The Research Behind

Universal Continuum of Human Values

The universal continuum of human values is a representation of human values. It has been developed and improved over decades by Professor Shalom Schwartz starting in 1992 (Schwartz, 1992) and is the core of our questionaire.

Professor Shalom Schwartz is a fellow of American Psychological Association and validated the questions through an international research. We have secured the license exclusively to the IP Protected questionaire and cannot be copied.

The continuum is derived from this intercultural studies in more than 80 countries (Schwartz, 2012). The original model in 1992 had 10 distinct values (Schwartz, 1992). The model has been refined in the last years through empirical studies. It now compromises of 19 different human values (Schwartz et al., 2012; Cieciuch, Davidov, Vecchione, & Schwartz, 2014). In addition, the 19 values are categorized through higher-order values such as self-transcendence on the first level, social focus on the second level, and growth/anxiety-free on the third level.

The measurement instrument we used is the refined Portraits Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR, Schwartz & Butenko, 2014). It measures the importance of 19 distinct values with 57 items. Each value’s importance is measured through three items (Schwartz & Butenko, 2014).

The 57 items represent statements about a person (e.g., item 1: “It is important to her to form her views independently”; one of three items that measure self-direction thought). Participants are asked to rate on a Likert scale from 1 (not like me at all) to 6 (very much like me) how much this person is like them or not.

Human Core Values Continuum
Adapted Core Values Continuum

Our Scientifically Adapted Version

A study by our founder Heblich & Terzidis (2016), based on the method of multidimensional scaling, indicates 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 includes 60 items to measure 20 human values.

As the continuum was developed with the method of multidimensional scaling, neighboring values are compatible with each other. Whereas values that lay on the opposite sides of each other tend to lead to decision conflicts.

In addition to that, we adapted the model with additional higher-order values of intrinsic/extrinsic 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 36 page personalized evaluation.

What are the 20 values we use?

Read about all the 20 values here!

Knowledge Hub

Proprietary Visualization

Based on the 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.

On answering the questions of the adapted Portraits Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR, Schwartz & Butenko, 2014 in the adapted version of Heblich & Terzidis, 2016) 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 years 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.

IP Protected Core Values
Scientific Research

Our Recent Publication

Living well: Empirically developed structural equation model for healthy and effective self-regulation

About The Journal 

The International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (IJCHP) publishes manuscripts with a basic and applied emphasis, including experimental, clinical and theoretical work contributing to the advancement of Clinical and Health Psychology. The IJCHP aims to target four core domains: clinical psychology and psychotherapy, psychopathology, health psychology and clinical neurosciences. The Journal publishes Original Articles (empirical studies) and Review Articles.

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.

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