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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 351 274 SO 022 690 AUTHOR Ryker, Jannette A.; And Others TITLE Value Priority Differences between Males and Females. PUB DATE 92 NOTE 30p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Western Psychological Association (Portland, OR, May 2, 1992). PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) Speeches /Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Attitude Measures; College Graduates; College Students; *Comparative Analysis; Females; Males; Needs Assessment; *Psychological Studies; *Sex Differences; Statistical Analysis; Student Attitudes; *Values ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous gender difference research by identifying differences in value priorities. College graduates were given the Rokeach Value Survey as part of their testing prior to graduation in the spring of 1989, 1990, and 1991. Using the Mann-Whitney U statistic, significant differences between the groups were found for 14 of the 36 items on the Rokeach Value Survey and for 5 of 8 Schwartz Motivational Value Clusters. Males placed a higher value priority on a comfortable life, an exciting life, pleasure, social recognition, obedience, politeness, and self-control; with the motivation clusters of hedonism, stimulation, and conformity ranking higher for males. Females placed a higher priority on a world at peace, equality, inner harmony, self-respect, broad-mindedness, independence, and being loving; the motivational clusters ranked higher by females were self-direction and universality. The results are discussed in the context of current gender research. A list of 35 references, as well as five tables that supplement the study are included. (Autnor) *****************************) :.************************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** &rw.WiZrrzleATAIMILVIIIIK -1,71111 Value Priorities of Males and Females 1 Value Priority Differences Between Males and Females Cheryl D. Granby Daniel M. Mayton II Nannette A. Ryker Lewis-Clark State College U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office 0 Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as (rived horn the person or organization originating it C Minor changes nave been made to imprOve repioduCtiOn quality Points of view or opinionS stated in this docui meal do not necesSarily represent official OERI position or policy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS R -EN GRANTED BY MATERIAL OA- Cf).0Hab14-11", TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, Oregon, May 2, 1992. 2 7iST COPY AVAILABLE and Females of Males Value Priorities 2 Abstract previous and extend is to replicate of this study The purpose in value identifying differences research by gender difference Value given the Rokeach College graduates were priorities. spring graduation in the testing prior to of their Survey as part statistic, Mann-Whitney U Using the and 1991. of 1989, 1990 for 14 of were found between the groups significant differences 5 of 8 Schwartz Survey and for the Rokeach Value the 36 items on higher value Males placed a Clusters. Motivational Value pleasure, exciting life, comfortable life, an priority on a with and self control; obedience, politeness, social recognition, and conformity hedonism, stimulation clusters of the motivation higher priority on Females placed a for females. ranking higher broad- harmony, self-respect, equality, inner at peace, a world motivational loving; the independence and being mindedness, and self direction higher by females were clusters ranked context of discussed in the The results are universality. research. current gender Value Priorities of Males and Females 3 Value Priority Differences Between Males and Females Understanding individual preferences and the standards or question of criteria individuals use in making decisions is a proscriptive Human values are enduring prescriptive or values. existence beliefs that specific modes of conduct or end-states of Values end-states. are preferred to other modes of conduct or been shown to and the priorities individuals place upon them have behavior (e.g. be critical factors in determining attitudes and Bilsky, Feathers, 1975; Rokeach & Ball-Rokeach, 1989; Schwartz & 1987). Ongoing research on value priorities has been conducted since the late 1960s when Rokeach first introduced the Rokeach The work which Rokeach Value Survey (RVS, Rokeach, 1968, 1973). began has spawned a multitude of value priority Results have shown that "the rankings of various studies. terminal and instrumental values are significantly related to variations in socioeconomic status, age, gender, race, religion, and life-style (Rokeach and Ball-Rokeach, 1989, p. 776)" as well attitudes and as being "significant predictors of many social behaviors (p. 776)." One notable contribution to values theory over the past five They (1987). years has been put forth by Schwartz and Bilsky have begun to establish a universal structure of human values. Schwartz (1990) has elaborated on this earlier work to identify ten universal motivational domains for values using the Value Priorities of Males and Females 4 needs of assumption that values are derived from (1) the requisites of individuals as biological organisms, (2) the survival and welfare coordinated social interaction, and (3) the characteristic These universal domains, their needs of groups. outlined definitions, and the sample values included in each as by Schwartz' work are presented in Table 1. Insert Table 1 About Here extend previous The purpose of this paper is to review and While some differences. value research pertaining to gender differences, studies have focussed specifically on value-gender investigated value- the majority of the relevant value research factor of the gender differences as a secondary or tangential summarizes consistent Our review of the value literature study. domains gender differences utilizing the universal value framework to (Schwartz, 1990; Schwartz and Bilsky, 1987) as a In addition, this paper also synthesize the research findings. applies the value presents new value-gender difference data which domains as a guiding principle in the analysis. Gender Differences Gender Differences Among Children 1982) and Gender differences begin early in life (Gilligan, playing roles as well as are noted in childhood game Boys and girls are not simply groups of communication skills. and Females Value Priorities of Males 5 differences they exhibit will follow them small humans; the lives causing both confusion and throughout the course of their concern. differences have been noted in As early as age 4, gender When observing the stimulation (Ginsberg & Miller, 1982). they found that more children in a naturalistic setting, a zoo, preadolescent boys were preschool boys, school-age boys, and The risks included risk-takers than girls the same age were. feeding a burro, feeding other riding an elephant, petting and animals and climbing an embankment. in achievement Dubois (1990) found significant differences related attitudes in groups of 8-10 year as measured by sports different attitudes Boys and girls developed considerably olds. team membership after only toward winning and the importance of regarded winning as significantly more one season of play. Males winning as less important to important while females, who ranked importance at the end of the begin with, ranked it of even less season. in game playing Gilligan (1982) discussed gender differences compete and win or lose while roles and noted boys were able to within the framework of still maintaining relationships as such willing Females, on the other hand, were the rules of the game. situations in order to to sacrifice winning in competitive exhibiting more maintain their relationship patterns, thus benevolence than males. 6 Value Priorities of Males and Females 6 Regarding security, boys generally have a more difficult time adjusting to their parents' divorce than girls do. Conflicts between mothers and sons are still common as long as six years after divorce while mothers and daughters have adjusted However, farly well by this time (Hetherington et al., 1982). other studies suggest that boys tend to adjust better when the father is the custodial parent than when the mother is (Santrock et al., 1982). Crime statistics reveal that males are more likely to be arrested than females, and they tend to be arrested for more In the United States, 47 percent of the arrests overt crimes. for such serious crimes as murder, assault, and robbery, involve youths under the age of 21 (U. S. Department of Justice, 1984). Social conformity, it seems, is more difficult for young males than for their youthful female counterparts. Gender Differences Among Adults Women have consistently shown higher scores in altruism men score higher on ratings or the value of helping; Also different aggressiveness scales (Rushton et. al., 1986). value rankings between males and females have been shown to with level of moral judgement (Parish, Rosenblatt & correlate There is a significant difference in motivation Kappes, 1979). for prosocial behavior as demonstrated by volunteerism between the sexes, which may be due to the fact that "caring for others may be more deeply embedded within female role expectations and Males and Females Value Priorities of 7 than is true among complex rationalization thus requires a less 1990)." some males (Serow, has been the within the workplace Since gender differences it stands to reason and private attention, focus of much public this topic. has been dedicated to that a great deal of research differences were entrepreneurs significant Among male and female Solomon, 1987). priority rankings (Fernald & found in their value found that gender managerial work values it was In a study on intrinsic and extrinsic value differences existed between intrinsic higher emphasis on rankings with females placing (Brenner & Blazini, 1988). rewards in the workplace Posner, & Schmidt Interpstingly, in a study by Powell, differed while male and female managers (1984) it was found that emphasis on females "place a greater in their value systems, lives and with their family or home their careers in comparison This life". effect of career on home feel less anxiety about any have more barriers to to the fact that women may be due in part managerial positions. overcome in holding (1990) priority differences, Jones In a study on value differed not only by gender but discovered that college students moving from the high Traditional students, those by age as well. emphasis on into college, placed greater school level immediately stereotypes. with traditional sex-role value items associated become somewhat less pronounced as These differences seemed to returning to Nontraditional students, those students age. 8 Value Priorities of Males and Females 8 college after a period of time in the workforce or as homemakers, became more androgynous. Feathers' (1984) research indicated that while masculine and feminine values are measurable and predictable, androgyny, as a mulitdimensional concept, proved much more difficult to measure Values may be using the additive model or the balance model. classified as masculine or feminine, with an overlap between the genders occurring, but when measuring overall psychological health and well-being, masculinity had a much more positive effect than femininity. Value Differences Using the RVS Across Gender Value priority rankings using the Rokeach Value Suurvey (RVS) are natural variables to consider in gender difference In fact, gender differences within RVS value research. hierarchies have been consistently found across national samples in the United States (Ball-Rokeach, 1973; Rokeach, 1973, 1979) and Finland (Helkama et al., 1987) as well as in many nonrepresentative samples such as those in Australia (Feather, 1972, 1973, 1979), Northern Ireland (McKernan & Russell, 1980), Significant and the United States (Craig & McCartin, 1988). differences between the value priorities of males and females identified in these studies are summarized in Table 2. Insert Table 2 About Here Value Priorities of Males and Females 9 in Table 2, Based on the significant differences summarized important to three value domains appear to represent values more which are more females and three appear to represent values The two universal value domains of security important to males. previous research and self-direction contain values in which disclosed inconsistent patterns between gender. Males seem to consistently place a higher priority on the make up the values of pleasure and a comfortable life which both gratification hedonism domain representing pleasure or sensuous Males also consistently placed a higher priority on for oneself. by the stimulation value domain (an exciting life) represented The final value excitement, novelty, and challenge in life. domain which appeared to be a higher priority for males involved achievement or personal success through demonstrating competence While two studies revealed according to social standards. females placed a higher priority on social recognition than males, males placed a consistently higher priorities on being ambitious and capable and having a sense of accomplishment than females. The benevolence domain or the preservation and enhancement of the welfare of people with whom one is in frequent personal contact is reflected in the values placed on being helpful, This value domain was constantly a higher forgiving, and honest. Females also priority for females in the reviewed studies. seemed to consistently place higher priority on being obedient 1 0