Does social context affect value structures? Testing the within-country stability of value structures with a functional theory of values

摘要

Previous research showed that the stability of value structures across cultures is influenced by both sample fluctuations and social context. This study tests the within-country stability of value structures in a large sample of physicians (N = 13,414) across all states in Brazil. The authors use a new value instrument that differentiates values according to their theoretical functions (type of orientation: personal versus social; type of motivation: materialistic versus humanitarian). Although the proposed structure of the value functions was relatively robust, systematic fluctuations in structure emerged. In line with previous research, the authors found strong effects of sampling fluctuations as well as socioeconomic development indices on the stability overall. Examining the differential effect of various social indicators, social living conditions were found to mediate the effect of socioeconomic indicators on value stability along the first dimension contrasting personal versus social value orientations. The second dimension differentiating materialistic versus humanitarian values is less stable. Implications for value theory and research, in particular for cross- and intra-cultural research, are discussed.