Personal+Values+and+Beliefs


 * 30 August 2006**
 * Personal Values and Beliefs**
 * Dr. Constance Shriner, Ph.D., Dr. Carol Bennett-Clarke, M.D., Dr. Mary Kay Smith, M.D.**

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=**Awareness**=


 * Influence perceptions and interactions with others
 * Values – principles/standards that have meaning and worth to an individual, family, or group
 * Give meaning and determine behavior
 * First step to becoming more open and understanding
 * Acknowledge that we have values
 * Understanding other who don’t share the same values – cultural sensitivity
 * Facilitate working relationships

=**Values**=


 * Values are learned through socialization
 * Develop out of direct experiences
 * Parents, teachers, family members, peers all contribute
 * e.g. parents value material things? Or do they value security?
 * e.g. Republicans vs. Democrats
 * Cannot be proved correct or incorrect
 * Defined not by evidence but by society

**Functions of Values**

 * Guide behavior
 * Serve as a basis for judging behavior of others
 * Individuals may be dissatisfied with others when these others don’t exhibit behavior consistent with the individual’s values

**Development of Values**

 * Family, upbringing
 * Spirituality/religion, moral imperatives of culture
 * Political environment, geographic boundaries
 * Media, peers

=**Values in Conflict**=


 * Diverse sources of information/experiences that influence value development
 * Conflict between individual values
 * e.g. career vs. family
 * e.g. adolescents conflicting between family and peers
 * Some studies have found some adolescents deliberately do poorly in school to belong into a group
 * Group values can conflict
 * e.g. differences between values of men and women
 * e.g. differences between values of cultures
 * Western society values youth – plastic surgery, cosmetics, etc.
 * Other societies revere age

**Effects of Conflict**

 * Individual conflict response
 * Stress/anxiety
 * Avoidance behaviors and withdrawal
 * Depression
 * Resolution may require compromise/sacrifice
 * Group conflict response
 * Disapproval of other’s actions and with relationships
 * Tend to be at the root of many interpersonal problems
 * e.g. football game vs. thanksgiving
 * e.g. health care system goals vs. family goals

=**Cultural Norms vs. Core Values**=
 * Cultural norms:
 * Clothing, language, music
 * Common experiences
 * Change over time
 * Core values:
 * Foundational beliefs
 * Guiding principles
 * Not negotiable
 * Consistent over time

=**Life Values Inventory**=


 * Measure 14 relatively //independent// values
 * Adequate psychometric properties:
 * Test/retest and internal consistency
 * Convergent/divergent and predictive validity
 * Culturally sensitive instrument

**Achievement**

 * Ambitious, Capable, Courageous, Responsible
 * Conflict – unable to act on goals, feel unchallenged
 * Become too focused on results and sacrifice satisfaction about performance
 * May conflict with belonging

**Belonging**

 * Social recognition, Acceptance, Inclusion, Loyalty
 * Conflict – compromise for the sake of being liked (harmony), dealing with confrontation
 * May conflict with independence, privacy, and achievement

**Concern for the Environment**

 * Honest, Forgiving, Self-controlled, Broad minded
 * Altruistic about equality/peace
 * Conflict – unable to advance the goal of improving the environment

**Concern for Others**

 * Helpful, Honest, Friendly, Forgiving, Striving for inner tranquility, Little concern for wealth
 * Conflict – unable to help others, if their help is rejected
 * Frequently leads to burnout
 * May conflict with independence and financial prosperity

**Creativity**

 * Imaginative, Intelligent, Disorderly, Impractical, Idealistic, Expressive, Capable, Courageous
 * Conflict – unable to act on creative ideas (use imagination), when creativity is overemphasized at the expense of orderliness
 * May conflict with responsibility

**Financial Prosperity**

 * Ambitious, Capable, Intelligent, Logical, Pleasure seeking, Courageous
 * Conflict – Unable to accumulate wealth at a rate deemed appropriate, perceived inequity in financial return for energy expended

**Health and Activity**

 * Clean environment, Seeking social recognition through health, Enjoy Activities, Work to improve personal appearance
 * Conflict – is over estimated and negatively influences other values

**Humility**

 * Modest, self-effacing, deflect attention to other, obedient, polite, self-controlled
 * Conflict – placed in position where they have to promote themselves
 * May conflict with achievement

**Independence**

 * Personal freedom, Autonomous, Ambitious, Courageous, Pleasure-seeking
 * Conflict – Actions are limited, Conformity is required
 * May conflict with belonging and interdependence

**Interdependence**

 * Helpful, Loving, Honest, Loyal, Obedient, Polite, Self-controlled
 * Conflict – Become bound by traditions, unable to adapt to change
 * May conflict with independence

**Objective Analysis**

 * Logical, Intelligent, Precise
 * Conflict – Required to function in a non-orderly or non-analytical way
 * May conflict with leadership roles

**Privacy**

 * Solitary, self-reflective
 * Conflict – expend time consuming tasks
 * May conflict with interdependence

**Responsibility**

 * Ambitious, Trustworthy, Honest, Self-controlled
 * Conflict – too oriented to the sacrifice of self, overload with responsibility to the point of undependability

**Spirituality**

 * Inner harmony, Salvation, Honest, Obedient, Peaceful relationships
 * Conflict – when other people devalue spiritual beliefs

=**Medical Student Values**=


 * Approximate percent of medical student respondents placing value as one of their top 3
 * Achievement: 65%
 * Belonging: 15%
 * Concern for Environment: 10%
 * Concern for Others: 40%
 * Creativity: 15%
 * Financial Prosperity: 15%
 * Health and Activity: 30%
 * Humility: 10%
 * Independent: 25%
 * Interdependence: 20%
 * Objective Analysis: 30%
 * Privacy: Data Lost
 * Responsibility: 75%
 * Spirituality: 35%