In an era marked by unprecedented globalization and cultural interconnectivity, understanding human values across diverse societies has become more critical than ever. The recent study by Karadag, Ergin-Kocaturk, and Nasir published in BMC Psychology delves into this intricate landscape by evaluating the efficacy and applicability of three well-established value measurement instruments—the Portrait Values Questionnaire Revised (PVQ-RR), PVQ-40, and PVQ-21—specifically within the sociocultural context of Turkey. This research stands at the intersection of cross-cultural psychology and psychometrics, offering profound insights into how value frameworks translate amidst varying societal norms, beliefs, and traditions.
Values, as fundamental guiding principles in human behavior and cognition, serve as anchors for decision-making, social interactions, and individual life trajectories. However, retrieving reliable, valid measurements of these abstract constructs in non-Western cultures presents a significant methodological challenge. The PVQ series, developed within Schwartz’s theory of basic human values, has been a cornerstone in this endeavor, yet its application remains under-explored in diverse cultural fabrics like Turkey’s, which blends Eastern tradition with Western modernity. This study embarks on a rigorous psychometric evaluation to fill that critical gap.
At the core of this work is the comparative analysis of three different versions of the Portrait Values Questionnaire. The PVQ-40, a 40-item tool, offers a comprehensive, nuanced mapping of Schwartz’s ten value types, enabling detailed exploration of subtle nuances in value priorities. The PVQ-21 condenses these items into a more manageable format, potentially enhancing participant engagement and data collection efficiency. Meanwhile, the recently revised PVQ-RR, an augmented and theoretically refined iteration, promises heightened sensitivity and clarity in value distinctions.
The researchers employed a methodologically robust design, drawing upon a demographically diverse Turkish sample. Given Turkey’s unique geopolitical position bridging Europe and Asia, with a rich tapestry of cultural, religious, and social influences, the dataset provides fertile ground for psychometric scrutiny. The study incorporated thorough statistical analyses including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency assessment via Cronbach’s alpha, and measurement invariance testing to discern whether the instruments maintained construct equivalence across subpopulations within Turkey.
One of the landmark findings of this investigation lies in the demonstration that while all three instruments generally replicate the theoretical value structures proposed by Schwartz, significant variations emerge in their psychometric robustness and cultural fit. The PVQ-RR notably surfaces as the instrument with superior model fit indices, underscoring its enhanced sensitivity to cultural semantics intrinsic to Turkish society. This suggests the revision process successfully tuned the tool for detecting and distinguishing value dimensions within non-Western contexts that frequently challenge Western-developed scales.
Delving deeper, the study highlights subtle cultural variations that affect specific value priorities. For example, notions tied to collectivism versus individualism manifest distinctly in response patterns, reflecting Turkey’s collectivist social fabric influenced by family-centric and community-oriented values. The flexibility and adaptability of the PVQ-RR allowed for better accommodation of such cultural idiosyncrasies without sacrificing theoretical coherence. Conversely, the more concise PVQ-21, while easier to administer, showed limitations in capturing these nuanced contrasts, potentially leading to oversimplification in cross-cultural value assessments.
Moreover, the research underscores the critical importance of measurement invariance – the degree to which a psychological construct is assessed equivalently across groups. The PVQ-RR emerged superior in achieving partial invariance across gender and age groups in Turkey, reassuring researchers of its robustness and utility for comparative studies within the population. These findings carry profound implications for both theoretical psychology and applied social research, suggesting that culturally sensitive tools can sharpen the precision of value measurement and interpretation.
Beyond technical psychometric evaluations, this work also contributes to broader theoretical implications concerning the universality of value structures. While Schwartz’s theory enjoys widespread acceptance, this study demonstrates that cultural calibration is indispensable. Universal frameworks must be flexibly interpreted and adapted to each societal context to maintain analytic integrity and avoid ethnocentric biases. Thus, advances in culturally attuned measurement instruments like PVQ-RR pave the way for more equitable and meaningful cross-cultural comparisons.
This research further informs policy-making, organizational behavior, and intercultural communications by clarifying which value facets resonate most strongly within Turkish society. For multinational corporations, NGOs, and governmental bodies operating in or partnering with Turkey, these insights provide actionable intelligence to tailor messaging strategies, motivate personnel, and craft culturally consonant interventions. Understanding value priorities enables the design of programs that better align with intrinsic cultural motivations, thereby enhancing effectiveness and social acceptance.
The study also calls attention to the evolving nature of human values in an increasingly interconnected world. By providing a replicable evaluation framework applicable to other non-Western populations, it encourages future research to adopt similar methodological rigor. Capturing the fluid dynamics of value change over time—amid globalization, technological diffusion, and sociopolitical transformations—requires instruments that are both theoretically grounded and culturally attuned, a balance well embodied by the PVQ-RR.
Intriguingly, this study opens avenues for further exploration into the psychological underpinnings of culture-specific value expressions and their neurological correlates. Future interdisciplinary collaborations might probe how cultural context modulates neural circuits linked to value-based decision-making, employing tools like functional MRI alongside sophisticated psychometric instruments. Such integrative endeavors promise a more holistic comprehension of human values bridging psychology, neuroscience, and anthropology.
Methodologically, the researchers emphasize the necessity of ongoing refinement and validation cycles. Psychological measurement is far from static; evolving cultural contexts, language nuances, and emergent sociocultural phenomena require instruments to remain adaptable and receptive to feedback from diverse populations. The demonstrated superiority of the PVQ-RR in this study exemplifies the benefits of iterative enhancement rooted in empirical data and theoretical rigor.
Ethically, this research underscores the imperative for cross-cultural psychologists to engage deeply with the populations they study, fostering mutual respect and collaborative dialogue. Developing and validating measurement tools should move beyond surface translation towards meaningful cultural immersion and consultation to safeguard against misinterpretation and cultural bias. These ethical commitments enrich scientific validity while honoring participants’ lived experiences.
In conclusion, the study by Karadag, Ergin-Kocaturk, and Nasir represents a landmark contribution to cross-cultural value psychology. By rigorously assessing three prominent value measurement instruments within Turkey, it offers compelling evidence favoring the enhanced PVQ-RR as a culturally sensitive, psychometrically robust tool capable of capturing the rich, multifaceted nature of human values in a uniquely complex society. This research not only advances methodological sophistication but also enriches our collective understanding of how values shape and are shaped by cultural contexts.
As societies evolve and interconnect at ever-accelerating rates, reliable and culturally aligned measurements of values will remain foundational for research, policy, and practice worldwide. The pioneering work presented here sets critical new standards and inspires continued innovation toward harmonizing global psychological constructs with local cultural realities—heralding a future where science genuinely embraces and interprets the diversity of human value systems.
Subject of Research:
Cross-cultural evaluation of human value measurement instruments in Turkey using PVQ-RR, PVQ-40, and PVQ-21.
Article Title:
Evaluating value measures across cultures: study on PVQ-RR, PVQ-40, and PVQ-21 in Turkey.
Article References:
Karadag, E., Ergin-Kocaturk, H. & Nasir, S. Evaluating value measures across cultures: study on PVQ-RR, PVQ-40, and PVQ-21 in Turkey. BMC Psychology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03725-6
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