What Is Your Values Mode?

This seems to be a cross between Spiral Dynamics (vaguely) and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - it assesses where one stands in terms of values in the culture. The site is, as the above image suggests, called Cultural Dynamics: Strategy & Marketing.

To take the brief quiz and discover your values mode, go here. I recommend taking the quiz before reading about this system - then come back here and share your results, in you feel comfortable doing so.

So of course I took the quiz, and apparently I am a transcender - I wonder if I am also an includer. This result may not be valid since I am not British, but it serves my self-image, so I'll accept it. :)

TRANSCENDERS

The leading edge. The Transcenders are the most self aware and contented of the Pioneers, but also the ones most likely to push their perceptual boundaries, in an attempt to gain greater harmony with their own value set and gain connection with others and the environment around them.

They are the “scouts” for the rest of the Pioneers, pushing farther, faster, yet with a “lightness” that is not often felt by the other Pioneers.

For the majority of the time, life is fun. They are intrigued by the unknown, and have a need for openness in their lives. Forgiving of themselves, they are the most likely to be forgiving of others.

Here is the explanation of the memes (values modes) in their system, based on Dynamic Maslow Group Theory^TM.

VALUES MODES

Over the last 30 years, an ongoing body of social survey research has tracked and forcasted the changing values, beliefs and motivations of the British population. Using the responses to over 1000 questions, we have developed a typology that explains the dynamics of personal, market and cultural changes.

The typology is called Values Modes^TM.

The Values Modes categorize people into 12 discrete psychographic types. Each group represents between 7% and 12% of the population aged 15 years and over. The categorization is based on the responses to a short questionnaire (Lickert scales), which can be used in any piece of research and is easy to administer face-to-face, by telephone or on-line.

We license the use of the questionnaire to clients and third party companies - primarily research agencies - for use on customer and employee research. The process is simple. The responses are sent to us and the results returned witghin minutes or hours, depending on the complexity and size of the data file.

The 12 Values Modes - the VMs (pronounced "vims") - form a psychographic classification system based on individuals' Values sets. By the term "Values", we mean that nest of beliefs and motivations - largely subconcious - that underpin our attitudes to everything we encounter.

The VMs help answer the question of WHY people do the things and make the choices that they do.

This is a valuable understanding in itself but Cultural Dynamics takes this to a new level through its understanding of the dynamics of change that operate through the VMs. These changes, which occur at the level of the individual, aggregate in the population over time to form significant changes in organizational and societal (cultural) values.

MASLOW GROUP THEORY

At the heart of understanding these changes - these cultural dynamics - is the combination of empirical data, gathered from large surveys amongst the population at large, and the deceptively simple looking psychological theory of motivation developed by Abraham Maslow and summarized in his Hierarchy of Needs.

Within Maslow's hierarchy, we recognize three primary motivational levels - the Settler (Sustenance Driven), the Prospector (Outer Directed) and the Pioneer (Inner Directed). Within each of these, we discern four different four different "flavours" - the Values Modes.

Taken all together, this combination of theoretical and empirical understanding constitutes Dynamic Maslow Group Theory^TM.

SETTLERS

The Settler (Sustenance Driven) needs are:

• Core physiological needs.
• Safety and Security.
• Belonging.

The Settler Values Modes are:

• Roots.
• Smooth Sailing.
• Brave New World.
• Certainty First.

Some typical Settler characteristics are:

• Need to hold on to what you've got.
• It's a "Them vs Us" world.
• Worry about crime is never far away.
• Clear sense of right and wrong. Rule breakers should expect just retribution.
• Strong preference to socialise with "people like me".
• Family/Community/Group is important - nationality, town, football team ...
• Generally rather resistant to change.

PROSPECTORS

The Prospector (Outer Directed) needs are:

• Esteem of Others.
• Self Esteem.

The Prospector Values Modes are:

• Golden Dreamers.
• Happy Followers.
• Now People.
• Tomorrow People.

Some typical Prospector characteristics are:

• Priority is to get "Me" known out there.
• Clear optimism about life. The world is a big opportunity.
• "Savvy". Aware of what's going on around.
• Earning and spending money are crucial activities.
• Ambitious - position, power and visible success are important.
• Rules are "flexible" (more like "guidelines").

PIONEERS

The Pioneer (Inner Directed) needs are:

• Aesthetic cognitive.
• Self Actualization.

The Pioneer Values Modes are:

• Transitionals.
• Concerned Ethicals.
• Flexible Individualists.
• Transcenders.

Some typical Pioneer characteristics are:

• Fascination and curiosity with the world.
• Unashamed acceptance of some larger purpose to existence.
• Knows that knowledge usually leads to better questions rather than better answers.
• Sometimes seen as a bit pompous or touchy-feely.
• Needs activity, variety and a degree of ongoing change in life.

Tags: Psychology, values, culture, personality quizzes, Cultural Dynamics, strategy, marketing, Maslow, Hierarchy of Needs, Dynamic Maslow Group Theory, values modes, beliefs, motivations, Pioneers, Prospectors, Settlers

More on the Big 5 Personality Model

This morning I posted an article from World of Psychology on the Big 5 Personality Model. My friend John, over at Facebook, commented on its lack of multiperspectival validation. He's right, of course. Most typologies are not very accurate, often even in the 3rd person perspective.

Here is what my abnormal psych textbook says on the subject (not at all integral, but interesting). This is a slightly different and more reliable model than the one presented this morning. First a table giving the five factors, which are also different from this morning's model.

Table 12.4 Sample Items from the Revised NEO Personality Inventory Assessing the Five-Factor Model Personality Trait Sample Items

Neuroticism: I often feel tense or jittery
Extraversion/introversion: I really like most people I meet
Openness to experience: I have a very active imagination
Agreeableness/antagonism: I tend to be cynical and skeptical of others’ intentions (reverse scored)
Conscientiousness: I often come into situations without being prepared (reverse scored)

[Reproduced by special permission of the Publisher, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., 16204 North Florida Avenue, Lutz, FL 33549, from the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised by Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, Copyright 1978, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992 by Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. (PAR). Further reproduction is prohibited without permission of PAR.]


In contemporary research, a major focus is on the five-factor model (McCrae & Costa, 1990), in which the five factors, or major dimensions, of personality are neuroticism, extraversion/introversion, openness to experience, agreeableness/antagonism, and conscientiousness. Table 12.4 presents questionnaire items that assess each of these dimensions; by reading the items, you can get a sense of what each dimension means. One interesting set of findings has shown that these dimensions of personality are moderately heritable ( Jang et al., 2002).

Researchers have summarized the results of several studies linking these personality traits to schizoid, borderline, and avoidant personality disorders (Widiger & Costa, 1994). For example, people with schizoid personality disorder and those with avoidant personality disorder (two disorders that involve social aloofness) tend to be high in introversion but to differ in neuroticism—people with avoidant personality disorder tend to be higher in neuroticism than those with schizoid personality disorder. Rather than forcing each person into a discrete diagnostic category and then struggling with how to distinguish between the two disorders, the dimensional approach would simply describe each person’s levels of neuroticism and introversion.

A recent meta-analysis shows that findings are fairly consistent across a range of studies that have mapped personality disorder diagnoses onto the dimensions of the five-factor model. Most personality disorders are characterized by high neuroticism and antagonism. High extraversion was tied to histrionic and narcissistic disorders (two disorders that involve dramatic behavior), whereas low extraversion was tied to schizoid, schizotypal, and avoidant disorders (Saulsman & Page, 2004).

The five-factor model is not without its critics, however. In a study in which people with personality disorders completed a questionnaire assessing them on the basis of the five factors, the profiles of the various personality disorders turned out to be rather similar to one another (Morey et al., 2000). Some might say this is fine, and that fewer dimensions would simplify things. But proponents of the need to be more specific have responded to this difficulty by claiming that differentiating among the different personality disorders requires breaking down the five factors into their “facets” (Lynam & Widiger, 2001). Each of the five factors has six facets, or components; for example, the extraversion factor includes the facets of warmth, gregariousness, assertiveness, activity, excitement seeking, and positive emotionality. Differentiating among the personality disorders might require a more detailed assessment that includes these specific personality facets. Beyond the need to consider facets, it appears that some disorders, such as schizotypal personality disorder, are more distinct than being just extreme points along a dimension; statistical analyses suggest that people with these disorders tend to be qualitatively different from other people. For example, people with schizotypal personality disorder tend to experience perceptual oddities that others don’t experience even in mild degrees (Haslam & Kim, 2002).

The five-factor model is certainly not a total solution to the problem of classifying personality disorders, but the important point is that a dimensional model has several distinct advantages. Most importantly, it handles the comorbidity problem, because comorbidity is a difficulty only in a categorical classification system like the one used in DSM-IV-TR. A dimensional system also links normal and abnormal personality, so findings on personality development in general become relevant to the personality disorders.

Problems with classifying personality disorders should not lead us to underestimate the importance of being able to identify them. Personality disorders are prevalent, and they cause severe impairments. Some of the problems with classification and diagnosis stem from the fact that these disorders have been the subject of serious research for less time than have most of the other disorders considered in this book. As research continues, the diagnostic categories will most likely be refined, and many of these problems might be solved. Bear these issues in mind, though, as we now turn to a review of the clinical description and etiology of the personality disorders in cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C. (pg. 390-391)

Kring, Davison, Neale, Johnson. (2007). Abnormal Psychology. 10th Edition. NY: Wiley & Sons.

Tags: Psychology, personality, personality quizzes, Revised NEO Personality Inventory, Five-Factor Model, Personality Traits, neuroticism, extraversion/introversion, openness to experience, agreeableness/antagonism, conscientiousness

YourMorals.Org - I'm More Liberal than Liberals

Interesting . . . .

Thanks to Tom for the link (I may have done this before, but I can't remember). I seem to be all about harm and fairness, but really don't give a rat's ass about purity, authority, or loyalty (in the terms measured). Sounds about right.

The scale you completed was the "Moral Foundations Questionnaire," developed by Jesse Graham and Jonathan Haidt at the University of Virginia.

The scale is a measure of your reliance on and endorsement of five psychological foundations of morality that seem to be found across cultures. Each of the two parts of the scale contained four questions related to each foundation: 1) harm/care, 2) fairness/reciprocity (including issues of rights), 3) ingroup/loyalty, 4) authority/respect, and 5) purity/sanctity.

The idea behind the scale is that human morality is the result of biological and cultural evolutionary processes that made human beings very sensitive to many different (and often competing) issues. Some of these issues are about treating other individuals well (the first two foundations - harm and fairness). Other issues are about how to be a good member of a group or supporter of social order and tradition (the last three foundations). Haidt and Graham have found that political liberals generally place a higher value on the first two foundations; they are very concerned about issues of harm and fairness (including issues of inequality and exploitation). Political conservatives care about harm and fairness too, but they generally score slightly lower on those scale items. The big difference between liberals and conservatives seems to be that conservatives score slightly higher on the ingroup/loyalty foundation, and much higher on the authority/respect and purity/sanctity foundations.

This difference seems to explain many of the most contentious issues in the culture war. For example, liberals support legalizing gay marriage (to be fair and compassionate), whereas many conservatives are reluctant to change the nature of marriage and the family, basic building blocks of society. Conservatives are more likely to favor practices that increase order and respect (e.g., spanking, mandatory pledge of allegiance), whereas liberals often oppose these practices as being violent or coercive.

In the graph below, your scores on each foundation are shown in green (the 1st bar in each set of 3 bars). The scores of all liberals who have taken it on our site are shown in blue (the 2nd bar), and the scores of all conservatives are shown in red (3rd bar). Scores run from 0 (the lowest possible score, you completely reject that foundation) to 5 (the highest possible score, you very strongly endorse that foundation and build much of your morality on top of it).



To learn more about "Moral Foundations Theory" and political psychology you can read this paper: Haidt, J., & Graham, J. (2007). When morality opposes justice: Conservatives have moral intuitions that liberals may not recognize. Social Justice Research, 20, p. 98-116 or visit www.moralfoundations.org.

Tags: YourMorals.Org, I'm More Liberal than Liberals, morality, personality quizzes, ethics, culture, harm, fairness, loyalty, authority, purity

Cultural Values Quiz

Very interesting quiz.

We have diagnosed you as falling into the
Idealism & Autonomy Quadrant

To find out more about the values shared by people in your quadrant, click on the link below or in the Idealism & Autonomy quadrant in the map above.

Idealism & Autonomy Quadrant

Thank you for taking the time to complete this brief social values survey!

Your individual position within the North American matrix of sociocultural values is plotted as a green dot on our North American map of values and world views presented above. If you are right on top of or close to either the x-axis or y-axis there is more uncertainty about whether we have correctly diagnosed your quadrant. However our overall rate of accuracy ranges from 85-90% once you are just a little way from the axes.

Taken together, these two axes form four general quadrants of explanation or meaning underlying people's values. People in the upper left are fundamentally motivated by needs for stability, security and status, and exhibit a strong work ethic. Those in the upper right most value ethics, duty, and responsibility within their families and communities. Meanwhile, those with values that place them in the lower right primarily search for personal control, and are open-minded, flexible and idealistic. And finally, individuals in the lower left pursue, above all else, novelty, excitement and risk.

For a more complete explanation of social values in Canada and the United States (how we define them, their main explanatory axes and their evolutions through time), please refer to Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values (and also Michael Adams' other books on this topic, Sex in the Snow: Canadian Social Values at the End of the Millennium, and Better Happy Than Rich: Canadians, Money and the Meaning of Life).

* * *

This is your diagnosed quadrant:
Idealism & Autonom

Key Characteristics

• Self-reliant and in control of their own destiny
• Idealistic and open-minded
• Rejecting out-dated norms and institutions

Fundamental Motivations and Values

• Personal Control
• Question Authority
• Global Consciousness
• Adaptability to Complexity
• Flexible Families

Tags: personality quizzes, values, culture, Fire & Ice, Michael Adams

Perspective Testing - Who Killed John Doe?

Read this scenario then follow the directions at the bottom. We did this as an exercise in class (on coming to a group consensus), but it seems to me that it also offers a glimpse into how people view their world.

Who Killed John Doe?

Read the information below and then complete the sentence at the end.

John Doe, age 54, was dead on arrival. His wife drove him to the Emergency Room at 2 a.m., but even before she pulled into the driveway, his tortured breathing had stopped. Successive attempts by the hospital staff to revive him failed.

John’s doctor said he was sorry. He could not make house calls, because there is a shortage of doctors, and he is putting in an 80-hour week as it is. Besides, Mrs. Doe had called at 1 a.m. on Christmas morning. The doctor told her to rush John to the hospital.

The hospital administrator was sorry. When the patient had asked to be admitted earlier that morning, his condition was not acute. The patient had used up his insurance benefits for the year and had no other resources. The hospital had exhausted its charitable reserve funds and was required to limit admissions to paying patients or those whose conditions required acute and emergency care.

The caseworker from the Department of Health and Social Services was sorry. She had explained to the patient that the State health program would cover him only after he had incurred one hundred dollars in medical bills. If he entered the hospital before incurring that amount in medical bills, the entire hospital stay would be disallowed for coverage by her office by law.

The legislators who made the law said they were sorry. They had to balance the state’s budget at a time when highway costs and educational expenses were going up. Originally the bill to establish health benefits would have cost the taxpayers an estimated eighty million dollars a year. By strategic amendments, such as the one that discouraged John Doe’s admission, they saved the taxpayers three-fourths of the cost of the original bill—nearly $6 million.

The people who elected the lawmakers were sorry. They had not wanted their taxes raised, so they voted for the candidates who promised to contain expenses and reduce waste in government spending. When a few political leaders announced that taxes would have to be increased to continue human services, the voters wrote letters and sent telegrams to their representatives protesting such tax increases.

Mrs. Doe was sorry. She was sorry that her husband died on Christmas morning, and she was also sorry that they had not saved more for their old age or joined the more expensive comprehensive insurance plan offered by the union. She especially regretted: (You complete the sentence)
________________________________________________
(Charles A. Hart, University Associates, Annual for Facilitators, Trainers, and Consultants)

OK, so that was the easy part. Now, considering what you have read, rank the following list from most responsible (1) to least responsible. Post your answers in the comments (copy and paste) and we'll discuss the decisions you make. There is no right or wrong, so please be as honest as possible.

__ Caseworker
__ Hospital Administrator
__ John's Doctor
__ John Doe
__ John's wife
__ Legislator
__ People who elected the lawmaker

Tags: culture, society, personality quizzes, Perspective, Test, Who Killed John Doe?, doctors, death, rankings

I'm a Flaming Socialist

Well, maybe not so much -- but according to this brief test I am. I guess that explains why I don't like either political party. ;)

You are a Social Liberal (78% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (13% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid.com: Free Online Dating Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Tags: Socialist, The Politics Test, society, economics, personality quizzes

BBC - Surveys and Psychology Tests

Fun psych tests, courtesy of the BBC.

Surveys and Psychology Tests Explore your memory Stretch your memory with fun challenges designed by experts. Duration: 20 minutes Art and personality Is there a connection between your personality type and the art that you like? Duration: 15 minutes What sex is your brain? Take the Sex ID test and find out more about 'brain sex' differences. Duration: 20 minutes Do you see what I see? - Sagiv and Ward, UCL Is Wednesday red? Take part in our experiment to test whether your senses overlap. Requires Flash 5 Duration: 10 minutes Do you hear what I hear? - Sagiv and Ward, UCL Do melodies have a colour? Take part in our experiment to test whether you hear colours. Requires Flash 5 Duration: 10 minutes The 'What am I like?' personality test A test where you discover if you are a Big Thinker, an Idealist or another of 16 personality types. Duration: 10 minutes Disgust - Dr Valerie Curtis What makes you squirm and say "yuck"? Test your sensitivity to disgust. Duration: 10 minutes Spot the fake smile - Prof Paul Ekman Can you tell a real smile from a fake one? Requires Flash 6. Duration: 10 minutes Memory training Try to improve your recall using World memory champion Andi Bell's technique. Requires Flash 5. Duration: 5-10 minutes Face perception - Prof David Perrett Can you guess someone's personality from their face? Duration: 1st Experiment - 12 minutes Duration: 2nd Experiment - 5 minutes Personality - Neil Scott Who do you think you are? This psychology test scores you on five aspects of your personality. Duration: 15 minutes Morals - Dr Keith Coaley Are you a pillar of society, or do you look after number one? Find out how moral you are. Duration: 12 minutes Lonely hearts - Prof Robin Dunbar Make your lonely hearts advert to reveal the hidden message of attraction. Duration: 2 minutes Millionaire - Sharon Maxwell Magnus. Have you got what it takes to get to the top of the pile and stay there? Duration: 1st test - 4 minutes Duration: 2nd test - 2 minutes Careers - Neil Scott What style of work suits your personality? Duration: 10 minutes Sensation seeking - Prof Marvin Zuckerman Find out if you're a thrill-seeker in this classic psychological test. Duration: 12 minutes Self-control - Paul Rincon Are you a slave to your habits? Test your self-control against the rest of the nation. Duration: 7 minutes Perfectionism - Dr Randy Frost Do your friends tell you you're fussy and meticulous? Find out if you're a perfectionist. Duration: 10 minutes Adultery - Dr Glenn Wilson Are you at risk of having an affair? Duration: 10 minutes Sniffing the decades - Dr Alan Hirsch Can scientists predict your childhood decade from the smells you find nostalgic? Duration: 3 minutes Necker cube - Dr Peter Naish Do your friends tell you you're fussy and meticulous? Find out if you're a perfectionist. Duration: 10 minutes

Tags: personality quizzes, Psychology, BBC, Surveys and Psychology Tests