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Lecture 6: The Nature of Human Values

Richard M. Sorrentino

UWOTo be used in

conjunction with notes from class

demo

Rokeach’s Value Survey

VALUE SURVEY

Below is a list of 18 values arranged in alphabetical order. Your task is to arrange them in order of theirimportance to YOU, as guiding principles in YOUR life.

Study the list carefully. Then place a 1 next to the value which is most important for you, place a 2 next tothe value which is second most important to you, etc. The value which is least important, relative to theothers, should be ranked 18.

Work slowly and think carefully. If you change your mind, feel free to change your answers. The endresult should truly show how you really feel.

__________ A COMFORTABLE LIFE (a prosperous life)

__________ AN EXCITING LIFE (a stimulating, active life)

__________ A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT (lasting contribution)

__________ A WORLD AT PEACE (free of war and conflict)

__________ A WORLD OF BEAUTY (beauty of nature and the arts)

__________ EQUALITY (brotherhood, equal opportunity for all)

__________ FAMILY SECURITY (taking care of loved ones)

__________ FREEDOM (independence, free choice)

__________ HAPPINESS (contentedness)

__________ INNER HARMONY (freedom from inner conflict)

__________ MATURE LOVE (sexual and spiritual intimacy)

__________ NATIONAL SECURITY (protection from attack)

__________ PLEASURE (an enjoyable, leisurely life)

__________ SALVATION (saved, eternal life)

__________ SELF-RESPECT (self-esteem)

__________ SOCIAL RECOGNITION (respect, admiration)

__________ TRUE FRIENDSHIP (close companionship)

__________ WISDOM (a mature understanding of life)

Below is a list of another 18 values. Rank these in order of importance in the same way you ranked thefirst list on the preceding page.

__________ AMBITIOUS (hard-working, aspiring)

__________ BROADMINDED (open-minded)

__________ CAPABLE (competent, effective)

__________ CHEERFUL (lighthearted, joyful)

__________ CLEAN (neat, tidy)

__________ COURAGEOUS (standing up for your beliefs)

__________ FORGIVING (willing to pardon others)

__________ HELPFUL (working for the welfare of others)

__________ HONEST (sincere, truthful)

__________ IMAGINATIVE (daring, creative)

__________ INDEPENDENT (self-reliant, self-sufficient)

__________ INTELLECTUAL (intelligent, reflective)

__________ LOGICAL (consistent, rational)

__________ LOVING (affectionate, tender)

__________ OBEDIENT (dutiful, respectful)

__________ POLITE (courteous, well-mannered)

__________ RESPONSIBLE (dependable, reliable)

__________ SELF-CONTROLLED (restrained, self-disciplined)

I. Background A. Definition: A value is an enduring belief

that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence.

1. Terminal Values: End states of existence, e.g., a comfortable life. Note: there are 18 + or - 2 Terminal Values

2. Instrumental Values: Specific modes of conduct, e.g., honesty. Note: There are 36 or so of these, but the 18 here are the most important.

II. Overview A. Measurement: Rank Order, No ties. B. Comparisons with other samples

(performed in class). C. Research 1. Rokeach (1968), Reactions to Assassination

of Martin Luther King. a. Question: When you heard the news of the

assassination, which one of these was your strongest reaction?

1) 52% said: sadness, anger, shame 2) 48% said: fear or he brought it on himself 3) equality and salvation best predictors

Those who valued equality showed the most compassionate responses: sadness, anger, shame.

Those who valued salvation showed the least compassionate responses: fear, he brought it on himself.

2. Civil Rights: Students asked to join the NAACP and agreed were higher in equality, world of peace, and world of beauty then non-joiners.

3. Church Attendance: Salvation best discriminator. University students who attended weekly ranked it 1st, Adult population ranked it 5th. It was 18th for students never attending and 15th for Adults never attending.

4. Prison Inmates: Compared to general population, inmates rate honesty and salvation lower.

but they rate wisdom higher

5. Homosexuals: UWO Homophile Association Members: mostly identical to rest of student population, but value true friendship higher and family security lower. Mature love is about the same.

6. Michigan State Police: rate equality lower than general population (14th, or same as Wallace supporters in 1968 election). However, they rate sense of accomplishment, capable, intellectual, and logical, higher than the general population.

III. Freedom vs. Equality: What is your Political Philosophy? A. What would you be if you valued Freedom High and Equality Low ?: A capitalist Freedom Low and Equality High ?: A communist Freedom High and Equality High ?: A Socialist Freedom Low and Equality Low ?: A Fascist

B. Rokeach Found that: Speeches of capitalists such as Barry

Goldwater and George Wallace had high frequencies of freedom but low equality

Writings of Karl Marx had low freedom and high equality frequencies

Norman Thomas and other socialists had high frequencies of both in their speeches

Hitler’s Mein Kampf had low frequencies of both

IV: Self Confrontation: Discovering Inconsistencies in the Self and Behaviour e.g. 1. Students who discover they are

fascists or communists and thought they weren’t

e.g. 2. Rokeach and the minister who valued a comfortable life over salvation

A. Rokeach’s Study on Civil Rights: Attitudes, Values, and Behaviour Change 1. P’s fill out value survey 2. Self confrontation manipulation takes

place: a) First P’s asked if they are sympathetic

towards civil rights demonstrators. b) Then are told MSU students value

Freedom over equality. c) Then showed Table:

Sympathetic with Civil Rights Demonstrators?

Yes Freedom Rank: 6 Equality Rank: 5 Difference: +1

No Freedom Rank: 2 Equality Rank: 17 Difference: -15

d) Then says: This raises the question whether those who are against civil rights are really saying that they care a great deal about their own freedom but are indifferent to other peoples’ freedom. Those who are for civil rights are saying they not onlywant freedom for themselves, but for other people too.

3. Control Group: Only fills out Values.

4. Results: a) attitudes and values: gradually changed

over time. First values increased in Equality and decreased in Freedom as much as 17 months later.

b) behaviour most interesting 1) Asked to join NAACP and/or make a

contribution 3 to 5 months after, and a year later. Experimental group significantly more likely than Control to do this.

2) Behaviour Change; Career Choices: *Ethnic and Intergroup Relations International Relations Justice, Morality, and Democracy Welfare Policy Problems Urban Community Problems * After 5 months no change: values still

consolidating * After 21 months, Experimental Group

Significantly more likely to sign up for Ethnic and Intergroup Relations than Control Group.

Note: Attitude change studies typically change attitudes for a couple of weeks

B. Smoking Study (Conroy, 1971)

1. P’s signed up for a Behavioural Modification Clinic to Quit Smoking. Paid $50.00 deposit they would get back if they completed the 5 day program.

2. E and C group both recorded number of cigarettes they smoked per day.

3. E group also given self confrontation: a. filled out value survey and shown table:

The Difference Between Smokers and Quitters seems to be:

Smokers ranked Quitters ranked Broad-minded 3 8 Self-Controlled 8 1

b. Then told: Apparently Quitters value their own control over smoking more than being easy-going as broad-minded suggests. Smokers value easy going more than their sense of self-control.

4. Results:

a) 5 days later, Control group was back to 15 cigarettes per day, Experimental group, less than 1.

b) 6 months later: 10% of Control Group had quit smoking, 40% of Experimental Group had quit smoking.

c) Rokeach: Skinner would role over, one trial learning better than behaviour modification

c. Teacher Study

Student Teachers: E got mature love vs. sense of accomplishment, C, no confrontation. E received significantly better teacher ratings in classroom.

Conclusions

Self confrontation works: 1. long lasting behavioural change 2. better than behaviour modification 3. one trial learning 4. but for whom? Would this work for the CO? Maybe not, but it may work for you.

And now for a great movie, or at least a movie.