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Schwartz Personality Profile (PVQ)3

Schwartz Personality Profile (PVQ) Test

With 40 questions and an estimated completion time of 8 minutes, the Schwartz Personality Profile (PVQ) Test helps you explore the personal values that guide your choices, relationships, and priorities. Your result highlights the values you consider most important, supporting clearer self-reflection and a more balanced understanding of your profile.

Questions: 408 minutes

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

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4,892 completions

3,573 likes

Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

3,573 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Security (10)S

Measures the importance you place on stability, order, and protection from threats for yourself and others.

example score4/6

4/6Balanced security focusexample score

1 – 2Lower security focus

3 – 4Balanced security focus

5 – 6Higher security focus

A score of 4 suggests a balanced emphasis on safety and stability, valuing protection and order while still allowing flexibility in priorities.

Conformity (9)C

Conformity measures the extent to which a person restrains impulses and follows rules to meet social expectations and maintain harmony.

example score4/6

4/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate preference for following norms and exercising self-discipline, balanced with flexibility when appropriate.

StimulationS

Stimulation measures the importance you place on novelty, variety, and intense experiences in everyday life.

example score3/6

3/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6High

A score of 3 suggests a moderate preference for new experiences, with some openness to variety without consistently seeking high-intensity novelty.

Self-Direction (7)SD

Measures the importance a person places on independent thinking, autonomy, and choosing their own way of acting.

example score3/6

3/6Moderate independenceexample score

1 – 2Lower independence

3 – 4Moderate independence

5 – 6Higher independence

A score of 3 suggests a moderate preference for autonomy and self-directed choices, balanced with acceptance of external guidance or structure in some situations.

Universalism (6)U

Universalism measures the importance you place on understanding, tolerance, and protecting the well-being of all people and nature.

example score4/6

4/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Lower

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6Higher

A score of 4 indicates a moderate emphasis on universalism, suggesting you often value fairness and broad concern for others and the environment without it being your dominant priority.

Achievement (5)A

Measures the importance of personal success and demonstrating competence according to social standards to gain recognition.

example score4/6

4/6Balanced focusexample score

1 – 2.9Lower focus

3 – 4.4Balanced focus

4.5 – 6Strong focus

A score of 4 suggests a balanced emphasis on achievement, valuing success and recognition while keeping other priorities in view.

Tradition (4)T

Measures the degree to which a person respects and follows cultural, family, and social customs, norms, and rituals.

example score4/6

4/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate preference for maintaining traditions, with respect for customs in some situations while remaining open to change in others.

PowerP

Measures the importance you place on social status, prestige, and having influence or control over people and resources.

example score4/6

4/6Moderate power focusexample score

1 – 2.9Low power focus

3 – 4.4Moderate power focus

4.5 – 6High power focus

A score of 4 indicates a moderate emphasis on gaining influence and recognition, while balancing power-related goals with other values.

Hedonism (2)H

Measures how strongly a person prioritizes pleasure, enjoyment, and positive sensory experiences in everyday life.

example score3/6

3/6Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 4Moderate

5 – 6High

A score of 3 indicates a moderate emphasis on hedonism, suggesting enjoyment and pleasure matter but are balanced with other priorities.

Benevolence (1)B

Measures how strongly you prioritize caring for and supporting the well-being of people close to you through prosocial, responsible behavior.

example score4/6

4/6Moderate benevolenceexample score

1 – 2Lower benevolence

3 – 4Moderate benevolence

5 – 6Higher benevolence

A score of 4 suggests benevolence is a steady value for you, often guiding you toward supportive and fair behavior while still balancing other priorities.

just completed the test

DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Self-growth seekers

41%OF USERS

People who want to clarify what truly motivates them and make better decisions in work, relationships, and life.

Managers and HR specialists

34%OF USERS

Leaders who use value insights to improve hiring, motivation, team fit, and resolve conflicts.

Psychologists and researchers

25%OF USERS

Professionals who assess personal values for counseling, group diagnostics, or cross-cultural and social research.

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?

Average3.7

Typical rangeTypical3 – 4.3

Possible1 – 6

Conformity (9)

You?

Average4.3

Typical rangeTypical3.4 – 5.2

Possible1 – 6

Stimulation (8)

You?

Average3.4

Typical rangeTypical2.8 – 4.1

Possible1 – 6

Independence (7)

You?

Average3.4

Typical rangeTypical2.7 – 4

Possible1 – 6

Universalism (6)

You?

Average3.3

Typical rangeTypical2.5 – 4.2

Possible1 – 6

Achievements (5)

You?

Average3.9

Typical rangeTypical3.3 – 4.6

Possible1 – 6

Traditions (4)

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical2.2 – 3.6

Possible1 – 6

Power (3)

You?

Average4.7

Typical rangeTypical4.1 – 5.3

Possible1 – 6

Hedonism (2)

You?

Average2.5

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 3.2

Possible1 – 6

Kindness (1)

You?

Average2.7

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 3.5

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 like me at all
- 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 like me at all
- Not like me
- A little like me
- Somewhat 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

Schwartz Personality Profile (PVQ) Test - Description and methodology of the test

ethnopsychology

cultural values

People who want to understand why certain choices, obligations, freedoms, or social ideals matter may find the Schwartz Personality Profile (PVQ) Test useful. It offers a personal values assessment linking everyday preferences with broader motivational priorities. The result can guide reflection on relationships, work, decisions, and the life you want to build.

What This Assessment Explores

These dimensions define the Schwartz values profile:

Security (1-6) measures safety and order: Lower security focus 1-2; Balanced security focus 3-4; Higher security focus 5-6. Conformity (1-6) measures restraint: Low 1-2; Moderate 3-4; High 5-6.
Stimulation (1-6) measures novelty: Low 1-2; Moderate 3-4; High 5-6. Self-Direction (1-6) measures autonomy: Lower independence 1-2; Moderate independence 3-4; Higher independence 5-6. Universalism (1-6) measures tolerance: Lower 1-2; Moderate 3-4; Higher 5-6.
Achievement (1-6) measures competence: Lower focus 1-2.9; Balanced focus 3-4.4; Strong focus 4.5-6. Tradition (1-6) measures cultural continuity: Low 1-2; Moderate 3-4; High 5-6. Power (1-6) measures status and control: Low power focus 1-2.9; Moderate power focus 3-4.4; High power focus 4.5-6. Hedonism (1-6) measures pleasure: Low 1-2; Moderate 3-4; High 5-6. Benevolence (1-6) measures care for close others: Lower benevolence 1-2; Moderate benevolence 3-4; Higher benevolence 5-6.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each item is a brief third-person description followed by six options, ranging from Not like me at all to Very much like me. Respondents indicate resemblance rather than factual knowledge, so the profile reflects perceived priorities. In practice, the PVQ personality test groups related responses into value scales and reports each on a 1-6 range; the supplied bands label lower, moderate, or higher emphasis without implying that one pattern is universally preferable.

The framework is conceptually consistent with the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) (Schwartz et al., 2001) and Schwartz's theory of basic human values, which treats values as motivational goals guiding choices across settings. It is an online questionnaire, not a documented restandardization of those published measures.

Interpretation is strongest when you compare the pattern across scales and relate it to lived choices. Current context, self-awareness, and the wish to present oneself favorably can influence answers, and these online bands are not population norms or clinical cutoffs.

Author: Shalom H. Schwartz

Literature:

Schwartz, Shalom H., Gila Melech, Arielle Lehmann, Steven Burgess, Mari Harris, and Vicki Owens. 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
Schwartz, Shalom H. 1992. Universals in the Content and Structure of Values: Theoretical Advances and Empirical Tests in 20 Countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 25: 1-65. 10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60281-6

Updated: 2025-10-02