Rokeach M 1973 The Nature Of Human Values Pdf Top Page

Introduction

The Hierarchy of the Soul: Understanding Milton Rokeach’s The Nature of Human Values

In the landscape of social psychology, few works have managed to bridge the gap between abstract philosophy and empirical science as effectively as Milton Rokeach’s 1973 masterpiece, The Nature of Human Values. While philosophers had debated the concept of "the good" for millennia, Rokeach attempted something radically different: he sought to measure values, categorize them, and demonstrate how they predict human behavior. rokeach m 1973 the nature of human values pdf top

6. Key Theoretical Claims

  1. Total number of human values is relatively small – Rokeach estimated ~36 (the 18 terminal + 18 instrumental).
  2. Values are organized hierarchically – not equally important; some dominate.
  3. Values serve multiple functions:

    Applications and influence

    • Widely used in cross-cultural studies, political psychology (e.g., linking values to ideology and voting), organizational behavior, consumer research, and education.
    • The RVS influenced subsequent value instruments (e.g., Schwartz’s value theory) and continues to be cited in research on values and culture.
    • Terminal values (e.g., happiness, freedom, equality) represent desirable end-states.
    • Instrumental values (e.g., honesty, responsibility, self-discipline) are means to achieve terminal values.

    Rokeach divides values into two distinct categories: Introduction The Hierarchy of the Soul: Understanding Milton

    Milton Rokeach's 1973 work, "The Nature of Human Values," introduces the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS), which classifies human values into 18 terminal (end-states) and 18 instrumental (modes of behavior) values. The theory posits that these hierarchical, finite values, often divided into personal/social and moral/competence categories, determine attitudes and behaviors. For a digital copy, visit Internet Archive. Total number of human values is relatively small

    Detail the ranking process used to identify your own personal core values.