The dynamics of value system in 1998 and 2015: Longitudinal research in Latvia

Abstract

Values may change during life because a person obtains new life experience and competencies. In the past decade, many Latvian psychologists studied people's values and their connections with different factors like cultural, political, social, economic changes and other factors [1, 2, 3 and other]. Since 1994 Latvia has gone through different social-economic changes like crisis, economic growth, assumption to NATO and EU, and acceptation of euro currency. These changes can influence participants’ values. The aim was to conduct a comparative longitudinal research in individuals’ values in 1998 and 2015, at the beginning of their youth and then in adulthood, in order to answer the following questions: what values were in 1998 and 2015; what differences in values had appeared comparing 1998 and 2015 in same persons. Results showed that the most important values in 1998 and 2015 were “Family”, “Love”, “Responsibility”, “Honesty” and “Cheerfulness”. Significant changes appeared in “Health” that became significantly important in 2015 and replaced the importance of “Love”. Most achievable values in 1998 and 2015 were “The beauty of nature and art” and “Cognition” but in 2015 also “Active life” which replaced “Self-confidence” that was important in 1998. Significant changes appeared in “Self-confidence”, “Wisdom”, “Active life”, “Freedom”, “Interesting job”, “Learning” and “Friends” as well, where importance of some values increased and some decreased in 2015.