Basic Values in Europe

Shalom SchwartzThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem

ESS Launch ConferenceBrussels

November 25, 2003

As a guiding principle in your life, how important

is: equality loyalty

wealth ambition obedience

pleasure creativity humility social orderan exciting life

What are basic values?

Basic values are beliefs about desirable goals in life.

Values are intrinsically positive (unlike goals)

Values apply across situations--all (e.g., honesty, security, freedom) apply at work, in the family, and with friends

People’s values form a fairly stable hierarchy of relative importance

(success>hedonism>security)

Relative importance of values is crucial to decisions Take a new job and move family?

(achievement & stimulation vs. security & benevolence)

Why are values important?

Functions of valuesmotivate choice of behavior--what we do

justify past behavior--why we do it

standards to evaluate people & events--who and what we like, underlie our attitudes

direct attention and perception--what we notice

Inferring Basic Values in Surveys

Surveys typically measure values with attitude questions in specific life domains (religion, morality, politics, work, etc.).

Infer underlying basic value orientations from responses to these specific questions (e.g., materialism, individualism)

But meanings of responses depend on specific social and economic conditions (e.g., meaning of “give people more say in government” depends on whether one favors or opposes current government policies)

UniversalismSelf-

Direction

Stimulation

Hedonism

Achievement

Power

Benevolence

Security

Conformity Tradition

Self-Enhancement

Openness to Change

Conservation

Self-Transcendence

Obedience Humility Devoutness

Helpfulness

Social Justice, Equality

Creativity, Freedom

Exciting Life

Pleasure

Success, Ambition

Authority, Wealth

Social Order

Organized by motivational similarities and dissimilarities

Empirical Tests of Theory

75,000 + respondents, varied samples in 68 countries

Instrument lists 57 abstract value items

“How important is each item as a guiding principle in your life?”

Near Universal Content & Structure

Each of 10 values distinguished in vast majority of countries

Comprehensive: Added items identified no other values

Oppositions present in virtually all countries Openness vs. Conservation

Self-Enhancement vs. Self Transcendence

10 values ordered around circle as theorized in vast majority of countries

Some Correlates of Value PrioritiesReplicated across Countries

voting for conservative vs liberal parties

adopting technological innovations

environmentally friendly attitudes, activities

religiosity [6 monotheistic religions]

SE/PO vs UN/SD

ST/SD vs SE/TR/CO

UN/SD vs PO/AC

TR/CO vs HE/ST

Self-Direction

STimulation

UNiversalism

BEnevolence

COnformity

Hedonism

AChievement

POwer SEcurity

TRadition

ESS Basic Values Instrument

Need easy instrument for heterogeneous samples

21 items, each portraying a person in terms of one value (goal) that is important to him/her

It's very important to him to help the people around him. He wants to care for their well-being. (BE)

Respondent rates how similar that person is to me

Indirectly reveals what values are more or less important to self

1.Thinking up new ideas and being creative is important to her. She likes to do things in her own original way. (Self-Direction)

1 2 3 4 5 6

2. It is important to her to be rich. She wants to have a lot of money and expensive things. (Power)

1 2 3 4 5 6

3. She thinks it is important that every person in the world be treated equally. She believes everyone should have equal opportunities in life. (Universalism)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Very much like me

Like me

Some-what like me

A little like me

Not like me

Not like

me at all

How much like you is this person?ESS Basic Values Exemplary Items and Response Scale

Value Structures in Europe: Findings

Across Europe, people’s values are organized in the same way as postulated by theory

Oppositions (openness vs. conservation; self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence) present in all countries

Exactly or very near theorized order of 10 values in every country

In 13 countries, every item in expected value region; in two countries, one item near region

This signifies relative equivalence of value meanings across countries—now compare importance

Self-Direction (3-6)

Achievement(5-9)

Conformity(4-9)

Sweden

Universalism (1-4)

Czech

Greece

Hungary

Slovenia

Poland

Spain

Ireland

Norway

Finland

Netherl

Israel

Switzl

Portugal Britain

Security(1-5) Tradition(4-7)

Stimulation (8-10)

Pow

er (8-10)

Benevolence (1

-4)

Opposition to Outgroup ImmigrationPredictors in 10 West European Countries

Opposition: allow people of a different race or ethnic group from most, residualized on allow same (1-4 scale). All betas p<.001. Age, unemployment, rural-urban do not predict significantly.

Allow no immi-grants

R2=.085Education Years

Religiosity

Universalism Values

Security Values

Household Income

Tradition Values

Benevolence Values

Conformity Values

Native Born

Gender Male

-.03

-.03

.04

.04

.04

.05

.07

-.11

-.15

.11

Perceived Consequences of ImmigrationPredictors in 10 West European Countries

Consequences: increase jobs, pay more taxes than services used, improve economy, enrich culture, country better place to live, reduce crime problem: alpha at least .80 in all countries.All betas p<.001; Age & Unemployment do not predict significantly

Index of 6 Positive

Effects

R2=.173

Education Years

Native Born

Universalism Values

Security Values

Household Income

Tradition Values

Benevolence Values

Conformity Values

Religiosity

Rural

Gender M

.20

.17

-.14

.07

-.11

-.03

-.05

-.05

.03

.06

.04

Value Structures in Europe: Test

MDS analysis in each country

Arranges items in space to show which ones are similar and different—based on correlations

Items representing each value should form a distinct region

Value regions should array in space around circle as in theory

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | 3 | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | 1 | | 19 | | |

| 12 11 | | 18 | | | | | | |

| 6 | | | | |

| 9 | | |

| 21 | | 15| | 10 | | 14 | | | | |

| 20 5 13 | | |

| 16 4 | | | | | | | | | | | |

| 7 17 2 | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

PO SE CO

TR

BE

AC

HE

ST

SD UN

Universalism

Benevolence

Self-Direction

Stimulation

Tradition Hedonism

Achievement Conformity

Power Security

CH, SE PL, GR

FI, CH GR, IL

SE, CH HU, SL

GR, PT FI, NL

GB, FI HU, CZ

CH, HU CZ, PL

IL, SL FI, CZ

GR, IL CH, FI

CZ, HU NO, SE

CZ PL PT, CH

Highest Lowest

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

Average Value Priorities in 15 Countries

Correlation Value Order Country x AverageMean .92( .84 to .99) IL ES

Countries Ordered on Value Priorities 1TRADITION CONFORMITY SECURITY

1 Greece Czech Rep. Czech Rep.

2 Czech Rep. Poland Hungary

3 Portugal Norway Poland

4 Poland Finland Greece

5 Slovenia Greece Portugal

6 Spain Netherlands Ireland

7 Ireland Spain Spain

8 Hungary Ireland Finland

9 Sweden Great Britain Israel

10 Norway Slovenia Great Britain

11 Switzerland Sweden Slovenia

12 Great Britain Hungary Netherlands

13 Israel Israel Switzerland

14 Finland Portugal Norway

15 Netherlands Switzerland Sweden

Countries Ordered on Value Priorities 2POWER ACHIEVEMENT HEDONISM

1 Greece Israel Switzerland

2 Israel Slovenia Hungary

3 Poland Portugal Netherlands

4 Spain Hungary Sweden

5 Czech Rep. Great Britain Israel

6 Slovenia Ireland Slovenia

7 Hungary Poland Portugal

8 Norway Greece Finland

9 Ireland Netherlands Greece

10 Sweden Switzerland Great Britain

11 Portugal Norway Spain

12 Great Britain Spain Norway

13 Netherlands Sweden Ireland

14 Switzerland Finland Czech Rep.

15 Finland Czech Rep. Poland

Countries Ordered on Value Priorities 3STIMULATION SELF-DIRECTION UNIVERSALISM BENEVOLENCE

Great Britain Switzerland Finland Sweden

Finland Sweden Switzerland Switzerland

Slovenia Netherlands Czech Rep. Norway

Netherlands Great Britain Sweden Finland

Norway Norway Norway Czech Rep.

Sweden Finland Spain Spain

Ireland Ireland Ireland Great Britain

Switzerland Czech Rep. Netherlands Netherlands

Poland Israel Great Britain Portugal

Israel Spain Poland Ireland

Spain Hungary Slovenia Israel

Portugal Slovenia Hungary Poland

Greece Portugal Portugal Greece

Hungary Poland Greece Hungary

Czech Rep. Greece Israel Slovenia

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Comments on Value Circle 1

Aim to derive set of universally recognized values

Content of values derives from the basic goals that people in all societies must pursue

People must communicate with each other to gain cooperation in pursuing their goals

needs of biological organism--e.g. hedonism

demands of social interaction--e.g. achievement

requirements for group survival--e.g. security

Comments on Value Circle 2

Define each value in turn, noting exemplary value itemsOpenness to ChangeSELF‑DIRECTION: Independent thought and action‑choosing, creating, exploring.

(Creativity, Freedom, Independent, Curious...)

STIMULATION: Excitement, novelty, and challenge in life. (Daring, a Varied Life, an Exciting Life)

ConservationSECURITY: Safety, harmony and stability of society, of relationships, and of self. (Family

Security, National Security, Social Order, Clean...)

CONFORMITY: Restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others and violate social expectations or norms. (Politeness, Obedient, Honoring Parents and Elders...)

TRADITION: Respect, commitment and acceptance of the customs and ideas that traditional culture or religion provide the self. (Humble, Devout, Respect for Tradition...)

Self-Enhancement POWER: Social status and prestige, control or dominance over people and resources.

(Social Power, Authority, Wealth...)

ACHIEVEMENT: Personal success through demonstrating competence according to social standards. (Successful, Ambitious, Influential...)

Self-TranscendenceUNIVERSALISM: Understanding, appreciation, tolerance and protection for the welfare

of all people and for nature. (Broadminded, Social Justice, Equality, Protecting the Environment)

BENEVOLENCE: Preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one is in frequent personal contact. (Helpful, Honest, Forgiving...)

HEDONISM: Pleasure and sensuous gratification for oneself. (Pleasure, Enjoying Life)

Comments on Value Circle 3

Structure reflects consequences of acting on various values

Adjacent values share motivation & are compatible (conformity & security)

(power & achievement)

Distant values have opposing motivations, conflict (power vs. benevolence) (hedonism & tradition)

Values form a motivational continuum [colors not categorical]

Theory aspires to comprehensive coverage of major motivationally distinct types of values

Linking Value Priorities & Other Variables

Circular structure and motivational continuum implyall 10 values associate systematically with any other

variablevalue with most positive association is usually opposite

value with most negative association

ST

SD UN

BE

TRHE

COAC

PO SE