Personality traits and personal values: a conceptual and empirical integration

Independent advances in the study of personality traits and personal values have clarified their foundations, antecedents, content, structure, and measurement. Accumulating evidence shows that personality traits are largely endogenous characteristics, while personal values are learned adaptations strongly influenced by the environment. Thus, these constructs appear to address nature and the interaction of nature and nurture, respectively. Although each itself is related to an abundance of research and theory, efforts to integrate personality traits and personal values have been limited. We integrate the two constructs conceptually and then report corroborating empirics in a Western sample using two distinct personality approaches. Findings indicate that personal values are influenced in predicted patterns by Openness/Intellect, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness as well as, more moderately, by Extraversion.