Description

The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-40) is a psychometric instrument developed to assess individual human values within Schwartz’s theory of basic human values. It was designed as a relatively simple and accessible method for measuring value priorities and is based on a model comprising 10 fundamental human values.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PVQ-40 is to identify the values that function as motivational priorities and influence individuals’ attitudes, choices, and behavior. The theoretical framework underlying the questionnaire proposes a universal psychological structure of human values and aims to identify 10 distinct motivational priorities that are shared across different cultures and societies.

Structure

The PVQ-40 consists of 40 items. Each item presents a brief description or “portrait” of a person through two sentences, and respondents are asked to indicate how similar they are to the person described.

The 40 items are distributed across 10 value subscales:

Power, Achievement, Hedonism, Self-Direction, Universalism, Benevolence, Tradition, Conformity, Security, and Stimulation.

A shorter 21-item version of the PVQ is also available and is frequently used in cross-cultural studies involving representative samples and strict time limitations.

Scoring

Responses are recorded on a 6-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 = “very similar” to 6 = “very dissimilar.” During statistical analysis, the response scores may be transformed in order to obtain similarity estimates.

The score for each basic value is calculated as the mean of the responses to the portraits associated with that particular value, allowing researchers to examine the relative importance of each value within an individual’s overall value profile.

Target Population

Although the PVQ can be used across different populations, the available material indicates that it is particularly suitable for studies involving children aged 11–14 years, as well as adults with lower educational levels or individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

According to the source document, the questionnaire has been adapted into Greek by Pavlopoulos, while standardization in a Greek sample is reported as being undertaken by Pezirkianidis and Stalikas.

Reliability and Validity

The PVQ-40 has demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. Studies conducted in different countries have provided support for its reliability, as well as its convergent and discriminant validity.

For the shorter version of the questionnaire, the reduction in the number of items may negatively affect reliability compared with the original full-length version.

Applications

The PVQ-40 can be used in social, psychological, educational, organizational, and cross-cultural research to investigate personal value priorities and their relationship with attitudes, behaviors, and social choices. It is particularly useful when researchers wish to compare value structures across individuals, age groups, or cultural contexts.

References

Schwartz, S. H., Melech, G., Lehmann, A., Burgess, S., Harris, M., & Owens, V. (2001). Extending the cross-cultural validity of the theory of basic human values with a different method of measurement. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(5), 519–542.

Schwartz, S. H. (2006). Basic human values: An overview.

Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1).