Identifying Core Values with a Hierarchical, Ipsative, Preference Assessment

Values provide a foundation for decision making, behavior, and emotional reaction; they are often used by practitioners to design effective interventions for self-awareness and personal growth. This report describes a novel, user-friendly method that identifies core values with a hierarchical ipsatization procedure (HIP) that is transparent and efficient. Response bias, validity, and user satisfaction were examined in a study in which 602 respondents completed a survey asking them to rate 80 values and use HIP to identify their 4 most inspiring and motivating values. HIP enabled selecting these 4 core values from 80 candidates in 5-7 min, with minimal evidence of response bias. The selections made during HIP were consistent with the rating data, providing evidence for HIP's concurrent validity. 88% of the respondents felt the 4 values identified by HIP inspired and motivated them more than any other values they could think of. These findings suggest HIP is a useful tool for identifying core values, especially in applied settings.