On the Relative Importance of Personal Values Validating Schwartz's Theory of Value Structures by Computerized Paired Comparisons

Abstract

The relative importance of values is a central feature in Schwartz’s value theory. However, instruments used for validating his theory did not assess relative importance directly. Rather, values were independently rated and scores then statistically centered, person-by-person. Whether these scores match those that result from explicitly comparing values has not been tested. We study this here using the Computerized Paired Comparison of Values (CPCV). This instrument was applied to samples from Germany, Brazil, Spain, and Israel, together with Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ). CPCV- and PVQ-data were analyzed by separate and joint multidimensional scaling, generalized procrustes, and response time analyses. Results support the validity of Schwartz’s structural theory, independently of the assessment instrument used.