Live Your Core Values [LYCV]

Instrument Description

The Live Your Core Values (LYCV) is a psychometric questionnaire designed to assess the degree to which an individual’s actions, decisions, and everyday behaviors are aligned with their core personal values.

Core values refer to fundamental principles that individuals consider important for their identity, meaning, and personal fulfillment. These may include values such as:

• integrity;
• honesty;
• authenticity;
• responsibility;
• caring for others;
• personal growth;
• commitment to meaningful goals.

The LYCV focuses not only on identifying personal values but also on examining whether individuals experience consistency between what they believe is important and how they actually behave in daily life.

The scale evaluates three main dimensions:

• the extent to which individuals recognize their core values;
• the influence of values on decisions and actions;
• the perceived harmony between personal values and actual behavior.

Theoretical Background

The LYCV is based on the assumption that psychological well-being is enhanced when individuals experience alignment between their personal values and their daily actions.

Value congruence is considered an important component of:

• personal identity;
• authenticity;
• motivation;
• psychological adjustment;
• life satisfaction.

The theoretical framework is related to contemporary approaches in positive psychology and self-determination theory, emphasizing the importance of meaningful goals and behaviors that reflect internal motivations.

Objective

The primary objective of the LYCV is to provide a structured method for evaluating whether individuals live according to their core values.

The main goals of the scale include:

Assessment of Value–Behavior Consistency

To determine the degree to which individuals act consistently with their personal principles and beliefs.

Enhancement of Self-Awareness

To support individuals in recognizing their fundamental values and understanding their influence on everyday choices.

Promotion of Personal Growth

To increase awareness of the role of values in achieving psychological well-being, satisfaction, and meaningful living.

Structure and Scoring

The LYCV consists of statements assessing the relationship between:

• personal values;
• daily decisions;
• behavioral choices;
• sense of personal coherence.

Participants typically respond using a Likert-type scale, indicating the degree to which statements describe their experiences and behaviors.

Higher scores generally indicate greater alignment between:

• identified core values;
• personal actions;
• lifestyle choices.

Lower scores may indicate difficulties in translating personal values into everyday behavior.

Data Analysis

Data obtained from the LYCV can be used to evaluate personal coherence, sense of purpose, and value-based functioning.

Possible analyses include:

Descriptive Statistics

Calculation of:

• mean scores;
• standard deviations;
• distribution of responses.

Correlation Analysis

Examining relationships between value alignment and psychological variables such as:

• psychological well-being;
• life satisfaction;
• personal development;
• sense of meaning.

The scale can be used to examine whether greater value–behavior consistency is associated with improved psychological functioning.

Reliability Analysis

Evaluation of internal consistency through reliability indicators such as Cronbach’s alpha.

Factor Analysis

Exploration of the underlying dimensions of value alignment and confirmation of the scale structure.

Psychometric Evaluation

The calibration and validation process of the LYCV may include:

Internal Consistency

Assessment of the reliability of responses through Cronbach’s alpha analysis.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Testing whether the proposed dimensions adequately represent the structure of the instrument.

Cross-Cultural Validation

Application of the scale in different populations to evaluate reliability and generalizability across contexts.

Applications

The LYCV may be applied in:

Counseling Psychology

For exploring personal values, identity, and meaningful life choices.

Personal Development Programs

For increasing self-awareness and supporting goal-setting processes.

Organizational Psychology

For studying alignment between personal values and workplace behaviors.

Educational Settings

For supporting young adults in developing personal goals and decision-making skills.

Research Studies

For examining relationships between value congruence and psychological outcomes.

The LYCV is not a diagnostic instrument. It is an assessment tool focused on personal values, behavioral consistency, and psychological meaning, and should be interpreted within the broader personal and social context of each individual.

References

Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1–65.

Sheldon, K. M., & Elliot, A. J. (1999). Goal striving, need satisfaction, and longitudinal well-being: The self-concordance model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(3), 482–497.

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.