The Science Behind the Core Values Finder | Peer-Reviewed Values Assessment

33+ Years

Decades of rigorous ongoing scientific research making the Core Values Finder the most valid and reliable values assessment in the field of psychology.

200K + Participants

High Reliability: In a vast and diverse sample size the Core Values Finder has shown to measure each value consistently precise with a high test-retest reliability.

80+ Countries

High cross-cultural validity: In a wide range of cultural contexts and countries our assessment attests its capacity to precisely capture human values worldwide.

Proven Positive Effects

With a high predicitve validity, Core Values Finder is the only values assessment that has shown to has shown to have signifcant causal effects on individual's efficacy, well-being, and health by fostering intrinsic motivation.

Our Recent Publication

About The Journal

Core Values Finder

Based on rigorous scientific research we created the Core Values Finder that illustrates the personalized results of a person in the form of a sunburst diagram. The border of the grey-layered circle represents a person's average. The colored bars that go beyond the edge of the grey shaded circle indicate that the related values seem to be relatively important to a person.

When you answer the questions of the adapted Portraits Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR, Schwartz & Butenko, 2014 in the adapted version of Heblich & Terzidis, 2016) in unique combination with Acceptance and Commmitment Therapy (ACT) scales your personal results will be calculated and visualized. The illustration exemplifies different values profiles that a person can have as a result of the Core Values Finder. This is a quantified illustration intricately devised through several decades of scientific research and a P.hD. by Dr. Benedict Heblich. This is proprietary and you will not find this anywhere else!

If you are interested in using our research to get one step closer to your heart, you are encouraged to take the test.

Scientific Research Timeline

1992

Birth of The Values Theory

The first theoretical model of human values was developed and then refined over the decades by our research partner Professor Shalom Schwartz starting in 1992 (Schwartz, 1992). That year marked the introduction of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS), which identified 10 distinct universal values.

Known as the creator of the Theory of Basic Human Values, Professor Shalom Schwartz is a fellow of the American Psychological Association. His landmark research revealed a universal structure of values organized in a circular motivational continuum, now foundational in value-based assessments across the globe.

Potraits Value Questionnaire (PVQ)

The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) was first introduced in 2001 in a key cross-cultural study by Schwartz and colleagues (Schwartz et al., 2001). This study formally presented the PVQ as a more accessible, portrait-style instrument developed to measure the same 10 basic human values originally introduced in the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) in 1992.

Designed to overcome the cognitive demands of the SVS, the PVQ used short verbal portraits to assess individual value priorities in a respondent-friendly and cross-culturally compatible format.

2001

2012

Expansion to 19 Values (PVQ-RR)

In response to empirical findings and the need for greater cross-cultural precision and age inclusivity, Schwartz refined his value model to encompass 19 distinct basic human values, capturing subtler motivational distinctions. It was called the Portraits Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR).

The values were organized hierarchically: at the first level into four higher-order value types (e.g., Self-Transcendence), at the second level into motivational foci (e.g., Social vs. Personal Focus), and at the third level into meta-motivational dimensions (e.g., Growth vs. Self-Protection, Anxiety-Free vs. Anxiety-Avoidance (Schwartz et al., 2012; Cieciuch, Davidov, Vecchione, & Schwartz, 2014).

He further refined question formulations to be shorter, more concrete, and developmentally appropriate especially for use in large-scale international surveys like the European Social Survey. With 57 behaviorally phrased questions measuring 19 clearly delineated values, each value’s importance was measured through three questions (Schwartz & Butenko, 2014).

The PVQ-RR significantly enhanced construct validity, reliability, and measurement invariance, establishing itself as the gold standard for value assessment in psychology, education, and organizational research.

Birth of Core Values Finder

Using a licensed and psychometrically validated version of the PVQ-RR as its foundational scale, our founder, Dr. Benedict Heblich, developed the Core Values Finder at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology based on the method of multidimensional scaling.

The tool uniquely combines Prof. Schwartz’s internationally validated values model with methods and scales from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is embedded within an empirical, internationally published causal model (Heblich et al., 2023). This approach enables the precise measurement of values through a reliable, cross-cultural assessment and leverages ACT techniques to generate scientifically sound, individualized insights & recommendations for individuals.

The result is a digitally guided, evidence-based intervention designed to foster authenticity, intrinsic motivation, and self-concordant goal setting.

As the continuum was developed with the method of multidimensional scaling, it preserved the circular motivational continuum, in which neighboring values are compatible with each other and opposing values represent psychologically incompatible goals that tend to lead to decision conflicts. Thereby both theoretical elegance and robust cross-cultural applicability validated across more than 80 countries (Schwartz, 2012) were maintained.

Furthermore, a study by our founder Heblich & Terzidis (2016), indicated that the value of health seems to be a separate concept and not part of the value of personal security. Therefore, the value of health was added as a 20th value to the model. To measure health, three additional items were integrated (based on Grouzet et al., 2005; Schwartz & Butenko, 2014). Thus, the refined version included 60 questions to measure 20 human values.

In addition to that, the model was adapted with additional higher-order values of intrinsic, extrinsic & neutral values. This categorization was done in line with theoretical discussions (e.g. Kasser, 2002) and also empirical studies that analyze the relationship of the importance of the different personal values with different types of well-being such as subjective well-being (Bobowik, Basabe, Páez, Jiménez, & Bilbao, 2011, Haslam, Whelan, & Bastian, 2009, Joshanloo & Ghaedi, 2009; Sagiv & Schwartz, 2000; Sortheix & Schwartz, 2017), mental health (Sagiv & Schwartz, 2000), psychological well-being (Bilbao, Techi, & Páez, 2007; Cohen & Shamai, 2007; Joshanloo & Ghaedi, 2009), and social well-being (Bilbao et al., 2007; Joshanloo & Ghaedi, 2009).

The final categorization can be found in our 32 page personalized evaluation. Below you can dive deeper into the psychometrics of the Core Values Finder.

2021

2023

Empirically Validated Core Values Finder

The effectiveness of the Core Values Finder was demonstrated in a large-scale international study with N = 6,705 participants.

This is an exceptional level of scientific evidence not found in any other values or motivational assessments.

Published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (2023).

The results demonstrated strong predictive validity of increased value clarity for:

→ psychological needs satisfaction,

→ psychological and subjective well-being,

→ individual efficacy (goal progress), and

→ collective efficacy (socially responsible and sustainable behavior).

In an earlier study, we demonstrated that it is possible to increase the causal triggers to unravel clarity about personal values of an individual both through the standalone use of the Core Values Finder and when integrated into a coaching or workshop setting.

This has been published at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in form of a dissertation: Heblich 2021.

Psychometric Highlights

The Core Values Finder is the first and only scientifically validated assessment worldwide to demonstrate in a peer-reviewed journal that clarity about personal values has causal effects on essential motivational, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.

Published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, our research shows exceptionally strong and significant causal effects (β), far surpassing typical benchmarks in psychology. Specifically, values clarity achieved with the Core Values Finder has been shown to directly drive motivation, efficacy, well-being and health.

The results are striking:

Autonomy of goals (β = .29) → Goals are more strongly aligned with personal values
Goal progress (β = .47) → Goals are achieved faster and more effectively
Psychological needs satisfaction (β = .38) → Higher fulfillment of the ABC needs (Autonomy, Belongingness, Competence)
Affect balance (β = .34) → More positive than negative emotions
Satisfaction with life (β = .39) → Greater overall life satisfaction and happiness
Meaning in life (β = .70) → Stronger sense of purpose
Subjective vitality (β = .45) → More energy and aliveness

These effects are both highly significant and rarely observed at this strength in applied psychology. In fact, the causal impact of values clarity achieved through the Core Values Finder even exceeds that of widely promoted mindfulness practices across several key outcomes.

The conclusion is clear: when people gain clarity about their values, they unlock measurable and lasting improvements in motivation, efficacy, well-being, and health. The Core Values Finder is the only tool worldwide with peer-reviewed evidence of this level of causal power.

Predictive Validity of Core Values Finder

In the following you can find an overview of all measured effects in the causal model. These total effects reflect the strength of predictive relationships between personal values clarity and motivational, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.

Color Shade	Predictive Strength (Standardized β)
Very light	.2 < β ≤ .3 – Small effect
Light	.3 < β ≤ .4 – Small to moderate effect
Medium	.4 < β ≤ .5 – Moderate effect
Strong	.5 < β ≤ .6 – Moderate to strong effect
Very strong	.6 < β – Strong effect

The above results have been published in The International Journal of Clinical & Health Psychology.

This chart illustrates how various psychological capacities related to values such as clarity about personal values, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation are statistically linked to key outcomes like subjective well-being, vitality, life satisfaction, and sustainable behavior. Each number represents the strength of a correlation; a higher number means a stronger relationship. Asterisks indicate statistical significance (* := < .05 or ** := p < .01). These findings provide compelling evidence that personal values clarity is not just a reflective trait, but a powerful predictor of real-life outcomes. In psychological terms, this pattern supports the *predictive validity* of values-based constructs in shaping both individual and collective outcomes.

Comparing Different Value Assessments

All tools shown are values identifiers. The Core Values Finder was validated with transparent psychometric reporting.
No public validation data is available for “Other Online Assessments”; they are either non-scientific or make unverifiable claims.

Legend:

• Items: Questions.

• n: Sample size, precisely it is the number of participants who have taken the test.

• Internal Consistency (α): How well questions within a scale measure the same construct.

A construct is a psychological concept like a core value or personality trait that we try to measure through related questions.

• Test-Retest Reliability (r): How stable the results are over time.

It shows whether a test gives you similar results on different days, as long as you haven’t had major life changes.

Scientific Research Timeline

1992

Birth of The Values Theory

The first theoretical model of human values was developed and then refined over the decades by our research partner Professor Shalom Schwartz starting in 1992 (Schwartz, 1992). That year marked the introduction of the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS), which identified 10 distinct universal values.

Known as the creator of the Theory of Basic Human Values, Professor Shalom Schwartz is a fellow of the American Psychological Association. His landmark research revealed a universal structure of values organized in a circular motivational continuum, now foundational in value-based assessments across the globe.

2001

Potraits Value Questionnaire (PVQ)

The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) was first introduced in 2001 in a key cross-cultural study by Schwartz and colleagues (Schwartz et al., 2001). This study formally presented the PVQ as a more accessible, portrait-style instrument developed to measure the same 10 basic human values originally introduced in the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) in 1992.

Designed to overcome the cognitive demands of the SVS, the PVQ used short verbal portraits to assess individual value priorities in a respondent-friendly and cross-culturally compatible format.

2012

Expansion to 19 Values (PVQ-RR)

In response to empirical findings and the need for greater cross-cultural precision and age inclusivity, Schwartz refined his value model to encompass 19 distinct basic human values, capturing subtler motivational distinctions. It was called the Portraits Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR).

2021

Birth of Core Values Finder

Using a licensed and psychometrically validated version of the PVQ-RR as its foundational scale, our founder, Dr. Benedict Heblich, developed the Core Values Finder at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology based on the method of multidimensional scaling.

The tool uniquely combines Prof. Schwartz’s internationally validated values model with methods and scales from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and is embedded within an empirical, internationally published causal model (Heblich et al., 2023). This approach enables the precise measurement of values through a reliable, cross-cultural assessment and leverages ACT techniques to generate scientifically sound, individualized insights & recommendations for individuals.

The result is a digitally guided, evidence-based intervention designed to foster authenticity, intrinsic motivation, and self-concordant goal setting.

2023

Empirically Validating Core Values Finder

The effectiveness of the Core Values Finder was demonstrated in a large-scale international study with N = 6,705 participants.

This is an exceptional level of scientific evidence not found in any other values or motivational assessments.

The results demonstrated strong predictive validity of increased value clarity for:

→ psychological needs satisfaction,

→ psychological and subjective well-being,

→ individual efficacy (goal progress), and

→ collective efficacy (socially responsible and sustainable behavior).

Published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (2023).

Psychometric Highlights

The Core Values Finder is the first and only scientifically validated assessment worldwide to demonstrate in a peer-reviewed journal that clarity about personal values has causal effects on essential motivational, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.

Published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, our research shows exceptionally strong and significant causal effects (β), far surpassing typical benchmarks in psychology. Specifically, values clarity achieved with the Core Values Finder has been shown to directly drive motivation, efficacy, well-being and health.

The results are striking:

Autonomy of goals (β = .29) → Goals are more strongly aligned with personal values
Goal progress (β = .47) → Goals are achieved faster and more effectively
Psychological needs satisfaction (β = .38) → Higher fulfillment of the ABC needs (Autonomy, Belongingness, Competence)
Affect balance (β = .34) → More positive than negative emotions
Satisfaction with life (β = .39) → Greater overall life satisfaction and happiness
Meaning in life (β = .70) → Stronger sense of purpose
Subjective vitality (β = .45) → More energy and aliveness

These effects are both highly significant and rarely observed at this strength in applied psychology. In fact, the causal impact of values clarity achieved through the Core Values Finder even exceeds that of widely promoted mindfulness practices across several key outcomes.

The conclusion is clear: when people gain clarity about their values, they unlock measurable and lasting improvements in motivation, efficacy, well-being, and health. The Core Values Finder is the only tool worldwide with peer-reviewed evidence of this level of causal power.

Predictive Validity of Core Values Finder

In the following you can find an overview of all measured effects in the causal model. These total effects reflect the strength of predictive relationships between personal values clarity and motivational, psychological, and behavioral outcomes.

Color Shade	Predictive Strength (Standardized β)
Very light	.2 < β ≤ .3 – Small effect
Light	.3 < β ≤ .4 – Small to moderate effect
Medium	.4 < β ≤ .5 – Moderate effect
Strong	.5 < β ≤ .6 – Moderate to strong effect
Very strong	.6 < β – Strong effect

The above results have been published in The International Journal of Clinical & Health Psychology.

This chart illustrates how various psychological capacities related to values such as clarity about personal values, autonomy, and intrinsic motivation are statistically linked to key outcomes like subjective well-being, vitality, life satisfaction, and sustainable behavior. Each number represents the strength of a correlation; a higher number means a stronger relationship. Asterisks indicate statistical significance (* := < .05 or ** := p < .01). These findings provide compelling evidence that personal values clarity is not just a reflective trait, but a powerful predictor of real-life outcomes. In psychological terms, this pattern supports the *predictive validity* of values-based constructs in shaping both individual and collective outcomes.

Comparing Different Value Assessments

All tools shown are values identifiers. The Core Values Finder was validated with transparent psychometric reporting.
No public validation data is available for “Other Online Assessments”; they are either non-scientific or make unverifiable claims.
-Scroll left to right to view full or turn your phone to view in landscape mode-

Legend:

• Items: Questions.

• n: Sample size, precisely it is the number of participants who have taken the test.

• Internal Consistency (α): How well questions within a scale measure the same construct.

A construct is a psychological concept like a core value or personality trait that we try to measure through related questions.

• Test-Retest Reliability (r): How stable the results are over time.

It shows whether a test gives you similar results on different days, as long as you haven’t had major life changes.

Take The Test

Bilbao, M. Á., Techio, E. M., & Páez, D. (2007). Felicidad, cultura y valores personales: estado de la cuestión y síntesis meta-analítica. Revista de Psicología (Lima), 25(2), 135-276. http://dx.doi.org/10.18800/psico.200702.005

Bobowik, M., Basabe, N., Páez, D., Jiménez, A., & Bilbao, M. A. (2011). Personal values and well-being among Europeans, Spanish natives and immigrants to Spain: Does the culture matter?. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12(3), 401-419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-010-9202-1

Cieciuch, J., Davidov, E., Vecchione, M., & Schwartz, S. H. (2014). A hierarchical structure of basic human values in a third-order confirmatory factor analysis. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 3. https://doi.org/10.1024/1421-0185/a000134

Cohen, A., & Shamai, O. (2010). The relationship between individual values, psychological well-being, and organizational commitment among Israeli police officers. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 33(1), 30-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13639511011020584

Grouzet, F. M., Kasser, T., Ahuvia, A., Dols, J. M. F., Kim, Y., Lau, S., Ryan, R. M., Saunders, S., Schmuck, P., & Sheldon, K. M. (2005). The structure of goal contents across 15 cultures. Journal of personality and social psychology, 89(5), 800. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.5.800

Haslam, N., Whelan, J., & Bastian, B. (2009). Big Five traits mediate associations between values and subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 46(1), 40-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.09.001

Heblich, B. & Terzidis, O. (2016): Enhancing autonomy and intrinsic aspirations of entrepreneurs by creating awareness about their personal values - A psychological perspective from Self-Determination Theory. 20th Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on entrepreneurship, innovation and SMEs (G-Forum). Leipzig, Germany. October 6th-7th 2016.

Joshanloo, M., & Ghaedi, G. (2009). Value priorities as predictors of hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being. Personality and individual differences, 47(4), 294-298. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.03.016

Kasser, T. (2002). Sketches for a self-determination theory of values. Handbook of self-determination research, 123, 40. Scispace-Link

Sagiv, L., & Schwartz, S. H. (2000). Value priorities and subjective well‐being: Direct relations and congruity effects. European journal of social psychology, 30(2), 177-198. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0992(200003/04)30:2<177::AID-EJSP982>3.0.CO;2-Z

Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 25, pp. 1-65). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0065-2601(08)60281-6

Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 11. http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1116

Schwartz, S. H., & Butenko, T. (2014). Values and behavior: Validating the refined value theory in Russia. European Journal of Social Psychology, 44(7), 799-813. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2053

Sortheix, F. M., & Schwartz, S. H. (2017). Values that underlie and undermine well‐being: Variability across countries. European Journal of Personality, 31(2), 187-201. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2096

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Davidov, E., Schmidt, P., & Schwartz, S. H. (2008). Bringing values back in: The adequacy of the European Social Survey to measure values in 20 countries. Public Opinion Quarterly, 72(3), 420–445. https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfn035
-> PVQ-21 · 21 items · validated in ~20+ countries · α ≈ .57 · r ≈ .60

Cieciuch, J., & Schwartz, S. H. (2012). The number of distinct basic values and their structure assessed by PVQ-40. Journal of Personality Assessment, 94(3), 321–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223891.2012.655817
-> PVQ-40 · 40 items · validated in ~50+ countries · α ≈ .64 · r ≈ .67

Schwartz, S. H., Cieciuch, J., Vecchione, M., Davidov, E., Fischer, R., Beierlein, C., Ramos, A., Verkasalo, M., Lönnqvist, J. E., Demirutku, K., Dirilen-Gumus, O., & Konty, M. (2012). Refining the theory of basic individual values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(4), 663–688. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029393
-> PVQ-RR · 57 items · validated in 49 countries (N=53,472) · α ≈ .70 (19 values) · α ≈ .76 (10 values) · α ≈ .84 (higher-order values)

Heblich, B., Kazi, N., & Polei, E. (2023). Values assessment for well-being and health: Evidence from the Core Values Finder. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 23(3), 100353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100353
-> Core Values Finder · 60 items · validated in ~80+ countries (N≈105,000) · α ≈ .76 (matched to PVQ-RR) · r ≈ .70 (aligned to PVQ-RR stability)

Hogan Assessment Systems. (n.d.). Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI) Technical Manual. Tulsa, OK: Hogan Assessment Systems.
-> Hogan MVPI · 200 items · validated in ~50+ countries · α = .70–.84 (avg ≈ .77) · r ≈ .77

Hogan Assessments. (2019, June 17). A quick & dirty guide to validity and reliability. Retrieved August 24, 2025, from https://www.hoganassessments.com/blog/quick-dirty-guide-validity-reliability/
-> Hogan MVPI · short-term test–retest reliability ≈ .79

Core Values Finder