Human Values, Global Self-Esteem, and Belief in a Just World

ABSTRACT Relations were investigated between global self-esteem, just world beliefs, and value priorities in two large samples of Australian high-school (N= 953) and university students (N= 361). Principal component factor analyses involving the importance ratings for each of the Rokeach terminal and instrumental values showed that values could be classified into the following eight value domains for both samples: positive affiliation, universal prosocial, mature accomplishment, comfort/stimulation, security/salvation, self-directed competence, restrictive conformity, and prosocial concern. These value domains overlapped with but were not identical to the classification of motivational domains proposed by Schwartz and Bilsky (1987). As predicted, global self-esteem (assessed by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) was positively related to the importance of values in domains concerned with achievement, competence, and self-direction, and just world beliefs (assessed by the Just World Scale) were positively related to values in the restrictive conformity domain. Gender differences occurred in regard to the value domains and in the relation of prosocial values to global self-esteem in the older university sample. The results were discussed in relation to other studies of the structure of human values and other research on self-esteem and belief in a just world.