To appreciate the radical nature of Rokeach’s work, we must remember the intellectual climate of the early 1970s. Psychology was dominated by behaviorism (stimulus-response) and Freudian psychoanalysis (unconscious drives). Sociology focused on norms and roles.
Rokeach reasoned that most people are unaware of the contradictions within their own value hierarchies. So, he ran an experiment with college students: To appreciate the radical nature of Rokeach’s work,
Two people can both want "success," but one defines success as Social Recognition (fame) and the other as A Sense of Accomplishment (mastery). They will make completely different life choices. Rokeach reasoned that most people are unaware of
The central thesis of The Nature of Human Values rests on a specific and potent definition. Rokeach defines a value as "an enduring belief that a specific mode of conduct or end-state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end-state of existence." The central thesis of The Nature of Human
Rokeach’s data in 1973 produced one of the most durable findings in political psychology.
To move theory into the realm of data, Rokeach introduced the Rokeach Value Survey in the 1973 text. This instrument was revolutionary in its simplicity and power. The survey consists of two lists of values—one Terminal and one Instrumental—each containing 18 items.
These represent —the ultimate goals a person would like to achieve in their lifetime. Rokeach's Personal Values Survey: What Makes You Tick?