Dimensions of Values

Abstract

The Dimensions of Values scale, developed by S. Withey in the mid-1960s, is a brief psychological instrument designed to assess fundamental orientations regarding societal structure, personal autonomy, and moral judgment. Originating from research concerning public perspectives on U.S.-Soviet relations, this scale measures four distinct, yet related, dimensions of values: Acceptance of Authority, Need Determined Expression vs. Value-Determined Restraint, Egalitarianism, and Individualism. It employs a concise 12-item format, providing researchers with a snapshot of attitudes toward social order versus personal freedom, and hierarchical structure versus equality.

Keywords

Values, Social Attitudes, Individualism, Egalitarianism, Authority, Social Psychology, Withey, Attitude Measurement, Political Attitudes

Authors

Withey, S.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Dimensions of Values scale is to quantify an individual’s stance on critical bipolar societal and personal value conflicts. These measurements were initially utilized within broader studies examining social psychological attitudes, particularly those relevant to political and international relations contexts. By isolating these four core dimensions, the instrument allows for a nuanced understanding of how personal value systems impact larger sociological and political perspectives.

The scale serves as a tool for researchers studying the underlying ideological frameworks that influence behavior and opinions concerning governance, hierarchy, and collective versus self-reliance. Its concise nature makes it suitable for large-scale survey research where efficiency in measurement is paramount.

Construct

The scale measures four key dimensions, each represented by three items, totaling 12 items across the instrument. These dimensions capture fundamental orientations in social and moral psychology:

• Acceptance of Authority: This subscale measures the degree to which an individual believes in respecting established hierarchy, obedience, and tradition over rebellious or independent thought.
• Need Determined Expression vs. Value-Determined Restraint: This dimension assesses the tension between living spontaneously, based on immediate needs or pleasure (expression), versus adhering to fixed, generalized moral principles or long-term considerations (restraint).
• Egalitarianism: This factor reflects the belief that all individuals should have equal opportunities and an equal say in shared matters, favoring collective ownership and decision-making over structured inequality.
• Individualism: This dimension captures the emphasis placed on self-reliance, personal independence, and the belief that one should “go it alone,” focusing on internal resources rather than dependence on external persons or institutions.

Validity

While specific detailed validity reports for the 1965 version of the scale are often contextualized within larger survey projects, the inclusion of the instrument in major compilations, such as the 1969 volume by Robinson and Shaver, suggests sufficient face and content validity for its intended use in measuring basic value orientations. The clear theoretical distinction between the four proposed factors supports the instrument’s structural integrity.

The items were designed to capture attitudes that were theoretically salient in the early 1960s political and social climate, providing evidence of content validity related to the constructs of social responsibility versus personal freedom, and traditional hierarchy versus modern equality.

Reliability

The original documentation does not typically provide detailed internal consistency measures (such as Cronbach’s Alpha) for the subscales, as was common in large-scale social surveys of that era. However, the subsequent use and replication of these items in studies of political and social attitudes imply acceptable levels of reliability within the population samples tested by the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the scale is explicitly defined by four distinct factors, each loading on three specific items. This organization suggests that the items were subjected to, or designed based on the principles of, factor analysis to ensure that they loaded cleanly onto the four theoretical dimensions: Acceptance of Authority (Items 1, 5, 9), Need Determined Expression vs. Value-Determined Restraint (Items 2, 6, 10), Egalitarianism (Items 3, 7, 11), and Individualism (Items 4, 8, 12). This clean division supports the scale’s ability to measure these four hypothesized dimensions orthogonally.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report attitude inventory

Format: 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General adult population (initially used in national surveys)

Age Group: Adults (typically 18+)

Population Details: Originally administered to U.S. public samples during studies conducted by the Survey Research Center (SRC) and Institute for Social Research (ISR).

Test Methodology: Paper-and-pencil or interview administration, utilizing standardized statements that respondents rate based on their level of agreement or disagreement.

Keywords

Values Measurement, Social Values, Attitude Scale, Withey, Authority Acceptance, Self-Reliance, Collectivism, Social Order, Survey Research Center

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not available/Applicable for historical record

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available/Applicable for historical record

Correspondence Address: Correspondence related to the original distribution may be directed to the Institute for Social Research (ISR), University of Michigan.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1965 (Based on work conducted in 1961)

Permissions: As a historically published academic instrument included in major compilations of social psychological attitudes, the items are generally available for academic and non-commercial research use, though standard citation is required.

Fee: Generally available without charge for research purposes.

The original PDF containing this instrument and other measures of social psychological attitudes can be downloaded here: https://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/dis/infoserv/isrpub/pdf/Measuresofsocialpsychologicalattitudes_2928_.PDF

Reference’s

Withey, S. (1961). The U.S. and the U.S.S.R.: a report of the public’s perspective on United States – Russian relations in late 1961, in D. Bobrow (ed.) Components of defense policy Chicago: Rand McNally, 1965, 164-174. (also available in Survey Research Center monograph series 30)

Robinson, John P., Shaver, Phillip R. (1969). Measures of Political Attitudes. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Items of the Dimensions of Values

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

1. Young people sometimes get rebellious ideas, but as they grow up they ought to get over them.
2. The solution to almost any human problem should be based on the situation at the time, not on some general idea of right or wrong.
3. A group of people that are nearly equal will work a lot better than one where people have bosses and ranks over one another.
4. We should all admire a man who starts out bravely on his own.
5. You have to respect authority and when you stop respecting authority, your situation isn’t worth much.
6. Do what you want to do that’s fun and worry about the future later.
7. Everyone should have an equal chance and an equal say in most things.
8. In life a person should for the most part “go it alone,” working on his own and trying to make his own life.
9. Obedience and respect for authority are the most important things in character that children should learn.
10. Since no values last forever, the only real values are those that fit the needs of right now.
11. Everyone should have what he needs, the important things we have belong to all of us.
12. One should not depend on other persons or things, the center of life should be found inside oneself.