Examining the Circularity of (Universal?) Values: their Relation to Axioms and Outcomes in Three Immigrant Samples

One of the most widely used nomological networks by which to view and compare cultures has been through the lens of underlying (universal) values (Shwartz, 1992). Earlier efforts at rank ordering the 10 values later gave way to the adoption of a circumplex approach that focused on locating cultures within a 2-factor circle. Findings however have been mixed as to whether values fit the proposed circular structure. Huismans & van Schuur`s (2010) have proposed a data transformation procedure aimed at addressing circularity problems in the data. Following a brief primer on circular models and the "projection" of external variables into the values circle, three separate samples will be examined and compared: a local sample from southwestern Ontario, Canada (Sample 1; N = 488), a mixed-ethnic group recently immigrated to the same region (Sample 2; N = 143), and a young Arab immigrant sample (N = 113). More recent investigations into cultural "axioms" will be examined by projecting these onto the values space. Finally, relations of values and axioms in Sample 2 will be examined as predictive of: in- & out-group contact, sociocultural adaptation, and psychological health.