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Why do some people regularly show kindness to others whereas others react aggressively even to minor provocations? Why do some people consider their work mainly as a means to achieve personal success, whereas others consider it a means to contribute to society and an opportunity for self-fulfillment? Personal values play a crucial role in such behaviors. The chapters in this book address these and other questions regarding the relations of values to behavior, taking a cross-cultural perspective.

The construct of values is central to many fields in social sciences and humanities. After years of little attention to values, the last two decades have seen a substantial body of psychological research, investigating the content, structure and consequences of personal values in many cultures. Personal values are defined as abstract desirable goals that are relatively stable over time and across situations, serving as …