Applied Psychology

Applied Psychology

Adolescent Values: Universal or Culturally Specific? Adaptation of the Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire (RR) (2017) in Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Saeed Akbari-Zardkhaneh 1
Rezvan Shirkhodaee 2
Jalil Fathabadi 3
Amir Hossein Daneshmand Kafteroudi 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science,University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.
2 M.A. of Educational Psychology, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science,University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.
10.48308/apsy.2026.241545.1901
Abstract
Aim: This study adapted and evaluated the revised Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-RR) for Iranian adolescents.
Method: Participants were 873 eighth- and ninth-grade students in Tehran, recruited via stratified random sampling, who completed the PVQ-RR and criterion measures.
Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported the structure of 19 values and four higher-order dimensions (Conservation, Self-Transcendence, Openness to Change, and Self-Enhancement) with acceptable fit and adequate item validity. While Schwartz’s circular value model and motivational oppositions were generally reproduced, congruence with the theoretical structure was not complete, as values such as Self-Direction–Action and Universalism–Tolerance showed positional shifts. Reliability was satisfactory overall, although Hedonism and Achievement were weaker. Convergent and discriminant validity were supported: religiosity correlated positively with Conservation but negatively with Openness to Change and Self-Enhancement; empathy related most strongly to Self-Transcendence; and self-esteem was positively associated with Self-Enhancement. These findings confirm essential elements of the universal model while also revealing cultural specificities in how values are organized among Iranian adolescents. The circular structure was largely preserved, and meaningful associations with psychological variables emerged, indicating that adolescents can differentiate between conflicting values.
Conclusion: The Persian PVQ-RR thus provides a valid and reliable measure for studying values in this population and can inform both psychological research and educational planning. In sum, although the Persian version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire (RR) demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability for assessing Iranian adolescents’ values, cautious interpretation of the results is advised.
Keywords
Adolescents
Cultural Adaptation
Portrait Values Questionnaire
Schwartz’s Basic Human Values Theory
Subjects
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