Value change and post-modernism: A preliminary study of a german sample

This study explores the reporting of personal values in a sample of German participants through means of a questionnaire using open questions. The sample consisted of a total of 255 participants (60% female and 40% male) with an age range of between 18 and 100 years old. The participants indicated their personal values openly and in order of priority. The results showed that participants primarily considered personal values to be those related to basic life concerns (e.g. family, friendship, health) and to social relations (e.g. honesty, reliability, empathy). A significant trend was found among middle-age participants (31-60 years old) to report values of a political-social nature, whilst older generations (61+ years old) tended to give less importance to values related to social relations. The results were discussed making reference to the socio-cultural change related to post-modernism and were compared and contrasted with the results of major value surveys obtained in sociological studies.