Standardization and Validation of a Value Retention Test 2003

The newly developed "Österreichische Wertefrageben" (ÖWF; Austrian Value Questionnaire), which consists of five scales (intellectuality, harmony, religiosity, materialism and conservatism) and 13 subscales, was tested for its statistical properties. The aim was to test whether the questionnaire actually covered what it was intended to measure ("validity"); to determine the measurement accuracy ("reliability"); and to determine to what extent certain value groups were supported or rejected by different parts of the population ("standardization"). Four steps were used to determine validity: (1) A survey institute specified the ÖWF N = 421 approximately representatively selected persons throughout Austria together with an established value questionnaire and scales for measuring religious, political and health-related attitudes. The hypotheses about the connections in this respect were largely confirmed; (2) the majority of the hypotheses about typical value orientations of special population groups (N = 30 priests and nuns each, people doing community service, students of psychology and economics, prisoners, car drivers who had been under the influence of alcohol) were also confirmed; (3) the expectation that religious people would better cope with traumatic experiences was not confirmed; (4) qualitative, semi-structured interviews provided additional information on the value orientations of individual members of these groups. Overall, encouraging results were achieved with regard to the validity of the ÖWF. Reliability was tested by the Austrian Monetary Fund (ÖWF) by specifying identical groups of N = 142 persons three times. The latent state-trait analysis showed satisfying reliability for the ÖWF. It also showed that the evaluations of religiousness and conservatism remain stable over longer periods of time, while the evaluations of the other dimensions are subject to clear situational influences. Standardization showed that harmony, materialism and intellectuality were generally rated higher than religiousness and conservatism. Young people were more in favour of materialism than older people; the opposite was true for religiosity. Voters of the various parliamentary parties differed significantly in the value dimensions they advocated.