Profile of Preadolescent Values: Revisited

Abstract

The findings obtained from a survey of values among sixth grade pupils were compared with those of a survey from an earlier generation of pupils in 1972 using the same questionnaire in the same schools and at the same grade level. There was complete agreement on three of the highest values, all indicating a preference for love and affection. Differences in ranking across the decade were for mid-level items with the 1982 group elevating a few relatively individualistic values and reducing the rankings of more social values such as Politeness and A Secure Country. Comparisons were also made for sub-groups of the 1982 population by sex and ethnicity. The proportion of each sub-group that ranked an item above the mean for the generational group is reported. Only 8 out of 116 values were significantly different across groups, a finding consistent with evidence that agreement within a generational group tends to be strong.