Do values help shape your behavior?
Values influence your behavior because you use them to decide between alternatives. Values, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs are cornerstones of who we are and how we do things. They form the basis of how we see ourselves as individuals, how we see others, and how we interpret the world in general.
Definition. Values are the moral principles or moral ethics or standards of behaviour. On the other hand, attitudes are the opinions or stances about a certain subject matter or a person. Thus, this explains the basic difference between values and attitudes.
People primarily form their attitudes from underlying values and beliefs. However, factors which may not have been internalised as beliefs and values can still influence a person's attitudes at the point of decision-making.
Values help to guide our behavior. Attitudes are the response that is a result of our values. Values decide what we think as for right, wrong, good, or unjust. Attitudes are our likes and dislike of things, people, and objects.
Your values form the foundation of your life. They dictate the choices you make and determine the direction that your life takes. Your values will influence your decisions related to your relationships, career, and other activities you engage in. Yet despite this importance, few people choose their values.
Our values inform our thoughts, words, and actions.
Our values are important because they help us to grow and develop. They help us to create the future we want to experience. Every individual and every organization is involved in making hundreds of decisions every day.
They determine what people will prioritise in making a judgement, and what they will strive for in seeking improvement (Haste, 2018[1]). Attitudes are underpinned by values and beliefs and have an influence on behaviour (UNESCO IBE, 2013[2]).
When we make decisions and take actions that honor our values, we are best able to maximize our feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. When we make decisions that do not honor or might conflict with our values, this can cause discontent and dissatisfaction.
Key Differences Between Attitude and Behavior
Attitude is defined as a person's mental tendency, which is responsible for the way he thinks or feels for someone or something. Behavior implies the actions, moves, conduct or functions of an individual or group towards other persons.
Usually, values guide behavior. They are highly relevant to establishing our individuality and helping explain our actions. For example, a person who values health is more likely to develop daily rituals and long-term habits that enhance health and general well-being than people who do not.
How our beliefs affect our behaviour?
As Scott learned, our beliefs shape our thinking, which influences our behavior. When the gap between what we say and what we really do narrows, tough decisions become easier. High-stakes situations demand that we make our decisions based on our core values — the intersection of what we believe and how we behave.
Attitudes can positively or negatively affect a person's behavior. A person may not always be aware of his or her attitude or the effect it is having on behavior. A person who has positive attitudes towards work and co-workers (such as contentment, friendliness, etc.) can positively influence those around them.

Being more aware of your own values can help you to understand why you are doing things and whether your own actions are consistent with your values. It can also help you to appreciate the values that others hold and the influence those values have on their behaviour.
Values help organizations determine a range of acceptable behaviors, defining for leaders and employees alike which actions are encouraged and which are unacceptable. Values tell staff what is good for the organization and what is unhealthy.
They are organized according to the scale of their relative importance and they are transcendent in relation to the situation. They guide the evaluation and selection of specific behaviour. If values are in conflict, a person tends to behave according to the one that occupies a higher position in the hierarchy.
They are influenced by our beliefs, our background, education, and our individual and wider social networks. Some of our personal ideas can originate from prejudice, myths and assumptions. We need to be aware of how our values influence what we do. We were not born with values but acquire them throughout our lives.
Values are individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or another. They serve as a guide for human behavior. Generally, people are predisposed to adopt the values that they are raised with. People also tend to believe that those values are “right” because they are the values of their particular culture.
1 : a fair return in goods, services, or money for something exchanged. 2 : worth in money. 3 : worth, usefulness, or importance in comparison with something else The letter is of great historical value. 4 : a principle or quality that is valuable or desirable They shared many goals and values.
Human values are most important in life—so important that people are and should be ready to sacrifice almost anything to live with their values. Honesty, integrity, love, and happiness are some of the end values or destination values that human beings seek to attain, practise and live with.
Attitudes and values, a key component of the OECD Learning Compass 2030, refer to the principles and beliefs that influence one's choices, judgements, behaviours and actions on the path towards individual, societal and environmental well-being.
What is the source of values and attitudes?
People's values, beliefs and attitudes are formed and bonded over time through the influences of family, friends, society and life experiences.
Your own beliefs, values and life experiences can affect your attitude and behaviour towards individuals and carers and its human nature to react to the way that people behave towards us. For example, if someone smiles at us, we usually smile back but if someone is rude to us, we can become cross or angry.
Our personal values mirror the motives behind our actions. And whether conscious of them or not, our personal values represent what is important to us. They're fundamental beliefs that guide our decisions and influence our actions in all aspects of our life—career, religion, and relationships.
Values are part of the step by step process you use when you set and achieve goals. For example, if you're problem solving and deciding whether you want to work harder to achieve success, and one of your main values is work life balance, you'll likely choose the best course of action to be work less.
People purchase items that are seen as important to them. An individual's perception of values helps determine their needs and wants and/or items they will purchase.
Attitudes are often the result of experience or upbringing. They can have a powerful influence over behavior and affect how people act in various situations. While attitudes are enduring, they can also change.
Answer and Explanation: Behavior does not always follow from attitudes. This is because behavior has numerous causes.
When individuals focus more on their own attitudes and feelings, they tend to act on those attitudes and, hence, attitude and behavior are related. In addition, when individuals feel more responsibility for their own actions as opposed to being part of a group, their attitudes are more consistent with their behavior.
Values are the fundamental beliefs that guide and motivate our behavior and our choices of what is important in life. They are standards we use to observe, evaluate, and respond to our environment at any level – the world as a whole, our country, city, town, community, workplace, school, family, or other social groups.
Attitudes arise out of core values and beliefs we hold internally. Beliefs are assumptions and convictions we hold to be true based on past experiences. Values are worthy ideas based on things, concepts and people. Behaviours are how these internalised systems (attitudes, beliefs and values) are expressed.
What are social values and attitudes?
These tendencies or attitudes in turn are based upon individual's values. Social values are ideas which help an individual to discriminate whether a particular object or behaviour is good or bad, desirable or undesirable. There are at times rules which govern the action which is known as "Norms".
Your beliefs influence other people's behavior: Your beliefs can shape your reality not only by influencing your own behavior, but also by influencing other people's behavior towards you, from close relationship partners to complete strangers.
Beliefs are basically assumptions that we make about the world and our values stem from those beliefs. Our values are things that we deem important and can include concepts like '“ equality, honesty, education, effort, perseverance, loyalty, faithfulness, conservation of the environment and many, many other concepts.
- Loyalty.
- Spirituality.
- Humility.
- Compassion.
- Honesty.
- Kindness.
- Integrity.
- Selflessness.
We learn most of our values from our parents and extended families. Our family values stem from our social and cultural values. Sometimes new life experiences may change values we previously held. Individual values reflect how we live our life and what we consider important for our own self-interests.
Values lie deep in our psyche, they reflect our past experiences and as such create the foundation for our lifetime of behaviour and our response to the world and people around us. The only way to engage and enhance our values is introspection and reflection.
Relationship Between Values and Attitudes
Values stand as the fundamentals of one's belief and guide. Accordingly, one's attitudes build up based on a person's moral values. Value and attitudes are both subjected to change with different social interactions and social experiences of a person.
- physical factors - age, health, illness, pain, influence of a substance or medication.
- personal and emotional factors - personality, beliefs, expectations, emotions, mental health.
- life experiences - family, culture, friends, life events.
- what the person needs and wants.
Explanation: George R. Terry said that leadership is the ability to shape the attitude and behavioral of others whether informal or formal situations.
Values are the guiding principles that dictate our behaviour. They help us to make decisions and shape our interactions with others. When it comes to the workplace, values can have a huge impact on our productivity and job satisfaction.
How can attitudes and values influence effective communication?
Explanation: Attitudes and values can directly influence your communication positively and negatively. When your attitude is positive, there is a sense of empathy and one will strive to fully understand what the other person is saying and provide the best possible response.
Work values and attitudes capture the range of thoughts and feelings that make up the experience of work. Because work values are more stable and long lasting, they can strongly affect work attitudes and hence employee's level of job satisfaction.
Usually, values guide behavior. They are highly relevant to establishing our individuality and helping explain our actions. For example, a person who values health is more likely to develop daily rituals and long-term habits that enhance health and general well-being than people who do not.
Behaviours are the practical application of your values – translating them into day-to-day actions. Values tend to be broad brushstrokes. Behaviours nail the detail of what you expect your people to do.
Values determine what individuals find important in their daily life and help to shape their behavior in each situation they encounter. Since values often strongly influence both attitude and behavior, they serve as a kind of personal compass for employee conduct in the workplace.
Employees are less happy and more stressed when their personal values conflicts with their superiors at work and such conflicts can negatively affect one's career. In addition to interpersonal and interpersonal value conflicts, an employee personal value may conflict the cultural value system of an organization.
As Scott learned, our beliefs shape our thinking, which influences our behavior. When the gap between what we say and what we really do narrows, tough decisions become easier. High-stakes situations demand that we make our decisions based on our core values — the intersection of what we believe and how we behave.
Usually, values guide behavior. They are highly relevant to establishing our individuality and helping explain our actions. For example, a person who values health is more likely to develop daily rituals and long-term habits that enhance health and general well-being than people who do not.
Values are the fundamental beliefs that guide and motivate our behavior and our choices of what is important in life. They are standards we use to observe, evaluate, and respond to our environment at any level – the world as a whole, our country, city, town, community, workplace, school, family, or other social groups.
When we make decisions and take actions that honor our values, we are best able to maximize our feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. When we make decisions that do not honor or might conflict with our values, this can cause discontent and dissatisfaction.
Why is it important to understand how your own values and attitudes impact on others?
Being more aware of your own values can help you to understand why you are doing things and whether your own actions are consistent with your values. It can also help you to appreciate the values that others hold and the influence those values have on their behaviour.
Working in ways that align with your values makes it easier for you to prioritise and less likely that you'll second guess the decisions you make. As well as increasing your own performance, employing your values to drive a positive working environment for others also drives a higher overall performance culture.
They are influenced by our beliefs, our background, education, and our individual and wider social networks. Some of our personal ideas can originate from prejudice, myths and assumptions. We need to be aware of how our values influence what we do. We were not born with values but acquire them throughout our lives.
Your beliefs influence other people's behavior: Your beliefs can shape your reality not only by influencing your own behavior, but also by influencing other people's behavior towards you, from close relationship partners to complete strangers.
Beliefs are basically assumptions that we make about the world and our values stem from those beliefs. Our values are things that we deem important and can include concepts like '“ equality, honesty, education, effort, perseverance, loyalty, faithfulness, conservation of the environment and many, many other concepts.
They determine what people will prioritise in making a judgement, and what they will strive for in seeking improvement (Haste, 2018[1]). Attitudes are underpinned by values and beliefs and have an influence on behaviour (UNESCO IBE, 2013[2]).
In psychology, an attitude refers to a set of emotions, beliefs, and behaviors toward a particular object, person, thing, or event. Attitudes are often the result of experience or upbringing. They can have a powerful influence over behavior and affect how people act in various situations.
Behavioral values are internal and about the how — how you behave every day as you pursue your mission and run your business. Why define your core behavioral values? You have some whether or not you articulate them. Take the time to make sure that the ones you project are the ones people perceive.
Knowing our values is important because it helps us make decisions, take action, and focus on moving towards the life we want to live.
Distinction between values and motives: A subtle, but noteworthy, difference: Values refer to appraisal criteria whereas motives refer to a psychological force that attracts or repels you from an incentive.