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Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ)

Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) Test

Understand the values that drive your choices and behavior in about 8 minutes. Get a clear, action-focused values profile to support coaching, counseling, and culture fit.

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Questions: 408 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

15,133 views

2,431 completion

1,602 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

5/6

Security (10) (S)

Measures the importance a person places on stability, safety, and predictability in personal life and society.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.9: Low | 3 – 4.4: Moderate | 4.5 – 6: High

A score of 5 indicates a high emphasis on security and reducing uncertainty through stable, predictable conditions.

example score

3/6

Stimulation (9) (S)

Stimulation measures the degree to which a person seeks novelty, variety, and challenging experiences to stay energized and engaged.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.9: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 4.1 – 6: High

A score of 3 indicates a moderate preference for novelty and challenge, balancing new experiences with familiar routines.

example score

4/6

Power (8) (P)

Power measures the extent to which a person values social status, prestige, and influence over others.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.6: Low | 2.7 – 4.3: Moderate | 4.4 – 6: High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate emphasis on seeking status and influence, suggesting these motives are present but not dominant compared to other values.

example score

3/6

Achievement (A)

Measures the importance you place on personal success, effectiveness, and gaining social approval within cultural standards.

Lower priority

Moderate priority

Higher priority

1 – 2.9: Lower priority | 3 – 4.4: Moderate priority | 4.5 – 6: Higher priority

A score of 3 suggests achievement is a moderate priority, with some motivation for recognition and effectiveness without it consistently driving choices.

example score

3/6

Conformity (6) (C)

Conformity measures how strongly a person prefers to restrain impulses and follow group norms to preserve social harmony and avoid disrupting others.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 3 indicates a moderate preference for adhering to rules and considering social expectations, balanced with some willingness to act independently when needed.

example score

3/6

Universalism (5) (U)

Universalism measures the extent to which a person prioritizes understanding, tolerance, and the well-being of all people and nature.

Lower emphasis

Moderate emphasis

Higher emphasis

1 – 2: Lower emphasis | 3 – 4: Moderate emphasis | 5 – 6: Higher emphasis

A score of 3 suggests a moderate emphasis on universalism, with concern for fairness and broader well-being present but not consistently guiding choices.

example score

4/6

Tradition (T)

Tradition measures the extent to which a person values respecting and maintaining cultural or religious customs and established ways of doing things.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2: Low | 3 – 4: Moderate | 5 – 6: High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate orientation toward Tradition, suggesting you generally respect and follow customary norms while remaining flexible when circumstances call for change.

example score

4/6

Benevolence (2) (B)

Measures how strongly a person prioritizes supporting and enhancing the well-being of people they interact with.

Lower benevolence

Moderate benevolence

Higher benevolence

1 – 2.9: Lower benevolence | 3 – 4.4: Moderate benevolence | 4.5 – 6: Higher benevolence

A score of 4 indicates a moderate tendency to be supportive and considerate toward close others, with this value playing a noticeable but not dominant role in everyday choices.

example score

3/6

Self-Direction (1) (SD)

Independence (Self-Direction) measures how strongly a person values autonomous thinking and action, including freedom of choice, creativity, and exploration.

Lower independence

Moderate independence

Higher independence

1 – 2.9: Lower independence | 3 – 4: Moderate independence | 4.1 – 6: Higher independence

A score of 3 indicates a moderate preference for independent decision-making and self-directed action, balanced with some openness to external guidance or constraints.

example score

2/6

Hedonism (H)

Measures how strongly a person is motivated by pleasure, sensual enjoyment, and seeking joy in everyday life.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.6: Low | 2.7 – 4.3: Moderate | 4.4 – 6: High

A score of 2 indicates a low emphasis on hedonism, suggesting pleasure-seeking and sensual enjoyment are less central drivers of choices and behavior.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in self-discovery

41%OF USERS

They want a clear picture of what truly motivates their everyday choices, especially during life or career transitions.

Coaches and therapists

33%OF USERS

They use it to quickly map a client’s value priorities and connect them to behavior patterns and decision-making.

HR and culture researchers

26%OF USERS

They run it in teams or studies to understand value fit, cultural differences, and what drives collaboration and conflict.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Safety (10) (S()

Average

3.8

Normal range

3 — 4.5

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Stimulation (9) (S()

Average

3.5

Normal range

2.7 — 4.3

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Power (8) (P()

Average

4.3

Normal range

3.6 — 4.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Achievement (7) (A()

Average

3.8

Normal range

3 — 4.5

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Conformity (6) (C()

Average

4.6

Normal range

3.7 — 5.5

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Universalism (5) (U()

Average

3.9

Normal range

3.1 — 4.7

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Tradition (3) (T()

Average

3.1

Normal range

2.3 — 3.8

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Benevolence (2) (B()

Average

2.7

Normal range

1.8 — 3.7

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Independence (1) (I()

Average

4.5

Normal range

3.7 — 5.3

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Hedonism (4) (H()

Average

4.3

Normal range

3.6 — 4.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures which values most strongly guide everyday choices and behavior. Results reflect practical priorities rather than stated ideals.

How are items presented and answered?

Each item describes a brief portrait of a person. The task is to rate how similar that person is to the respondent.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

It typically takes about 8 minutes to complete. The questionnaire includes 40 items.

What value categories are covered?

It assesses a structured set of value types that can be reported as 10 broad values or 19 more specific values. This allows both summary and fine-grained profiles.

How should results be interpreted and used?

Scores are interpreted as relative priorities across values, not as pass/fail results. They can support counseling, coaching, organizational research, and cross-cultural comparisons.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Schwartz's Portrait Values Questionnaire, PVQ Test

Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) Test - Symptoms and Signs

ethnopsychology cultural values

This instrument is designed to assess an individual’s value priorities using a structured set of brief portrait-based statements. The Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) asks respondents to rate how similar they are to described people, supporting a behavior-proximal view of values rather than endorsement of abstract ideals.

The measure includes 40 items and typically takes about 8 minutes to complete. Results are commonly summarized as relative value priorities that can be used to inform clinical formulation, counseling discussions, or research on motivational patterns and social-context influences. Interpretation of the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) should consider cultural and situational factors and is best integrated with other assessment data rather than used in isolation.

Author: s-h-schwartz

Literature: Schwartz, S. H. Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. 1992.; Schwartz, S. H. An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture. 2012.; Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Y. H., Breugelmans, S. M., Chasiotis, A., & Sam, D. L. Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. Cambridge University Press. 2011.

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