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The ‘dark side’ of personal values: Relations to clinical constructs and their implications

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Personal values are considered as guiding principles in one's life. Much of previous research on values has consequently focused on its relations with variables that are considered positive, including subjective well-being, personality traits, or behavior (e.g. health-related). However, in this study (N=366) the negative ‘dark’ side of values is examined. Specifically, the study investigated the relations between Schwartz' (1992) ten value types and four different clinical variables — anxiety, depression, stress, and schizotypy with its subdimensions, unusual experience, cognitive disorganization, introverted anhedonia, and impulsive nonconformity. Positive relations between achievement and depression and stress, and negative relations between anxiety and hedonism and stimulation were predicted and found. Multiple regressions revealed that the ten value types explained the most variance in impulsive nonconformity and the least variance in unusual experience. Overall, values were better in predicting more cognitive clinical variables (e.g., cognitive disorganization) whereas clinical constructs were better in predicted more affective values (e.g., hedonism). Implications of the findings for value research are discussed.
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The dark sideof personal values: Relations to clinical constructs and
their implications
Paul H.P. Hanel
a,
,UweWolfradt
b
a
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, CF10 3AT Cardiff, United Kingdom
b
Department of Psychology, Martin-Luther-University of Halle, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
abstractarticle info
Article history:
Received 2 September 2015
Received in revised form 15 March 2016
Accepted 17 March 2016
Available online xxxx
Personal values are considered as guiding principles in one's life. Much of previous research on values has
consequently focused on its relations with variables that are considered positive, including subjective
well-being, personality traits, or behavior (e.g. health-related). However, in this study (N= 366) the negative
darkside of values is examined. Specically, the study investigated the relations between Schwartz' (1992)
ten value types and four different clinical variables anxiety, depression, stress, and schizotypy with its
subdimensions, unusual experience, cognitive disorganization,introverted anhedonia, and impulsive nonconfor-
mity. Positive relations between achievement and depression and stress, and negative relations between anxiety
and hedonism and stimulation were predictedand found. Multiple regressions revealed that the ten value types
explained the most variance in impulsive nonconformity and the least variance in unusual experience. Overall,
values werebetter in predictingmore cognitive clinicalvariables (e.g.,cognitive disorganization)whereas clinical
constructs were better in predicted more affective values (e.g., hedonism). Implications of the ndings for value
research are discussed.
© 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords:
Personal values
Schizotypy
Depression
Anxiety
Stress
1. Introduction
Personal values are usually considered as cognitive concepts or
beliefs that transcend specic situations and guide behavior and its
evaluation (Maio, 2010; Schwartz, 1992). There have been different
attempts to conceptualize personal values on an individual level.
Based on the value approach by Rokeach (1973), Schwartz and Bilsky
(Schwartz, 1992; Schwartz & Bilsky, 1987) have developed a motiva-
tional circumplex model with 56personal values which can be grouped
into ten value types (Fig. 1): universalism (e.g. equality, protection for
the welfare of all people and for nature), benevolence (e.g. helpfulness,
preservation of the welfare of people), tradition (e.g. respect, humility),
conformity (e.g. obedience, honoring parents), security (e.g. safety and
social order), power (e.g. authority, dominance), achievement (e.g. per-
sonal success, ambition), hedonism (e.g. pleasure, enjoying life), stimu-
lation (e.g. exciting life, varied life), and self-direction (e.g. independent
thought, creativity).
One important feature of Schwartz' circumplex model is its motiva-
tional continuum. Two adjacent value types are motivationally similar,
that is positively correlated, orthogonal value types are unrelated ac-
cording to the assumptions of Schwartz (1992), and opposing value
types are negatively correlated. Crucially, this prediction holds true for
relations between values and variables such as personality traits
(e.g., Parks-Leduc, Feldman, & Bardi, 2014). Thus, when the value
types are plotted according to their proposed order along the x-axis
and the correlation coefcients on the y-axis, the correlational pattern
resembles a sine wave.
Numerous studies have focused on the relations between values and
constructs of positive affectivity such as subjective well-being and
satisfaction with life. For example, Haslam, Whelan, and Bastian
(2009) found that many value types were closely connected to positive
affect, but not with negative affect. This is in line with other research
that found no relations between personal values and neuroticism
(Parks-Leduc, Feldman, & Bardi, 2014; Roccas, Sagiv, Schwartz, &
Knafo, 2002). However, other studies have found relations between
values and negative affectivity, although the results were inconsistent.
Jarden (2010) for instance found negative relations of self-direction,
stimulation, and hedonism value types with depressed mood. In a
Chinese sample, the burnout dimension exhaustion was found to be
related to conformity, but another dimension, losing interest, was not
(Jia, Rowlinson, Kvan, Lingard, & Yip, 2009). A study among native
American adolescents revealed negative relations between depression
and tradition/benevolence. However, power/materialism and security/
hedonism values did not display any associations with depression
Personality and Individual Differences 97 (2016) 140145
All authors contributed equally to this work
Corresponding author at: School of Psychology, Cardiff University, CF10 3AT Cardiff,
United Kingdom.
E-mail addresses: hanelph@cardiff.ac.uk (P.H.P. Hanel),
uwe.wolfradt@psych.uni-halle.de (U. Wolfradt).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.045
0191-8869/© 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Personality and Individual Differences
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/paid
(Mousseau, Scott, & Estes, 2013). In a Brazilian sample, relations be-
tween values and psychopathy were observed (Monteiro, 2014): plea-
sure, success, and power were found to be positively related to
the psychopathological subdimensions boldness and disinhibition.
Kajonius, Persson, and Jonason (2015) found positive relations between
hedonism, achievement, and power with the dark triad, which consists
of machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Silfver et al. (2008)
found positive correlations of universalism and benevolence with guilt
proneness.
The present study aims to extend the small empirical support that
personal values are also related to clinical constructs, in our case anxi-
ety, depression, and schizotypy. Because of the little empirical research
on this topic, we rst turn to a set of constructs that has a similar
theoretical and empirical base as personal values: personality traits.
Numerous studies have investigated the relations between many
clinical variables and personality traits.
1.1. Personal values and personality traits
Both personal values and personality traits have their common roots
in the language, which are encoded as linguistic descriptors for individ-
ual traits and behavior (lexical hypothesis). Therefore, several studies
considered values and traits as different components of personality
(e.g., Saroglou & Muñoz-García, 2008). Another approach emphasizes
the biologicalmotivational basis of values and traits (McCrae & Costa,
2008). This is because both constructs motivate individual behavior.
Indeed, a behavioral genetics study showed that personal values as
well as personality traits share common genetic factors (Schermer,
Vernon, Maio, & Jang, 2011). Further support for a close link between
personal values and personality traits of the ve-factor model is provid-
ed by a meta-analysis that has found consistent correlational patterns
(Parks-Leduc et al., 2014). For example, stimulation, self-direction, and
universalism correlated positively with openness to experience,
whereas security, conformity, and tradition correlated negatively.
Agreeableness was highly correlated with benevolence and negatively
with power. However, the relations between values and other personal-
ity traits are not as consistent as they are for openness and
agreeableness. Neuroticism or emotional stability, for instance, showed
no substantial correlation to any of the ten value types.
1.2. Personality traits and clinical constructs
Numerous studies have investigated the relations between the
Big-Five and clinical variables, including anxiety and schizotypy. For
example, neuroticism correlated positively and extraversion and
conscientiousness correlated negatively with anxiety. Agreeableness
and openness were mainly unrelated to anxiety disorders, as a meta-
analysis revealed (Kotov, Gamez, Schmidt, & Watson, 2010).
Schizotypal traits can be considered as both mild personality
features and as a predisposition toward schizophrenia. Schizotypal
traits reected aspects of positive symptoms (unusual experiences),
negative symptoms (introverted anhedonia), and impulsive nonconfor-
mity and cognitive disorganization (Lenzenweger, 2015). Mason,
Claridge, and Jackson (1995) have proposed a multidimensional
model of schizotypy with aspects of positive- schizotypy (reecting
the positive symptomatology of schizophrenia), asocial-schizotypy
(reecting antisocial, impulsive and tough-minded behavior),
disorganized-schizotypy (reecting a difculty with attention and
social anxiety), and negative-schizotypy (reecting the negative symp-
tomatology of schizophrenia). Meta-analyses on the relations between
personality traits (Big-Five) and schizotypal traits showed that positive
symptoms are positively related to openness to new experience
(Samuel & Widiger, 2008; Saulsman & Page, 2004).
1.3. The present study
The aim of the present study is to examine the relations between
value priorities and the four clinical constructs anxiety, depression,
stress, and schizotypy with its 4 facets. Based on previous ndings
described above and the common base of values and personality traits,
the following hypotheses were derived.
Valuing achievement is dened by Schwartz (1992) as demonstrat-
ing competence. This can include (time) pressure and a lot of demand-
ing work, which in turn can lead to stress and even depressive
symptoms. Therefore, it was hypothesized that stress and depressive
symptoms are positively related to achievement. On the other hand,
given that volunteer work and well-being are positively associated
(Thoits & Hewitt, 2001), benevolence and universalism should be nega-
tively associated with stress and depressive symptoms. This is also in
line with the motivational continuum of the quasi-circumplex model
(Schwartz, 1992), which predicts opposing pattern of results for oppos-
ing value types (cf. Fig. 1).
Anxiety was expected to be negatively related to hedonism and
stimulation, as for both of these value types, Schwartz stated that
courage and outgoingness are needed to at least some degree.
Furthermore, a negative relation to self-direction was not expected
because those values are more cognitive than stimulation and hedo-
nism. Previous studies have found relations between conservatism
and different types of anxiety (e.g., death anxiety and fear of threat
and loss (Jost, Glaser, Kruglanski, & Sulloway, 2003). Therefore, a posi-
tive relation between anxiety and security, tradition, and conformity
was expected.
Positive relations between the schizotypal subdimension impulsive
nonconformity with stimulation and hedonism, as well as negative
ones with security, tradition, and conformity were expected, because
impulsive nonconformity can be considered as an extreme form of
openness. This prediction is in line with the above discussed nding
that the personality trait openness is linked to impulsive nonconformity
(Samuel & Widiger, 2008; Saulsman & Page, 2004). Introverted anhedo-
nia is predicted to be negatively related to stimulation and hedonism.
However, we do not expect positive relations between introverted an-
hedonia with tradition and conformity because we consider them as
conceptually different constructs. As valuing security implies harmony
Fig. 1. The value model of Schwartz (1992).
141P.H.P. Hanel, U. Wolfradt / Personality and Individual Differences 97 (2016) 140145
and stability (Schwartz, 1992), a negative relation with the cognitive
disorganizationsubdimension of schizotypy was hypothesized. Unusual
experience was expected to be unrelated to all value types.
Furthermore, in an exploratory step, we investigated in a series of
multiple regressions, which clinical construct can be best predicted by
all value types and, reversing the dependent and independent variables,
which value type can be best predicted by all clinical constructs. This can
give us greater insight into the nature of personal values as it can help to
reveal which psychological states (i.e., clinical variables) are completely
unrelated and provide evidence of the discriminant validity of values.
We only expected, based on the rational given above that rather affec-
tive value types such as hedonism and stimulation will more strongly
predict the clinical variables than more cognitive value types such as
self-direction and universalism (cf. Schwartz, 1992), because the clinical
variables used are mainly affective.
2. Method
2.1. Participants
Participants were 366 students of various disciplines from an East
German university (M
age
= 21.72, SD = 3.38, range =1839, 236
females). Participants volunteered to participate and were not
compensated.
2.2. Measures
The full Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ-40) was used (Schwartz
et al., 2001) in its German translation (Schmidt, Bamberg, Davidov,
Herrmann, & Schwartz, 2007) to assess the 10 value types of
Schwartz' (1992) value model. Participants were given a short descrip-
tion of a person (i.e., portrait) and were asked to rate how similar they
are to this person on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 very similar to
6 very dissimilar. To facilitate interpretation, all value items have been
recoded prior to the analyses reported below. The reliabilities
(Table 1) are similar to the ones reported in the original validation
paper of the PVQ (Schwartz et al., 2001). Following the suggestions of
Schwartz (1992) and Schwartz et al. (2001), the 40 items of the PVQ
were centered in order to control for individual scale use tendencies.
The short form of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-
21; Henry & Crawford, 2005) was used to measure depression, anxiety,
and stress. Example items are I couldn't seem to experience any posi-
tive feeling at allfor depression, I felt scared without any good reason
for anxiety, and Ifounditdifcult to relaxfor stress. Each of the three
clinical personality constructs was measured with seven items on a
4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 never to 3 almost always.
Finally schizotypy was measured with the OxfordLiverpool
Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-Life; Mason, Linney, &
Claridge, 2005), a short scale consisting of 43 items consisting of the
four factors: unusual experience, cognitive disorganization, introverted
anhedonia, and impulsive nonconformity. Answers were given on a
yesno response scale (0 and 1).
The scales described were part of a larger survey, unrelated to the
present study.
2.3. Procedure
The questionnaire was completed within one large group session.
3. Results
The data le is available at osf.io/32ja6.
Table 1
Zero-order-correlations between personal values and clinical measures.
MSD1234567891011121314151617
1) Universalism .28 .62 .77
2) Self-direction .63 .56 .06 .51
3) Stimulation .20 .86 .02 .28⁎⁎⁎ .68
4) Hedonism .50 .81 .19⁎⁎⁎ .04 .41⁎⁎ .79
5) Achievement .06 .78 .46⁎⁎⁎
.07 .14⁎⁎ .01 .77
6) Power .98 .92 .48⁎⁎⁎
.07 .13.04 .39⁎⁎⁎ .70
7) Security .11 .62 .23⁎⁎⁎
.29⁎⁎⁎
.44⁎⁎⁎
.33⁎⁎⁎ .10 .04 .57
8) Tradition .29 .71 .18⁎⁎⁎
.45⁎⁎⁎
.44⁎⁎⁎
.29⁎⁎⁎
.11
.14⁎⁎ .20⁎⁎⁎ .35
9) Conformity .94 .74 .07 .25⁎⁎
.28⁎⁎⁎
.36⁎⁎⁎
.37⁎⁎⁎
.26⁎⁎⁎
.01 .27⁎⁎⁎ .64
10) Benevolence .88 .57 .14⁎⁎ .02 .02 .05 .36⁎⁎⁎
.34⁎⁎⁎
.27⁎⁎⁎ .02 .05 .63
11) Anxiety .38 .36 .10
.03 .14⁎⁎
.18⁎⁎ .07 .06 .05 .04 .06 .01 .61
12) Depression .64 .53 .01 .05 .09 .20⁎⁎⁎ .14⁎⁎ .02 .00 .10 .00 .04 .51⁎⁎⁎ .82
13) Stress .94 .58 .02 .11
.11
.20⁎⁎⁎ .18⁎⁎⁎
.02 .06 .09 .02 .04 .54⁎⁎⁎ .66⁎⁎⁎ .83
14) S: unusual experiences .29 .21 .13
.07 .06 .02 .00 .00 .09 .01 .01 .04 .44⁎⁎⁎ .37⁎⁎⁎ .35⁎⁎⁎ .71
15) S: cognitive disorganization .41 .24 .14⁎⁎
.14⁎⁎ .07 .14⁎⁎
.06 .12
.20⁎⁎⁎ .08 .09 .04 .30⁎⁎⁎ .35⁎⁎⁎ .39⁎⁎⁎ .41⁎⁎⁎ .72
16) S: introverted anhedonia .15 .14 .01 .08 .26⁎⁎⁎
.18⁎⁎ .08 .15⁎⁎ .12.13.10 .18⁎⁎ .23⁎⁎⁎ .26⁎⁎⁎ .23⁎⁎⁎ .18⁎⁎ .18⁎⁎⁎ .47
17) S: impulsive nonconformity .38 .18 .02 .10 .21⁎⁎⁎ .20⁎⁎ .15⁎⁎ .19⁎⁎⁎
.15⁎⁎
.22⁎⁎⁎
.32⁎⁎⁎
.11.27⁎⁎⁎ .28*⁎⁎ .24⁎⁎⁎ .39⁎⁎⁎ .35⁎⁎⁎ .12.49
Note. Numbers in main diagonal are Cronbach's α. S: schizotypy.
pb.05.
⁎⁎ pb.01.
⁎⁎⁎ pb.001.
142 P.H.P. Hanel, U. Wolfradt / Personality and Individual Differences 97 (2016) 140145
3.1. Descriptive statistics and correlations
First, the overall zero-order-correlations were calculated. As can be
seen in Table 2 most hypotheses were supported. As predicted, stress
and depression were positively related to achievement values, but also
negatively with hedonism. Anxiety was negatively related to stimula-
tion and hedonism values. Contrary to our expectation, we did not
nd signicant relations between anxiety and security, tradition, and
conformity, although all three correlation coefcients were in the pre-
dicted direction. Combining all the conservation values (security, tradi-
tion, conformity) into one variable did not result in a signicant
correlation either r(364) = .08, p=.07.
Impulsive nonconformity correlated positively with stimulation and
hedonism values, but also, somewhat surprisingly, with achievement
and power values. As predicted, we found negative correlations
between introverted anhedonia and stimulation and hedonism, but
also, unexpectedly, positive correlations with power,security, and tradi-
tion. The correlation between cognitive disorganization and security
was negative, as predicted. Unusual experience did not correlate with
any value type, except for universalism. The pattern of correlations
remained the same after controlling for gender and age.
3.2. Multiple regressions
In the next step, we explored which clinical variables are best pre-
dicted by personal values. Impulsive nonconformity was best predicted
by all ten value types combined while unusual experience was the least
predicted clinical variable. None of the 10 value types reached statistical
signicance in any of the seven multiple regressions after controlling for
the other nine value types.
Finally, a series of regression was conducted to test which value
types were better predicted by all seven clinical variables. As can be
seen in Table 3, hedonism and tradition were best predicted by the
seven clinical variables, whereas universalism was very weakly predict-
ed. The subdimensions of schizotypy explained in a hierarchical regres-
sion additional variance, if entered in a second step (columns 5 and 6 in
Table 3). For most value types, schizotypy explained substantial more
variance than anxiety, depression, and stress. For example, the four
schizotypy dimensions explained 14% out of the total 16% variance of
stimulation. Overall, no multicollinearity was observed (all VIFs b2.1).
4. Discussion
The aim of the present study was to investigate the relations
between personal values and clinical aspects of personality. It focused
on anxiety, depression, stress, and four subdimensions of schizotypy.
First, all variables with the exception of the schizotypal
subdimension, unusual experience, were related in a theoretical
meaningful way with personal values. Stimulation and hedonism were
negatively related to anxiety. The ndings are in line with the results
of Monteiro (2014), who has found positive relations between boldness
and openness values such as stimulation and hedonism. Because open-
ness to experience as a personality trait was unrelated to anxiety and
depression (Kotov et al., 2010), this indicates that openness values
and traits, despite being related (Parks-Leduc et al., 2014), differ in
predicting clinical constructs.
Second, stimulation and hedonism correlated positively with the
schizotypal subdimension impulsive nonconformity. This is interesting,
because impulsive nonconformity may be considered as an undesirable
construct, as it refers to impulsive, aggressive, and asocial aspects of
psychosis based on the Eysenck dimension psychoticism (Eysenck &
Eysenck, 1975) and the hypomania construct (elevation of mood,
feeling of grandiosity, risk taking etc.). In other words, stimulation and
hedonism are both positively and negatively related to undesirable
constructs (impulsive nonconformity and the DAS-scales, respectively).
On the other hand, it was argued that impulsive nonconformity can also
be considered as a benecial trait, because of its relations to creativity
(Acar & Sen, 2013; Cohen, Mohr, Ettinger, Chan, & Park, 2015). Further,
we assume that benevolence is negatively related to impulsive noncon-
formity, because altruistic values such as loyalty and honesty require
some reliability on the person, which may be incompatible with
impulsivity.
Introverted anhedonia was aspredicted negatively related to stimu-
lation and hedonism, likely because anhedonia is a key symptom of
major depression (Pizzagalli, 2014) and those two value types are neg-
atively related to depression (see above). However, somewhat surpris-
ingly, introverted anhedonia was positively related to power, security
and tradition, and negatively to benevolence. The latter is consistent
with previous research reporting a negative relation between negative
schizotypy and interest in social contact (Kwapil, Brown, Silvia, Myin-
Germeys, & Barrantes-Vidal, 2012). The nding that introverted anhe-
donia is positively related to power contradicts previous studies that
suggest that power correlates with extraversion (Parks-Leduc et al.,
2014). Further research is needed to resolve this contradiction.
Disentangling both constructs, introverted anhedonia and extraversion,
may very well be a promising approach.
As assumed, cognitive disorganization was negatively related to
security, but also with power and self-direction. This can indicate that
at least some structure is required for power and self-direction. Overall,
the correlational pattern of openness values such as hedonism and
stimulation with schizotypy was similar to the one found between the
personality trait openness and schizotypy (Samuel & Widiger, 2008;
Saulsman & Page, 2004).
It is of theoretical interest that our ndings, although predicted and
meaningful, did in general not follow the expected sinusoidal pattern
(Schwartz, 1992). That is, if a clinical variable is positively related to
one value type, it should also be positively related to adjacent value
types, unrelated to orthogonal value types, and negatively related to
Table 2
Amount of explained variance by all ten value types.
R
2
Adj. R
2
F
Anxiety .06 .04 2.56⁎⁎
Depression .08 .06 3.37⁎⁎⁎
Stress .10 .08 3.95⁎⁎⁎
Schizotypy: unusual experiences .05 .02 1.90
Schizotypy: cognitive disorganization .13 .11 5.43⁎⁎⁎
Schizotypy: introverted anhedonia .12 .09 4.76⁎⁎⁎
Schizotypy: impulsive nonconformity .18 .15 7.55⁎⁎⁎
pb.05.
⁎⁎ pb.01.
⁎⁎⁎ pb.001.
Table 3
Amount of explained variance by all clinical variables and for schizotypy above anxiety,
depression, and stress.
R
2
Adj. R
2
FΔR
2
ΔF
Universalism .05 .03 2.82⁎⁎ .03 3.13
Self-direction .06 .04 3.15⁎⁎ .05 4.34⁎⁎
Stimulation .16 .14 9.79⁎⁎⁎ .14 14.81⁎⁎⁎
Hedonism .19 .17 11.86⁎⁎⁎ .14 15.03⁎⁎⁎
Achievement .09 .07 4.74⁎⁎⁎ .05 4.85⁎⁎⁎
Power .12 .10 6.63⁎⁎⁎ .11 10.84⁎⁎⁎
Security .10 .08 5.39⁎⁎⁎ .09 8.77⁎⁎⁎
Tradition .17 .15 10.46⁎⁎⁎ .17 17.76⁎⁎⁎
Conformity .11 .09 6.21⁎⁎⁎ .10 9.80⁎⁎⁎
Benevolence .06 .05 3.48⁎⁎ .06 5.73⁎⁎⁎
Note.ΔR
2
: Amount of explained variance of schizotypy above anxiety, depression, and
stress (hierarchical regression).
pb.05.
⁎⁎ pb.01.
⁎⁎⁎ pb.001.
143P.H.P. Hanel, U. Wolfradt / Personality and Individual Differences 97 (2016) 140145
opposing value types. For example, albeit stress was negatively related
to self-direction, stimulation, and hedonism, it was positively related
to achievement and again (non-signicant) negativeto power, violating
the assumption of a motivational continuum. A similar violation can be
found for the other clinical variables, with the exception of impulsive
nonconformity, which follows the proposed sinusoidal pattern well.
This indicates that variables can be related to Schwartz' values without
following the proposed sinusoidal pattern (cf. Schwartz, 1992).
Finally, a series of multiple regression analyses revealed that the
subdimensions of schizotypy with the exception of unusual experience
were better predicted by all of Schwartz' (1992) ten value types than
anxiety, depression, and stress. This nding is interesting from a theo-
retical point of view because it indicates that personal values are more
strongly associated with cognitive variables than affective ones, which
is in line with predominant denitions of values as cognitive constructs
(e.g., Maio, 2010). The schizotypy subdimensions (Mason et al., 2005)
represent the cognitive aspects of experiences in comparison to the di-
mension of the DASS, which reect more negative affect (Henry &
Crawford, 2005). This assumption is further supported by the fact that
anxiety, depression, and stress are stronger related to affective value
types such as hedonism and stimulation compared to cognitive value
types such as self-direction or universalism.
Our ndings show that personal values can be positively related to
negativeconstructs. In other words, essential principles that are person-
ally important can be both negatively as well as positively related to be-
havior, feelings, and affect that are generally considered as negative and
unwanted. Given that achievement, hedonism, and stimulation can be
considered as value types with a strong personal focus (Schwartz
et al., 2012), which are promoted in individualistic countries such as
Germany (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010), the ndings also reveal
a potential dark sideof individualism. Individualistic culture empha-
sizes the individual autonomy more and a low power distance with
the consequences of more norm transgressions. On the other hand,
more conservative/collectivistic values such as tradition and conformity
are mostly unrelated to the clinical variables used in the present study.
This is somewhat contradictory to previous ndings, stating that indi-
vidualism is in general positively associated with well-being and nega-
tively with social anxiety (Diener, Diener, & Diener, 1995). Therefore it
would be interesting to investigate whether the same pattern of rela-
tions can be found in collectivistic societies.
Our study has also some limitations. Just as previous studies
investigating the relations between personal values and clinical
variables (e.g., Jarden, 2010; Jia et al., 2009; Mousseau et al., 2013), a
non-clinical sample was used in the present study. Clinical samples
would reveal further interesting insights about the structure and prior-
ities of personal values with regard to the claimed universality of both
(Schwartz, 1992; Schwartz & Bardi, 2001). Moreover, future studies
could investigate whether the relations between personal values and
clinical variables are mediated by the Big-Five traits, as are the relations
between values and well-being (Haslam, Whelan, & Bastian, 2009).
In conclusion, the present study shows interesting relations between
personal values and clinical variables. Values were better in predicting
cognitive clinical variables (e.g., cognitive disorganization) and more af-
fective values (e.g., hedonism) were better predicted by them. In a
broader framework, personality traits, personal values, goals, and
needs should be integrated in a general theory of the structure of moti-
vation to understand the underlying processes among the similar con-
structs (Schwartz, 2011). McAdams (1995) has already shown that
traits and values can be hierarchically ordered on different personality
levels. In a recent study by McGabe and Fleeson (2016) the role of traits
for motivational processes, goal attaining, was examined. They found
that person differed from each other in traits because they pursued
different goals. We would like to add, this nding may have occurred
because they have different personal values.
Acknowledgment
We thank Katia C. Vione and Kenisha Nelson for comments on an
earlier version of this article. The authors acknowledge nancial support
from the School of Psychology, Cardiff University (http://psych.cf.ac.uk/),
and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC; http://www.esrc.ac.uk/)
to the rst author (ES/J500197/1). The funders had no role in the study
design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation
of the manuscript.
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... Similarly, to be a socially-conscious consumer, one needs to attach more to universalism, benevolence, and security, and accentuate less power, achievement, and materialistic values (see Lee and Cho 2019). Further, individuals valuing security, may attach to harmony and stability values in life (Schwartz 1994) thus revealing less disorganized and irrational behaviors (Hanel and Wolfradt 2016) that lead to a higher propensity to compulsive buying. Lastly, benevolence-and conformity-oriented people also may connect less with compulsive buying because being loyal, helpful, with a humility requires serenity on the person; stability, and personal order are incompatible with impulsivity (Hanel and Wolfradt 2016). ...
... Further, individuals valuing security, may attach to harmony and stability values in life (Schwartz 1994) thus revealing less disorganized and irrational behaviors (Hanel and Wolfradt 2016) that lead to a higher propensity to compulsive buying. Lastly, benevolence-and conformity-oriented people also may connect less with compulsive buying because being loyal, helpful, with a humility requires serenity on the person; stability, and personal order are incompatible with impulsivity (Hanel and Wolfradt 2016). Note that personal disharmony is negatively related with security, power and self-direction values (Saulsman and Page 2004). ...
... Importantly, as compulsive buying interrelates with impulsive buying, we also contribute to the work of Campbell (2020) who noted that materialism is conducive to harmful consumerism trends, enhanced by individualism (see also Campbell 2020;Campbell and Campbell 2018). As various works and evidence on compulsive buying explain (Müller, Mitchell, and de Zwaan 2015;Shoham and Makovec Brenčič 2003) individualistic consumers exhibit higher impulsive buying symptoms (Coelho et al. 2023;Darrat, Darrat, and Amyx 2016;Hanel and Wolfradt 2016;Roberts and Pirog III 2004), which inherently set a fertile ground for further compulsive buying tendencies (Lawrence and Elphinstone 2021;Maccarrone-Eaglen and Schofield 2018). While these arguments are compatible with our study findings, we managed to broaden this line of arguments, explaining that except for materialism, there also appears to be other line of destructive values such as hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, power, and achievement, which induce compulsive buying. ...
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The current study explores the intersection of personal values theory, consumer culture, and compulsive buying behavior theories. By examining the importance of different values types, we aim to understand the extent to which specific values influence individuals' tendency to either embrace or resist maladaptive behaviors like compulsive buying. This study postulated that one's values can both contribute to the development of compulsive buying tendencies and act as a protective factor. Importantly, we explored this values‐compulsive relationship within the contrasting consumer cultures of the United States characterized by individualism, and Poland, which predominantly exhibits collectivistic trends. In this work, we utilized two distinct samples/studies of American (n = 367) and Polish (n = 370) consumers and employed two key measurement tools: the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale. The research findings revealed that values such as self‐direction, stimulation, hedonism, power, and achievement tend to promote compulsive buying tendencies irrespective of the cultural context. However, the prevalence of compulsive buying is more pronounced among American consumers compared to their Polish counterparts. Furthermore, the impact of hedonism and achievement on compulsive buying was twice as large in the United States as it was in Poland. On the other hand, values such as tradition, security, conformity, benevolence, and universalism appeared to help individuals in preventing or mitigating compulsive buying behavior. This study underscores the critical role of personal values, cultural variations, and their impact on compulsive buying tendencies among consumers. It highlights the presence of specific personal values that can either inhibit or facilitate the development of compulsive buying behaviors.
... Openness-to-Change values tend to show negative associations with clinical constructs. For instance, Hedonism was related to lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress (Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016); as well as with lower PTSD symptoms (Zimmermann et al., 2014). Similarly, higher levels of Openness-to-Change were linked to reduced negative affect in a Polish adult sample (Bojanowska & Kaczmarek, 2022). ...
... However, the findings across studies are not consistently replicated (Heim et al., 2019;Schwartz & Sortheix, 2018). For example, Achievement, a Self-Enhancement value, was found to be positively associated with depression and stress among university students (Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016), while being negatively related to PTSD symptoms among soldiers after deployment (Zimmermann et al., 2014). The variation among studies in terms of the outcome variables, the targeted population, and the cultural context may contribute to the inconsistent findings (Heim et al., 2019). ...
... There are relatively few studies on relationships between value priorities and mental health variables. While some studies have found similar results (e.g., Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016), indicating that Opennessto-Change values tend to negatively associate with mental health constructs, there is no clear pattern observed across all studies. The variability in outcome measures and research populations makes it challenging to compare findings, which could contribute to the absence of a clear pattern in the associations between values and mental health. ...
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Background: There is a growing interest in research examining the role of personal values in mental health. This study aims to investigate the relationship between value priorities and both depression and anxiety while exploring whether valued living is a better predictor of these variables compared to value priorities in a youth sample. Methods: A total of 335 young people aged 16-25 (M age = 17.92, SD = 2.59) from the United Kingdom completed measures assessing value priorities, valued living, depression, and anxiety, alongside demographic information. Results: Values with both growth and personal focus orientations (i.e., Openness-to-Change) had stronger associations with depression and anxiety. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that valued living predicted depression and anxiety over value priorities, explaining more variance in depression compared to anxiety. Value priorities explained additional variance over valued living only for anxiety, but not for depression. Conclusions: The findings indicate the importance from a public health and clinical perspective of enabling people to identify their values and facilitating them to live in a manner that is consistent with those values.
... Notably, low stimulation demonstrates small, 1 negative associations with anxiety (r = -0.14), while low hedonism and high achievement demonstrate medium and small associations with depression (r = -0.20 and r = 0.14, respectively) in German young adults (Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016). Another association noted in the literature is a positive association between low benevolence and micro-worries (i.e., worrying about one's self or their ingroup; Schwartz et al., 2000). ...
... We found significant associations between self-reported personal values and parent reports of children's externalizing, but not internalizing, psychopathology in this youth sample. This differs from previous findings that found associations in both domains of psychopathology in adults (e.g., Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016) and adolescents (e.g., Knafo et al., 2008). We examine these inconsistencies by first considering the developmental trajectories of psychopathology. ...
... One interpretation of these findings is that age may play a role in the association between values and internalizing psychopathology. Our study's findings are inconsistent with previous findings that values add incremental variance when predicting internalizing constructs such as anxiety and depression (e.g., Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016;Jarden, 2010), but these previous studies only examined adults. Further, internalizing psychopathology tends to increase in adolescence (Hankin et al., 1998;McLaughlin & King, 2015), and our middle childhood sample may be too young to have reached this risk window where internalizing concerns are more commonly reported. ...
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Substantial research has examined the associations between youth personality traits and psychopathology, with little attention to the role that personal values might play. Previous work has indicated that youth’s personal values are related to, yet distinct from, personality traits. In adults, personal values are associated with psychopathological constructs such as depression, anxiety, and aggressive/rule-breaking behaviors; however, questions remain about the associations between values and psychopathology in youth, whether values moderate the association between traits and psychopathology, and whether values contribute incremental variance to psychopathology over and above associations with personality traits. The present study sought to answer these questions. Using a diverse sample of 350 children (Mage = 9.81, SD = 0.66 years, 185 girls) and their caregivers, we examined youth self-reported personal values, parent-reported youth personality traits, and parent-reported youth internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. High hedonism, high power, and low universalism were significantly associated with externalizing psychopathology, and these associations largely did not differ across gender or racial/ethnic groups. Personal values did not moderate established trait-psychopathology associations. Finally, personal values incremented the prediction of externalizing, but not internalizing, psychopathology, beyond personality traits. Collectively, results indicate that youth’s personal values may capture different aspects of psychopathology than personality traits, particularly with externalizing psychopathology. Future studies should incorporate youth personal values for a more comprehensive understanding of the manifestation and development of youth psychopathology.
... Openness to change-pursuing intellectual and experiential openness Self-direction-thinking and acting independently Self-direction (thought)-thinking creatively and independently --b Self-direction (action)-acting independently and choosing own goals -Stimulation-seeking excitement, novelty, and challenge Stimulation-seeking excitement and novelty -Hedonism-pleasure and sensuous gratification Hedonism-pleasure and sensuous gratification Self-enhancement-pursuing personal status and dominance over others Achievement-personal success through demonstrating competence Achievement-success according to social standards -Power-social status and prestige, control, or dominance over people and resources Power (dominance)-power through exercising control over people --Power (resources)-power through control of material and social resources --Face-protecting one's public image and avoiding humiliation Conservation-pursuing order, self-restriction, and preservation of the past Security-safety, harmony, and stability of society, relationships, and self Security (personal)-safety in one's immediate environment --Security (societal)-safety and stability in the wider society -Conformity-restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses Conformity (rules)-compliance with rules, laws, and formal obligations --Conformity (interpersonal)-avoidance of upsetting or harming others -Tradition-respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas of traditional culture and religion Tradition-maintaining and preserving cultural, family, or religious traditions --Humility-recognizing one's insignificance in the larger scheme of things Self-transcendence-pursuing the welfare of others and transcending selfish concerns Benevolence-preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one is in frequent personal contact Benevolence (care)-devotion to the welfare of ingroup members --Benevolence (dependability)-being a reliable and trustworthy member of the ingroup -Universalism-understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature Universalism (tolerance)-accepting and understanding those who are different --Universalism (concern)-commitment to equality, justice, and protection for all people At the personal level, studies have revealed that values correlate with outcomes such as depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, openness was often found negatively associated with depression [15,16], power showed consistently robust positive correlations with worries [17], and universalism had inconsistent correlations with anxiety and worries (both positive and negative) [6]. Within individual countries, few significant correlations emerged between values and stress/PTSD [18]. ...
... Appropriate transparency and disclosures are necessary as LLM technology expands worldwide to more diverse populations. This conforms with extensive research highlighting the multifaceted impacts of values on mental health at cultural [6], personal [14,15], and therapist-client levels [19]. Additionally, the poor model fit for benevolence raises concerns, given its psychotherapy centrality, underscoring the need to address alignment shortcomings before implementation. ...
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Background: Large language models (LLMs) hold potential for mental health applications. However, their opaque alignment processes may embed biases that shape problematic perspectives. Evaluating the values embedded within LLMs that guide their decision-making have ethical importance. Schwartz’s theory of basic values (STBV) provides a framework for quantifying cultural value orientations and has shown utility for examining values in mental health contexts, including cultural, diagnostic, and therapist-client dynamics. Objective: This study aimed to (1) evaluate whether the STBV can measure value-like constructs within leading LLMs and (2) determine whether LLMs exhibit distinct value-like patterns from humans and each other. Methods: In total, 4 LLMs (Bard, Claude 2, Generative Pretrained Transformer [GPT]-3.5, GPT-4) were anthropomorphized and instructed to complete the Portrait Values Questionnaire—Revised (PVQ-RR) to assess value-like constructs. Their responses over 10 trials were analyzed for reliability and validity. To benchmark the LLMs’ value profiles, their results were compared to published data from a diverse sample of 53,472 individuals across 49 nations who had completed the PVQ-RR. This allowed us to assess whether the LLMs diverged from established human value patterns across cultural groups. Value profiles were also compared between models via statistical tests. Results: The PVQ-RR showed good reliability and validity for quantifying value-like infrastructure within the LLMs. However, substantial divergence emerged between the LLMs’ value profiles and population data. The models lacked consensus and exhibited distinct motivational biases, reflecting opaque alignment processes. For example, all models prioritized universalism and self-direction, while de-emphasizing achievement, power, and security relative to humans. Successful discriminant analysis differentiated the 4 LLMs’ distinct value profiles. Further examination found the biased value profiles strongly predicted the LLMs’ responses when presented with mental health dilemmas requiring choosing between opposing values. This provided further validation for the models embedding distinct motivational value-like constructs that shape their decision-making. Conclusions: This study leveraged the STBV to map the motivational value-like infrastructure underpinning leading LLMs. Although the study demonstrated the STBV can effectively characterize value-like infrastructure within LLMs, substantial divergence from human values raises ethical concerns about aligning these models with mental health applications. The biases toward certain cultural value sets pose risks if integrated without proper safeguards. For example, prioritizing universalism could promote unconditional acceptance even when clinically unwise. Furthermore, the differences between the LLMs underscore the need to standardize alignment processes to capture true cultural diversity. Thus, any responsible integration of LLMs into mental health care must account for their embedded biases and motivation mismatches to ensure equitable delivery across diverse populations. Achieving this will require transparency and refinement of alignment techniques to instill comprehensive human values.
... Openness to change-pursuing intellectual and experiential openness Self-direction-thinking and acting independently Self-direction (thought)-thinking creatively and independently --b Self-direction (action)-acting independently and choosing own goals -Stimulation-seeking excitement, novelty, and challenge Stimulation-seeking excitement and novelty -Hedonism-pleasure and sensuous gratification Hedonism-pleasure and sensuous gratification Self-enhancement-pursuing personal status and dominance over others Achievement-personal success through demonstrating competence Achievement-success according to social standards -Power-social status and prestige, control, or dominance over people and resources Power (dominance)-power through exercising control over people --Power (resources)-power through control of material and social resources --Face-protecting one's public image and avoiding humiliation Conservation-pursuing order, self-restriction, and preservation of the past Security-safety, harmony, and stability of society, relationships, and self Security (personal)-safety in one's immediate environment --Security (societal)-safety and stability in the wider society -Conformity-restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses Conformity (rules)-compliance with rules, laws, and formal obligations --Conformity (interpersonal)-avoidance of upsetting or harming others -Tradition-respect, commitment, and acceptance of the customs and ideas of traditional culture and religion Tradition-maintaining and preserving cultural, family, or religious traditions --Humility-recognizing one's insignificance in the larger scheme of things Self-transcendence-pursuing the welfare of others and transcending selfish concerns Benevolence-preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one is in frequent personal contact Benevolence (care)-devotion to the welfare of ingroup members --Benevolence (dependability)-being a reliable and trustworthy member of the ingroup -Universalism-understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature Universalism (tolerance)-accepting and understanding those who are different --Universalism (concern)-commitment to equality, justice, and protection for all people At the personal level, studies have revealed that values correlate with outcomes such as depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For example, openness was often found negatively associated with depression [15,16], power showed consistently robust positive correlations with worries [17], and universalism had inconsistent correlations with anxiety and worries (both positive and negative) [6]. Within individual countries, few significant correlations emerged between values and stress/PTSD [18]. ...
... Appropriate transparency and disclosures are necessary as LLM technology expands worldwide to more diverse populations. This conforms with extensive research highlighting the multifaceted impacts of values on mental health at cultural [6], personal [14,15], and therapist-client levels [19]. Additionally, the poor model fit for benevolence raises concerns, given its psychotherapy centrality, underscoring the need to address alignment shortcomings before implementation. ...
Preprint
BACKGROUND Background: Large language models (LLMs) hold promises for mental health applications due to their impressive language capabilities. However, their opaque alignment processes may embed biases that shape problematic perspectives. Evaluating the values embedded within LLMs that guide their decision-making have an ethical importance. Schwartz's Theory of Basic Values (STBV) provides a framework for quantifying cultural value orientations and has shown utility for examining values in mental health contexts, including cultural, diagnostic, and therapist-client dynamics. This study leverages STBV to map the motivational values-like infrastructure underpinning leading LLMs. OBJECTIVE Objectives: This study aimed to (1) evaluate whether Schwartz's Theory of Basic Values, a framework quantifying cultural value orientations, can measure values-like constructs within leading LLMs; and (2) determine if LLMs exhibit distinct values-like patterns from humans and each other. METHODS Methods: Four LLMs (Bard, Claude 2, ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4) were anthropomorphized and instructed to complete the Portrait Values Questionnaire-Revised (PVQ-RR) to assess values-like constructs. Their responses over 10 trials were analyzed for reliability and validity. To benchmark the LLMs’ value profiles, their results were compared to published data from a diverse sample of 53,472 humans across 49 nations that had completed the PVQ-RR. This allowed assessing if the LLMs diverged from established human value patterns across cultural groups. Value profiles were also compared between models via statistical tests. RESULTS Results: The PVQ-RR showed good reliability and validity for quantifying values-like infrastructure within the LLMs. However, substantial divergence emerged between the LLMs’ value profiles and population data. The models lacked consensus and exhibited distinct motivational biases, reflecting opaque alignment processes. For example, all models prioritized universalism and self-direction while deemphasizing achievement, power and security relative to humans. Successful discriminant analysis differentiated the four models' distinct value profiles. Further examination found the biased value profiles strongly predicted the LLMs’ responses when presented mental health dilemmas requiring choosing between opposing values. This provided further validation for the models embedding distinct motivational values-like constructs that shape their decision-making. CONCLUSIONS Conclusions: While the study demonstrated Schwartz's theory can effectively characterize values-like infrastructure within LLMs, substantial divergence from human values raises ethical concerns about aligning these models with mental health applications. The biases toward certain cultural value sets pose risks if integrated without proper safeguards. For example, prioritizing universalism could promote unconditional acceptance even when clinically unwise. Furthermore, the differences between the models underscore the need to standardize alignment processes to capture true cultural diversity. Thus, any responsible integration of LLMs into mental healthcare must account for their embedded biases and motivation mismatches to ensure equitable delivery across diverse populations. Achieving this will require transparency and refinement of alignment techniques to instill comprehensive human values.
... Alternatively, greater endorsement of the growth-focussed values of self-transcendence and openness to change have been found to negatively correlate with depression (Liu et al., 2021), although these findings are not consistent (Arens et al., 2022;España et al., in press;Heim et al., 2019;Leite et al., 2021;Zacharopoulos et al., 2021). For example, Hanel and Wolfradt (2016) found no associations between conservation values and depression, whereas Maercker et al. (2015) found in a German sample a positive association between conformity and depression, but in a Chinese and a Russian sample a negative association. All associations were weak, typically around r = |.10| or smaller. ...
... Although previous research has suggested a potential relationship between value importance, value fulfillment, and psychological well-being (Liu et al., 2021;Oppenheim-Weller et al., 2018;Sortheix & Schwartz, 2017), findings have been inconsistent with some studies demonstrating weak or no relationships between values and depression (Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016;Zacharopoulos et al., 2021). In particular, the current study proposed that conservation values would positively relate to postnatal depression scores, as conservation values are socially-focused, underpinned by the motivation for self-protection and suggest a need to engage in cooperative behaviors to promote a sense of safety and connection, which was theorized to be of importance when entering motherhood due to the need to care for and promote the safety of a new infant. ...
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Objectives Postnatal depression is the most prevalent psychopathology experienced within the perinatal period and has been associated with a range of adverse outcomes for both mother and infant. In the present research, we combine two influential theories, Schwartz's theory of human values and Higgins' self‐discrepancy theory (SDT), to test new hypotheses about postnatal depression. Methods We recruited 80 first‐time mothers who had given birth within the last 6 months and who self‐reported experiencing low mood or postnatal depression. Participants anonymously completed measures of postnatal depression, value importance, self‐discrepancies, and subjective value fulfillment. Results Contrary to our hypotheses, actual‐ought self‐discrepancies, but not actual‐ideal self‐discrepancies, predicted postnatal depression. Interestingly however, self‐discrepancies were negatively correlated with value fulfillment. The findings within this study diverge from the relation predicted within SDT and highlight how motherhood may represent a unique circumstance, in which the “ideal self” has evolved to become a self that one feels morally obligated to embody. Further exploratory analyses revealed that depression was predicted by the difference between value fulfillment and value importance in conservation values, but not by differences between value fulfillment and value importance regarding any of the other value types. Discussion We discuss potential impact on discourses around motherhood, alongside clinical implications for practitioners who work with mothers during the perinatal period.
... Furthermore, employing the classification of values into "adaptive" and "maladaptive" types (Sagiv & Schwartz, 2000), selfdirection values, which guide individuals' intrinsic motivations toward growth, learning, and selfexpansion (Schwartz, 2012), are classified as adaptive values. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, these values consistently correlate with characteristics associated with growth, such as innovation, creativity, and independence, and are positively linked to better health (Hanel & Wolfradt, 2016), well-being (Sagiv & Schwartz, 2000;Sortheix & Schwartz, 2017), and well-being indicators, including self-esteem, in middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood (Collins et al., 2022;Fetvadjiev & He, 2019;Lönnqvist et al., 2009). ...
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Self-direction values, which reflect the need for autonomy, creativity, curiosity, and mastery, potentially hold substantial importance in educational settings. However, limited research exists on how these values contribute to academic performance, particularly in early childhood. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the relationships between kindergarten children’s self-direction values and their academic performance while considering their presented self- esteem and positive self-perception. One hundred and twenty children (59 girls; Mage = 67.45 months, SDage = 6.56 months) participated in this study. Children’s self-direction values and positive self-perception were examined in one-on-one interviews. Teachers reported on the children’s presented self- esteem and academic performance. Research Findings: Presented self-esteem significantly mediated the link between self-direction values and academic performance (path a: p = .007; path b: p < .001). Additionally, positive self- perception significantly moderated the link between self-direction values and their presented self-esteem in the classroom (p = .007). The indirect effects of self-direction values on academic performance through presented self-esteem were significant at the average and high levels of positive self-perception, but not at the low levels. Practice or Policy: The current research provides valuable insights into the role of self-direction values in early education and the interplay between young children’s self-direction values, presented self-esteem, and positive self-perception, thus contributing to developmental and educational theory and practice.
... Individuals with self-enhancement values, which stress individual success, might experience lower levels of resilience due to the stress and pressure associated with their constant pursuit of personal goals (Sortheix and Schwartz, 2017), which reduces LS (Temiz and Comert, 2018;Yan et al., 2022). Supporting previous research, people in individualistic cultural milieus tend to overly focus on personal interests and achievements, which may lead to greater psychological stress (Hanel and Wolfradt, 2016) and greater risks to mental health (Xie et al., 2022). ...
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Background Young adults are in the period of the formation and establishment of values. Even though previous research has revealed that personal values are important factors influencing young adults’ life satisfaction, it is still unknown when and under what circumstances values affect life satisfaction among young adults. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between personal values and life satisfaction among Chinese young adults, focusing on the mediating roles of resilience and emotional intelligence. Methods A sample of N = 635 (271 male) young adults from four universities located in Guangzhou were recruited using a cross-sectional stratified sampling method. All participants completed the Revised Portrait Value Questionnaire, Emotional Intelligence Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale. Results Results revealed that: (1) self-transcendence (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), self-enhancement (r = 0.27, p < 0.001), openness to change (r = 0.22, p < 0.001), and conservation (r = 0.26, p < 0.001) were differentially positively associated with life satisfaction. Chain mediation analysis found that: there was a significant indirect effect for self-transcendence, via EI (ind = 0.070, p = 0.004, 95% CI = [0.027, 0.124]), and the sequential influence via EI and resilience suggested a moderate effect (ind = 0.024, p = 0.008, 95% CI = [0.009, 0.045]). For self-enhancement values exerted significantly negative indirect effects on LS via resilience (ind = −0.029, p = 0.034, 95% CI = [−0.060, −0.005]). Openness to change had a significant indirect impact on LS via EI (ind = 0.086, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [0.046, 0.133]), and the sequential influence via resilience and EI was significant (ind = 0.029, p = 0.001, 95% CI = [0.015, 0.050]). For conservation, the chain mediation model did not reveal any significant indirect effects via resilience or EI. Conclusion Our findings extend the current literature on personal values and life satisfaction, highlighting the significant effects of resilience and emotional intelligence on the link between personal values and life satisfaction. Overall, this research helps young adults strengthen their resilience and emotional intelligence to increase the impact of values on life satisfaction.
... Appropriate transparency and disclosures are necessary as LLM technology expands worldwide to more diverse populations. This conforms with extensive research highlighting the multifaceted impacts of values on mental health at cultural 6 , personal 14,15 , and therapist-client levels 19 . Additionally, the poor model t for benevolence raises concerns given its psychotherapy centrality, underscoring the need to address alignment shortcomings before implementation. ...
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Values are an integral part of any mental health intervention, profoundly shaping definitions of psychopathology and treatment approaches. As large language models (LLMs) hold promises for mental health applications, it is prudent to evaluate their embedded “values-like” abilities prior to implementation. This study uses Schwartz's Theory of Basic Values (STBV) to quantify and compare the motivational “values-like” abilities underpinning four leading LLMs. The results suggest that Schwartz’s theory can reliably and validly measure “values-like” abilities within LLMs. However, apparent divergence from published human values data emerged, with each LLM exhibiting a distinct motivational profile, potentially reflecting opaque alignment choices. Such apparent mismatches with human values diversity might negatively impact global LLM mental health implementations. The appropriate transparency and refinement of alignment processes may be vital for instilling comprehensive human values into LLMs before this sensitive implementation in mental healthcare. Overall, the study provides a framework for rigorously evaluating and improving LLMs’ embodiment of diverse cultural values to promote mental health equity.
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The revolutionary study of how the place where we grew up constrains the way we think, feel, and act, updated for today's new realities The world is a more dangerously divided place today than it was at the end of the Cold War. This despite the spread of free trade and the advent of digital technologies that afford a degree of global connectivity undreamed of by science fiction writers fifty years ago. What is it that continues to drive people apart when cooperation is so clearly in everyone's interest? Are we as a species doomed to perpetual misunderstanding and conflict? Find out in Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. A veritable atlas of cultural values, it is based on cross-cultural research conducted in seventy countries for more than thirty years. At the same time, it describes a revolutionary theory of cultural relativism and its applications in a range of professions. Fully updated and rewritten for the twenty-first century, this edition: Reveals the unexamined rules by which people in different cultures think, feel, and act in business, family, schools, and political organizations Explores how national cultures differ in the key areas of inequality, collectivism versus individualism, assertiveness versus modesty, tolerance for ambiguity, and deferment of gratification Explains how organizational cultures differ from national cultures, and how they can--sometimes--be managed Explains culture shock, ethnocentrism, stereotyping, differences in language and humor, and other aspects of intercultural dynamics Provides powerful insights for businesspeople, civil servants, physicians, mental health professionals, law enforcement professionals, and others Geert Hofstede, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of Organizational Anthropology and International Management at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Gert Jan Hofstede, Ph.D., is a professor of Information Systems at Wageningen University and the son of Geert Hofstede.