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.新近开发的「奥地利价值观问卷（Österreichische Wertefrageben，简称ÖWF」由五个维度（智力性、和谐性、宗教性、物质主义与保守主义）及13个亚维度组成，研究团队对其统计学特性展开了系统性检验。本次检验的核心目标包括：验证该问卷是否能够切实覆盖其预设测量的内容（即「效度（validity）」）、确定其测量精度（即「信度（reliability）」），以及明确不同群体对特定价值观的支持或排斥程度（即「标准化（standardization）」）。 效度检验共分为四个步骤： 1. 某调研机构在全奥地利范围内选取约421名具有代表性的受访者，并搭配一款成熟的价值观问卷以及用于测量宗教、政治与健康相关态度的量表开展调研，相关关联假设得到了大范围验证； 2. 针对特定群体（包括各30名神职人员、社区服务从业者、心理学与经济学专业学生、囚犯、曾酒驾的司机）的典型价值观取向的多数假设也得到了验证； 3. “宗教人士更善于应对创伤性经历”这一预期未获验证； 4. 质性半结构化访谈（qualitative semi-structured interviews）为上述群体成员的个体价值观取向提供了补充信息。 总体而言，ÖWF的效度检验取得了令人振奋的结果。 信度检验由奥地利货币基金（ÖWF）完成，他们对142名固定受访者进行了三次施测。潜在状态-特质分析（latent state-trait analysis）显示，ÖWF的信度表现良好。同时分析还表明，宗教性与保守主义的评分在较长时间内保持稳定，而其余维度的评分则明显受到情境因素的影响。 标准化结果显示：和谐性、物质主义与智力性的总体评分普遍高于宗教性与保守主义。年轻人相较于老年人更倾向于物质主义，宗教性的评分则呈现相反趋势。不同议会党派的支持者在其所推崇的价值观维度上存在显著差异。