Paper 6 Personality traits and
Personal Values: A Meta-analysis
By Parks-Leduc, Feldman, Bardi
Important psychological characteristics, important predictors of outcomes.
Cognitively based traits are more strongly related to values and more emotionally based traits are
less strongly related to values.
Personality Traits and Personal values
Personality traits = descriptions of
people in terms of relatively stable
patterns of behavior, thoughts and
emotions. With Five-Factor model (FFM)
large number of traits combined into
five broad trait dimensions.
Personal values = stable broad life goals
important to people in their lives and
guide their perception, judgements, and
behavior. Organized in personal
hierarchies of importance. Schwartz’s
Value theory identifying 10 values based
on motivations underlying them.
Values structured in circle based on relationships,
values positively correlated are closer to one another
and based on compatible motivations. Values at
opposite sides are negatively correlated and based on
conflicting motivations.
Grouped into 4 higher order types of values organized
on 2 bipolar dimensions: self-enhancement vs self-
transcendence, and openness to change vs
conversation.
Traits and values conceptually similar but several distinctions between the two constructs:
- Traits = descriptive valuables, describe how individuals tend to feel, think, and behave.
Summaries of an individual’s responses and behaviors (creative person). Some say influenced
by genetics, vary in culture and influenced by environmental variables additionally.
- Values = motivational variables, express person’s motivations that may or may not be
reflected in behavior (creativity important in their life). Some say values are product of
person’s environment and also additional genetic origins.
Personal Values: A Meta-analysis
By Parks-Leduc, Feldman, Bardi
Important psychological characteristics, important predictors of outcomes.
Cognitively based traits are more strongly related to values and more emotionally based traits are
less strongly related to values.
Personality Traits and Personal values
Personality traits = descriptions of
people in terms of relatively stable
patterns of behavior, thoughts and
emotions. With Five-Factor model (FFM)
large number of traits combined into
five broad trait dimensions.
Personal values = stable broad life goals
important to people in their lives and
guide their perception, judgements, and
behavior. Organized in personal
hierarchies of importance. Schwartz’s
Value theory identifying 10 values based
on motivations underlying them.
Values structured in circle based on relationships,
values positively correlated are closer to one another
and based on compatible motivations. Values at
opposite sides are negatively correlated and based on
conflicting motivations.
Grouped into 4 higher order types of values organized
on 2 bipolar dimensions: self-enhancement vs self-
transcendence, and openness to change vs
conversation.
Traits and values conceptually similar but several distinctions between the two constructs:
- Traits = descriptive valuables, describe how individuals tend to feel, think, and behave.
Summaries of an individual’s responses and behaviors (creative person). Some say influenced
by genetics, vary in culture and influenced by environmental variables additionally.
- Values = motivational variables, express person’s motivations that may or may not be
reflected in behavior (creativity important in their life). Some say values are product of
person’s environment and also additional genetic origins.
