Changing, priming, and acting on values: Effects via motivational relations in a circular model.

Abstract

Circular models of values and goals suggest that some motivational aims are consistent with each other, some oppose each other, and others are orthogonal to each other. The present experiments tested this idea explicitly by examining how value confrontation and priming methods influence values and valueconsistent behaviors throughout the entire value system. Experiment 1 revealed that change in 1 set of social values causes motivationally compatible values to increase in importance, whereas motivationally incompatible values decrease in importance and orthogonal values remain the same. Experiment 2 found that priming security values reduced the better-than-average effect, but priming stimulation values increased it. Similarly, Experiments 3 and 4 found that priming security values increased cleanliness and decreased curiosity behaviors, whereas priming self-direction values decreased cleanliness and increased curiosity behaviors. Experiment 5 found that priming achievement values increased success at puzzle completion and decreased helpfulness to an experimenter, whereas priming with benevolence values decreased success and increased helpfulness. These results highlight the importance of circular models describing motivational interconnections between values and personal goals.Keywords: priming, motivation, goals, behavior Specific patterns of motivation interconnection have been described in an influential model of social values (Schwartz, 1992) and a more recent model of personal goals (Grouzet et al., 2005). The model of values focuses on abstract ideals-such as freedom, equality, helpfulness, and enjoying life-that people regard as important guiding principles. The model of personal goals focuses on aims and aspirations-such as self-acceptance, affiliation, physical health, and popularity-that a person has. Despite their slightly different foci, both models propose that there are "four occasionally overlapping but sometimes conflictual motivational systems that people must negotiate as they make their way through life" (Grouzet et al., 2005, p. 813). In this article, we briefly review these models and argue that their assumptions about motivational interconnections can be useful for understanding basic mechanisms in judgment and action. This idea is then illustrated in five experiments that explore novel implications derived from one of the models. CIRCULAR PATTERNS IN VALUES ANDPERSONAL GOALS Schwartz's (1996) cross-cultural model of values indicates that values are self-imposed criteria that balance between individual needs, the coordination of social interaction, and group survival. As values coordinate these concerns, they come to express and serve 10 types of motivation: power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, and security (see Table 1 for more detail). 1 More important, Schwartz (1992) suggested that these 10 motives possess various conflicts and compatibilities. As shown in Figure 1, these motivational interconnections can be modeled...

Nonlinear associations between human values and neuroanatomy

“…In fact, these dimensions are apparent in patterns of interrelations between the value types across samples from over 70 nations (Schwartz et al, 2012). This prediction has indirectly received support in many studies that have sought evidence that values at opposite ends of the circumplex model exhibit opposing relations to other judgments and behavior (see Maio, Pakizeh, Cheung, & Rees, 2009;Schwartz et al, 2012). This approach is less precise than methods specifically looking at sinusoidal tests of patterns of associations between values and other variables, but one study has recently found evidence of a sinusoidal pattern in relations between values and personality traits (ParksLeduc, Feldman, & Bardi, 2015).…”

Bidirectional Dynamics of Materialism and Loneliness: Not Just a Vicious Cycle

“…On the one hand, all three subtypes express self-enhancement values of hedonism, power, and achievement, which are antithetical to self-transcendence and social values (Maio et al 2009;Schwartz 1992). This would suggest that their effects on loneliness are comparable.…”

“…Surveys across the world support the theory (Schwartz 1992). Maio et al (2009) tested it in a series of controlled studies. In one study, they increased the importance that participants attached to self-enhancement values and found that this suppressed self-transcendence values, such as being forgiving and honest.…”

Apportioning energy consumption in the workplace: a review of issues in using metering data to motivate staff to save energy

“…Indeed, basic research relating to what might motivate individuals to save energy in the workplace, and whether specific rewards here may be useful, is currently an open question. Previous research has highlighted a potential conflict between environmental and financial values (Maio et al 2009;Corner, Markowitz, and Pidgeon 2014), indicating that company policy and communications on these issues could undermine each other; however, this remains to be empirically tested in this domain. The social processes that are theorised to operate around the implementation of both individual and collective monitoring and goals, for example, the utility of energy goals and feedback, require field testing in this domain and are likely to interact with the specific institutional context.…”