Values
Fundamental beliefs about what is desirable and ideal.
A value is a person’s or group’s conception of the desirable—what they hold to be ideal and of value (Kluckhohn, 1951). People develop values during different phases of human development, and values are primarily influenced by a person’s social interactions, especially how they are raised. Values are closely related to beliefs—what people believe to be true. As such, people tend to think their values are “right” (McCombs School of Business – The University of Texas at Austin, n.d.).
People typically act according to their values (Verplanken and Holland, 2002). For example, a person who believes that land belongs to all people and that no one should own it would most likely try to find ways to live without owning property. A person who values telling the truth will probably tell the truth even though it may inconvenience them. Values aren’t always precise determinants of action. People sometimes ignore or suspend their values in situations when their attitude about an activity or their goals outweigh their values.
