[Value hierarchy in semen donors with respect to motivating factors in their personality]

The author uses the assumption that the hierarchy of values provides the picture of the cognitive and emotional maturity of the subject, that it informs on his personality traits and forms his moral background and lifestyle. The majority of his decisions is shaped by motivating factors where vital needs and values are decisive. The submitted paper contributes to the recognition of the motivation of the decision to become a donor of semen and to the recognition of personality traits of the donors. A group of eighty donors is compared with a matched-pair group of men refusing to become donors. From spontaneously reported vital needs and values the author elaborated a hierarchical system used for comparison of the two groups as well as social sub-groups of these groups classified according to the education of the subjects (primary education, secondary education, university graduates and students). No substantial difference was found between donors and men in the control group. In donors there is a more pronounced trend towards altruistic forms of behaviour, a more responsible attitude to health whereby they conceive children as a predicate of a healthy family. Personality traits of donors are from this aspect very positive. This is most marked in the group of university students.