Schwartz's Theory Research Articles

Basic values as a motivational framework relating individual values with acculturation strategies among Arab immigrants and refugees across different settlement contexts.

There is a lack of systematic acculturation research on the motivations underpinning the behavior of migrants, which could explain how they acculturate and adapt to their new country of residence. This paper examines the link between values, using the Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values, and acculturation strategies among Arab immigrant and refugee groups across different settlement contexts. The results of Study 1 (Arab immigrants; N = 456) showed, as hypothesized, positive links between strategies and values: the integration strategy with conservation, social focus, self-protection, and self-transcendence values; assimilation with openness to change, personal focus, and growth values; and separation with conservation, social focus, and self-protection. These findings were generally repeated in Study 2 (Syrian refugees; N = 415) except that integration was not associated with self-transcendence and that assimilation was positively linked to self-enhancement instead of openness to change. Our analyses indicated that acculturation preferences are mainly related to motivational values, rather than to different settlement contexts in both samples; however, assimilation seems to be more associated to context than values among the refugee sample. Implications of the findings to the acculturation literature are discussed.

Basic human values drive food choice decision-making in different food environments of Kenya and Tanzania

Increased access to a variety of foods in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) has led to greater autonomy in food choice decision-making. Autonomy allows individuals to make decisions through negotiation of considerations in ways that are consistent with basic values. The aim of this study was to identify and describe how basic human values drive food choice in two diverse populations with transitioning food environments living in the neighboring East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania. Secondary data analysis was carried out on focus group discussions conducted with men and women in Kenya (n = 28) and Tanzania (n = 28) as part of prior studies on food choice. A priori coding based on Schwartz's theory of basic human values was conducted, followed by a narrative comparative analysis, which included review by original principal investigators. Values of conservation (security, conformity, tradition), openness to change (self-directed thought and action, stimulation, indulgence), self-enhancement (achievement, power, face), and self-transcendence (benevolence-dependability and -caring) were prominent drivers of food choice in both settings. Participants described how values were negotiated and highlighted existing tensions. For example, the value of tradition was cited as important in both settings but changing food contexts (e.g., new foods, diverse neighborhoods) increased prioritization of values like stimulation, indulgence, and self-directed thought and action. The application of a basic values framework was useful for understanding food choice in both settings. A focused understanding of how values drive food choice decision-making in the context of changing food availability in LMICs is essential for the promotion of sustainable healthy diets.

Values and candidate evaluation: How voters respond to allegations of sexual harassment

How do voters respond to candidates accused of sexual harassment? The literature on political scandals demonstrates that candidate characteristics, scandal type, and voter characteristics matter; as well as party affiliation. However, empirical evidence suggests that not all co-partisans react the same way. Why is this the case? Our study uses Schwartz's (1996) theory of values to hypothesise that voters prioritising ‘universalism’ and ‘benevolence’ are less likely to vote for candidates accused of sexual harassment compared to voters who prioritise ‘self-enhancement’ values. Using an original, mixed methods, online survey experiment (n = 704), we show that American voters do become less favourable towards candidates linked to allegations of sexual harassment; but a sizeable minority would nevertheless vote for a co-partisan candidate accused of sexual harassment. Values are an important mechanism to explain this heterogeneity. Qualitative data corroborates our findings, and helps explain why sexual harassment allegations are not always a barrier to electoral success.

“What matters to us”: The portrait values questionnaire to measure couple values

AbstractNo previous studies have analyzed values as qualities of relational microsystems, such as the romantic couple. Based on Schwartz's Theory of Human Values, this study examines the psychometric properties of the Portrait Couple Values Questionnaire (PCVQ). It measures four couple value dimensions: conservation, openness to change, self‐enhancement, and self‐transcendence. Five hundred and forty‐six Italian respondents (54.1% women), aged 41.52 years (SD = 7.19; range 23–63) and having a couple relationship, have filled in an anonymous online questionnaire. The results show the good psychometric properties of the PCVQ. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis Magnifying Glass Strategy shows good indexes of fit for each value dimension, except for the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) for openness to change, thus confirming that the PCVQ measures the four values with satisfactory internal consistency. The Multidimensional Scaling results, by showing a Stress‐1 index of 0.07, confirm the circular structure of values because the four value dimensions are in the position predicted by Schwartz's model. Participants' personal and couple values are highly but not perfectly correlated, suggesting that couple values are a related but distinct construct compared to personal values. This study's contribution lies in introducing an innovative construct into the literature on values and couples, proposing a scale to assess it.

The five factors of personality and personal values: An update with the refined theory

A large body of research focused on the relationship between the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality traits and Schwartz's basic values. Existing studies, however, have considered Schwartz's theory in its classical form, which identifies 10 broad values. This is the first study to examine this relationship by using the recent refinement of the value theory, which adopts a finer partitioning of the motivational continuum. It examined the associations between the FFM, as measured by the NEO PI-R, and the 19 values in the refined theory (n = 296, 49 % male, 51 % female). Results appear to suggest that a more precise insight into how the five factors relate to the whole system of values can be attained by considering a narrower conceptualization of values. For example, Conscientiousness exhibited the strongest association with Conformity-Rules (i.e., compliance with rules and formal obligations) but was unrelated with Conformity-Interpersonal (i.e., avoidance of upsetting others). This latter correlated highly with Agreeableness. Failing to differentiate between the two Conformity subtypes may have weakened the correlation with traits in earlier studies. Findings were discussed regarding subtypes of the original 10 and newly defined values in the refined theory that showed distinct patterns of correlation with personality traits.

Culture counts: Implications of consumer preferences for more sustainable ecommerce fulfillment

Ecommerce has grown rapidly over the last few years, providing a variety of fulfillment options with various levels of harm to the environment. To inform companies' strategies, this study investigates how national culture relates to consumers' ecommerce fulfillment choices and consumers' willingness to adopt environmentally-sustainable efulfillment options. Through a survey, the research extends the Theory of Planned Behavior to ecommerce fulfillment options for U.S. and Western European consumers. Hypotheses are developed, derived from Schwartz's theory of cultural orientations. Data are analysed through Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling. Findings support that Western European consumers are more willing to switch to efulfillment transportation methods that reduce environmental impact, regardless of whether they indicate that by improving the environment is a strong value. U.S. consumers are generally unwilling to switch from their preferred ecommerce fulfillment options to more sustainable choices, with few exceptions. By unveiling differences in planned behavior related to cultural orientations, the findings support that businesses should consider differences in consumers' regional behaviors and preferences when designing their ecommerce fulfillment strategies and improving their environmental performance.

Thematic analysis using the Schwartz values theory: exploring the use of values appeals in persuasive speech during COVID-19 in Australia

AbstractThe Schwartz theory of personal values has been used extensively, and almost exclusively quantitatively, by researchers to increase understanding of the impact of values on human behaviour. While it provides a well-tested methodology and common language, the approach has been limited by its reliance on survey work, in which the researcher asks participants questions of interest, and then correlates these with respondents’ self-reporting of their values. There is limited qualitative work that has drawn on the insights of the Schwartz theory. The main exception is based on a lexicon of values words derived from Schwartz’s work which has been used to identify dominant societal values across time. We are proposing that the Schwartz theory can also be used to analyse values appeals in persuasive speech. Using thematic analysis of an example of political persuasion, we illustrate how Schwartz’s values work can be further adapted for qualitative research.

Pro-environmental food practices in EU countries strongly suggest mutually reinforcing improvements in gender equality and environmental sustainability

This paper seeks to understand how pro-environmental food practices among women and men in the EU can be supported by considering the interlinkages between gender equality and environmental sustainability. A special aspect is that the role of gender equality is interpreted in terms of Schwartz's theory on national cultural values, which relates gender equality to cultures that emphasize intellectual autonomy and egalitarianism. The paper investigated how pro-environmental food practices (including meat reduction) among women and men correlated with their countries' national income level and its level of gender equality. It was a multilevel analysis of survey data from 27 countries (Eurobarometer 95.1, Spring 2021). Considering that studies about gender equality and the environment often find problematically high correlations between gender equality and national income, this study focused on political gender equality (i.e. women's representation in parliament), which had desirable characteristics. National income and political gender equality had complementary impacts on the adoption of pro-environmental food practices (including meat reduction). Men reported more target practices when living in richer countries; the same applied even more strongly to women when living in richer and more politically gender-balanced countries. It was concluded that women may have developed more autonomy by, inter alia, adopting pro-environmental food practices. At the level of individual behavior, this illustrates “mutually reinforcing dynamics” in the pursuit of gender equality and environmental sustainability goals.

Latent profile analysis of personal values among Chinese college students: associations with mental health disorders and life satisfaction.

Interindividual differences in personal values are prevalent both within and across societies. Interindividual differences in personal value and the relationships with mental health disorders and life satisfaction remain to be holistically considered, especially in China. The present study aims to characterize personal value profiles based on Schwartz’s theory model and to examine differences in several mental health-related disorders and life satisfaction potentially across these profiles. Using convenience sampling, a sample of 8,540 Chinese college students (Mage = 18.89, SDage = 2.02, 57.7% male) from three universities completed a questionnaire assessing personal values, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, substance disorders, crime/violence, and life satisfaction. The latent profile analysis identified five personal value profiles, which were labelled as traditional social orientation, open personal orientation, open social orientation, moderate traditional social orientation, and average. Chinese college students in the three social orientation profiles reported low mental health disorders and high life satisfaction. In contrast, students in the personal orientation profile reported high mental health disorders and low life satisfaction. The results indicate the heterogeneity of Chinese college students’ personal values and the positive relationship of social-oriented values with mental health and life satisfaction in collectivist cultures.

Russian–Vietnamese mutual perceptions from linguistic and cultural perspectives

This paper investigates Russian–Vietnamese mutual perceptions based on the empirical, questionnaire-based approach. As the preliminary stage of a large-scale study devoted to revealing mutual representations of the Russian and Vietnamese people, ethnic portraits and self-portraits were compiled based on the linguistic data collected. The authors consider the study and its results as the further development of the theoretical and experimental approaches to the investigation of ethnic identification and self-identification processes. The survey participants were Russian and Vietnamese university students. The comparative analysis of the results demonstrated similarities and differences in the characteristic and personified (anthroponymic) self-portraits and portraits of the two peoples. Among the ten most frequently mentioned qualities to describe each other, kindness emerged as the only common feature. Regarding ethnic portraits, the most frequently mentioned characteristics of the Russians were hospitality, friendliness, and intelligence; while the Vietnamese portrait included such traits as hard-working, kind, and gay. The most frequent self-identification characteristics mentioned by the Russians were patience and courage, while the Vietnamese described themselves as united, hard-working and patriotic. The conclusion is made that ethnic portraits and self-portraits may differ considerably, as demonstrated above. Data obtained were systemised and analysed based of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values, which resulted in noteworthy cross-cultural differences in the perception of openness to change and conservation. Data on the personified portraits and self-portraits of Russian and Vietnamese people are of interest. The collection of names of important or just famous persons as typical representatives of the people has been collected and analysed. The combined application of the international theories and the Russian ethnic conflictology approaches may contribute to gaining a clearer picture of Russian and Vietnamese mutual and self-perceptions, which in its turn will lead to a more effective intercultural dialogue.

Do demographic predictors of personal values vary by context? A test of Schwartz's value development theory

Personal values have been shown to shape consequential social beliefs and behaviors in cultures around the world, but relatively little is known about how they develop. Schwartz argues that personal values form as individuals are exposed to social institutions which are themselves informed by cultural values and other macro-level forces. An important but largely unexamined implication of this theory is that nominally similar social categories such as gender or religion will have different effects in different countries because context-sensitive institutions will imbue them with context-specific meanings. We test this claim using eight independent, nationally representative samples that collectively include 32 European countries (total N = 374,729). We find that most relationships between social categories and personal values vary across countries. Further, country-specific effects are patterned by cultural regions, supporting the idea that similarities in macro-level influences lead to similarities in how social institutions shape personal values. These results are consistent with Schwartz's theory. Practically, they suggest that efforts to understand value development should be sensitive the particulars of specific environments.

Testing the Relative Comprehensiveness of Schwartz’s Ten Value Types with Help from Rokeach

The universality of Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values relies on the comprehensiveness of his value types, i.e., they are exhaustive of all human values, no matter where they are found. Schwartz built on Rokeach's (1973) theory of human values, however, by 1994 Schwartz had developed a theory of values that superseded Rokeach's 36 values with ten value types. Drawing on Rokeach, we tested the comprehensiveness of Schwartz's theory by statistically assessing the extent to which Schwartz's model of ten-value types and their underlying structural dimensions incorporate all of Rokeach's 36 values. We performed factor analyses on data collected from Austria, Nigeria, and South Africa with Rokeach's Values Survey Instrument and Schwartz's 21- item Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-21). Our results show that while Schwartz’s theoretical model, measured with the PVQ-21, approaches comprehensiveness, it falls short because it does not statistically accommodate six of Rokeach’s values. However, longer questionnaires based on the same core theory, especially the 56-item Schwartz Value Survey (SVS), contain these six Rokeach values. Were we to repeat our experiment using the SVS, or one of the other longer versions of the PVQ, we would likely find that all of Rokeach’s values are accommodated in Schwartz’s theory.

Values in the School Curriculum from Teacher's Perspective: A Mixed-Methods Study

The transmission of human values plays a key role in the educational landscape around the world (Matthes, 2014; Beck, 1990; Halstead, 1996), and educational frameworks (c.f. OECD, 2019; Council of Europe, 2016) as well as national school curricula (c.f. National Curriculum, Ofsted, 2018; Lehrplan 21, D-EDK, 2016) are based on values that are considered important. However, empirical research into how values are structurally reflected in school curricula and how these values are perceived in the school environment by teachers is very limited. This mixed-methods study is the first of its kind to provide findings based on data from Switzerland, where a new comprehensive curriculum has recently been introduced. Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values (1992), the most widely researched values framework, serves as its conceptual framework. A Qualitative Content Analysis of the Swiss educational curriculum (Lehrplan 21, D-EDK, 2016) revealed a wealth of references to values, with a focus on values belonging to Schwartz’ higher order values Openness to Change (Basic values: Self-Direction and Stimulation), Conservation (Tradition, Conformity and Security) and Self-Transcendence (Benevolence and Universalism). On the other hand, values belonging to the higher order value of Self-Enhancement (Power and Achievement) did not play an important role in the investigated curriculum. In a complementary quantitative study, the value statements from the Swiss educational curriculum were embedded in a questionnaire, which 108 (102 female (94.4%), 6 male (5.6%)) primary school teachers completed with regard to how they perceive the value-oriented curricular contents in their school environment. Multidimensional Scaling revealed that teachers’ perception of value-oriented curricular contents in their school environment was structured alongside Schwartz's motivational continuum of values, with values of Openness to Change being opposed to values of Conservation, and values of Self-Transcendence being opposed to values of Self-Enhancement.

Do Demographic Predictors of Personal Values Vary by Context? A Test of Schwartz's Value Development Theory

Do Demographic Predictors of Personal Values Vary by Context? A Test of Schwartz's Value Development Theory

To or not to adopt P2P accommodation: The traveler’s ethical decision-making

The objective of this study is to examine travelers’ intention to participate in peer-to-peer accommodation from an ethical perspective. An ethical decision-making model was proposed, based on Hunt–Vitell theory of ethics, moral identity theory, and Schwartz theory of human values, to examine the mechanism through which travelers’ personal values and moral identity (internationalization and symbolization) influence their ethical judgments and behavioral intentions toward peer-to-peer accommodation. Data was collected from 515 travelers who had participated in peer-to-peer accommodation within the last 12 months. The structural equation modeling results reveal that personal values affect moral identity dimensions, which in turn, positively influence ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. Moral intensity also moderates the effect of moral identity internalization on ethical judgments. The results provide valuable insights for managers to promote the adoption of peer-to-peer accommodation as a responsible travel behavior. • Social-focused values positively influence moral identity internalization. • Social-focused values positively influence moral identity symbolization. • Self-enhancement negatively influences moral identity symbolization. • Moral identity internalization and symbolization positively influence ethical judgments. • Moral intensity moderates the effect of moral identity internalization on ethical judgments.

Counterfeit patronage: human values, counterfeit experience and construal level

Counterfeit-related studies have revealed motivational drives for counterfeit consumption. Little is known concerning the implications of consumers’ enduring and normative beliefs about proper standards of conduct as the determinants of counterfeit patronage. Drawing on the Schwartz theory of human values, experience literature and construal level theory, this research investigates counterfeit patronage by addressing three crucially important questions: (1) what personal values determine counterfeit patronage; (2) how do these relationships vary as a function of counterfeit experience and (3) how do values have power in eliminating counterfeit consumption? Two studies provide robust evidence that self-transcendence values mitigate counterfeit patronage when consumers’ counterfeit experience is low. We also demonstrate that consumers who endorse self-transcendence values more exhibit higher levels of construal, which results in reduced counterfeit patronage.

Values of farmers – Evidence from Germany

Against the background of fundamentally changing political and social requirements of agricultural production, the requirement profile of farmers has changed. The future of agriculture is widely discussed. To prepare a ground for future debates and policy programme design, it is essential to obtain an understanding of which values underlie the behaviour of farmers. This paper applies Schwartz's value theory to a large quantitative survey (N = 787) of German farmers. In addition to the overall value portrait, different value portraits within the sample of farmers are analysed. Farmers of the sample first and foremost prioritise self-transcendence values followed by openness to change. Conservation and self-enhancement are ranked to be less important within the value priorities of farmers. Furthermore, three different value portraits are identifiable within the sample. These groups differ significantly in their risk attitude and involvement in structural diversification. Implications for agricultural policy design and agricultural management are derived from the results.

Variable selection consistency of Gaussian process regression

Bayesian nonparametric regression under a rescaled Gaussian process prior offers smoothness-adaptive function estimation with near minimax-optimal error rates. Hierarchical extensions of this approach, equipped with stochastic variable selection, are known to also adapt to the unknown intrinsic dimension of a sparse true regression function. But it remains unclear if such extensions offer variable selection consistency, that is, if the true subset of important variables could be consistently learned from the data. It is shown here that variable consistency may indeed be achieved with such models at least when the true regression function has finite smoothness to induce a polynomially larger penalty on inclusion of false positive predictors. Our result covers the high-dimensional asymptotic setting where the predictor dimension is allowed to grow with the sample size. The proof utilizes Schwartz theory to establish that the posterior probability of wrong selection vanishes asymptotically. A necessary and challenging technical development involves providing sharp upper and lower bounds to small ball probabilities at all rescaling levels of the Gaussian process prior, a result that could be of independent interest.

The Diversity of Value Construal: A Constructivist Approach to the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values

The Schwartz theory of basic values is the leading model in psychological research. However, few studies qualitatively approach how people make sense of value types. We propose a way to investigate this by focusing on emerging adulthood, a developmental period of exploration. Furthermore, participants are situated in the context of Balkan societies that are characterized by transitions. Relying on personal construct theory, we explored potential interpretations of values, their subordinate constructs, diversity, valence, and similarity to the definitions proposed in the theory. We used pyramiding in order to prompt constructs subordinate to each of the ten values. We applied thematic analysis to identify subordinate constructs in the 5866 responses obtained from 281 participants. The results show that participants understand abstract values through constructs that refer to specific actions, feelings, and personality traits. The values varied in the number of subordinate constructs and the degree of their deviation from the conceptual definition. There are also differences in the connotations of values or their desirability. Results show that all values, except Universalism, have a subordinate construct that expresses the negative side of the value. This study offers a more contextualized and content-oriented approach to values and has implications for future studies.

Value priorities of the Finnish farmers—Time to stop thinking of farmers as inherently conservative and traditional

AbstractFarming communities are becoming more heterogeneous and multifunctional due to various structural and environmental changes. However, it is not known if farmers' values have also become more heterogeneous. We wanted to explore potential heterogeneity in farmers' value priorities in detail across different farmer groups in Finland using the refined Schwartz theory of 19 basic human values. A representative sample of 4,401 Finnish farmers responded to a survey in 2018. The data were analysed with multidimensional scaling, confirmatory factor analysis and one‐way analysis of variance. The results show that farmers' values were heterogeneous, and differences were associated with socio‐demographic characteristics. Our findings confirmed the motivational continuum structure of values, with the exception of societal‐value. Security‐societal was the most important value for the Finnish farmers. The theory of 19 values proved useful in uncovering value priorities in detail. The security‐societal value is more a part of national identity rather than a personal motivational value in the Finnish farming community. The heterogeneity of farmers' values should be considered in more targeted policy planning.