Schwartz Values Survey – Short

What it measures

Measures individual-level cultural values across ten motivational types from Schwartz's universal values theory, organised along Openness to Change vs Conservation and Self-Enhancement vs Self-Transcendence dimensions. The most comprehensive and widely validated individual cultural values measure, validated across 80+ countries and extensively used in cross-cultural consumer research.

Response format

Likert (-1 to 7, opposed to my values to of supreme importance)

Scale items

• Thinking up new ideas and being creative is important to him/her. (Self-Direction)
• It is important to him/her to be rich. (Power)
• He/She thinks it is important that every person in the world be treated equally. (Universalism)
• It is important to him/her to show his/her abilities. (Achievement)
• It is important to him/her to live in secure surroundings. (Security)
• He/She likes surprises and is always looking for new things to do. (Stimulation)
• He/She believes that people should do what they're told. (Conformity)
• It is important to him/her to listen to people who are different from him/her. (Universalism)
• It is important to him/her to be humble and modest. (Benevolence)
• Having a good time is important to him/her. (Hedonism)
• It is important to him/her to make his/her own decisions about what he/she does. (Self-Direction)
• It is very important to him/her to help the people around him/her. (Benevolence)
• Being very successful is important to him/her. (Achievement)
• It is important to him/her that the government ensures his/her safety. (Security)
• He/She seeks every chance he/she can to have fun. (Hedonism)
• It is important to him/her to always behave properly. (Conformity)
• He/She wants to be the one who tells others what to do. (Power)
• It is important to him/her to be loyal to his/her friends. (Benevolence)
• He/She strongly believes that people should care for nature. (Universalism)
• Religious belief is important to him/her. (Tradition)
• He/She tries hard to be different from other people. (Stimulation)

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Ten value type scores. Respondents rate importance of each value as a guiding principle in life. Score = mean per value type. Hedonism and stimulation predict hedonic consumption; conformity and tradition predict brand loyalty and risk aversion in consumption.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Schwartz, S.H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1–65.

Keywords