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Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ)3

Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) Test

As a self-report questionnaire, the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) Test presents 40 statements and takes about 8 minutes to complete. Your result highlights the personal values that guide your choices, relationships, and priorities, helping you understand your motivational profile and reflect on what matters most to you.

Questions: 408 minutes

Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ): situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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4,198 completions

2,192 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

2,192 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Security (10)S

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

example score5/6

5/6Highexample score

1 – 2.9Low

3 – 4.4Moderate

4.5 – 6High

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

Stimulation (9)S

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

example score3/6

3/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2.9Low

3 – 4Moderate

4.1 – 6High

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

Power (8)P

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

example score4/6

4/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2.6Low

2.7 – 4.3Moderate

4.4 – 6High

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.

AchievementA

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

example score3/6

3/6Moderate priorityexample score

1 – 2.9Lower priority

3 – 4.4Moderate priority

4.5 – 6Higher priority

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

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.

example score3/6

3/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6High

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.

Universalism (5)U

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

example score3/6

3/6Moderate emphasisexample score

1 – 2Lower emphasis

3 – 4Moderate emphasis

5 – 6Higher 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.

TraditionT

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

example score4/6

4/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6High

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.

Benevolence (2)B

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

example score4/6

4/6Moderate benevolenceexample score

1 – 2.9Lower benevolence

3 – 4.4Moderate benevolence

4.5 – 6Higher 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.

Self-Direction (1)SD

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

example score3/6

3/6Moderate independenceexample score

1 – 2.9Lower independence

3 – 4Moderate independence

4.1 – 6Higher 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.

HedonismH

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

example score2/6

2/6Lowexample score

1 – 2.6Low

2.7 – 4.3Moderate

4.4 – 6High

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.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Safety (10)

You?

Average3.8

Typical rangeTypical3 – 4.5

Possible1 – 6

Stimulation (9)

You?

Average3.5

Typical rangeTypical2.7 – 4.3

Possible1 – 6

Power (8)

You?

Average4.3

Typical rangeTypical3.6 – 4.9

Possible1 – 6

Achievement (7)

You?

Average3.8

Typical rangeTypical3 – 4.5

Possible1 – 6

Conformity (6)

You?

Average4.6

Typical rangeTypical3.7 – 5.5

Possible1 – 6

Universalism (5)

You?

Average3.9

Typical rangeTypical3.1 – 4.7

Possible1 – 6

Tradition (3)

You?

Average3.1

Typical rangeTypical2.3 – 3.8

Possible1 – 6

Benevolence (2)

You?

Average2.7

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 3.7

Possible1 – 6

Independence (1)

You?

Average4.5

Typical rangeTypical3.7 – 5.3

Possible1 – 6

Hedonism (4)

You?

Average4.3

Typical rangeTypical3.6 – 4.9

Possible1 – 6

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Below are descriptions of some people. Please read each description and consider how similar or dissimilar each person is to you. Select the response option that best indicates how much the person described is like you.

- Not at all like me
- Not like me
- A little like me
- Somewhat like me
- Like me
- Very much like me
- Not like me at all
- Not like me
- A little like me
- Somewhat like me
- Like me
- Very much like me
- Not at all like me
- Not like me
- Not much like me
- A little like me
- Like me
- Very much like me

These are 3 of the 40 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) Test - Description and methodology of the test

ethnopsychology

cultural values

People seeking clarity about the principles behind everyday choices, relationships, or long-term goals can use the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) Test to examine priorities. It is not a moral ranking of values. This personal values questionnaire shows which motivations feel more central, helping you reflect on tensions among independence, security, enjoyment, achievement, and care.

What This Assessment Measures

This values assessment covers:

Security, Stimulation, and Power (1-6 each) cover safety, harmony, novelty, challenge, status, and influence: Low 1-2.9, Moderate 3-4.4, High 4.5-6; Low 1-2.9, Moderate 3-4, High 4.1-6; and Low 1-2.6, Moderate 2.7-4.3, High 4.4-6, respectively.
Achievement, Conformity, and Tradition (1-6 each) cover success, recognition, restraint, order, customs, and beliefs: Lower priority 1-2.9, Moderate priority 3-4.4, Higher priority 4.5-6; Low 1-2, Moderate 3-4, High 5-6; and Low 1-2, Moderate 3-4, High 5-6, respectively.
Universalism and Benevolence (1-6 each) cover tolerance, justice, people, nature, and care: Lower emphasis 1-2, Moderate 3-4, Higher emphasis 5-6; and Lower benevolence 1-2.9, Moderate benevolence 3-4.4, Higher benevolence 4.5-6, respectively.
Self-Direction and Hedonism (1-6 each) cover autonomy, creativity, learning, pleasure, and enjoyment: Lower independence 1-2.9, Moderate independence 3-4, Higher independence 4.1-6; and Low 1-2.6, Moderate 2.7-4.3, High 4.4-6, respectively.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Responses use six ordered choices, from “Not at all like me” to “Very much like me,” with intermediate options showing degrees of resemblance. The portrait format asks respondents to compare themselves with a described person, making abstract values easier to connect with daily decisions.

Each answer contributes to the profile reported on 1-6 scales. Higher placement indicates stronger endorsement of that motivation within this profile; the bands are descriptive labels, not clinical thresholds. One result cannot establish population norms or a diagnosis.

The published reference point is Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ-40; Schwartz et al., 2001), which measures Schwartz’s basic human values through a different method. Cieciuch and Schwartz (2012) examined PVQ-40 structure, while Beramendi and Zubieta (2017) studied 40- and 21-item versions in Argentina. Those studies support construct interpretation, but do not establish identical norms, translation properties, reliability, or validity for this online form. As a Schwartz values test, it is a structured snapshot that can be influenced by current context, self-presentation, and self-awareness.

Author: S. H. Schwartz

Literature:

Schwartz, S. H., Melech, G., Lehmann, A., Burgess, S., Harris, M., & Owens, V. (2001). Extending the Cross-Cultural Validity of the Theory of Basic Human Values with a Different Method of Measurement. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(5), 519-542. 10.1177/0022022101032005001
Cieciuch, J., & Schwartz, S. H. (2012). The Number of Distinct Basic Values and Their Structure Assessed by PVQ-40. Journal of Personality Assessment, 94(3), 321-328. 10.1080/00223891.2012.655817
Beramendi, M., & Zubieta, E. (2017). Validation of the 40 and 21 Items Versions of the Portrait Values Questionnaire in Argentina. Psychologia, 60(2), 68-84. 10.2117/psysoc.2017.68

Updated: 2025-10-02