Harmony and Security Value Orientations in Political Evaluation

Abstract

Responses from 197 students to the Goal Mode and Social Values Inventory were used to support the hypothesis that personal, interpersonal, and social values cohere around two broad value orientations-security and harmony- and that these value orientations are central in predicting political evaluations. The security scales-the National Strength and Order, the Propriety in Dress and Manners, and the Social Standing scales-inter-correlated highly and mirrored each other in predicting conservative attitudes, unwillingness to protest, and voting for the right. The harmony value scales-the International Harmony and Equality scale and the Personal Growth and Inner Harmony scale-were inter correlated and independent of the security scales. They both predicted liberal attitudes, but only the International Harmony and Equality scale predicted willingness to protest and voting for the left.