual- and nation-level dynamics in value scores are provided. First, the paper extends previous cultural theories to the individual level by investigating the effects of education and personal income as individual-level resources. Both personal income and education have strong direct effects on value scores. Second, higher education acts as a cognitive resource which turns climatic demands into challenges, effectively unpackaging nation-level theorizing with individual level dynamics. Third, contrary to previous nation-level research, parasite stress was not a significant predictor of individual-level values. Forth, supporting recent theorizing, individuals located in cool water regions reported significantly higher self-transcendence values. Fifth, the effects of wealth on openness values were convergent and reinforcing across levels (higher wealth is associated with more openness values), but operated in opposing directions for self-transcendence values (national wealth is associated with self-transcendent values, individual wealth is associated with self-enhancing values). The current patterns suggest that cultural research needs to pay more attention to individual versus nation-level dynamics and increase replication efforts with independent samples.

Socioeconomic context and welfare nationalism in the Euro area following the Great Recession

This study examined the association between the socioeconomic context of the Eurozone countries in the post-Great Recession era and attitudes of solidarity towards immigrants among the general population. A multilevel analysis was conducted using data from Round 8 (2016) of the European Social Survey as well as Eurostat and OECD statistics. Specifically, we assessed the link between the share of people at risk of poverty/social exclusion in 2016 and citizens´ support for excluding immigrants from the rights to social services. Our results, in agreement with theories explaining that anxiety over-scarcity compromises out-group solidarity, confirmed the existence of such a relationship. Additional findings, however, suggested that some factors, such as holding individual-level universalism values, or the persistence of hardship during the recession recovery period (2011-2016) at country-level, may have had a protective role against chauvinistic attitudes. Recommendations for practice and research are discussed.

Ethnic Group Differences in Autobiographical Memory Characteristics: Values as a Mediator or Moderator?

Individual-level values play a role in cultural group differences in autobiographical memory. The current study (N = 192) used a Caribbean sample to examine whether individual-level values (self-transcendence, self-enhancement, conservation) were a mediator or moderator of ethnic group differences (Afro-, Indo-, and Mixed-Trinidadian) in the characteristics (emotional intensity, vividness, thinking and talking about the memory) of positive autobiographical memories. Values were not a mediator, but were a moderator. At high levels of conservation or self-transcendence values, Indo-Trinidadians had autobiographical memories that were more emotionally intense, vivid, and thought and talked about compared to Afro-Trinidadians. Mixed-Trinidadians had autobiographical memories that were more emotionally intense than the other ethnic groups, in general, and more often talked about when self-enhancement values were low. The discussion proposes that the alignment of individual-level values with cultural-group expectations matters for autobiographical remembering, suggests that sociohistorical circumstance may play a role, and addresses the study limitations.

Comparisons of individual- and area-level socioeconomic status as proxies for individual-level measures: evidence from the Mortality Disparities in American Communities study

BackgroundArea-level measures are often used to approximate socioeconomic status (SES) when individual-level data are not available. However, no national studies have examined the validity of these measures in approximating individual-level SES.MethodsData came from ~ 3,471,000 participants in the Mortality Disparities in American Communities study, which links data from 2008 American Community Survey to National Death Index (through 2015). We calculated correlations, specificity, sensitivity, and odds ratios to summarize the concordance between individual-, census tract-, and county-level SES indicators (e.g., household income, college degree, unemployment). We estimated the association between each SES measure and mortality to illustrate the implications of misclassification for estimates of the SES-mortality association.ResultsParticipants with high individual-level SES were more likely than other participants to live in high-SES areas. For example, individuals with high household incomes were more likely to live in census tracts (r = 0.232; odds ratio [OR] = 2.284) or counties (r = 0.157; OR = 1.325) whose median household income was above the US median. Across indicators, mortality was higher among low-SES groups (all p < .0001). Compared to county-level, census tract-level measures more closely approximated individual-level associations with mortality.ConclusionsModerate agreement emerged among binary indicators of SES across individual, census tract, and county levels, with increased precision for census tract compared to county measures when approximating individual-level values. When area level measures were used as proxies for individual SES, the SES-mortality associations were systematically underestimated. Studies using area-level SES proxies should use caution when selecting, analyzing, and interpreting associations with health outcomes.

Greater decision uncertainty characterizes a transdiagnostic patient sample during approach-avoidance conflict: a computational modelling approach.

BackgroundImbalances in approach-avoidance conflict (AAC) decision-making (e.g., sacrificing rewards to avoid negative outcomes) are considered central to multiple psychiatric disorders. We used computational modelling to examine 2 factors that are often not distinguished in descriptive analyses of AAC: decision uncertainty and sensitivity to negative outcomes versus rewards (emotional conflict).MethodsA previously validated AAC task was completed by 478 participants, including healthy controls (n = 59), people with substance use disorders (n = 159) and people with depression and/or anxiety disorders who did not have substance use disorders (n = 260). Using an active inference model, we estimated individual-level values for a model parameter that reflected decision uncertainty and another that reflected emotional conflict. We also repeated analyses in a subsample (59 healthy controls, 161 people with depression and/or anxiety disorders, 56 people with substance use disorders) that was propensity-matched for age and general intelligence.ResultsThe model showed high accuracy (72%). As further validation, parameters correlated with reaction times and self-reported task motivations in expected directions. The emotional conflict parameter further correlated with self-reported anxiety during the task (r = 0.32, p < 0.001), and the decision uncertainty parameter correlated with self-reported difficulty making decisions (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). Compared to healthy controls, people with depression and/or anxiety disorders and people with substance use disorders showed higher decision uncertainty in the propensity-matched sample (t = 2.16, p = 0.03, and t = 2.88, p = 0.005, respectively), with analogous results in the full sample; people with substance use disorders also showed lower emotional conflict in the full sample (t = 3.17, p = 0.002).LimitationsThis study was limited by heterogeneity of the clinical sample and an inability to examine learning.ConclusionThese results suggest that reduced confidence in how to act, rather than increased emotional conflict, may explain maladaptive approach-avoidance behaviours in people with psychiatric disorders.

The VIPs of Wolf Conservation: How Values, Identity, and Place Shape Attitudes Toward Wolves in the United States

Attitudes toward wildlife shape support for and opposition to myriad conservation actions worldwide. Scholars have long debated what are the most critical factors shaping these attitudes, and research on carnivores has often treated important factors such as values, identity, and place, as independent of one another. To better integrate these factors in the context of explaining attitudes toward wolves (Canis lupus), we explore the effect of: (i) region of the U.S. (Northern Rocky Mountains, Western Great Lakes, and the remainder of the country), (ii) sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, income, urban/rural residency, and education), (iii) indicators of one's social identity (hunter, farmer, environmentalist, and animal rights advocate), and (iv) wildlife value orientations (mutualism and domination). Using one-way analysis of variance tests and hierarchical regression analyses, we found that attitudes do not statistically differ across regions with wolves (compared to regions without wolves), yet the people who identify with interest groups most likely to directly impact or be impacted by wolf populations, such as farmers/ranchers, are less tolerant of wolves when they live closer to them (i.e., in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes) even when accounting for individual-level values. By examining attitudes toward wolves at a spatial scale not commonly assessed, this study seeks to enhance current understandings of the impact of values, identity, and place, while serving as a guide to inform future research and policies regarding carnivore management.

Culture, Context, and Concerns About Face: Synergistic Insights From Pragmatics and Social Psychology

This article explores the interconnections between culture, context, and language, with a special focus on face. Research into face has taken place in various fields and here we draw on insights from different disciplinary perspectives, notably linguistics and social psychology, to address the following questions: (1) To what extent can the various categorizations of face be linked with people’s individual-level values? (2) How do culture-level values interplay with context and language in affecting face sensitivities? The data for our study involved interactions between government officials during a Chinese delegation visit to the United States in which face concerns were prominent. Mixed support is found for existing theorizing, and the article ends by calling for more interdisciplinary research to help unpack the complex mix of interconnected factors.

The Influence of Values on E-learning Adoption

As technology continues to pervade our lives, the influence of culture on technology adoption is of significant interest to researchers. However, culture, as a group-level construct may not give meaningful results when related to individual-level adoption. Although culture has been integrated into technology adoption models, values are the individual-level representation of culture, and are more appropriate to include in technology adoption models. There have been few studies attempting to explore the influence of values on adoption models, and none within the sphere of digital education. The purpose of this exploratory study is to integrate values with technology adoption models and apply the novel conceptual model to the context of digital education. In this study we investigate the influence of individual-level values on the adoption of e-learning by workers in The Gambia and the UK. Using the Unified Theory of the Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) as a base model, we integrate values relating to conservation of the status quo and self-enhancement from Schwartz's Theory of Human Values. Taking this approach, we develop and introduce the Values-Enhanced Technology Adoption (VETA) model. We tested the VETA model on the adoption of e-learning by workers in The Gambia and the UK. Empirical results demonstrated the influence of self-enhancement values in the model via social influence, price value and performance expectancy. The UTAUT2 base model was partially validated in that performance expectancy, price value and habit primarily influenced worker intention to use e-learning. We conclude that VETA will be a useful model to researchers studying technology adoption.

A systematic approach to sociological research of individual values

The paper presents the underpinnings of systematic approach to identifying and gauging individual-level values. First, the authors analysed how the “value” is conceptualised in works by M.Rokeach, R.Inglehart, G.Hofstede and S.Schwartz and came to the conclusion that all those conceptualisations focus on one particular component belonging to the inner structure of values. Hence an alternative interpretation was put forward according to which the inner structure of value is comprised of need(s), value orientation(s) and object(s) that is (are) valuable to a person. The authors also referred to H.Blumer’s ideas about the nature of objects belonging to individual worlds in order to ensure an adequate understanding of values. The next step involved explaining differences between individual and supra-individual values. For this purpose, P.Blau’s ideas about emergent properties of social relations were used. The difference between individual values and interests was shown as well. In total, thirteen fundamental individual-level values have been identified: material comfort, wealth, beauty, power, physical health, psychological comfort, interpersonal relations, knowledge, personal freedom, status, morality and ethical life, leisure, self-realization. This set of values has served as a basis for constructing a sociological test titled “Individual values and interests–13” (IVI–13). In order to make sure that the test works, the authors conducted a pilot survey. The subsequent statistical analysis, first, made it possible to obtain the distribution of respondents’ answers to questions (that served as test indicators) and reveal the particularities of this distribution (by means of descriptive statistics); second, it helped to determine the relationship between the respondents’ answers and their sociodemographic characteristics (through the chi-square test of independence); and, third, it allowed identifying the structure of relationships among values (using the γ coefficient and network analysis).

Antecedents of SMMA continuance intention in two culturally diverse countries: An empirical examination

ABSTRACTThe use of social media mobile applications (SMMA) in Asian countries has increased remarkably in the last decade, which demands a better understanding of differences in the adoption of SMMA across cultures, beyond the west. Against this backdrop, the present study developed a research model that incorporates Schwartz’s individual-level values, individual contextual factors, perceived risk and perceived value, and applied it to settings China and Pakistan to better understand continuance intention regarding SMMA in Asian countries. This study specifically examines the role of individual-level values and individual contextual factors in explaining users’ risk perception; the effects of risk perception on perceived value; and, finally, the impact of perceived value on continuance intention regarding SMMA. Our research model holds true for both China and Pakistan. The majority of the proposed relationships were supported by our findings, and we also observed some noteworthy differences during model comparison between both samples. The findings offer suggestions to information system (IS) practitioners and social media marketers considering cross-cultural differences through SMMA use. The authors acknowledge limitations and suggest further research directions to IS scholars.

Understanding the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial practices in Pakistan’s leather industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial practices in SMEs operating in a developing economy. The secondary objectives are to explore the relationship between these drivers and to draw out the implications for policy and practice.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is informed by the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship, and on the drivers of pro-environmental practices in SMEs. It reports on the results of an intensive multi-level empirical study, which investigates the environmental practices of SMEs in Pakistan’s leatherworking industry using a multiple case study design and grounded analysis, which draws on relevant institutional theory.FindingsThe study identifies that coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphic pressures simultaneously drive sustainable entrepreneurial activity in the majority of sample SMEs. These pressures are exerted by specific micro-, meso- and macro-level factors, ranging from international customers’ requirements to individual-level values of owners and managers. It also reveals the catalytic effect of the educational and awareness-raising activities of intermediary organisations, in tandem with the attraction of competitiveness gains, (international) environmental regulations, industrial dynamism and reputational factors.Practical implicationsThe evidence suggests that, in countries where formal institutional mechanisms have less of an impact, intermediary organisations can perform a proto-institutional role that helps to overcome pre-existing barriers to environmental improvement by sparking sustainable entrepreneurial activity in SME populations.Originality/valueThe findings imply that the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurial activity do not operate in a “piecemeal” fashion, but that particular factors mediate the emergence and development of other sustainability drivers. This paper provides new insights into sustainable entrepreneurship and motivations for environmental practices in an under-researched developing economy context.

Does exposure to other cultures affect the impact of economic globalization on gender equality?

An extensive literature shows that economic globalization has a positive effect on gender equality. However, the effect varies greatly across countries and time. This article argues that social globalization – individuals’ exposure to external ideas, people, and information flows – and the changes in values associated with it – is a key boundary condition for the effect of economic globalization on women’s rights. While economic globalization opens up new opportunities for women, policy adaptation to these changes requires a social demand for efforts for change. Social globalization contributes to policy adaptation by exposing the public to alternative gender-role models, setting off a shift in values, which underlies support for gender equality. Results emerging from a time-series-cross-sectional analysis of 152 nations for the period 1990–2003 confirm that the positive effect of economic globalization on gender equality wanes at lower levels of social globalization. Further, multilevel-path-analyses models demonstrate how changes to individual-level values mediate the effect of globalization on individuals’ support for gender equality.

Social Axioms as Mediators Between Culture-Level and Individual-Level Values

We offer empirical evidence for a new conceptual view on the interdependence of culture-level values and individual value preferences. A study of 291 sojourner students from 56 nationalities tests the hypothesis that social axioms fully mediate the relationship between culture-level and individual value preferences. Cultural values were operationalized with Schwartz’s three culture-level value oppositions: embeddedness-autonomy, mastery-harmony, and hierarchy-egalitarianism. The measurement of social axioms follows the approach of Leung et al., whereas individual values focus on Hagan et al.’s second-order concept of hierarchic self-interest. The empirical support for our central hypothesis points to a necessity to refine theories on the relationship of social axioms and values, giving social axioms the role of a mediator in the process of transmitting a culture’s prevalent values in value preferences of individuals.

Dealing With Longitudinal Data

Dealing With Longitudinal Data