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Are values stable throughout adulthood? Evidence from two German long-term panel studies
Oscar Smallenbroek1, Adrian Stanciu2, Regina Arant3,4
1Department of Social and Political Sciences (SPS), European University Institute, Florence, Italy.
Plos One
|November 30, 2023
Summary
Contrary to prior beliefs, adult values continue to develop throughout life. This study used longitudinal data to show how personal values evolve across the lifespan, even into adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Lifespan Development
Background:
- Previous research on value development often relied on cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal data, offering a limited perspective on lifespan changes.
- A prevailing view suggested that value development largely concludes by adolescence or early adulthood.
- Understanding long-term value trajectories is crucial for developmental psychology and social sciences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the continuation and patterns of value development throughout adulthood using extensive longitudinal data.
- To challenge the existing literature's consensus on the cessation of value development in adulthood.
- To examine how different value orientations (self-transcendence, conservation, self-enhancement, openness to change) evolve across the lifespan.
Main Methods:
- Utilized multiple longitudinal data sources with two measurement instruments, ensuring comparability via confirmatory Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) in Study 1 (N = 1,027).
- Employed latent growth models to analyze value development in a specialized sample of highly educated German peace activists (Study 2, N = 1,209).
- Corroborated findings using a large, representative German population sample (Study 3, N = 19,566).
Main Results:
- Found that personal values continue to develop throughout adulthood, contrary to the established consensus.
- Observed age-related increases in self-transcendence and conservation values, and decreases in self-enhancement values up to age 40.
- Identified distinct trajectories for openness to change (curvilinear in Study 2, decreasing in Study 3) and noted educational differences in conservation and self-enhancement development within the German population.
Conclusions:
- Value development is a lifelong process that extends significantly into adulthood.
- The findings necessitate a revision of existing theories on lifespan value development.
- Implications for psychological interventions and educational strategies aimed at fostering specific value orientations are discussed.
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