Schwartz Values
The Schwartz Theory of Basic Values is one of the most widely validated frameworks in cross-cultural psychology. Developed by Shalom Schwartz and colleagues through decades of research spanning over 80 countries, the theory identifies ten universal value dimensions that describe what people consider important in life — and explains how these values relate to and conflict with each other in a coherent motivational structure.
Unlike personality tests that assign you to a type or category, the Schwartz model produces a values profile: a ranked picture of your motivational priorities across all ten dimensions. Values are not fixed traits but guiding principles — they reflect what you are trying to achieve in life and what standards you use when making decisions. Because everyone holds all ten values to some degree, the meaningful question is not whether you hold a value but how much weight you give it relative to the others.
The ten values — Self-Direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Security, Conformity, Tradition, Benevolence, and Universalism — form a circular structure (the circumplex) in which adjacent values tend to be compatible and opposite values tend to create tension. Understanding where your profile sits in this structure reveals not just your priorities but also the trade-offs you are likely to navigate most often.
Take the Schwartz Values Test to discover your personal values profile.