Reliability
Internal Consistency
Using society as the unit of analysis, the Cronbach alpha coefficient for the Traditional vs. Secular/Rational
Values was found to be .63, and that for Survival vs. Self-Expression Values was .78.1
Test/C0Retest
For Traditional vs. Secular/Rational Values, the society scores in 1994 /C01999 were highly correlated with those
in 1999 /C02004 ( r5.98) and those in 2005 /C02007 ( r5.95). Those in 1994 /C02004 were also highly correlated with
those in 2005 /C02007 ( r5.98). For Survival vs. Self-Expression Values, the society scores in 1994 /C01999 were highly
correlated with those in 1999 /C02004 ( r5.93) and those in 2005 /C02007 ( r5.89). Those in 1994 /C02004 were also
highly correlated with those in 2005 /C02007 ( r5.94). These results suggest that society scores on these two cultural
dimensions have high levels of temporal stability.
Validity
Convergent/Concurrent
We examined the correlations with the society scores of WVS, VSM, and the Big Five Personality Trait mea-
sures. At the society level, Traditional vs. Secular/Rational Values have positive correlations with VSM’s
Individualism Index ( r5.69), and Indulgence ( r5.56). Survival vs. Self-Expression has positive correlations with
VSM’s Masculinity Index ( r5.29) and Indulgence ( r5.50). Survival vs. Self-Expression is also positively corre-
lated with Extraversion ( r5.48) and Conscientiousness ( r5.55).
Divergent/Discriminant
At the society level, WVS Traditional vs. Secular/Rational Values have negative correlations with VSM’s
Power Distance Index ( r52.84). Traditional vs. Secular/Rational Values are not correlated with any of the Big
Five Personality Traits ( rs,.20). Survival vs. Self-Expression has negative correlation with VSM’s Long-Term
Orientation ( r52.83), and is not correlated with Extraversion, Neuroticism, or Openness ( rs,.20).
Construct/Factor Analytic
An exploratory ecological factor analysis with varimax rotation ( N565 countries or regions) was performed
on the intercorrelations of the society means of the pertinent items or indices ( Inglehart & Baker, 2000 , p. 24).
Two orthogonal factors emerged. Five items and the Autonomy Index had significant loadings on the Survival
vs. Self-Expression Value dimension. Four items and the Materialist/Post-Materialist Index had significant
loadings on the Survival vs. Self-Expression value dimension. The factor scores of each society on these two
dimensions of cultural variation are used to represent the society’s positions on the two main dimensions of
cross-cultural variation ( Inglehart, 1997; Inglehart & Baker, 2000 ).
Location
Inglehart, R., & Baker, W.E. (2000). Modernization, cultural change and the persistence of traditional values.
American Sociological Review ,65,1 9/C051.
World Values Survey. (1990). World Values Survey 1990 Questionnaire . Retrieved December 6, 2012.
Results and Comments
The two WVS cultural dimensions are formed by linear combinations of items and indices (see below).
Different response formats are used for the items and the indices. In some instances, the same item contributes
directly to the dimension and indirectly as an item in an index. The way the two WVS dimensions are scored ren-
ders the interpretation of their internal consistency difficult if not meaningless. However, unlike most cross-
cultural value surveys, which aim to identify the values that differentiate one culture from another, WVS was
constructed to track changes in the cultural values as a society goes through modernization and globalization.
The WVS does not treat cultural orientations as latent variables. Instead, the primary objective of WVS research is
to use society means of the cultural dimensions as descriptive statistics to track cultural change. Thus, systematic
information on the reliability and validity of the measures is not available. Nonetheless, the WVS has generated
1The authors of the WVS did not report the internal consistency. Chi-yue Chiu downloaded the original data from the authors’ website and
computed the Cronbach alpha coefficients himself.632 22. MEASURES OF CROSS-CULTURAL VALUES, PERSONALITY AND BELIEFS
VI. SOCIOCULTURAL INTERACTION AND CONFLICT