Measuring values for cross-cultural research
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: This paper investigates the empirical relevance of the recent critique that values surveys, as\nthey are, suffer from the problem of measuring marginal preferences rather than values. By\nsurveying items from cross-cultural surveys by Hofstede, Inglehart and GLOBE, we show\nthat the marginal preferences problem is pervasive, even in cases where improved survey\nitems are used. As an alternative to survey items about the importance respondents attach to\nvarious objectives, we therefore propose the use of so-called happiness or experienced utility\nfunctions as method to assess more directly what people across cultures care about and how\nmuch. Several recent contributions show the feasibility of such methods. We conclude that\nvalue measures based on cultural variation in the structure of happiness appear viable and\nsuperior substitutes for survey-based value indicators.
Authors: Robbert Maseland, A.A.J. van Hoorn
Institution: Radboud University Nijmegen
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2164360612