Universalism Values Importance

What it measures

Nine nine-point items from the Schwartz Value Survey measure the importance of universalism values as guiding principles in a person's life. Items span concern for the natural environment, unity with nature, appreciation for beauty, tolerance, social justice, wisdom, equality, world peace, and inner harmony. The scale reflects self-transcendent values that stand in opposition to self-enhancement values such as hedonism and materialism.

Response format

9-point rating scale (-1=opposed to my values, 0=not important, 3=important, 6=very important, 7=of supreme importance)

Scale items

• PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT (preserving nature)
• UNITY WITH NATURE (fitting into nature)
• A WORLD OF BEAUTY (beauty of nature and the arts)
• BROAD-MINDED (tolerant of different ideas and beliefs)
• SOCIAL JUSTICE (correcting injustice, care for the weak)
• WISDOM (a mature understanding of life)
• EQUALITY (equal opportunity for all)
• A WORLD AT PEACE (free of war and conflict)
• INNER HARMONY (at peace with oneself)

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

Usage notes & scoring

Derived from the Schwartz Value Survey (Schwartz 1992), which has been tested in many countries. Alpha of .817 reported by Burroughs and Rindfleisch (2002). Multidimensional scaling analysis showed universalism aligned with self-transcendent values (community, benevolence) and opposed to self-enhancement values (hedonism, materialism), supporting nomological validity. Response scale uses an unconventional format including -1, 0, and 1–7.

Citation

Burroughs, J. E., & Rindfleisch, A. (2002). Materialism and well-being: A conflicting values perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(3), 348–370.

Keywords