You’re staring at two job offers. One pays better— significantly better— but the other involves work you actually care about. Everyone keeps telling you to “follow your values,” but what does that actually mean? In psychology, values are beliefs about desirable goals or modes of conduct that transcend specific situations and serve as guiding principles in people’s lives. Unlike attitudes or beliefs, values are more enduring, trans-situational, and linked to both affect and motivation— they shape how you evaluate options and make decisions. Psychologist Shalom Schwartz identified 10 basic human values (like self-direction, achievement, and benevolence) validated across 82 countries, while Milton Rokeach distinguished between terminal values (desired end states) and instrumental values (preferred behaviors). Understanding what values mean psychologically gives you a science-backed framework for navigating career transitions and building a life that actually feels aligned.
I remember early in my career when someone told me to “follow my values,” and I had no idea what that actually meant beyond some vague feeling I was supposed to have. Most people use “values” like it’s some vague, aspirational concept. But psychologists have been studying values for decades— measuring them, testing them across cultures, and mapping how they actually function in your brain and behavior. This isn’t self-help. This is science.
Key Takeaways
- Values are trans-situational motivational goals — Psychology defines values as enduring beliefs that guide behavior across contexts— not just abstract ideals
- Schwartz’s 10 basic values are cross-culturally validated — Self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, power, security, conformity, tradition, benevolence, and universalism appear across cultures
- Values differ from attitudes and beliefs — Values are more abstract, enduring, and motivational; they form the foundation upon which attitudes are built
- Value congruence predicts well-being — Living in alignment with your values is associated with greater life satisfaction and career fulfillment
What Psychology Says About Values (The Core Definition)
In psychology, values are beliefs about desirable goals or behaviors that transcend specific situations, remain relatively stable over time, and serve as guiding principles. They’re not preferences or opinions— they’re motivational constructs that influence how you perceive options and make choices.
Here’s what makes values distinct from other psychological constructs.
Values are trans-situational. A value like honesty doesn’t just show up at work— it shapes how you handle finances, relationships, and the small stuff nobody’s watching. According to Schwartz’s research, “values are trans-situational motivational goals that serve as standards for evaluating actions, people, and events.” That’s the key— they apply across contexts, not just in specific situations.
Values are enduring. They don’t shift like moods or opinions. Values form part of your self-concept and identity. You might adjust priorities as life changes, but core values typically persist— though research also shows that the relationship between values and behavior has plasticity, adapting to social contexts.
Values are motivational. They’re linked to affect— when you live in alignment with your values, you feel good; when you violate them, it triggers negative emotion. Values aren’t just philosophical positions. They create real psychological responses that guide your behavior.
Values serve as guiding principles. Values function as standards for evaluating actions, people, and events. You use values to assess opportunities, relationships, and decisions— often without consciously realizing it.
How Values Differ from Beliefs and Attitudes
Values are more abstract and enduring than beliefs or attitudes. While beliefs are cognitive assessments of what is true (“hard work leads to success”) and attitudes are evaluations of specific objects or situations, values are overarching principles that shape both beliefs and attitudes.
Think of it as a hierarchy.
At the top, you have values— broad, trans-situational principles like fairness or autonomy. Those values shape your beliefs about how the world works. Beliefs then shape your attitudes toward specific things. And attitudes influence behavior.
Here’s a concrete example. You value fairness (value). That leads you to believe merit-based systems work better than nepotism (belief). That belief shapes your attitude toward a promotion process that lacks transparent criteria (negative attitude). Which then influences your behavior— you might advocate for clearer standards or feel frustrated with the current system (behavior).
Values form the foundation upon which attitudes are built— they’re the “why” behind what you believe matters.
| Construct | Definition | Stability | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Values | Abstract principles about what’s desirable | High (enduring) | Trans-situational (all contexts) |
| Beliefs | Cognitive assessments of what’s true | Medium | Context-dependent |
| Attitudes | Evaluations of specific objects/situations | Low (can shift) | Situation-specific |
Values are also fewer in number. You have countless attitudes— toward specific coworkers, tasks, brands, policies. But you have a relatively small set of core values that underlie all those attitudes.
Research confirms that values are more stable than attitudes, which can shift based on context, social pressure, or new information. Your attitude toward a particular job might change if the culture deteriorates, but your underlying value of autonomy remains.
The Two Major Frameworks for Understanding Values
Two theoretical frameworks dominate how psychologists understand values— Milton Rokeach’s distinction between terminal and instrumental values (1973) and Shalom Schwartz’s theory of 10 basic human values (2012). Both are empirically validated and widely used in research and assessment.
Rokeach’s Framework — Terminal vs. Instrumental Values
Milton Rokeach provided the historical foundation. He distinguished between two types of values.
Terminal values are desired end states— the goals you’re working toward. Things like happiness, wisdom, inner peace, freedom, or a sense of accomplishment. These are the destinations.
Instrumental values are preferred modes of behavior— the means by which you pursue those end states. Things like honesty, ambition, responsibility, courage, or independence. These are the pathways.
Example— you might value happiness (terminal) and pursue it through honesty (instrumental). Or you might value freedom (terminal) and pursue it through independence (instrumental).
The Rokeach Value Survey asks people to rank lists of terminal and instrumental values, revealing their priority structure. It’s been used for decades in psychology and organizational research.
Schwartz’s Framework — 10 Basic Human Values
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Shalom Schwartz identified 10 basic values recognized across 82 countries— a truly cross-cultural framework validated through extensive research. These aren’t culturally specific. They show up everywhere.
Here are Schwartz’s 10 basic values.
- Self-direction — Independent thought and action; creativity, freedom, choosing own goals
- Stimulation — Excitement, novelty, challenge in life
- Hedonism — Pleasure and sensory gratification for oneself
- Achievement — Personal success through demonstrating competence by social standards
- Power — Social status, prestige, control over people and resources
- Security — Safety, harmony, stability of society, relationships, and self
- Conformity — Restraint of actions, inclinations, impulses that might violate social norms or harm others
- Tradition — Respect, commitment, acceptance of customs and ideas that one’s culture or religion provides
- Benevolence — Preserving and enhancing welfare of people with whom one is in frequent contact
- Universalism — Understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for welfare of all people and nature
I love this framework. What makes it powerful is the circular structure. Adjacent values are compatible— if you value achievement, you’re likely to value power or hedonism. Opposite values create tension— achievement (personal success) conflicts with benevolence (concern for others’ welfare).
That tension is real. When you’re choosing between a high-paying job that benefits you (achievement, power) and nonprofit work that serves others (benevolence, universalism), you’re experiencing a values conflict. Schwartz’s model maps these trade-offs explicitly.
Understanding the circular structure matters because it helps you recognize your trade-offs. You can’t maximize all 10 values simultaneously. Choices reveal priorities.
How Values Influence Behavior and Decision-Making
Values function as internal standards that guide how you evaluate options, prioritize goals, and justify decisions. Value congruence— living in alignment with your values— is associated with greater psychological well-being and life satisfaction.
Here’s how values work at a cognitive level.
Values shape evaluation. You use values as standards to assess people, actions, and events. When you meet someone who embodies a value you hold (integrity, creativity, compassion), you’re drawn to them. When you encounter behavior that violates your values, you react negatively— often viscerally.
Values activate affect. Value alignment triggers positive emotion. Value violation triggers negative emotion. This isn’t philosophical— it’s measurable psychological response. When you’re in a role that suppresses a core value, you don’t just think it’s suboptimal. You feel trapped, frustrated, or drained.
Values influence attention and perception. You notice information consistent with your values more readily than information that contradicts them. If you value autonomy, you’re attuned to micromanagement. If you value security, you notice instability.
Values guide goal-setting and prioritization. Your values determine which goals feel meaningful and which feel hollow. Someone who values achievement sets different career goals than someone who values benevolence.
Here’s a concrete example. Imagine someone who values autonomy— self-direction, independence, freedom to choose their own path. Now put them in a micromanaged role with rigid processes and constant oversight. That’s a value violation. The negative affect isn’t weakness or immaturity— it’s psychology. Misalignment between values and work environment creates measurable psychological distress, job dissatisfaction, and burnout.
Values don’t just describe what you care about. They actively shape perception, attention, and decision-making at a cognitive level.
How to Identify and Measure Your Values
Identifying your values requires more than introspection— psychologists use structured assessments and clarification exercises to help people articulate what truly matters to them. The most widely used tools include the Rokeach Value Survey, Schwartz Value Survey, and values clarification exercises from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Formal Assessment Tools
Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) — You rank lists of terminal values (end states like wisdom, freedom, happiness) and instrumental values (behaviors like honesty, ambition, responsibility). The ranking reveals your priority structure.
Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) / Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) — You rate how important each of the 10 basic values is to you. The assessment maps your value profile and identifies potential conflicts.
VIA Character Strengths — The VIA Institute measures 24 character strengths (a related framework from positive psychology). While not identical to values, strengths overlap— creativity, fairness, kindness.
Valued Living Questionnaire — An ACT-based tool that assesses how much you value domains (work, relationships, personal growth) and how consistently you’re living in alignment with those values.
Values Clarification Exercises
Beyond formal assessments, clarification exercises help surface what matters.
Domain-based reflection — What do you want your life to stand for in each domain— work, relationships, personal growth, community, health?
Peak experience analysis — When have you felt most fulfilled, most alive, most like yourself? What values were present in those moments? This isn’t abstract— it’s looking at real experiences and reverse-engineering what made them meaningful.
Values conflict identification — Where do competing values create tension in your life? Achievement vs. balance? Autonomy vs. security? Identifying conflicts helps clarify priorities.
Reflective Questions
PositivePsychology.com suggests these prompts.
- What makes you angry or energized? (Often signals values violations or alignment)
- If no one would judge you, what would you do differently? (Reveals where social norms override personal values)
- What do you admire in others? (Often reflects values you hold)
Values clarification isn’t about discovering some hidden truth— it’s about articulating the principles you’re already living (or want to live) more consciously. And self-assessment isn’t enough. Discussing your values with a coach, therapist, or trusted peer helps surface blind spots and test whether your articulated values match your actual behavior.
Using Values for Career Decisions and Purpose Discovery
Understanding your values psychologically transforms how you approach career decisions— from vague “follow your passion” advice to structured evaluation of what alignment actually looks like. Values serve as your compass when you’re stuck between options or questioning your current path.
Values function as a decision filter. When you’re evaluating opportunities, you can assess them against your values— not just salary, title, or prestige. Does this role activate your values? Or suppress them?
Career alignment happens when the role and environment activate your core values. Someone who values self-direction and creativity thrives in environments with autonomy and space for innovation. Someone who values security and conformity thrives in structured, stable environments with clear expectations.
Career misalignment happens when a role violates or suppresses core values. Research on career satisfaction shows this leads to burnout, dissatisfaction, and that persistent feeling of “something’s wrong but I can’t name it.”
Here’s the thing— values give you the language to name it.
Example— someone who values self-direction and creativity is stuck in a rigid, process-heavy corporate role. Every day feels stifling. The work itself might be fine, but the environment suppresses their core values. Clarifying values reveals the mismatch— the problem isn’t the industry or even the job function. It’s the lack of autonomy and creative expression.
Values also connect to finding purpose in life. Purpose is the thread that connects your values, strengths, and impact. You can’t build a meaningful career without understanding what “meaningful” means to you— and that definition comes from your values.
But here’s the realistic part— one job won’t satisfy all your values. Trade-offs are normal. Understanding your values doesn’t give you easy answers. It gives you clarity on what you’re trading and whether the trade-off is worth it.
Values also evolve. What mattered at 25 (achievement, stimulation, power) may shift at 40 (benevolence, security, balance). Revisit your values during transitions— career changes, life stage shifts, after major events. What you valued a decade ago might not serve you now.
If you’re exploring how to choose the right career path, start with values. If you’re wondering where calling comes from, values define what makes an impact feel meaningful to you. And if you’re working on finding your perfect career path, values are essential pieces of that puzzle.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. Start with one value. See where it takes you.
FAQ — Common Questions About Values in Psychology
What is the difference between values and beliefs?
Values are abstract, trans-situational principles that shape beliefs and attitudes. While beliefs are cognitive assessments of what is true, values are motivational constructs about what is important or desirable. Values form the foundation; beliefs are built upon them.
Can values change over time?
Yes. While values are relatively stable, they can evolve across the lifespan— especially during major life transitions. What you value at 25 (achievement, stimulation) may shift at 40 (benevolence, security) as your circumstances and priorities change. Schwartz’s research confirms values can shift, even as they remain more enduring than attitudes.
How do I know if I’m living in alignment with my values?
Value congruence shows up as a sense of authenticity, fulfillment, and psychological well-being. Value misalignment often manifests as persistent dissatisfaction, stress, or feeling “off” even when external circumstances seem fine. Living in alignment with your values is strongly correlated with life satisfaction.
What are terminal vs. instrumental values?
Terminal values are desired end states (like happiness, wisdom, or inner peace), while instrumental values are preferred behaviors or means (like honesty, ambition, or courage). You pursue terminal values through instrumental values— for example, pursuing wisdom (terminal) through curiosity and open-mindedness (instrumental).
Values as Your Compass
Values in psychology aren’t abstract ideals— they’re measurable constructs that shape how you perceive, evaluate, and navigate the world. Understanding what values mean scientifically gives you a language and framework for the decisions that matter most.
To recap— values are trans-situational motivational goals, not platitudes. Frameworks like Schwartz’s 10 values and Rokeach’s terminal/instrumental distinction give you structure. Values function as internal standards— they guide attention, emotion, and evaluation. And practically, values clarification leads to career alignment and greater satisfaction.
Values evolve. Revisit them periodically, especially during transitions— career changes, life stage shifts, after significant events. What mattered five years ago might not serve you now.
Remember those two job offers from the beginning? Once you understand your values, the choice becomes clearer— not easier, but clearer. You know what you’re trading and whether the trade-off aligns with who you are.
I believe in this work. When you understand your values psychologically, you move from vague “follow your gut” advice to evidence-based self-knowledge. You get clarity on trade-offs. You stop wondering why something feels wrong and start understanding what needs to change.
If you’re serious about finding your career path, start here. Values are prerequisite work. You can’t build an aligned life on vague notions.
