Toward a Unique/Useful Concept of Values for Interpersonal Behavior: A Critical Review of the Literature on Value

Abstract

The concept of values has been defined differently within each discipline in the social sciences and many different methods have been proposed to measure individual values. For the purpose of deriving a unique concept of values it was necessary to distinguish values from other related concepts. This was accomplished by viewing values as evaluative dimensions, e.g., good-bad, desirable-undesirable, shoulds and oughts. Since the focus of this paper is not on values for values' sake, the value literature was critically examined in order to suggest the value concepts, value lists, and instrument methodologies which are expected to be useful for explaining, predicting, or changing behavior; specifically, interpersonal behavior. The paper concludes by systematically summarizing the research issues that need to be addressed, i.e., uniqueness and usefulness, if social scientists are to further substantive knowledge about values and behavior.