What is the Schwartz values model?

Shalom Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values, used by the European Social Survey and validated across 80+ countries, measures 10 universal value types: Self-Direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Security, Conformity, Tradition, Benevolence, and Universalism. It is one of the most replicated frameworks in cross-cultural psychology.

How is this different from other values tests?

Across 21 questions you read a brief portrait of someone and rate how much like you they are (not a direct question about how important a value is to you), and the result is a full radar profile across all 10 Schwartz values, framed around career and life alignment, not a single headline label. The framework is one of the most replicated in cross-cultural research, so your profile maps onto decades of evidence about motivation and fit.

What do the 10 values mean for my career?

High Power and Achievement predict preference for competitive, metric-driven environments. High Benevolence and Universalism predict satisfaction in mission-driven or helping roles. High Self-Direction and Stimulation predict entrepreneurial or creative fit. Security and Conformity predict preference for structured, stable workplaces. Understanding your value profile helps you spot misalignments before accepting a job.

Can my values change over time?

Yes, Schwartz's cross-cultural research shows values shift gradually with life experience, major role transitions (parenthood, career change, loss), and cultural context. Security and Conformity tend to rise with age; Stimulation and Hedonism tend to decline. Retaking this test at different life stages gives you a longitudinal picture of your motivational evolution.

PersonalityResearch-grade· Schwartz PVQ

Discover Your Core Values, Free 21-Question Schwartz Values Test

Take the free Schwartz-based values test. Discover your 10 core values, from Self-Direction to Universalism, and how they shape your career choices and life decisions. 21 questions, instant results.

21 questions3 min

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The basics

What is the Values Test?

This values test is based on Shalom Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values, one of the most replicated frameworks in cross-cultural psychology, validated across 80+ countries. It identifies 10 universal values organized in a circular structure where adjacent values are compatible and opposing values create tension.

Keep reading

Across 21 questions you read a brief portrait of someone and rate how much like you they are, and the result is a radar profile across all 10 values, your dominant priorities, the tensions between them, and how they map onto career and life decisions.

Closely related

What you get

What You'll Discover

Your dominant values and the motivations driving your decisions

Value tensions, where your goals naturally conflict and how to navigate them

A named value archetype for your top two dominant values, with a one-line tagline

Your full 10-value radar, ranked from strongest to weakest

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📚Scientific validation

Schwartz Values (PVQ-21) is grounded in published psychometric research:

Schwartz Values (PVQ-21)

This is the 21-item Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-21) developed by Shalom Schwartz — the short form used in the European Social Survey (ESS). It is a separate, distinct instrument from Schwartz's PVQ-RR (Revised, 19-value) and SVS — their psychometric figures do not describe it. JobCannon has not run an independent reliability or validity study of its own online administration of this instrument.

Schwartz, S. H. (2003). Documents the 21-item Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-21) short form of the Theory of Basic Human Values, developed for and used in the European Social Survey. A Proposal for Measuring Value Orientations across Nations, Ch. 7, European Social Survey Core Questionnaire Development Report

Schwartz, S. H., & Cieciuch, J. (2021). Mean reliability of this 21-item short form: α = .57 across 34 countries — lower than the longer PVQ-RR (α = .76, 49 groups) because each value is measured by only 1-3 items. Assessment, 29(5), 1005-1019