Instrumental values are principles and qualities that help people achieve their goals and objectives in life. They are considered means to a desired end and play an important role in defining a person's character and behavior. Some examples of instrumental values include honesty, responsibility, perseverance, loyalty, and empathy. These values are essential for personal development and for building healthy, positive relationships with others.
Meaning and importance of instrumental value in everyday and professional practice.
Instrumental values are principles that guide our daily actions and behaviors, both personally and professionally. They are the means by which we achieve our goals and objectives, influencing our choices and decisions in various situations.
In everyday practice, instrumental values are essential for guiding our interactions with other people and the environment around us. They help us act ethically, respectfully, and responsibly, contributing to the construction of healthy and productive relationships. For example, honesty, tolerance, and solidarity are instrumental values that promote peaceful coexistence and harmony among individuals in a community.
In the professional sphere, instrumental values are equally important, as they influence how we behave in the workplace and how we deal with challenges and conflicts. Ethics, proactivity, and collaboration are examples of instrumental values that contribute to a team's success and the achievement of organizational goals. Through these values, it is possible to build a positive and stimulating work environment, where cooperation and integrity are valued.
In short, instrumental values play a fundamental role in our lives, guiding our actions and influencing our choices in different contexts. They are essential for promoting respect, ethics, and cooperation, both in everyday life and in the professional environment, contributing to personal development and success in various areas of life.
Terminal values vs. instrumental values: understand the differences between them in a simple way.
Terminal values are those that represent the ultimate goals that a person wants to achieve in their life, such as happiness, personal fulfillment, freedom, peace, among others. instrumental values are the means by which these objectives are achieved, that is, they are the principles and behaviors that a person adopts to achieve their terminal values.
For example, if a person's terminal value is happiness, some instrumental values they might adopt are gratitude, empathy, perseverance, and honesty. These instrumental values serve as guides for their daily actions and are essential to achieving the desired terminal value.
It's important to emphasize that instrumental values vary from person to person and can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as culture, education, and life experiences. Furthermore, instrumental values can change over time as a person matures and acquires new perspectives.
Therefore, understanding the difference between terminal values and instrumental values is essential for each individual to reflect on their life goals and the means by which they intend to achieve them. By cultivating positive instrumental values, such as ethics, solidarity, and resilience, it is possible to build a more meaningful life aligned with what truly matters.
What are the ultimate values that guide people's choices and actions?
Ultimate values are fundamental principles that guide people's choices and actions. They represent the most important goals or objectives in each individual's life, reflecting their deepest beliefs and priorities. Different people may have different ultimate values, but they are the basis for decisions and actions.
On the other hand, instrumental values Instrumental values are the means by which people seek to achieve their ultimate values. They are the behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics deemed necessary to achieve desired goals. Instrumental values are essential for guiding an individual's actions and ensuring they are on the right path to achieving their ultimate values.
Some examples of instrumental values include honesty, responsibility, perseverance, patience, and tolerance. These qualities are considered essential for achieving ultimate values such as happiness, success, respect, and personal fulfillment.
Therefore, the instrumental values play a crucial role in people's lives, as they guide daily actions and influence decision-making. By cultivating and strengthening these values, individuals are more likely to achieve their goals and live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
What are instrumental values? (With examples)
Os instrumental values are those specific forms of action that a person uses at a given time to achieve a desired goal. They allow human needs to be satisfied and are socially acceptable circumstantial behaviors.
In the early 1970s, social psychologist Milton Rokeach determined that people reason differently when considering what they should do and what they can do, and created a survey of actions that bears his name.
Rokeach deduced that when people think about ends, they adopt the criterion of intrinsic value (that is, their permanent values), but when they think about the means to achieve a goal, they apply instrumental value as a criterion.
Examples
Values represent ways of thinking and acting on a personal and social level, and guide people's behavior regarding good and evil, desirable and undesirable.
Taking into account the values established in Rokeach's research, the following examples are presented.
These are instrumental values used to access terminal values, which are the goals a person wants to achieve.
Jobs
Being a worker is an instrumental value that can be obtained to access terminal values, such as professional success.
Perseverance
Perseverance may be necessary to access a terminal value, such as achieving high goals.
Sympathy
Being good can help you have many friends.
Excellence
Excellence can lead to greater success, both personally and professionally.
Broad mind
In certain areas of life, you can be open-minded. For example, in sex, when it comes to relationships with other people, but not when it comes to our own children or relatives.
More competent when there is motivation
When a person enjoys what they do or needs to get a job or promotion at work, they act as efficiently as possible to achieve that goal and become more competitive than other workers aspiring to the same position.
Demonstration of affection
People are often very dry when showing affection to other people.
For example, a father may not be loving with his children, but with his grandchildren, he becomes a very affectionate person, allowing behaviors he once disapproved of with his own children. This value indicates that you are not affectionate with everyone or in all circumstances.
Cleaning
Some people are likely to be tidy and clean in certain places, by established standards of behavior, because if they are dirty or unclean, they will not be able to access or remain in the place.
bravura
A person considered cowardly may react courageously in defense of their political, religious, or moral principles, or act with courage and determination based on their economic or family interests.
show love
When trying to win over a girl or a boy, some people try to be nice and become loving and friendly people, even if this isn't a permanent behavior.
Forgiving others
To resolve a family or business dispute, people must turn the page based on higher interests: they must forgive the people who hurt or attacked them.
Useful
It is likely that a person has not always been helpful, especially at home, but when living with others, this behavior is modified in exchange or payment for the service provided.
References
- Abbarno G, John M (2015): Inherent and Instrumental Values. University Press of America. Retrieved from books.google.co.uk
- Dewey, John (1939). Evaluation Theory. University of Chicago Press. Retrieved from books.google.co.uk
- Azulejos, Maria; Oberdiek, Hans (1995). Living in a Technological Culture. Routledge Retrieved from books.google.co.uk
- Zimmerman, Michael. "Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Value." In Zalta, Edward N. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from books.google.co.uk
- instrumental value. Retrieved from oxfordreference.com
- Organizational behavior. Accessed at cursoco.weebly.com
- Instrumental Values: Definition and Examples. Retrieved from study.com
- Intrinsic and instrumental value. Retrieved from thoughtco.com