thetechnicalmanual 5

VALUES andMOTIVESQUESTIONNAIRE

Measures of Personality Values & Interests

ONTENTS1 THEORETICAL OVERVIEW

2 VALUES SCALES CONTAINED WITHIN THE VMI

3 PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE VMI

4 ADMINISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

5 REFERENCES

c

2

31 MEAN RAW SCORE DIFFERENCES & T-TEST SIGNIFICANCE LEVELS BY GENDER

2 VMI INTERNAL CONSISTENCIES & ITEM TOTAL CORRELATIONS (ITC’S)

3 VMI INTER-CORRELATION MATRIX

4 CORRELATIONS BETWEEN VMI AND MAPP

5 CORRELATIONS BETWEEN VMI AND 16PF FORM 5

6 CORRELATIONS BETWEEN VMI AND OPP

LIST OF TABLES

4

1THEORETICALOVERVIEW

Values are presumed to encapsulatethe aspirations of both individuals

and societies. They relate to the mostdesirable, deeply ingrained stan-

dards that determine future direc-tions and explain past actions.

Values have been treated as key con-structs in the process of socialisation,and have emerged in research in the

occupational, cultural, religious,political, educational areas. Other

intellectual traditions view values asalso having an individual functionshaped by the biological and psy-

chological needs of each person. Thisperspective has fostered research

linking values to the attitudes andpersonality of individuals and to the

maintenance and enhancement ofself-esteem. In spite of widespread

acceptance of the relevance of valuesto human activity at both the indi-vidual and social levels of analysis,developments in the field have beenhampered by problems of definitionand doubts about the empirical via-

bility of the construct.

1 THE CONCEPT OF VALUES AND ITS

ROLE IN PERSONNEL ASSESSMENT

6

THE CONCEPT OF VALUESAND ITS ROLE INPERSONNEL ASSESSMENTOut of numerous deliberations in thel950s and 1960s a unifying consen-sus emerged that values were“person-centered” and pertained tothe desirable.” a consensus capturedin the following definition:

A value is a conception, explicit or implicit, distinctive of an individual orcharacteristic of a group, of the desirable which influences the selection from

available modes. means, and ends of action.

In spite of a unifying theme at theconceptual level, convergence inempirical values research did notfollow. One of the concerns wasappropriate level of abstraction forsampling value items. Values werewidely accepted as general ratherthan specific. It has never been clear,however, whether values were to beinferred from responses to specificattitude statements or more directlyfrom general orienting responses.Furthermore, at what point on thespecific-general continuum did atti-tudes become values?

It was only during the early1970’s that a conceptual and opera-tional framework that had eludedvalue research was proposed.Rokeach (1973) defined a Values as“... an enduring belief that a specificmode of conduct or end-state of exis-tence is personally of sociallypreferable to an opposite or conversemode of conduct or end-state of exis-tence”. Sets of values formed Value

systems, defined as “enduring organ-isations of beliefs concerningpreferable modes of conduct or end-states of existence along a continuumof importance”

These value systems were regardedas part of a functionally integratedcognitive system’ in ‘which the basicunits of analysis are beliefs. Clustersof beliefs font attitudes that are func-tionally and cognitively connected tothe value systems. Rokeach furtherpostulated classes of beliefs concernedwith self-cognitions representing “theinnermost core of the total beliefsystem and all remaining beliefs, atti-tudes and values can be conceived ofas functionally organised around thisinnermost core. Like other beliefs,then, values serve to maintain andenhance the self-concept.

7

Rokeach accepted values asgeneral beliefs, as having a motiva-tional function, as not merelyevaluative but prescriptive andproscriptive, as guiding actions andattitudes, and as individual as wellas social phenomena. As well asconsolidating these themes, Rokeachintegrated a number of other strandsof thought and research from thevalues literature. A significant bodyof work has focused on the attitude-value relationship. According to thisview, values were more centralconcepts than attitude. were deter-minants of attitude, and were moreresistant to change, with favourableattitude emerging toward objectsinstrumental in the attainment ofimportant values.

8

2VALUES SCALESCONTAINED WITHINTHE VMI

To ensure a comprehensive coverageof the universe of occupationally rele-

vant value items, a review wasundertaken of research and instru-ments in the Values arena. On the

basis of this review, three Value cate-gories were formulated:

InterpersonalExtrinsicIntrinsic

1 INTERPERSONAL VALUES

2 EXTRINSIC VALUES

3 INTRINSIC VALUES

bk INTERPERSONAL VALUESInterpersonal

Values that refer torelations with others.

ExtrinsicValues that refer to

motivating factors atwork.

IntrinsicValues that relate topersonal beliefs and

attitudes.

ALTRUISM

High scorers on altruism tend to begenerous and helpful people, alwaysready to do something for otherpeople. They will be inclined to beeasily moved by the plight of thoseless fortunate than themselves andwill, if able, attempt to do somethingto help alleviate the suffering the seearound them.

Low scorers on altruism will beinclined to have a less sympatheticattitude toward the plight of thoseless fortunate than themselves.Believing, perhaps, that most peopleare responsible for the position theyfind themselves in low scorers seelittle reason why they should helpthose in a less fortunate position.

AFFILIATION

Those people scoring highly on needfor affiliation require a great deal ofcontact with other people. Highscorers will go out of their way tomeet people, feeling at their mostcomfortable when engaged in activi-ties involving other people. With aneed for the companionship of otherpeople, friends and associates play avery important role in their life.

Low scorers tend to be muchmore self-sufficient with little needfor the companionship of others.Tending to prefer solitary pursuitsthey will be comfortable with theirown company.

AFFECTION

High scorers have a tendency towant to get close to people, likingothers to show warmth and affec-tion. With a need to be able to sharefeelings and emotions with sympa-thetic others high scorers will tend tofairly empathic.

Low scorers have no particularwish to get too close to people.Having no particular desire forothers to show sympathy or concerntowards them they will be unlikely todisplay these sentiments towardsothers.

blEXTRINSIC VALUESACHIEVEMENT

High scorers on achievement tend towant to excel in everything theyattempt, no matter what this mightcost. With a desire to succeed it isimportant to them to know that theyare the best in their chosen field.Hard workers, they will be willing tomake many personal sacrifices toachieve their success. High scorersrequire the respect and admiration ofthose they perceive as ‘worthwhilepeople’. They will routinely setthemselves difficult targets, findinggreatest satisfaction from succeedingat the most difficult tasks.

Low scorers are not overlyconcerned with being the best. Notparticularly desiring the respect andadmiration of others they will not letcareer ambitions interfere withpersonal and family life. Low scorerswill tend to set themselves realisticcareer targets which they believethey can achieve without too muchdifficulty.

ECONOMIC STATUS

High scorers on the need foreconomic status tend to desire thetrappings of wealth and the statuswhich comes with it. Materialistic,they believe in the pursuit of mater-ial wealth for the status they regardensues from such wealth.

Low scorers would probably seelittle point in pursuing wealth afterthey had achieved what was, forthem, a comfortable lifestyle. Notexcessively materialistic they wouldnot be overly impressed by sheeraccumulation of wealth, regardingan individuals status as somethingmuch more than the amount ofmaterial possessions they hadmanaged to gain.

SECURITY/SAFETY

High scorers on security tend to becautious, safety-conscious people.They have no particular inclinationto take risks and find no excitementat all in thoughts of dangerouspursuits. Preferring a fairlypredictable, routine life they have nogreat love of variety.

For low scorers variety is the spiceof life and they are at their happiestwhen some risk is involved in theiractivities. Tending to enjoy adventur-ous pursuits they wish to enjoy life tothe full, experiencing as many differ-ent aspects as they can.

AESTHETICS

High scorers appreciate culturalactivities such as art, music and liter-ature. They would tend to believethat artistic, cultural pursuits areworth following for their own sake.Intellectually abstract they quiteenjoy discussing issues which wouldseem to have little bearing on every-day life.

Low scorers have little interest inartistic or cultural pursuits, havinglittle understanding of what otherssee in such topics. Much preferring todiscuss concrete issues they will havelittle time for what they wouldregard as ‘airy-fairy’ abstract issues.

bmMORAL VALUES

For high scorers truthfulness andpersonal integrity are of highestimportance in living ones life.Having a belief in basic principles ofright and wrong, they tend tomeasure their own, and others,actions in terms of these fundamen-tal principles. Thus, high scorerswould conduct their affairs in linewith a strict code of moral valuesand expect those around them to dothe same.

Low scorers on moral values donot particularly believe in a funda-mental set of principles which dictatethe way one should live ones life.With no rigid moral code to guidethem they will be more inclined toview their own, and others, behav-iour in the light of the circumstancesat the time.

TRADITIONAL VALUES

High scorers on traditional valuestend to have great respect forauthority believing that rules andlaws are meant to be obeyed and notbroken. They will be inclined tobelieve that the status quo is to bemaintained and be firm defenders ofall that is traditional. High scorerswill also tend to place emphasis onnational pride, believing that patrio-tism and loyalty are qualities to bedesired in all citizens.

Low scorers, on the other hand,will be more inclined to challengeexisting authority, believing thatchanges to existing laws and rulesare not only possible, but desirable.Believing that one should follow thespirit, rather than the letter, of thelaw such people will show little hesi-tation in breaking an existing rule ifthey think the rule unjust.

INDEPENDENCE

High scorers on independence willbelieve in standing up for their ownviews regardless of what othersmight think. Individualists, they willbe very suspicious of anyone in aposition of authority and be fairlyunwilling to submit to such author-ity. Being totally committed to theirown viewpoint they will treat theviews of others with some suspicion,being on their guard againstattempts to persuade them to adopta different position.

Low scorers are not particularlyconcerned with putting their ownviews across, being fairly content tolet others have their way. Tending tobelieve that those in authority arejust doing their job they will gener-ally accept the rulings of such peoplequite happily.

ETHICAL VALUES

High scorers have a tendency tobelieve in some ‘higher-order’ expla-nation for the world around themrather than accept a materialistic,scientific explanation. They will bereluctant to accept a totally scientificexplanation of the world, but willinstead believe that there are areas ofexistence which can only be under-stood through faith. High scorers maywell feel justified in ignoring rules andregulations which they believe arecontrary to their particular faith.

Low scorers will tend to believethat their are scientific, rationalexplanations for all phenomenon.They will assume that even eventswhich might seem unexplainable atpresent will one day be explainedwhen the required scientificadvances are made. Low scorers willtend to have little time for mystical,or religious explanations preferringto rely instead on rational, logicalarguments.

INTRINSIC VALUES

3PSYCHOMETRICPROPERTIES OF THEVMIThis chapter will present details con-

cerning the psychometric propertiesof the Values & Motives Inventory.

The aim will be to show that the VMIfulfils various technical requirements,in the areas of standardisation, relia-

bility and validity, which ensure thepsychometric soundness of the test

1 INTRODUCTION

2 GENDER DIFFERENCES ON THE VMI

3 RELIABILITY OF THE VMI

4 VALIDITY

bo INTRODUCTIONIn order to provide meaningful inter-pretations, the VMI was standardisedagainst a number of relevant groups.The constituent samples which makeup the VMI norm base are fullydescribed later.

STANDARDISATION :NORMATIVE

Normative data allows us to comparean individuals score on a standard-ised scale against the typical scoreobtained from a clearly identifiable,homogeneous group of people.0

Standardisation ensures that themeasurements obtained from a testcan be meaningfully interpreted inthe context of a relevant distributionof scores. Another important techni-cal requirement for apsychometrically sound test is thatthe measurements obtained fromthat test should be reliable.

RELIABILITY

The property of a measurementwhich assesses the extent to whichvariation in measurement is due totrue differences between people onthe trait being measured or tomeasurement error.

Reliability is generally assessedusing two specific measures, onerelated to the stability of scale scoresover time, the other concerned withthe internal consistency, or homo-geneity of the constituent items thatform a scale score.

RELIABILITY : STABILITY

Also known as test-retest reliability,an assessment is made of the similar-ity of scores on a particular scaleover two or more test occasions. Theoccasions may be from a few hours,days, months or years apart.Normally Pearson correlation coeffi-cients are used to quantify thesimilarity between the scale scoresover the two or more occasions.

Stability coefficients provide animportant indicator of a test’s likelyusefulness of measurement. If thesecoefficients are low (< approx. 0.6)then it is suggestive of either that thebehaviours/attitudes being measuredare volatile or situationally specific,or that over the duration of the retestinterval, situational events have thecontent of the scale irrelevant orobsolete. Of course, the duration ofthe retest interval provides some clueas to which effect may be causing theunreliability of measurement.However, the second measure of ascales reliability also provides valu-able information as to why a scalemay have a low stability coefficient.

bp

RELIABILITY : INTERNALCONSISTENCY

Also known as scale homogeneity, anassessment is made of the ability ofthe items in a scale to measure thesame construct or trait. That is aparameter can be computed thatindexes how well the items in a scalecontribute to the overall measure-ment denoted by the scale score. Ascale is said to be internally consis-tent if all the constituent itemresponses are shown to be positivelyassociated with their scale score.

The most common measure ofinternal consistency is Cronbach’sAlpha. If the items on a scale havehigh inter-correlations with eachother, and with the total scale score,then coefficient alpha will be high.Thus a high coefficient alpha indi-cates that the items on the scale aremeasuring very much the samething, while a low alpha would besuggestive of either scale itemsmeasuring different attributes or thepresence of error.

The fact that a test has high inter-nal consistency and stabilitycoefficients only guarantees that it ismeasuring something consistently. Itprovides no guarantee that the test isactually measuring what it purportsto measure, nor that the test willprove useful in a particular situation.Questions concerning what a testactually measures and its relevancein a particular situation are dealtwith by looking at the tests validity.

VALIDITY

The ability of a scale score to reflectwhat that scale is intended tomeasure. Kline’s (1993) definition is“A test is said to be valid if itmeasures what it claims to measure”.

Reliability is generally investigatedbefore validity as the reliability of testplaces an upper limit on tests validity.It can be mathematically demon-strated that a validity coefficient for aparticular test can not exceed thattests reliability coefficient.

VALIDITY : CONSTRUCTVALIDITY

Construct validity assesses whetherthe characteristic which a test isactually measuring is psychologicallymeaningful and consistent with thetests definition.

Validation studies of a test investi-gate the soundness and relevance ofa proposed interpretation of that test.Two key areas of validation areknown as criterion validity andconstruct validity.

VALIDITY : CRITERIONVALIDITY

Criterion validity involves translatinga score on a particular test into aprediction concerning what could beexpected if another variable wasobserved.

The criterion validity of a test isprovided by demonstrating thatscores on the test relate in somemeaningful way with an externalcriterion. Criterion validity comes intwo forms –predictive and concur-rent. Predictive validity assesseswhether a test is capable of predict-ing an agreed criterion which will beavailable at some future time –e.g.can a test predict the likelihood ofsomeone successfully completing atraining course. Concurrent validityassesses whether the scores on a testcan be used to predict a criterionmeasure which is available at thetime of the test –e.g. can a testpredict current job performance.

The construct validity of a test isassessed by demonstrating that thescores from the test are consistentwith those from other major testswhich measure similar constructsand are dissimilar to scores on testswhich measure different constructs.

bqTable 1 lists mean score differences between 68 male and 87 female studentsrespondents drawn from student populations. Of the 11 value scales of theVMI, four reveal statistically significant differences between male and femalerespondents. The most substantial difference is found on the Financial Statusscale where a difference equivalent to about half the pooled SD is observed,with the males mean rating higher than of females. Females rate Moral andEthical values lower than the males but curiously males appear to endorsetraditional values more than their female counter-parts. It should be notedthat while these constitute statistically significant differences, the absolutedifferences remain small and with the possible exception of the FinancialStatus value, are unlikely to have ramifications as far as profile interpretationis concerned. The question as to the Financial Status scale would be to ascer-tain whether the difference observed reflects a true difference in thepopulation or is an artefact of the test.

RELIABILITY OF THE VMIInternal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach’s Alpha) were computed on thetotal standardisation sample. The coefficients are computed over thecombined males & females. (see Table 2).

With the exception of the Achievement sub-scale of the VMI, the scalesapproximate or exceed acceptable levels of internal consistency. Eight of the11 VMI Value scales exceed the 0.7 level, considered to reflect acceptablemeasurement error. The Moral and Independence scales fall slightly below(at 0.68 and 0.66 respectively) although the Achievement scale, with aStandard Error of Measurement equivalent to almost 1.4 sten points, shouldbe treated with a greater degree of caution. Additional items are currently inthe process of being trialled and this scale will be updated once the data isforthcoming. Reliability estimates for the response style indicators SocialDesirability and Infrequency are provided as these are dedicated scalesunlike the Central tendency and Acquiescence scales which are simply a sumof all central and acquiescent responses. The estimate for SD is acceptable at0.64 although the Infrequency scale falls somewhat short of ideal. This is inpart due to its distribution which is far from normal.

GENDER DIFFERENCES ONTHE VMI

brVMI Scale

AffiliativeAltruisticAffectionAchievementFinancialSecurityAestheticsMoralTraditionalIndependenceEthicalSocial DesirabilityInfrequencyCentral TendencyAcquiescence

VMI Scale

AffiliativeAltruisticAffectionAchievementFinanceSecurityAestheticsMoralTraditionalIndependenceEthicalS.D.Infrequency

Table 1: Mean raw score differences & t-test significance levels by gender.

Mean F

35.1843.9836.4425.4339.7214.9739.5421.2625.2019.0821.6820.33

.66110.2555.38

Mean M

36.4641.9336.8126.2144.7913.6639.1622.7527.0719.2820.3221.53

.63111.6654.28

SD F

6.326.476.293.708.334.356.333.635.243.123.514.35.85

24.8710.66

SD M

5.526.644.493.406.014.787.853.345.142.654.194.28.71

23.698.90

t-value

-1.311.94-.41

-1.35-4.231.77.33

-2.62-2.23-.422.19

-1.71.18

-.36.68

p-value

.1911

.0547

.6805

.1790

.0000

.0782

.7400

.0097

.0270

.6748

.0300

.0890

.8585

.7213

.4947

Table 2: VMI Internal Consistencies & Item Total Correlations (ITC’s)

items

1112107

126

11796797

Alpha

0.740.740.790.530.830.790.830.680.700.660.700.640.52

ITC

.22

.19

.28

.14

.30

.40

.32

.24

.22

.24

.26

.16

.15

SEm

1.021.020.921.370.820.920.821.131.101.171.101.201.39

bs VALIDITYAs was said in the introduction oncewe have ascertained the reliability ofa test we must address its validity. Itis important to know that theconstructs we are measuring arevalid, that it is indeed measuring thecharacteristic it purports to measure.This section of the manual providesa number of tables which demon-strate that the dimensions of the VMIare consistent with similar measures.

INTER-CORRELATIONS OFVMI SCALES

A sample of 159 Psychology andMBA’s students completed the VMIas part of an introductory course inPersonnel Assessment. Table 3provides the full VMI inter-correla-tion matrix.

Generally the inter-correlationsare fairly modest, with a range from0 to 0.57, with a low median valueof 0.10. This indicates that the VMIscales are generally independent ofeach other and are measuringdistinct aspects of the individual’svalue system. The highest correla-tions are found between Affectionand Affiliation (0.57), Traditionaland Moral (.49) Financial Statusand Altruism (-.46) and finallyAffection and Altruism (.39). Tworesponse style indicators,Acquiescence and Central Tendencyare also highly correlated (.57) butthis is simply related to the fact thatthey share a significant number ofitems.

bt1

1

26

57

-09

02

00

-04

07

10

-08

05

04

-11

03

04

2

26

1

39

-06

-46

06

24

27

-10

-02

11

-02

-10

-27

23

3

57

39

1

-12

-09

05

-01

15

05

-15

05

-03

-06

-16

28

4

-09

-06

-12

1

40

-03

-01

22

14

-09

05

12

04

-29

25

5

02

-46

-09

40

1

-21

-13

03

19

-17

-21

-07

11

-07

01

6

00

06

05

-03

-21

1

-10

17

02

-03

19

-04

-02

16

-01

7

-04

24

-01

-01

-13

-10

1

04

-06

17

-06

-09

-06

-24

04

8

07

27

15

22

03

17

04

1

49

-15

32

24

-01

-06

23

9

10

-10

05

14

19

02

-06

49

1

-30

27

24

-00

09

09

10

-08

-02

-15

-09

-17

-03

17

-15

-30

1

-03

-10

12

-17

10

11

05

11

05

05

-21

19

-06

32

27

-03

1

26

05

02

20

12

04

-02

-03

12

-07

-04

-09

24

24

-10

26

1

05

15

13

13

-11

-10

-06

04

11

-02

-06

-01

-00

12

05

05

1

-21

19

14

03

-27

-16

29

-07

16

-26

-06

09

-17

02

15

-21

1

-57

15

04

23

28

25

01

-01

04

23

09

10

20

13

19

-57

1

10 Indep Independence12 SocD Social Desirability14 Cent Central Tendency

Table 3: VMI Inter-correlation Matrix

VMI

1 Affiliation

2 Altruism

3 Affection

4 Achievement

5 Finanical

6 Safety

7 Aesthetics

8 Morality

9 Tradition

10 Indep

11 Ethics

12 Social D

13 Infrequency

14 Central T

15 Aquiescence

ckRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VMI & MAPP

A sample of 59 Psychology under-graduates volunteered to complete the VMIand MAPP as part of a validation study in exchange for feedback on theirresults.

From Table 4, we can observe a large number of psychologically meaning-ful correlations between the VMI and MAPP, specifically in those value areaswhich both instruments cover. A remarkably high correlation is registeredbetween MAPP Material Wealth and VMI Financial (.83). This suggests thatthese two scales are inter-changeable. VMI Financial also correlates stronglywith MAPP Personal Authority (.71), Competition (.5) and negatively (-.55)with MAPP Altruism. VMI Altruism also converges with its MAPP namesake(.71) and registers moderate to high correlations with Intimacy (.49) andPersonal Authority (-.52). Both VMI Affiliation and Affection register a 0.68correlation with MAPP Intimacy, suggesting MAPP Intimacy may be tappinginto aspects of these two VMI scales. VMI Need for Achievement correlateshighly with a number of MAPP scales, Competition (.48), Responsibility(.52), Personal Authority (.56) and Work (.53), without a single MAPP scalestanding out. VMI Safety which measures the degree to which an individualplaces emphasis on personal security and harm-avoidance, correlates nega-tively with MAPP Novelty (-.50), but only registers a .39 correlation withMAPP Security. This is likely to be due to the different focus of these samename scales. MAPP in contrast to VMI is more directed at job security andlong-term future, with no reference to danger and risk-taking. VMI Aestheticsis related to MAPP Self-Expression (.45), Novelty (.41) and Intellect (.35)which reflects aspects of this scale.

VMI intrinsic scales have no clear MAPP counter-parts and conse-quently only register modest correlations with related MAPP scales. VMITraditional hardly registers with MAPP at all with only one correlation (withPersonal Authority) above the .3 level. Equally, VMI Moral Values correlatespositively (.33) with Altruism and negatively with Levity (-.30) although thismay be related to a social desirability effect (VMI S.D. correlates with boththese MAPP scales). VMI Ethics has similarly low correspondence withMAPP with two -.33 correlations with Material Wealth and Levity. FinallyVMI Independence is negatively related to Competition (-.44), PersonalAuthority (-.45) and also registers a .35 with MAPP Self-expression.

Of the VMI response style indicators, Central Tendency correlates nega-tively with Responsibility (-.30), Novelty (-.39) and Self-expression (-.36),suggesting that those who emphasise value each of these three values aremore likely to avoid the central responses.

cl

TraditionMoralityIndependenceEthicalAltruismAffiliationAffectionAchievementFinancialSafetyAestheticInfrequencySocial DesirabilityCentral TendencyAcquiescence

Table 4: Correlations between VMI and MAPP

Mw

-.30-.33-.43

.28

.83

-.30

Cpt

-.44

-.42

.48

.50

-.27

Res

-.27

-.32.52.36

Rcg

-.36

.41

.47

.28

Per

.33

-.45

-.52

.56

.71

Rsp

-.28

.40

.44

-.30

Int

-.28

.35

Nov

-.50.41

-.39

SlfE

.35

.26

.45

-.36

Alt

.33

.71

.41

.28

-.55

.25

.29

Inti

.49

.68

.68

.32

-.29

Lev

-.29-.30

-.33

.25-.35

-.35

-.27

Sec

.30

.39

.39-.34

Wor

.53

.33

Mw Material Wealth Nov NoveltyCpt Competition SlfE Self-ExpressionRes Results Alt AltruismRcg Recognition Inti IntimacyPer Personal Authority Lev LevityRsp Responsibility Sec SecurityInt Intellect Wor Work

cmRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VMI & 16PF

A sample of 100 MBA students attending a prestigious London BusinessSchool completed both the VMI and the 16PF version 5 as part of an intro-duction to personnel assessment methods.

Although typically the correlations between the VMI and 16PF version 5are modest in magnitude, they are nonetheless generally psychologicallymeaningful, given that the two tests are in fact measuring different personalcharacteristics.

The VMI interpersonal values generally correlate with the 16PF extrover-sion factors. VMI Affiliative is related strongly to Group Dependence (Q2)but also taps into aspects of Apprehension (O). Affection registers a similarpattern of correlations with 16PF although there appears to more congruencewith Warmth (A) and low Privateness (N). VMI Altruism relates primarily toRule Consciousness (G) which would suggest that there may be some degreeto which endorsement of Altruism is an aspect of conformity.

VMI Achievement and Finance are clearly not directly measured by 16PF-5, although the former correlates .33 with Perfectionism which reflects oneaspect of Achievement orientation. Aesthetics relates to a number of 16PF-5factors, including Reasoning (B), Sensitivity (I) and Openness to Change. Inaddition, it registers correlations of above 0.3 with Dominance and SocialBoldness suggesting that those who value Aesthetics may be outspokenly so.VMI Moral and Traditional scales both relate to 16PF Rule Consciousness(G) and in addition, Traditional registers a small negative correlation with16PF Reasoning. Finally, VMI Ethical, which assesses the importance placedupon ‘higher’ forces in determining one’s future, this registers very smallcorrelations with Submissiveness (E) and Apprehension (O).

Of the Response Style indicators the corresponding measures of SocialDesirability correlate only modestly at 0.4. VMI SD correlates almost ashighly (-.37) with 16PF-5 Tension which is perhaps best explained by theitem content of the latter e.g. I am happy to wait in queues!

cnVMI Scales 16PF-5 Scales

Affiliative A: Warmth .25, F: Liveliness .28, N: Privateness -.35,O: Apprehension .37, Q2: Self-reliance -.52

Altruistic G: Rule-Consciousness .36, N: Privateness -.25,

Affection A: Warmth .29, N: Privateness -.41, O: Apprehension .36,Q2: Self-reliance -.28

Achievement Q3: Perfectionism .33

Finance Q4: Tension .24

Security E: Dominance -.25, F: Liveliness -.25, Q1: Openness to Change -.27

Aesthetics B: Reasoning .28, E: Dominance .35, H: Social-Boldness .30,I: Sensitivity .42, Q1: Openness to Change .39

Moral G: Rule-Consciousness .57

Traditional B: Reasoning -.28, G: Rule-Consciousness .38

Independence B: Reasoning .29, H: Social-Boldness -.29, N: Privateness

Ethical E: Dominance -.25, O: Apprehension .24

Social Desirability G: Rule-Consciousness .28, Q4: Tension -.37,IM: Impression Management .40

Central Tendency E: Dominance .20

Acquiescence O: Apprehension .23

Table 5: Correlations between VMI and 16PF Form 5

coRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VMI & OPP

A sample of 59 Psychology under-graduates volunteered to complete the VMIand MAPP as part of a validation study in exchange for feedback on theirresults.

A number of notable correlations were found between OPP and VMI,suggesting a fair degree of overlap in certain areas. Two correlations in excessof 0.7 were found between OIP and OPP, suggesting near equivalence inmeasurement focus. These were between VMI Affiliation and OPPGregarious and between VMI Aesthetics and OPP Abstract-Pragmatic. Thisraises the issue of whether in some cases, measures of personality traits andvalues are in fact tapping into the same underlying psychological constructs.VMI Altruism correlates highly with OPP Trusting and Social Desirability(which doubles up as a measure of Conformity). This would suggest, asnoted previously, that VMI Altruism may be subject to impression manage-ment. Those scoring high on VMI Affection tend to have higher scores onOPP Gregarious, Emotional and Trusting, although none of these correla-tions exceed 0.5. In the VMI Extrinsic domain, Safety, Financial andAchievement Status barely correlate with OPP scales. In contrast, the VMIintrinsic scales do find some modest congruence with equivalent OPP dimen-sions. VMI Moral, correlates with OPP SD (Conformity), Trusting andRigidity. VMI Traditional correlates negatively with OPP Flexibility andwhereas VMI Independence correlates inversely with the same. Finally, VMIEthical registers only modest, but meaningful correlations with OPP Rigidity,Emotionality, Genuineness, and Externality (a form of fatalism). In theresponse-style arena, the respective measures of social desirable and centralresponding correlate 0.58 and .75 respectively, and interestingly, CentralTendency also correlates -.50 with Flexibility.

cp

AffiliationAltruismAffectionAchievementFinanceSafetyAestheticsMoralTraditionalIndependenceEthicalDistortionInfrequencyCentral TendencyAcquiescence

Table 6: Correlations between VMI and OPP

Ass Fle Tru Phl Gre Per Con Ext Pra Con Mid

.37 .73 -.25 .27

.51 .37

.31 -.27 .47.30 -.37 .27 .35.33 -.25 -.32 .27

-.33.33 .32 -.71 .26

-.32 .34 .46-.32 -.58 .25 .25

.52 -.27 -.32-.32 -.32 -.32 .32-.29 .27 .58

-.29 -.27-.30 -.50 .37 .32 .75

-.40

Ass Empathic-Assertive Con Composed-ContestingFle Detailed-Flexible Ext Optimistic-PessimisticTru Cynical-Trusting Pra Abstract-PragmaticPhl Emotional-Phlegmatic Con Social-DesirabilityGre Reserved-Gregarious Mid Central TendencyPer Genuine-Persuasive

cq

4ADMINISTRATIONINSTRUCTIONSBEFORE STARTING THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Put candidates at their ease by giving information about yourself, the purposeof the questionnaire, the timetable for the day, if this is part of a wider assess-ment programme, and how the results will be used and who will have accessto them. Ensure that you and other administrators have switched off mobilephones etc.

The instructions below should be read out verbatim and the same scriptshould be followed each time the VMI is administered to one or more candi-dates. Instructions for the administrator are printed in ordinary type.Instructions designed to be read aloud to candidate incorporate a grey shadedbackground, italics and speech marks.

If this is the first or only questionnaire being administered give an introduc-tion as per or similar to the following example:

“From now on, please do not talk among yourselves, butask me if anything is not clear. Please ensure that anymobile telephones, pagers or other potential distractions areswitched off completely. We shall be doing the Values &Motives Inventory which has no time limit, however mostpeople take about 20 minutes. During the test I shall bechecking to make sure you are not making any accidentalmistakes when filling in the answer sheet. I will not bechecking your responses.”

WARNING: It is most important that answer sheets do not go astray. Theyshould be counted out at the beginning of the test and counted in again at theend.

csContinue by using the instructions EXACTLY as given. Say:

DISTRIBUTE THE ANSWER SHEETS

Then ask:

“Has everyone got two sharp pencils, an eraser, some roughpaper and an answer sheet.”

Rectify any omissions, then say:

“Print your surname, first name and title clearly on the lineprovided, followed by your age and sex. Please inserttoday’s date which is [ ] on the ‘Comments’ line”

Walk around the room to check that the instructions are being followed.

WARNING: It is vitally important that test booklets do not go astray. Theyshould be counted out at the beginning of the session and counted in again atthe end.

DISTRIBUTE THE BOOKLETS WITH THE INSTRUCTION:

“Please do not open the booklet until instructed.”

Remembering to read slowly and clearly, go to the front of the group and say:

“Please open the booklet and follow the instructions for thistest as I read them aloud.” (Pause to allow booklets to beopened).

This is a questionnaire concerning your interests, prefer-ences and feelings about a range of things.

You are asked to rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 5 oneach question. When you have chosen the answer appropri-ate for YOU, record this by blackening the correspondingbox on the answer sheet.

For example:

Ratings:

1 2 3 4 5Strongly Agree In Disagree Strongly

Agree between Disagree

1. I like to watch the news on TV.

ctIf you strongly agreed with this statement, you would fullyblacken box 1 against question 1 on your answer sheet.”

Check for understanding of the instructions so far, then say:

“When answering the questions please remember thefollowing:

1. Do not spend too much time pondering over the answerto each question. The information given in a questionmay not be as full as you would wish, but answer asbest you can.

2. Please try to avoid the middle (In between) answerwherever possible.

3. Be as honest and truthful as you can. Don’t give ananswer just because it seems to be the right thing to say.

4. Make sure you answer every question, even those whichdo not seem to apply to you.

5. If you wish to change an answer, please erase it andinsert your new answer.”

Then say very clearly:

“Is everybody clear about how to do this test?”

Deal with any questions appropriately, then say:

“Please begin”

Answer only questions relating to procedure at this stage, but enter in theAdministrator’s Test Record any other problems which occur. Walk aroundthe room at appropriate intervals to check for potential problems. Wheneverybody has completed the questionnaire:

COLLECT ANSWER SHEETS & TEST BOOKLETS, ENSURING THATALL MATERIALS ARE RETURNED (COUNT BOOKLETS & ANSWERSHEETS)

Then say:

“Thank you for completing the Values and MotivesInventory.”

dk

5REFERENCES

Allport, G. W. et al (1960) Study ofValues. Manual & Test Booklet.Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Budd, R. J. (1991). Manual for theOPP. Letchworth, Herts: PsytechInternational.

Budd, R. J. (1991). Manual for theJTI. Letchworth, Herts: PsytechInternational.

Campbell, D. P. (1971). Handbookfor the Strong Vocational InterestBlank. Stanford: Stanford UniversityPress.

Costa, P. T. & McCrae, R. R, (1992)Manual for the Neo PI-R. Odessa,Florida. Psychological AssessmentResources.

Cronbach, L.J. (1951). Coefficientalpha and the internal structure oftests. Psychometrica, 16, 297-334

Hunter, R A & Roberts, A. M (1989)Manual for the Managerial andProfesional Profiler. Lewes, Sussex:Knight Chapman Psychological.

Kline, P. (1993). Personality: ThePsychometric View. London,Routledge.

Rokeach, M (1967) Value Survey.Sunnyvale, CA: Halgren tests

Rokeach, M (1973) The Nature ofHuman Values. New York: FreePress.

Russell, M & Darcie K. (1994)Manual for the 16PF Fifth Edition.Champaign, Illinois: Institute forPersonality and Ability Testing.