Effect of values on perception and decision making: A study of alternative work values measures.

Abstract

Four alternative methods of measuring values were used to examine the impact of work values on perception and decision-making tasks. Perception and its relation to values was assessed using interpretation of ambiguous stimuli. The effect of values on decision making was evaluated using within-subject regression analyses of 20 separate decisions. A total of 103 undergraduate subjects completed values measures and the perceptual and decision-making tasks in three work sessions, each separated by from 2 to 4 days. A rank order measure of values related more consistently to perception and decision making than did other measurement methods. Results also provide some support for a theory of values in which values affect perceptual organization and act as a guide to decision making.