Life Values Inventory (LVI)

Abstract

The Life Values Inventory (LVI) is a widely utilized psychological scale designed to assess the importance of 14 core personal values that guide an individual’s behavior, decision-making, and life role choices. Developed primarily by Duane Brown and R. Kelly Crace, the LVI provides a structured framework for individuals, particularly those undergoing career counseling or personal development, to clarify their internal priorities. The instrument consists of 42 items, with three items dedicated to measuring each of the 14 distinct value dimensions. It is grounded in the theoretical premise that understanding one’s dominant values is critical for achieving life satisfaction and making congruent occupational and personal choices.

Keywords

Life Values Inventory, LVI, personal values, career development, life roles, psychological assessment, behavioral drivers, psychometrics.

Authors

Duane Brown, R. Kelly Crace, M. L. Almeida, H. R. Pinto

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Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Life Values Inventory (LVI) is to help individuals identify and prioritize the core values that influence their daily behavior and major life decisions. By quantifying the salience of different value domains—ranging from Achievement and Responsibility to Spirituality and Concern for the Environment—the LVI serves as a powerful tool in educational, counseling, and organizational settings. It enables users to understand potential sources of conflict or satisfaction in their lives when their actions or environments are misaligned with their central values.

Specifically in the context of career and life planning, the LVI is used to facilitate self-exploration. Counselors employ the results to guide clients in selecting educational paths, occupations, or life roles that are intrinsically rewarding because they allow for the expression of dominant personal values. The comprehensive scope of the LVI ensures that a wide array of human motivators, beyond typical occupational interests, are considered in the decision-making process.

Construct

The LVI measures 14 distinct, empirically derived life values. This structure is based on the conceptual model proposed by Brown and Crace (1996), which links personal values to successful engagement in various life roles. The scale is built upon the understanding that values are cognitive structures that represent general goals and guide behavior across different situations. These 14 constructs are intended to capture the full spectrum of motivational drivers in adult life.

The 14 value constructs measured by the LVI are: Achievement, Belonging, Concern for the Environment, Concern for Others, Creativity, Financial Prosperity, Health and Activity, Humility, Independence, Loyalty to Family or Group, Privacy, Responsibility, Scientific Understanding, and Spirituality. Each construct is operationalized through three specific behavioral statements, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the value domain.

Validity

While specific statistical validity coefficients are often detailed in accompanying technical manuals, the LVI’s validity is supported by its strong theoretical grounding in life-span developmental and career psychology models. The initial research focused on establishing content validity, ensuring the items accurately reflect the definitions of the 14 value constructs. Construct validity has typically been explored through factor analytic studies, which aim to confirm that the 42 items load onto the intended 14 factors, as suggested by the scoring key. Furthermore, studies often report on criterion validity by examining how LVI scores correlate with real-world outcomes, such as career satisfaction, job performance, and engagement in civic or personal activities related to the measured values. For instance, high scores on “Financial Prosperity” should correlate with financial goal-setting behaviors.

Reliability

The reliability of the Life Values Inventory is typically assessed using measures of internal consistency, such as coefficient alpha (Cronbach’s Alpha). For a robust psychological scale, high alpha coefficients (generally above 0.70) are expected for each of the 14 subscales, indicating that the three items within each value dimension consistently measure the same underlying construct. Test-retest reliability studies are also crucial for the LVI, demonstrating the stability of an individual’s core values over time, which is expected given that values are generally considered stable personality attributes in adulthood.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the Life Values Inventory is inherently tied to its intended 14-factor model. The development process, initiated by Brown and Crace, involved conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) to substantiate this dimensional structure. The goal of the factor analysis is to confirm that the 42 observed items can be grouped into 14 distinct, yet potentially interrelated, latent value constructs. The success of the factor analysis validates the scoring method, which sums the scores of the three items associated with each dimension (e.g., ACHIEVEMENT = Items 1 + 15 + 29). This rigorous psychometrics work ensures that the LVI is measuring 14 unique aspects of personal motivation, crucial for its application in counseling.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report Psychological Scale / Values Inventory

Format: 42 items rated on a 5-point Likert Scale

Language Available: English, Portuguese (Inventário dos Valores de Vida, experimental version), and likely other translations.

Population Group: General population, primarily adolescents and adults.

Age Group: High school age through adulthood (typically 16+).

Population Details: Used extensively in educational, career counseling, and corporate settings for personal development and vocational guidance.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate how much each item guides their behavior using the provided scale: 1= Almost Never Guides My Behavior, 3= Sometimes Guides My Behavior, 5= Almost Always Guides My Behavior. Scores are summed for each of the 14 dimensions to derive value priorities.

Keywords

Vocational assessment, values clarification, life planning, motivation, personal priorities, Likert Scale, self-efficacy, psychometric testing.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The initial conceptual model and instrument design were published in 1996 by Brown and Crace. Subsequent adaptations, such as the Portuguese experimental version by Almeida and Pinto, appeared in 2002. The LVI is often available for non-commercial educational and counseling use, though specific licensing and usage fees may apply depending on the version and context (e.g., commercial vs. academic research).

The original PDF version of this instrument can be downloaded here: https://bhmt.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BHMT_CC_Life-Values_Inventory.pdf

Reference’s

• Brown, Duane and Crace, R. Kelly. (1996). Values in Life Role Choices and Outcomes: A Conceptual Model. The Career Development Quarterly, 44(3), 211-223.

• Almeida, M. L. & Pinto, H. R. (2002). Inventário dos Valores de Vida (experimental version). Lisboa.

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Items of the Life Values Inventory (LVI)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1.    Challenging myself to achieve

2.    Being liked by others

3.    Protecting the environment

4.    Being sensitive to others’ needs

5.    Coming up with new ideas

6.    ha‎ving financial success

7.    Taking care of my body

8.    Downplaying compliments or praise

9.    Being independent (doing things I want to do)

10.Accepting my place in my family or group

11.ha‎ving time to myself

12.Being reliable

13.Using science for progress

14.Believing in a higher power

15.Improving my performance

16.Being accepted by others

17.Taking care of the environment

18.Helping others

19.Creating new things or ideas

20.Making money

21.Being in good physical shape

22.Being quiet about my success

23.Giving my opinion

24.Respecting the traditions of my family or group

25.ha‎ving quiet time to think

26.Being trustworthy

27.Knowing things about science

28.Believing that there is something greater than ourselves

29.Working hard to do better

30.Feeling as though I belong

31.Appreciating the beauty of nature

32.Being concerned about the rights of others

33.Discovering new things or ideas

34.Being wealthy (ha‎ving lots of money‚ land or livestock)

35.Being strong or good in a sport (being athletic)

36.Avoid credit for my accomplishments

37.ha‎ving control over my time

38.Making decisions with my family or group in mind

39.ha‎ving a private place to go

40.Meeting my obligations

41.Knowing about math

42.Living in harmony with my spiritual beliefs

RATING SCALE:

1= Almost Never Guides My Behavior‚ 3= Sometimes Guides My Behavior‚ 5= Almost Always Guides My Behavior

SCORING KEY:

• ACHIEVEMENT: Items 1 + 15 + 29

• BELONGING: Items 2 + 16 + 30

• CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Items 3 + 17 + 31

• CONCERN FOR OTHERS: Items 4 + 18 + 32

• CREATIVITY: Items 5 + 19 + 33

• FINANCIAL PROSPERITY: Items 6 + 20 + 34

• HEALTH AND ACTIVITY: Items 7 + 21 + 35

• HUMILITY: Items 8 + 22 + 36

• INDEPENDENCE: Items 9 + 23 + 37

• LOYALTY TO FAMILY OR GROUP: Items 10 + 24 + 38

• PRIVACY: Items 11 + 25 + 39

• RESPONSIBILITY: Items 12 + 26 + 40

• SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING: Items 13 + 27 + 41

• SPIRITUALITY: Items 14 + 28 + 42