VALUE SURVEY

In this questionnaire you are to ask yourself: "What values are important to ME as guiding principles in
MY life, and what values are less important to me?" There are two lists of values on the following
pages. These values come from different cultures. In the parentheses following each value is an
explanation that may help you to understand its meaning.
Your task is to rate how important each value is for you as a guiding principle in your life. Use the
rating scale below:
0means the value is not at all important, it is not relevant as a guiding principle for you.
3-means the value is important.
6means the value is very important.
The higher the number (0,1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6), the more important the value is as a guiding principle in
YOUR life.
-1 is for rating any values opposed to the principles that guide you.
7 is for raring a value of supreme importance as a guiding principle in your life; ordinarily
there are no more than two such values.
In the space before each value, write the number (-1,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7) that indicates the importance of that
value for you, personally. Try to distinguish as much as possible between the values by using all the
numbers. You will, of course, need to use numbers more than once.
AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN MY LIFE, this value is:
opposed of
to my not very supreme
values important important important importance
- 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Before you begin, read the values in List I, choose the one that is most important to you and rate its
importance. Next, choose the value that is most opposed to your values and rate it -1. If there is no such
value, choose the value least important to you and rate it 0 or 1, according to its importance. Then rate
the rest of the values in List I.
VALUES LIST I
1 EQUALITY (equal opportunity for all)
2 __INNER HARMONY (at peace with myself)
3 SOCIAL POWER (control over others, dominance)
4 PLEASURE (gratification of desires)
5 FREEDOM (freedom of action and thought)
6 A SPIRITUAL LIFE (emphasis on spiritual not material matters)
7 SENSE OF BELONGING (feeling that others care about me)
8 SOCIAL ORDER (stability of society)
9 AN EXCITING LIFE (stimulating experiences)
10 MEANING IN LIFE (a purpose in life)
AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN MY LIFE, this value is:
opposed of
to my not very supreme
values important important important importance
- 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
11 POLITENESS (courtesy, good manners)
12 WEALTH (material possessions, money)
13 NATIONAL SECURITY (protection of my nation from enemies)
14 SELF RESPECT (belief in one's own worth)
15 RECIPROCATION OF FAVORS (avoidance of indebtedness)
16 CREATIVITY (uniqueness, imagination)
17 A WORLD AT PEACE (free of war and conflict)
18 RESPECT FOR TRADITION (preservation of time-honored customs)
19 MATURE LOVE (deep emotional & spiritual intimacy)
20 SELF-DISCIPLINE (self-restraint, resistance to temptation)
21 PRIVACY (the right to have a private sphere)
22 FAMILY SECURITY (safety for loved ones)
23 SOCIAL RECOGNITION (respect, approval by others)
24 UNITY WITH NATURE (fitting into nature)
25 A VARIED LIFE (filled with challenge, novelty and change)
26 WISDOM (a mature understanding of life)
27 AUTHORITY (the right to lead or command)
28 TRUE FRIENDSHIP (close, supportive friends)
29 A WORLD OF BEAUTY (beauty of nature and the arts)
30 SOCIAL JUSTICE (correcting injustice, care for the weak)
* * * * *
VALUES LIST II
Now rate how important each of the following values is for you as a guiding principle in YOUR life.
These values are phrased as ways of acting that may be more or less important for you. Once again, try
to distinguish as much as possible between the values by using all the numbers.
Before you begin, read the values in List n, choose the one that is most important to you and rate its
importance. Next, choose the value that is most opposed to your values, orif there is no such
value-choose the value least important to you, and rate it -1, 0, or 1, according to its importance. Then
rate the rest of the values.
AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN MY LIFE, this value is:
opposed of
to my not very supreme
values important important important importance
- 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
31 INDEPENDENT (self-reliant, self-sufficient)
32 MODERATE (avoiding extremes of feeling & action)
33 LOYAL (faithful to my friends, group)
34 AMBITIOUS (hard-working, aspiring)
35 BROADMTNDED (tolerant of different ideas and beliefs)
36 HUMBLE (modest, self-effacing)
37 DARING (seeking adventure, risk)
38 PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT (preserving nature)
39 INFLUENTIAL (having an impact on people and events)
40__HONORING OF PARENTS AND ELDERS (showing respect)
41 CHOOSING OWN GOALS (selecting own purposes)
42 HEALTHY (not being sick physically or mentally)
43 CAPABLE (competent, effective, efficient)
44 ACCEPTING MY PORTION IN LIFE (submitting to life's circumstances)
45 HONEST (genuine, sincere)
46 PRESERVING MY PUBLIC IMAGE (protecting my "face")
47 OBEDIENT (dutiful, meeting obligations)
48 INTELLIGENT (logical, thinking)
49 HELPFUL (working for the welfare of others)
50 ENJOYING LIFE (enjoying food, sex, leisure, etc.)
51 DEVOUT (holding to religious faith & belief)
52 RESPONSIBLE (dependable, reliable)
53 CURIOUS (interested hi everything, exploring)
54 FORGIVING (willing to pardon others)
55 SUCCESSFUL (achieving goals)
56 CLEAN (neat, tidy)
57 SELF-INDULGENT (doing pleasant things)
BACKGROUND ITEMS
Your Sex (circle): 1. Male 2. Female
Your age: Years
While you were growing up (birth to age 15), who were the people who lived in your home for at least
two years? Write the number of people in each category. Write zero if noone in category.
Parents Other Relatives
Sisters & Brothers Persons who are not relatives
How many years of education has each person completed (since 1st grade)? (estimate if not certain)
Yourself
Your Father
Your Mother
Your Marital status (circle): 1. Single 2. Married or 3. Widowed 4. Divorced
cohabiting
What is your current occupation or your occupation when last employed?
1. Teacher grades k-2 9. Other blue collar
2. Teacher grades 3-8 10. Farm owner or farm worker
3. Teacher grades 9-12 11. Secondary school student
4. School principal 12. University student: social sciences & education
5. Other professional 13. University student: humanities, arts, & law
6. Manager or business owner 14. University student: natural sciences & medicine
7. Clerical or sales worker 15. Homemaker
8. Skilled worker 16. Other not codable into 1-15
With regard to religion, with which religious group do you identify? (circle)
[List major religious groups, "Other " and "None"]
l.Xxxxxxxxxx 4. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 5. Other
3. Xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 6. None
How religious are you, if at all? (circle)
Not at Very
all religious
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Of which of the following groups are you a member? (circle)
[List main ethnic groups in your society and "Other "]
1. Xxxxxxxx 4. Xxxxxxxxxx
2. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx 5. Xxxxxxxxxxxx
3. Xxxxx xxx 6. Other
Which of the following political parties comes closest to representing your views? (circle)
[List main political parties and "Other "]
1. Xxxxxxxx 4. Xxxxxxxxxx
2. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx 5. Xxxxxxxxxxxx
3. Xxxxx xxx 6. Other
In what kind of a place did you grow up? (circle):
1. large city (500,000+) 2. small city 3. rural area 4. farm
Shalom H. Schwartz
Keying of SVS Ten Value Scales
Individual Level
Conformity
Tradition
Benevolence
Universalism
Self-Direction
Stimulation
Hedonism
Achievement
Power
Security
Cultural level
Embeddedness
Hierarchy
Mastery
Affective Autonomy
Intellectual Autonomy
Egalitarianism
Harmony
SVS items
11,20,40,47
18,32,36,44,51,
33,45,49,52,54
1,17,24,26,29,30,35,38
5,16,31,41,53
9,25,37
4,50,57
34,39,43,55
3,12,27,46
8,13,15,22,56
8,11,13,15,18,20,26,32,40,
46,47,51,54,56
3,12,27,36,39
34,37,43,55,
4,9,25,31,41,50,57
5,16,35,53
1,30,33,45,49,52
17,24,29,38
Scale Use Correction: Because individuals and cultural groups use the value scale
differently, it is necessary to correct for scale use in all analyses.
Individual Level: (1) compute each individual's total score on all values
(2) use the total score as a covariate in analyses of
variance, or a variable
to partial on in correlations
(3) for regression, first center scores of all items for an individual around
that individual's mean rating of all items
Shalom H. Schwartz
Culture Level: Compute mean sample score on all values. Subtract sample mean from 4.00.
Add the result to the score for each value dimension, (e.g., Mean = 4.5; Dimensions = 4.0;
Adj. = 3.5)
For example: Say you want to calculate a score for mastery in Chile.
1. You calculate the mean for all respondents from Chile on all 57
items in the survey. Say it is 4.375.
2. Comparing the overall mean in Chile to the international mean of 4.00,1
find that Chileans tend to use the upper part of the scale. They have a
mean that is .375 higher than the average (4.375-4.00).
3. Therefore, I will subtract .375 from whatever score I get for a cultural
dimension in Chile.
4. If the observed score on mastery in Chile, before adjusting for scale use, is 5.375 (the mean
of all mastery items across all respondents in the sample), then the adjusted score for mastery
will be 5.00 (5,375-375). That is the score to use for the mastery dimension in cross-national
comparisons.
5. Let's say the Chilean average for harmony was 2.875. Then the score on this dimension
would be corrected to 2.500 (2.875-.37S) for cross-national comparisons.
FAILURE TO CORRECT FOR SCALE USE YIELDS INCORRECT RESULTS!!!